A special general assembly of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) began in the Kathmandu on Friday.

The election is likely to resolve the long-standing dispute in the cricket’s governing body. With International Cricket Council’s board meeting set for October 12-13, there are also high hopes that the CAN suspension will be lifted by the board meeting. Minister for Sports Jagat Bishwakarma inaugurated the two-day event in Naxal.

The assembly will pick new leadership for the country’s cricketing body. The election for the working committee has been scheduled on Saturday. Chatur Bahadur Chand and former president Binaya Raj Panday are in the presidential race. The winner has to secure at least 30 votes from a total of 59. Elections for vice president, secretary and treasurer will also be held on Saturday.

Jayanti Bhatta from Sudurpaschim Province has been elected unanimously as a member. The CAN provisions states that there should be at least one female as member in its executive committee and Bhatta was the only one contesting. Elections for remaining 12 members will also be held on Saturday.

ICC representative Nitisha Kothari said there were high hopes for the Nepali cricket and they always wanted the development of the sport. Also addressing the session, member secretary of National Sports Council Ramesh Silwal urged to pick the new leadership unanimously and send a message of unity to others.

Nepali cricket had gone into crisis after a faction led by Tanka Aangbuhang held its general assembly and subsequently elections without support from the Council. Council had also refused to give legitimacy to the new body under Chand, which was formed on December 15, 2015.

The National Sports Council then formed an ad-hoc committee under Ramesh Silwal in February 2016. Following the turn of the events, ICC had suspended CAN in April 2016 saying it was in a state of leadership vacuum due to dual existence of the cricketing body.

ICC had formed an advisory committee in 2016 entrusting it with the responsibility of drafting a new statute of the cricket governing body and facilitating in holding a fresh election.

The new statute was unanimously approved by CAN in April 2018. The International Cricket Council had formed Independent Committee in July last year and tasked it to oversee the elections of districts and provinces under the newly adopted statute. The election process of district and province has already been completed.