The 21st Annual General Assembly and 10th Convention of the Nepal Air Sports Association (NAA) commenced on Tuesday in Pokhara. Despite the formal inauguration of the event, the selection of a new executive committee has been postponed due to disagreements among the business community.
The election to select the new executive committee, initially scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed to Saturday following a lack of consensus among stakeholders. Some members have accused the leadership of delaying the election to ensure the committee is formed in their favor.
Several business owners had insisted that the election be held as planned on Tuesday. However, the event was pushed back by four days due to ongoing disagreements, according to a participant. This individual further stated that efforts to prevent the election and bypass democratic processes were undermining the leadership selection.
Businessperson Khemraj Acharya suggested that the election postponement could be due to efforts to reach a consensus on the new executive committee. However, he noted that he was unaware of why the convention, which began on Tuesday, was delayed until Saturday.
Sonobabu Sunuwar, a candidate for the presidency, expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that the leadership was deliberately stalling the election until it favored their side. He argued that if elections were inevitable, there was no need to wait until Saturday.
Sunuwar also criticized the leadership for opposing democratic practices by not holding elections when a consensus could not be reached. According to the association’s bylaws, if consensus cannot be achieved, elections must proceed. However, members believe that the leadership has bypassed these rules by delaying the process until Saturday.
NAA currently comprises 62 paragliding companies and 399 registered pilots. Sonobabu Sunuwar and Anil KC are the primary candidates for the president’s position.
During Tuesday’s event, business owners also demanded the reopening of solo paragliding in Pokhara. They argued that the suspension of solo flights had reduced the influx of tourists, and reopening would help revitalize tourism in the city.
