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27/01/2023: People
are increasingly adapting to the new federal setup,
report says : The overall perception of the country’s
direction has been negative but people in remote areas
and marginalised groups are more optimistic than others,
according to the report, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), Rabi
Lamichhane found guilty in citizenship case : Loses
posts of DPM, Home Minister and parliamentarian
(kh), Rabi
Lamichhane not eligible to remain lawmaker (nlt), Supreme
Court annuls Rabi Lamichhane’s status as lawmaker : The
Constitutional Bench concluded that the citizenship
presented by Lamichhane to contest the election was
invalid (kp), Home
Minister Lamichhane submits resignation to PM Dahal
(kh), As
a non-citizen, I have nothing left to say: Rabi
Lamichhane : I accept Supreme Court’s decision, says
Lamichhane (kh) [This
differentiates him significantly from KP Oli, who to
this day does not accept the SC's 2021 decisions, which
I guess is called contempt of court!], The
rise and fall of Rabi Lamichhane : Nepal’s Home Minister
resigns after the Supreme Court rules he is not a Nepali
citizen (nt), Maoist
Centre, which leads government, is trying to form a
sub-alliance : Dahal’s Maoist Centre, Yadav’s Janata
Samajbadi, Nepal’s Unified Socialist and Bhattarai’s
Nepal Samajbadi are trying to come together in any form,
by Nishan Khatiwada (kp), Maoists
discuss consensus President : Leaders for pursuing the
strategy without harming relations with ruling partner
UML, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [A
non-party person from civil society would be better
anyway. Why not a qualified woman from among the
non-Khas Arya, e.g. Mohna Ansari?], Man
arrested on charges of trafficking four Nepali women to
Kuwait : They were allegedly sold for 900 dinar for two
years and were made to work without pay for 20 hours
daily (kp), Eternal
wait : The Nirmala Kurmi case is yet another instance of
the state’s indifference to the plight of its citizens
(kp), USAID’s
Samantha Power likely to visit Nepal on February 5 :
There are also chances of US Secretary of State Blinken
coming here following his India trip in early March,
by Anil Giri (kp) [Part of the
global power struggle between China and the USA on the
back of Nepal?], Anti-Corruption
Drive: Preventive Vs Punitive, by Narayan Manandhar
(rep)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English) (Nepali: morning,
evening); AP1
(evening); Sagarmatha
TV (evening)
26/01/2023: Decay
of the party system : Political culture will suffer if
parties adopt a nepotistic approach to politics, by
Sambridh Ghimire (kp), Flames
of resistance : Prem Acharya set himself ablaze as a
protest against the dehumanisation of ordinary Nepalis
(kp), ‘It’s
a murder, not suicide’ : Self-immolation by a young man,
who accused the state of failing him repeatedly, could
be the tip of a much bigger social problem, experts say,
by Anup Ojha (kp), Discontent
brewing in ruling coalition : Parties accuse Oli and
Dahal of taking decisions unilaterally. Nagarik Unmukti
Party fields its own candidate for an upper house seat,
going against the alliance, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp)
[With the putschist of 2020/21
as the true ruler and string-puller in the background,
democratic structures and procedures are once again
degenerating!], Electing
President is task cut out for Dahal and Oli : Even after
the formation of federal and provincial governments,
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the UML chief KP
Sharma Oli still harbour mistrust, say observers, by
Purushottam Poudel (kp) [Democracy
should look completely different!], Decide
and rue: Political predicament of Nepali Congress :
Nepali Congress has acquired the identity of the
opposition party but many are still asking how a party
that gives vote of confidence to the government still
remains an opposition (nlt), Corruption
fuelling Nepal’s aviation disaster; probe committees
mere hoodwink, by Pramod Raj Sedhain (kh), CAAN’s
gotta go : The worldwide coverage received by the
Pokhara crash is not likely to do Nepal any good, by
Deepak Thapa (kp), Victims
of last November’s Doti earthquake spend cold winter
months under flimsy tarp : Thirty-four people from eight
families have been living under one tarpaulin tent in
Uparkada, by Mohan Shahi (kp)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali: morning,
evening); AP1
(evening); Sagarmatha
TV (evening)
25/01/2023: Unheard
plights of street vendors in Kathmandu : Despite their
irrefutable contributions to the economy, street vendors
are often overlooked and undervalued by policymakers,
law enforcement agencies and the general public, by
Anjila Shrestha (nlt), A
painful case: Prem Prasad Acharya’s suicide exposes ills
of private sector business, corrupt political system and
indifferent state : In his heart-wrenching Facebook
status posted before self-immolation, Prem Acharya has
stated how the deep rooted cronyism, nexus between
businesses and politicians and corruption in the system
led him to end his life (nlt), Parties
outside ruling coalition are conspiring to topple
govt: KP Oli (kh) [The attempt by opposition
forces to topple the government is a normal process in a
democracy and not a conspiracy, Mr Oli! You yourself
have just toppled a government, abusing many votes that
voted for the CPN (MC) only because of its election
promise to continue the coalition government! This was
indeed a conspiracy!], Will
Congress get the presidency? Like the NC, the Maoist
party too is concerned about giving all vital
positions to the UML. Dahal is wary that UML leader
KP Sharma Oli could become all-powerful and sideline
him, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae), US
Under Secretary Nuland arriving in Nepal next week :
A slew of other top-ranking US officials also
express their interest in coming to Kathmandu over
the next one year, by Anil Giri (kp) [Reflection
of the unchanged global power struggle between China
and the USA on the back of Nepal!], Wishy-washy
parliamentary committees : Many crucial bills died
because the House of Representatives dawdled until
the expiry of its term, by Khim Lal Devkota
(kp), Unimpressive
economy : Nepal’s economic policy reform is
unsustainable and unsuitable for private investment,
by Kamal Raj Dhungel (kp)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali: morning,
evening); AP1 (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
24/01/2023: If
children with disabilities aren’t educated, they won’t
be able to participate in society : ‘When we work in
inclusive education we have to target the government,
the children, the teachers and also the communities’,
interview with Pauline Nadim Ducos, Regional Director,
Humanity & Inclusion (nlt), Many
see new ministers’ public instructions to bureaucrats on
service delivery as publicity stunt : Ministers should
instead get to the root of the problems in the
bureaucracy and resolve them, say former bureaucrats,
by Purushottam Poudel (kp) [Traditionally,
Nepal's politicians in positions of responsibility
believe that it is enough to delegate the search for
problem solutions!], Choice
before the Congress : The time has come for the Nepali
Congress to think beyond Sher Bahadur Deuba and his
coterie (kp), Corruption
as usual : The Yeti Airlines crash has again brought
Nepal into the global limelight for the wrong reasons,
by Sujeev Shakya (kp), NC
On The Horns Of A Dilemma, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn),
Tackle
Textbook Shortage Effectively, by Uttam Maharjan
(rn), China
resumes outbound group tours excluding Nepal from the
list of ‘relevant countries' : The disappearance of
Nepal from the list, according to Nepali travel trade
entrepreneurs, could affect the government’s target of
welcoming 1 million tourists in 2023 (ae)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali); AP1
(morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
23/01/2023: Is
Congress the main opposition? It’s Speaker’s call :
Different political parties, two with just a seat each,
have claimed the main opposition status in the House,
by Binod Ghimire (kp) [The
Speaker may decide which party is the main opposition
party, but whether a party can be called the opposition
at all is decided by the party itself through its
approval or disapproval of the government!], In
search of the main opposition, by Devendra Gautam
(ae), Parliament
Secretariat grants NC main opposition party status
(kh), Despite
supporting the government, Nepali Congress gets status
of main opposition (nlt) [This
is a laughing stock!],
‘Even
new parties seem less inclined to embrace people’s
agenda’ : CK Raut, the head of the Janamat Party, on
different facets of national politics, interview
with CK Raut (kp), PM
Dahal vows to reduce number of ministries in
provinces (kh) [This
is urgently needed, but once again a centrally
controlled measure in a supposedly federal
state!], Pension
office short of Rs20 billion as liabilities soar amid
drop in revenues : With government allocating less than
the required budget, the office seeks extra Rs17 billion
from finance ministry, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp),
Shaky
coalition and the economy : Inadequate investment in
education has led to a huge outflow of students and
foreign currency, by Roshee Lamichhane (kp), Street
drama performed to demand justice for Nirmala Kurmi
(Photo feature), by Prasan Gurung (rep), Rights
activists staging street drama demanding justice for
Nirmala Kurmi arrested, by Upendra Lamichhane (rep),
Activists
demanding justice for Nirmala Kurmi in police net : Days
after Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane promised
investigation, police arrest Ruby Khan and her friends
demanding justice for the disappeared Banke woman
(nepalminute), US
power gambit in South Asia to offset China’s influence,
by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali); AP1
(morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
22/01/2023: Gupsipakha
residents move out due to water shortage : Water supply
at the integrated settlement built for earthquake
survivors has been disrupted since mid-December due to
extreme cold weather conditions, by Hariram Upreti
(kp), Diplomatic
code of conduct is often flouted in Nepal. What can be
done? In Nepal, foreign diplomats often get unrestricted
access to political leaders and senior policy-makers and
exercise freedom to advise and criticize the Nepal
government, something their Nepali counterparts cannot
even imagine, by Bhagirath Basnet (nlt)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali); AP1
(morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
21/01/2023: The
agony of a stateless citizen : Being without a
citizenship at 21 has cost me my ambitions that I had
dreamed of since I was 16, by Vivek Baranwal (kp), Ruling
coalition fails to ensure inclusiveness in Cabinet :
Political parties won’t ensure inclusion, unless it’s
made mandatory by amending the constitution, says expert,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [This
reflects the basic non-inclusiveness of all political
parties! Nepal is still not a democracy, but an
oligarchy dominated and controlled by male Khas Arya.],
Jhapa
leaders dominant in Parliament (ht), The
Message from New Zealand (rep) [!!!!!
The first problem might already be that these
incompetent, power-hungry politicians cannot even read.
