The executive committee meeting of ANFA scheduled for August 22 is likely to decide the election date. In the upcoming election, there will be 70 eligibility votes, of which the district associations´ votes will be most crucial as 45 district associations affiliated to ANFA will have a vote each. The elections of all 45 district committees were held about a week ago. [break]
Thapa has already concluded a nationwide tour to woo district associations for his sixth four-year tenure as ANFA president. According to an ANFA source close to Thapa, he has already collected signatures of more than two dozen district association presidents.
Similarly, all 13 A division clubs hold one voting right each, while representatives of B division clubs hold five votes and three votes are allocated to C division clubs. Coaches, referees and players´ associations are allocated one voting right each along with the women´s commission.
Thapa has collected signatures of proposers and seconders of nine out of 14 A division clubs. Three departmental teams -- Nepal Police Club, Armed Police Force and Tribhuvan Army Club -- and New Road Team (NRT) are the only remaining A division teams to sign in support of Thapa.
Suraj Kaji Shakya, the president of Ranipokhari Corner Team (RCT), confirmed that he had already signed as proposer for Thapa. "We have signed in favor of Thapa´s re-election as president a couple of days ago," said Shakya. "We chose him because he has worked for the betterment of football."
He, however, said that his club proposed Thapa before finalizing election as all other clubs have supported him. Similar was the opinion of Karma Tshering Sherpa, the president of another A division outfit. "He requested us to sign on the nomination form. Thus we signed after holding discussions in the club."
Shikshit Parajuli, the president of Saraswati Club, also disclosed about the club´s support to Thapa. "Though an official announcement regarding the election has not been made, it is likely to be held on August 31. We signed on the nomination form as all other clubs had done it. Also, no one has ever come forward to challenge him in the election," Parajuli said.
Though only five votes are allocated to B division, Thapa has already collected signatures in his favor from more than 10 B division clubs. "It is his policy to stop anyone else from filing candidacy for ANFA president. Because if he collects signatures from 65 voters, no one could challenge him as per the ANFA regulation," said a high-level ANFA official who did not want to be named.
As per the ANFA regulation, to file candidacy in ANFA one must have five proposers and seconders each from eligible voters. The ANFA regulation is in contradiction with the rules of AFC, the apex football body of Asia and FIFA, the world governing body of football, regulations where one can file candidacy with only one proposesr and seconder.
Thapa had enforced the regulation before the last election to bar Gita Rana from challenging him as president of ANFA in 2009 and had succeeded in doing so by collecting signatures of 71 voters either as proposer or seconder. Bauddha Football Club, now in B division, was the only voter not to back Thapa then.
Jal Kumar Gurung of Jhapa district association said that the whole Eastern Region had decided to back Thapa.
"Presidents of all district associations of Eastern Region have agreed to back Thapa in the election," said Gurung. "We reached the agreement during an informal meeting with Thapa in Lahan a few days ago."
Prakash Pangeni of Nawalparasi opined that there is no alternative to Thapa in the current situations. "We requested Thapa to lead ANFA for two more tenures during meeting with district association of Western Region." Banke President Bhojraj Shahi said that the Mid Western Region´s district president has backed him seeing no alternatives of Thapa.
Related story
FIFA-banned Thapa calls ANFA candidate into question
