Kathmandu: All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Vice President Deepak Khatiwada has termed the governing body’s decision of early election illegitimate and warned that he will withdraw his candidacy for senior vice president if the process is not conducted in line with the statute.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagankhel on Monday, Khatiwada said the early election announced for February 11 violates ANFA’s statute and runs counter to the institution’s interests.

The election process, however, has been suspended for the time being owing to a short-term interim order issued by Patan High Court instructing that the election process not be advanced.

The ANFA Executive Committee, led by President Pankaj Nembang, had on December 31 decided to hold the election nearly four months ahead of schedule and initiated the process. The meeting also resolved to grant voting rights to district committees elected four years ago, without conducting fresh district elections.

“If elections are to be held in accordance with the statute, district elections must be completed first before moving to the central level. This has been my clear and consistent position,” said Khatiwada, a former close confidant of President Nembang. “However, President Nembang and General Secretary Kiran Rai have completely ignored and rejected the provisions of the election regulations.”

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Earlier, ANFA senior vice president Bir Bahadur Khadka, currently under suspension, and vice president Birat Jung Shah have objected to the football body’s early election calling it unlawful and against the statute.

He urged the leadership to conduct fresh elections of district committees, clubs and other representative bodies prior to the central executive committee election. “If institutional norms and the spirit of the statute are violated, I will withdraw my candidacy,” he added.

Violation of General Assembly decision

Khatiwada further claimed that the regular ANFA General Assembly held in March last year in Dhulikhel had decided that elections for the Central Executive Committee for the 2026–2030 term would be held only after completing elections of member institutions.

“The General Assembly is the supreme body of ANFA. Any attempt by the Executive Committee to overturn its decision is illegal, undemocratic and reflects an authoritarian tendency,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s apex sports body, the National Sports Council (NSC), has directed ANFA to conduct district elections before proceeding to the central level. The Patan High Court has also issued a short-term interim order instructing that the election process not be advanced.

“Due to the leadership’s obstinacy in disregarding the directives of the court and the NSC, the risk of a FIFA ban on Nepali football is increasing,” Khatiwada warned.

He said the FIFA Code of Ethics clearly requires member associations to respect national laws. “Instead of working toward a solution, President Nembang has failed to comply with the directives of the NSC and the High Court, acting in a manner that appears indifferent even to the possibility of football being suspended,” Khatiwada said.

He also accused the ANFA leadership of spreading misinformation. “The president has been telling outsiders that ‘FIFA will impose a ban,’ whereas it is precisely his unlawful actions and defiance of legal orders that have put Nepal at risk of such a ban,” he said.

“Despite being an elected vice president, my suggestions and concerns have been suppressed under the pretext of a majority. At present, individual arbitrariness has overtaken policy and procedure within ANFA,” Khatiwada added.