Maybe someone can read this meaningful editorial to
them! It explains how responsible politicians like
Jacinda Ardern behave.], Rationality
Of Democratic Opposition, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), Nepal’s
aviation regulatory body in disarray; need for action :
CAAN needs to be transformed into an effective
regulatory body and service provider, by Pramod Raj
Sedhain (kh), Janamat
party will decide on ruling coalition support by Sunday:
Minister Khan (kh), RSP
and RPP chip away at Madhesh parties’ bargaining power :
Parties like Janata Samajbadi and Loktantrik Samajbadi
find themselves ignored in power-sharing negotiations,
by Nishan Khatiwat (kp) [No
matter which party, it is always primarily about the
personal power positions of their leaders, never about
the country and its people!], Indira
Rana Magar elected as Deputy Speaker of HoR (rn)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali); AP1
(morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
20/01/2023: Parliament
sans opposition: It happen only in Nepal, by Pushpa
Raj Joshi (ht), Efforts
on to forge national consensus on presidential
candidate: PM (kh) [Yes,
let's completely abolish the last basic institutions of
democracy, like the opposition. Then the ploys of the
failed old top politicians like Oli, Dahal and Deuba can
continue smoothly!], Nepal’s
illiberal democracy : A government with unconditional
backing perpetuates its kleptocracy and kakistocracy,
by Rabin Giri (nt), Congress
on ‘Mission President’ after its futile Speaker bid :
The largest party is trying to take advantage of the
discontent in the ruling coalition and perceived
mistrust between Prime Minister Dahal and CPN-UML chair
Oli, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Constitution
experts rule out another term for President Bidya
Bhandari : Some UML leaders are insisting that the
sitting President should be re-appointed to the post.
The election for the next President is likely to take
place by mid-February, by Purushottam Poudel (kp) [Her blind support of Oli's
unconstitutional ploys in 2020 and especially 2021 alone
argue against Bhandari's candidacy again!], Parties
seek ‘neutral candidate’ for President as HoR elects
UML’s Ghimire as Speaker (rep), RSP’s
Magar registers nomination for HoR Deputy Speaker
(kh), NC
fields Mukta Yadav as Deputy Speaker of HoR (kh), Speaker
announces his dissociation with party (kh) [In
the previous legislature, not even the president managed
to do so!], Delayed
bill: Crash victims’ kin miss out on millions : As per
the proposed law, domestic airlines must pay a minimum
of $100,000 for injury or death of a passenger, by
Sangam Prasain and Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp) [Obviously,
since then, Messrs. Oli, Dahal and Deuba have been more
concerned with their political intrigues than with the
ratification of this bill!], Provinces
failed to live up to federal dream : Provincial
governments spent 5 years accusing Kathmandu of
rendering them ineffective, by Santosh Singh et al.
(kp) [Responsible is once again
the unwillingness of the national party leaders to
implement federalism!], Step
at a time : Politicians and ministers should take
practical steps to wean the state off remittance
(kp), Building
gender-responsive policies : Policies fail to address
gender inequalities if they are developed with a
‘gender-neutral’ mindset, by Labisha Uprety (kp), Economic
recovery : The govt must bring policy-level changes to
attract investments in the agriculture sector (ht),
Conflicting
interests : Nepal’s new Council of Ministers includes 16
new faces, some with conflicts of interest, by
Shristi Karki (nt)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV (English)
(Nepali); AP1 (morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
19/01/2023: Such
a long wait for justice : The new Parliament must take
concrete steps to conclude the transitional justice
process, by Suman Adhikari (kp) [One
should not expect anything. The parliamentarians are
only forced into absolute obedience to their incompetent
party leaders.], Right
jobs, wrong people : Examples abound of individuals with
conflicts of interest taking up ministerial positions
(kp), NWPP
demands status of main opposition (kh), Rastriya
Swatantra Party goes against its own policy as it picks
plum Cabinet posts : In its bargain for positions, the
new party led by Rabi Lamichhane seems to have forgotten
its own commitment to cutting costs of legislature and
administration. Experts see the party no different in
its quest for power, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp), Embrace
Coalition Culture For Stability, by Shyam Prasad
Mainali (rn), Dev
Raj Ghimire elected House Speaker : Ghimire of CPN-UML
got 167 votes in the 275-member lower house (nlt) [A nation under complete control of
male Khas Arya!], UML’s
Devraj Ghimire elected HoR Speaker (kh), What
does Dahal want?, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
18/01/2023: Nepal
politics: No Panacea In Sight, by Ganga Thapa (kh),
Litmus
Test For PM Prachanda, by Yuba Nath Lamsal (rn), UML
opposes PM’s idea of sharing key posts with Congress :
KP Sharma Oli leaves an all-party meeting midway after
warning Congress not to plot against the ruling
coalition, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [This
state is the property of the coup leader of 2020/21, KP
Oli. He destroys his opponents without mercy. His
current puppet Dahal will also have his turn sooner or
later!], Having
multiple deputy prime ministers adds to the state’s
liability : The trend of appointing many deputy prime
ministers indicates Nepali politics’ degeneration into
just a ‘number’s game’, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Deluge
of deputies : Top leaders continue to prefer the
symbolism of attractive posts to the substance of
delivery (kp), Putting
national interest first : Nepal should learn from its
neighbours that it needs to pursue an independent
foreign policy, by Nischal Dhungel and Abijit Sharma
(kp), Unannounced
power outage hits manufacturing sector : In Lumbini
Province, all factories have started cutting production,
by Madhav Dhungana (kp), Making
Nepal Prosperous: 2H Priorities, by Atindra Dahal
(rep), 26pc
women in new Cabinet, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht) [All of them are Khas Arya. Only four
of them are full-fledged ministers, i.e. 20 per cent.
