Even as the victory of Aditya Yadav-an IFFCO candidate to the ICA global board looks like a near certainty, Ariel Guarco from Argentina was declared elected unopposed as the new Chairman of the global apex body of cooperatives replacing Monique Leroux.
As Yogeshwar Krishna from Fiji withdrew his candidature at the eleventh hour, Guarco was elected unopposed.
An enthusiastic Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh mailed photographs of the elections as soon as the results were out for the Presidentship Thursday late evening (Indian time).
There is unanimity on IFFCO’s candidate for the ICA Board among cooperators from India.” He is our lone candidate representing a country which boasts being the land of the strongest cooperative movement in the world,” said many Indian cooperators.
Talking to Indian Cooperative NCUI president Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav said he has pledged his support to IFFCO. Claiming numerous votes from both Kribhco and NCUI Yadav said “there was no second thought as it involved India’s prestige.”
NCUI CE N Satyanarayan who has been authorized by Nacof, Fishcopfed and others to cast proxy votes, was also in
support for IFFCO’s candidature. “Yes, I cast votes on behalf of some of the cooperatives and I did as advised by them”, he said.
Besides scores of delegates from IFFCO, its MD Dr U S Awasthi is also camping in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Apart from participating in the Global Conference and General Assembly he was eager to ensure the success of IFFCO’s candidate, says an insider.
He recalled how Aditya Yadav got elected last time after several failed attempts by IFFCO.” It was only after Awasthi’s plunging into direct campaigning that the young Yadav could make it”, said Indian cooperators.
The Indian side was represented by more than 100 cooperators attending the event. India has about 25 votes; IFFCO-10, NCUI-5, Kribhco-1, etc. Nacof, Fishcopfed and some other cooperatives have also a vote each.
Monique Leroux President of the board of directors of the International Cooperative Alliance had announced that she would not be a presidential candidate this time round due to ‘important personal and family reasons’.
The two candidates for the presidency were Ariel Guarco from Argentina and Yogeshwar Krishna from Fiji.
The son of former cooperative minister of Uttar Pradesh Shivpal Singh Yadav and director of IFFCO Aditya Yadav was on the outgoing board.
It bears recall that ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, ICA has 254 member organisations from 94 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these co-operatives represent nearly one billion individuals worldwide.
