Kathmandu, Feb 16: The second national convention of the Socialist Press Organization has unanimously elected Shambhu Shrestha, the founding Chairman, as its new Chairman.
Additionally, the convention appointed Hridaya Bhusal as Vice Chairman, Rohit Dahal as General Secretary and Bharat Raj Pokharel as Treasurer.
These leadership positions had been vacant, prompting the national convention to convene and fill them. The convention also approved the continuation of the executive committee elected in the previous general convention.
Newly elected Chairman Shrestha expressed his commitment to making the organization more disciplined, dignified, and dynamic, while also expanding its national and international networks. He emphasized the organization’s dedication to protecting the rights and interests of working journalists and pledged to strengthen the organization nationwide within a year.
The convention issued a 10-point declaration, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Social Media Bill, which seeks to regulate social media users under strict controls. The organization called for amendments to the bill with input from stakeholders, including the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the Socialist Press Organization Nepal.
Additionally, the convention urged authorities to ensure inclusivity and impartiality in distributing awards, scholarships, training, and grants through media-related entities such as the Press Council and other state-affiliated media institutions.