This is again a clear violation of the inclusion
provision of the Constitution in several respects.
Moreover, most of the male ministers are also Khas Arya!]
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
17/01/2023: Baitadi
local unit changes names of Dalit settlements to assuage
caste discrimination : Residents say name change is a
good step but attitudes towards Dalits have not changed,
by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp), (Un)Common
Minimum Program : Anyone taking a deeper dive into the
new coalition government’s common minimum program will
immediately find it to be hurriedly drawn, highly
ambitious, populist and distributive in character,
by Narayan Manandhar (rep), No
government in waiting : The idea of Dahal and Oli as
rotating prime ministers could still face constitutional
hurdles, by Achyut Wagle (kp), Major
coalition partners reach agreement on ministerial
allocation : Unhappy with its share, Janata Samajbadi
Party says it will not join the government immediately,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp), PM
Dahal expands cabinet; new ministers sworn in (kh),
Team
Prachanda: Know your ministers in the 23-member cabinet
: According to the constitution, the members of the
council of ministers cannot exceed 25. As such, the
ruling coalition can appoint only two more members in
the cabinet (nlt), RSP
minister criticized for conflict of interest : Newly
emerged political force Rastriya Swatrantra Party is
heavily criticized on social media for sending a
remittance company CEO to handle the Ministry for labor,
employment and social security (nlt), Bimala
Rai Paudyal: Third female foreign minister of Nepal :
The newly appointed foreign minister has assured that
Nepal will stick to the policy of non-alignment in its
foreign policy conduct with neighbors and friendly
countries (nlt), Nepal:
What the Election of 2022 Denotes, by Binoj Basnyat
(kh), Implement
the Charter in letter and spirit for progress,
prosperity, by Jivesh Jha (ae) [The
Oli and Dahal manufactured government of 2018 had no
interest in this, nor did those manufactured by Deuba,
Dahal and others in 2021! Why should this change with
the current government, manufactured by Dahal, Oli and
others? Oh, I just see, Dahal has always been involved!]
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning (English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
16/01/2023: Parties
snub inclusion principle in top provincial posts : All
chief ministers are male. Constitution is silent on what
should be done if the authorities fail to ensure
proportional representation, by Nishan Khatiwada
(kp) [This is not a trivial
offence, but a serious violation of the Constitution,
the fundamental law of the land, and should be punished
accordingly. In an increasingly conscious society, the
social balance is in danger!], Uphold
Spirit Of PR Election System, by Sangita Subedi
(rep), Permanent
instability : There is no principled understanding and
long-term thinking to underpin political alliances
(kp), UML
optimistic on longevity of current ruling coalition :
Maoist leader Pokharel says Congress’ support for
government has changed the situation, by Purushottam
Poudel (kp) [For citizens, there
is little reason for optimism. KP Oli accepted a
destruction of democracy in 2020/21 just to stay in
power. His personal return to power is his only concern
even now, whatever the cost! PK Dahal he needs only for
the moment.], PM
to expand cabinet on Tuesday (kh), RPP
and RSP to get three ministries each along with DPM :
UML gets 8 ministries, Maoist Center 4 and Janamat Party
1 ministry (kh)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
15/01/2023: Yeti
Air plane carrying 72 people crashes near Pokhara
Airport (kh), Yeti
Airlines aircraft crashes in Pokhara : A total of 68
passengers and four crew members were on board the
aircraft (kp), Our
metamorphosis to kakistocracy : To make matters worse,
we now have a newly formed Parliament with no opposition,
by Sucheta Pyakuryal (kp), Prime
minister’s overture to Congress on key posts makes UML
jittery : Cabinet expansion by Monday and all-party
meeting on Tuesday, Dahal tells journalists, by Tika
R Pradhan (kp), New
PM's Overwhelming Mandate, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn),
Kerung
border reopening brings little joy to traders : Exports
from Nepal are allowed to pass every fortnight while
imports to Nepal are permitted to pass daily, officials
say, by Krishana Prasain (kp) [This
is obviously China's understanding of equal partnership
and free trade!], HRW
report paints dismal picture of rule of law (ht)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning) (evening);
Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
14/01/2023: Space
of exclusion: No women, no Dalits, no Janajatis in chief
ministers of Nepal’s provinces : Experts say the
tendency of the political parties to repeatedly
undermine constitutional obligation to proportional
inclusion could pose a threat to federalism itself,
by Dhanu Bishwakarma (nlt), Coalition
struggles to expand Cabinet with too many contenders :
Mutual suspicions between Dahal and Oli may also have
tied the hands of the PM who is juggling seven forces,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Madhesh
as the flagbearer of federalism has some way to go to
cement gains : Madheshi leaders have been most vocal
about the need to strengthen provinces and, by
extension, federalism, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp), Journalists
who perished in the Maoist armed conflict in Nepal,
by Nagendra Upadhyaya (rep) [The
one who claimed responsibility for many of these crimes
has just become PM for the third time!], Resolve
transitional justice at the earliest (rep), Nepal
In Cauldron Of Security Initiatives, by Dev Raj
Dahal (rn), Oli
architect of political chaos: Gautam (ht) [After
his SC-prevented coup in 2021, Oli was considered an
untouchable by all parties. Now he is once again pulling
the strings of power, even though his party has slipped
by more than 6 percent in the electorate!]
