September 23: Two front-runners have emerged to fill the soon-to-be vacant post of Security and Exchange Board of Nepal (Sebon) Chairman.

According to sources, Dr Rewat Bahadur Karki and Kesav Acharya are in contention for the post, and who will be appointed chairman will depend on when Prime Minister Sushil Koirala will put in his papers.

Sources says if the Koirala government stays, Karki is likely to be appointed to the post, and if Koirala resigns, Acharya is likely to get the job.

The government on Friday formed a committee to nominate candidates for the post.

The other names that are doing the rounds include Rabindra Pandey, Tanka Paneru and Mahesh Guragain. Among the ‘contenders’, Karki has 25 years of experience working at the central bank. He has also worked with IMF, Bank of Namibia and Gramin Bikash Bank. Pandey is former director of NRB, while Acharya is also a former central bank employee. Acharya was economic advisor to the Ministry of Finance during Bharat Mohan Adhikary and Surendra Pandey’s tenure as Finance Minister.