Advertising Association of Nepal’s (AAN) 13th AGM today elected a new executive body led by Raj Kumar Bhattarai of Spectrum Advertising and Media Consultant unopposed as opponents boycotted the election.


The new committee has Rudra Bahadur Bhattarai of Sanjibani Media Services (SMS) as vice president, Santosh Shrestha of Mars advertising as general secretary, Yadav Shrestha of Abhinav media as treasurer, Nabin Raj Poudel of SMS as secretary and Narayan Shrestha of N Multination as assistant secretary.


Earlier yesterday evening, other two groups — led by Juju Kaji Sthapit and Kedar Dhakal have withdrawn their candidacy objecting ANN’s executive committee and its AGM procedure.


“According to the AAN statute, progress and financial reports should be distributed to its members 21 days before AGM but the Nirmal Raj Paudel led executive committee did not follow the provision,” the opponents alleged.


Following the debate two advertising entrepreneurs – Mohamed Akhatar and Abid Shah – have also appealed to District Administration Office (DAO) to stop the AGM. However, it did not interfere and gave green single to AGM directing to follow rule.


During the opening session today, outgoing president Nirmal Raj Paudel urged National Advertising Policy for the development of the sector. “We need advertising policy and standardisation council at the earliest to raise the standard of the advertisements,” he said, demanding the government to implement ‘clean feed’ policy to international pay channels to save domestic advertising agencies.


AAN’s newly elected president Bhattarai urged greater consensus among advertising professionals in the days ahead.