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
13/01/2023: They
still hope : All that the conflict victims are now
looking for is a sense of respectful closure (kh) [Nepal continues with the rule of
unlaw!], PM
Dahal got 268 out of 270 votes in a confidence motion.
What does this mean for him, for other parties? With all
the parties drawing to him like moths to flame, PM Dahal
has gained politically and personally but at the cost of
many other things that actually matter (nlt), Nepal’s
opposition-less Parliament : Near-unanimous support for
PM Dahal creates a legislature without opposition in
Nepal, by Shristi Karki (nt), CIAA
ex-commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak gets over 3 years in
jail for graft : Lambodar Neupane, former chair of Nepal
Engineering College, gets three years jail. Both ordered
to pay a Rs3.9 million fine each (kp), Street
vending ban a kick in the belly of urban poor : Urban
planners accuse municipal officials of not keeping the
poor people in mind while formulating policies, by
Anup Ojha (kp), US
rights group says President Bhandari’s inaction deprived
many Nepalis of citizenship : The Human Rights Watch
expresses concerns over lack of progress in transitional
justice process (kp) [The
President's "inaction" was a deliberate breach of the
Constitution and should be named as such!], Nepal’s
growth trajectory : When population growth outstrips
economic growth, the output per person falls, by
Bijendra Man Shakya (kp), Sustainable
health insurance for all : The new government should
follow the constitutional directive of access to free
basic health services, by Pushpa Raj Joshi (kp), Political
Stability Key To Growth, by Yug Bhahadur (rn), Who
is comfortable with new govt?: China, India, or both?,
by Bishwo Gauchan (ht), Dahal’s
immediate external challenges, by Kamal dev
Bhattarai (ae), PM
Dahal faces foreign policy challenges of Himalayan scale,
by Gopal Khanal (ae), Nepali
media need to integrate human rights in election
reporting: Study (ae) [see report
by Media Action Nepal], Now
the economy, stupid : Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel
must undo the mistakes of his predecessor, but his own
past record is not stellar (nt), Kathmandu’s
toxic trash : Open garbage burning is reducing the
lifespan of Nepalis, by Sonia Awale (nt), Left,
Right…Right Left…..No Right, No Left, by Keshab
Poudel (sp)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
12/01/2023: Nepal
sees no progress in Transitional Justice: Report. “Nepal
restricting free assembly, expression rights of Tibetans
under Chinese pressure” (kh) [see Nepal:
Events of 2022, HRW World Report 2023], 16
years since conflict ended, Nepal not serious in
investigating wartime crimes, abuses : “Women and
members of marginalized communities, including Dalits,
are disproportionately the victims of rights violations,
and also find it hardest to seek redress” (nlt), New
government, new commitment on transitional justice :
Successive administrations have listed transitional
justice among their top priorities but the delivery is
dismal, by Binod Ghimire (kp) [The
one who declared to be responsible for the death of
5,000 people during the time of the uprising without
drawing any consequences is PM again. What should we
expect?], The
liberal young : There is not one political party that
remains unswayed by the shenanigans of power politics,
by Deepak Thapa (kp), Chitra
Bahadur KC and Prem Suwal: Only two faces of opposition
in Nepal’s 274-member parliament : They were the only
ones to raise some important issues in parliament on
Tuesday while the rest of the MPs cast votes for the PM
(nlt) [Voters have clearly
expressed that they no longer want the ageing failed
politicians, but they have taken control in ways never
before experienced and are supported by parties and
politicians who offered themselves as alternatives in
the elections!], US
envoy stresses Nepal’s geopolitical importance :
Thompson vows to continue supporting Nepal’s democracy
and sovereignty and says the US is working to find a
lasting solution for refugees, by Anil Giri (kp) [So he admits to the interference!],
Chief
ministers appointed in all provinces : All provincial
administrations take cues from ruling coalition’s
power-sharing deal in Kathmandu (kp) [The
national level continues to see Nepal as a centralised
state. The provinces remain under its complete control!],
Chief
ministers appointed in all seven provinces as ruling
parties finalize power-sharing deal (rep) [In
a federal state, each province should make its own power
sharing deal, depending on its own needs and
circumstances!], What
is he thinking? In his lust for power, Sher Bahadur
Deuba seems determined to take down Nepali Congress with
him (kp), The
indelible permanent establishment, by Pranab Kharel
(ae)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning (English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
11/01/2023: Prithvi
Jayanti being marked today : Government announces a
public holiday (ht) [Nepal's
indigenous groups and Dalits commemorate the brutal
crackdown on their ancestors on this day. The socially
non-inclusive state of Nepal and its orientation towards
Hindu ideals can be traced back to Prithvi Narayan, as
can his merit for Nepal's unification and independence,
which continues to this day.], Marking
Unity Day With Ardour, by Shreeram Upadhyaya
(rn) [The problem is
that reality differs in many ways from this
glorifying image of history!]
