The government is set to announce the date for local elections as the five-year tenure of the representatives elected in that were held in 2017 nears completion in a few months.

If there is no change in plans, the government will shortly decide to conduct the elections for 753 local governments on May 18. However, the Tribhuvan University Free Students’ Union elections, which are supposed to be held every two years and were held last time even before the local polls, are still uncertain.

The last elections of the student representatives were held in March 2017. As the polls couldn’t be held after the completion of the two-year tenure, the Tribhuvan University extended their terms until early 2020. It then decided to hold the student polls on February 26, 2020, and had directed all its affiliated colleges to start preparations for the elections.

The polls, however, were deferred following a dispute within the Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Students’ Union. In addition to 62 constituent colleges of the university, the student union elections are held in dozens of other community colleges. There are around 1,100 colleges affiliated with the country’s oldest and largest university.

University officials say they are ready for the elections whenever the students want and claimed that the student unions themselves were responsible for the past deferrals. “We want to schedule the elections for April,” Shiva Lal Bhusal, rector at the Tribhuvan University, told the Post. “Consultations are ongoing with the student unions. We are waiting for their consent. The university alone cannot decide the poll date.”

He said the university does not want to delay the elections anymore. According to him, the student unions have said they will consult their mother parties before reaching a decision on the date.

Student unions affiliated to various political parties are in internal discussions after the proposal by the university to hold the polls in April. Sunita Baral, chairperson of the CPN-UML-affiliated All Nepal National Free Students’ Union, said her organization is always ready for the elections. “We are not responsible for the polls delay. As a believer in democracy we strongly stand for timely elections,” she told the Post. “I believe other unions also agree to the Tribhuvan University’s proposal.”

Student politics has remained a platform for leadership development. Many politicians in major political parties were student leaders. Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa as a student had served in the Nepal Students’ Union in various capacities.

As per the Tribhuvan University laws, the student representatives elected to the Free Students Union participate in the university’s senate meeting, the highest body that formulates the policies of the university. Student leaders affiliated to the current ruling coalition say they too want the elections at earliest possible date. Sudesh Parajuli, chairperson of the student union affiliated to the CPN (Unified Socialist), said they have no problem participating in the elections. He, however, said they aren’t sure if the university administration is genuinely willing to conduct the elections.

Parajuli said if held in April, the union elections will provide a window to gauge the popularity of the political parties. “The delay in elections has obstructed the development of student leaders who can helm national politics in future,” he told the Post. “We want the university administration to ensure that the elections are held in all the constituent and affiliated colleges including the private ones.”