Prime
Minister Dahal proves his majority—and how! Of the 270
lawmakers present, 268 voted in favour of Dahal, while
two voted against the prime minister, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp), Main
opposition concept comes into question : Congress
leaders say the party has lost moral ground to claim
opposition role after giving confidence vote to Dahal,
by Anil Giri (kp), Plot
thickens as Nepali Congress gives Dahal vote of
confidence : Speculations rife of Deuba striking some
kind of tacit agreement with prime minister, by
Purushottam Poudel (kp), No
opposition party in parliament!, by Kosh Raj Koirala
(rep), UML
loses ‘key’ of govt as PM Dahal wins vote of confidence
with unprecedented votes, by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep)
[The mastermind behind this
government is and remains KP Oli, who trampled on the
constitution and laws in 2021 to stay in power, which is
why the SC removed him. The legality of this court order
is denied by Oli in his intransigence to this day!],
Oli's
remark triggers heated debate in HoR (ht), Dahal's
change of attire suggests 'ideological transformation'
(ht) [Dahal and his Maoists now
formally welcome back the Hindu state!], Government’s
liabilities soar amid declining revenue : Successive
governments have been burdening the economy with
populist cash schemes, by Prithvi man Shrestha (kp),
Strengthening
federalism : Reforming the electoral system is a vital
condition for the stability of federalism, by Khim
Lal Devkota (kp) [However, legal
changes are also needed that stop the constant
interference of the national level in the executive and
legislative affairs of the provinces!]
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
10/01/2023: Nepal’s
parliament becomes opposition-less : In the
parliamentary system, the role of an opposition party is
considered crucial to follow the principle of check and
balance. But Nepal’s parliament, on Tuesday, approved
the opposition-less government (nlt) [A
victory from the point of view of the old, long-failed
political guard, but a heavy defeat for democracy!],
Unopposed
PM: Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal wins vote of
confidence from nearly all members of parliament :
Addressing the house session before the confidence vote,
PM Dahal dubbed the support as 'unprecedented' and
justice done to him by political parties (nlt) [And what about justice for the
victims of the Maoist insurgency?], First
House meeting fails to sow seed of hope for stability,
by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae), Ruling
parties commit to bring back India-controlled Nepali
territories : It is likely to be the top priority of
Prime Minister Dahal during his upcoming India visit,
say sources, by Anil Giri (kp) [This
is reminiscent of the numerous hardly fulfilable
promises made by political parties in their election
manifestos!], Four
NC lawmakers against giving vote of confidence to PM
Dahal (rep), Division
in Congress adds interest to a foregone
conclusion : Deuba camp wants to support Dahal
during today’s vote of confidence, while the
rival faction is against the idea, by
Purushottam Poudel (kp) [A
functioning democracy requires a strong
opposition. A party that openly supports the
government is not an opposition!], PM
Dahal wins vote of confidence (ae), PM
Dahal wins confidence vote : Prime Minister
Dahal gets 268 votes in his favor with two
votes against him (kh), Nepal's
new PM secures vote of confidence in parliament
(ht), Government
of national consensus: Easily said but
difficultly done, by Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht),
Oli
defends HoR dissolution as new session begins,
by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht) [This
is a clear contempt of court! Oli continues to
claim that he interprets the constitution
correctly and not the SC!]
see also TV news:
Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
09/01/2023: ‘We
have failed to build pressure on transitional justice’ :
Mandira Sharma, a senior international legal advisor at
the International Commission of Jurists, on the state of
transitional justice in Nepal, interview with
Mandira Sharma (kp), Women
activists stage protest demanding justice for Nirmala
Kurmi in capital (ht), Recipe
of Nepali politics: Betrayal, immorality and power
bargain, by Pushpa R Joshi (ht), UML
set to govern 3 provinces, Maoists 1; 3 CMs to be
rotated : UML’s Hikmat Karki becomes chief minister of
Province 1, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [The
ageing, failed top politicians continue to see Nepal as
a central state. A system in which the national level
decides on provincial governments and coalitions is not
federalism!], Sceptics
discount Lamichhane’s cutbacks as gimmicks : Similar
populist programmes have in the past proved to be
ineffective and unsustainable, by Nishan Khatiwada
(kp), Not
your time : The public wants the defeated candidates to
stay out of Parliament for the next five years (kp),
Janmat,
NUP sign 12-point pact, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht), China’s
Nepal plan: Firmer footing, weakened Delhi, by Pramod
Jaiswal (ae)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
08/01/2023: They
lost elections but still want to get into Parliament
somehow : Attempts of some influential leaders to become
lawmakers post-election is an insult to voters, analysts
say, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp), The
rise of Nagarik Unmukti Party : A look into how it
became a formidable political force within a year of its
establishment, the agenda it carries and its way forward,
by Binod Ghimire (kp), Janamat
and Unmukti Party sign 12-point agreement : Agreement
includes unity between the two parties (kh), Nagarik
Unmukti Party chooses opposition bench in parliament
(kh), The
gods of mediated things : The media is often derided for
all the ills, with little appraisal of the forces behind
it, by Dharma Adhikari (kp), Prachanda:
An epitome of survival : During his electoral campaigns,
Prachanda admitted that aligning with KP Sharma Oli was
a tragedy, by Sambridh Ghimire (kp) [Like
many of the ageing and failed politicians, Dahal never
means what he says. Everything depends only on his
personal advantage and interest. He has nothing to do
with his pretended ideals of the People's War era!],
Nepal’s
outstanding debt in data : The total public debt in
Nepal reached 2,007.84 billion rupees at the end of the
first quarter of the fiscal year in October, 2022,
by Sushil Hamal (nlt), Nepal’s
external debts swell in rupee terms as dollar surges :
The greenback had risen to Rs132.07 by the end of the
first quarter from Rs128.11 at the start of the fiscal
year (kp), EC
calls for party registration for National Assembly
by-election (rep), Election
has institutionalized democracy: CEC Thapaliya
(rep) [Yes, thanks to the broken
electoral alliance, a government has now been formed
with the votes of traditional voters from other parties!
This is voter fraud!], Prachanda’s
Third Innings : Treading A Tightrope, by Ritu Raj
Subedi (rn), Pre-election
announcement to topple unconstitutional alliance
successful: Oli (kh 08/01/2023) [Electoral
alliances are not necessarily unconstitutional,
but the form of the one in 2022 was as
undemocratic as that of the CPN (UML) and CPN
(MC) in 2017. To now form a government with the
coup plotter of 2021 contrary to the cooperation
promised in the elections is a betrayal of the
electorate and lacks any political morality! It
reminds of Oli's unconstitutional actions in
2021!], Ruling
parties finalize power sharing in Provinces
(kh) [A system in which
the national level decides on provincial
governments and coalitions is not federalism!]
see also TV news:
Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
07/01/2023: Nursing
staff crunch leaves hospitals high and dry : Although
the government makes big claims on building hospitals
and expanding health services, it is ignoring the need
to hire nurses that form the backbone of hospitals,
by Rita Lamsal (nlt) [Despite
this great shortage at home, the government has reached
an agreement with the UK to send 10,000 nurses, even
though nurses there are currently on the barricades
because of poor pay and working conditions!], NHRC
recommends investigation against 130, including Upendra
Yadav in 2007 Gaur carnage (kh), Foreign
power centers are trying to topple govt by not allowing
vote of confidence: KP Oli (kh) [The
USA, China and India are trying to influence Nepal, but
Oli should finally be ashamed of his stupid talk. The
allegation is not new from leftist circles, though no
evidence has ever been presented. But China's influence
in connection with the change of government is
particularly evident. Is this what Oli is referring to?],
Experts
suggest executive take bureaucracy into confidence to
improve services : Prime Minister Dahal this week
upbraided bureaucrats for their tardiness in providing
services to the public, and threatened action, by
Purushottam Poudel (kp), PM
Dahal's Difficulties (rep), Politics
As A Domain Of Liberty, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
06/01/2023: Power
sharing, inclusive politics in Nepal: Honour the
constitutional principle, by Yagya Bahadur Karki
(ht) [When will the arrogant
high-caste macho males at the top of the state and
political parties finally be punished for their constant
disregard of the constitution and laws? A permanent ban
from political office should be the minimum punishment!
This is not a trivial offence, but malicious intent!],
Improved
but unstable : While there has been an increase in news
media outlets, there has also been a surge in fake news,
by Bhanu Bhakta Acharya (kp), Govt
and CIAA : The govt must take policy decisions only in
the public interest confined to the existing laws
(ht), No
small wonder : Even the emergent forces in Nepali
politics seem ever-ready to sacrifice their cherished
beliefs and public trust (kp), Parties
are taking back rebels who won polls : With their
return, the party gets one more seat in parliament,
giving them a leg up in parliamentary politics,
observers say, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp), Deuba
intensifies talks with parties as PM Dahal prepares for
trust vote in parliament (rep) [It's
all about personal power. Deuba would do better to
resign from all offices and leave this task to a younger
generation. This would be more credible.]. Apex
Court refuses to issue interim order in Home Minister
Rabi Lamichhane’s case : The Supreme Court has said that
the full hearing for the case has been scheduled for
January 25 (nlt), Nepal’s
political economy : The new government's biggest
challenge is to save Nepal's economy (and itself) from
collapse (nt), Baburam
Bhattarai’s 4-point formula : National consensus
needed on geopolitics, federalism, inclusion and
infrastructure-led growth, by Namrata Sharma (nt
06/01/2023)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
05/01/2023: Why
can't CIAA probe Cabinet decisions, asks apex court,
by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht), Rehabilitating
squatter settlements : Begin with affordable housing
solutions, by Anuska Singh (ht), Tension
brewing in Congress with rival factions ready to
spar : Neither the Deuba camp nor opponents
appear in a mood for compromise before crucial
central committee meeting, by Anil Giri (kp)
[It would not be the
first time that Deuba has contributed to a split
in the NC for reasons of claiming power!],
Will
a slew of executive instructions fix
bureaucracy?, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae) [It is always the same: The
government appoints administrators who are loyal
to it but often incompetent. Otherwise, their
actions are exhausted by orders. Personal
responsibility does not exist!], Development
projects suffer from funds crunch as government
revenue takes hit : Prime minister questions
poor revenue collection, dismal development
spending in 30-point directive to secretaries,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Fixing
Nepal’s low and slow development spending
(rep), Prime
minister struggling to strike a power-sharing
deal in coalition : Due to the delay in Cabinet
expansion, four ministers are left without
portfolios, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Short
of justices, Supreme Court’s work further slows
: High courts have a 59.33 percent case
clearance rate, district courts come second at
54.56 percent, while the apex court is last at
17 percent, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Talk
is cheap : Government should lead by example on
good governance : The new government can also
take a leaf out of the book from some good
practices the governments in the past had tried
to institutionalize, by Ashim Neupane (nlt),
RPP
demands 4 ministries including Deputy PM : RPP
likely to settle on three ministries: Source
(kh), Govt
to finalize Common Minimum Program by Friday
(kh) [In a democratic
state, coalition partners only form a government
after adopting a common government programme! In
Nepal it is primarily, if not exclusively, about
power and positions!]
see also TV news:
Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
04/01/2023: Harsh
laws, stiff penalties : Multiple loopholes need to be
closed to prevent trafficking of Nepali women and girls
(kp), Mass
Communications Academy concerns threat against
journalist Mahato (kh), Why
the new government should revitalize Hello Sarkar :
Revitalization of Hello Sarkar can be the first step of
the new government to receive and address people's
grievances and complaints and establish some semblance
of accountability (nlt), Prime
minister Dahal warns top bureaucrats to either shape up
or ship out : Dahal wants immediate improvements in the
government’s service delivery mechanism (kp), Three
Nepali women escape their coercive Chinese employers in
Laos. They still feel unsafe back home : The women were
previously taken to Laos to work at a call centre. More
than two dozen Nepalis are still languishing at the
centre, police say, by Anup Ojha (kp), The
season of liberal exuberance : Dahal knows that
Kathmandu’s libertarians love the announcement of
game-changer proposals, by CK Lal (kp)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
03/01/2023: Nepal
needs critical reforms to achieve economic prosperity :
Nepal has a long road ahead in terms of economic
development. Continuation of current practices might
just hinder the growth prospects, by Ayushma
Maharjan (nlt), Nepal
reports 45 cases of press freedom violations in 2022 :
In the last one year, a total of 45 incidents of press
freedom violations occurred in Nepal, where 120
journalists were directly affected, according to a
report (nlt), Nepal’s
PM warns of action in case of unnecessary delay in
service delivery. Then Passport Department announces
system failure. Is this only a coincidence? : Nepal’s
democratization processes have failed to foster
effective civil service reform. Largely characterized as
a conformist force, bureaucracy is politically divided
and less accountable to people (nlt), Ruling
alliance still struggling to get reliable candidate for
the new president : Several names are being floated for
the Presidency. Top guns of ruling parties, however,
seem undecided. National and international interests
have played a role, observers say (nlt), Bureaucracy
snubbed the Prime Minister’s directive? In less than a
week, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal twice directed
the bureaucracy not to implement MDMS. But has the
bureaucracy complied with the PM’s directive? (nlt),
Let
returnees bring two mobile phones from abroad: PM Dahal
(kh), PM
Dahal removes facebook status on directives given to
finance ministry to take action against TIA customs
officials (rep), Independent
MP Kiran Shah joins UML (kh), Dahal
promoting daughters at the expense of party leaders :
Dissatisfaction is growing in the CPN (Maoist Centre)
due to the party chief’s manifest bias towards his
family members. He has always handpicked party officials,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [Nepotism
is a special form of corruption that can be found in all
parties!], Top
priority to economy : The revenue base is so weak that
the revenues are not enough to cover recurrent
expenditure, by Achyut Wagle (kp), Nepal-China:
Border is open, not the trade (ae)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
02/01/2023: Identity
politics going through a churn : The November elections
were not in favour of the parties that have long relied
on it, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Nepal
risks being ‘greylisted’ for abetting money laundering :
An Asia-Pacific regional watchdog recently visited Nepal
for two weeks to assess the country’s response to money
laundering and terror financing, by Prithvi Man
Shrestha (kp), Deuba
can salvage the image : History will remember him for
how he fumbled the ball in the past couple of weeks,
by Paban Raj Pandey (kp), Prime
Minister Dahal to take vote of confidence on January 10
(kh), EC
suggests holding National Assembly by-election on
February 8 (rn), Fractured
Popular Mandate and Political Stability, by Rajaram
Bartaula (rep), Dahal
may be the prime minister, but it’s Oli who runs the
show, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae) [Oli
was already responsible for the failure of the 2017
legislature because of his authoritarian and finally
unconstitutional ambitions for power.],
CPN-UML
claims popularity in election race : Popularity of
Nepali Congress has declined by more than seven percent
and the popular votes of Maoist Centre have decreased by
2.5 percent, says UML’s election report (nlt) [As is so often the case, this is not
true. Only the PR votes say something about the
popularity of a party. Here the result is: NC -6.97%,
UML -6.31%, MC -2.53%. So they are all losers!]
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
01/01/2023: Unified
Socialist leaders divided over whether to join Dahal-led
government : Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is said
to be discussing with Madhav Kumar Nepal to take the
party on board, by Purushottam Poudel (kp), 53
cases of press freedom violation (ht)
see also TV news: Kantipur TV : morning (English), evening
(Nepali); AP1 (morning)
(evening); Sagarmatha TV
(evening)
|
Timetable
6275
|
days
since Delhi agreement of political parties
|
6123
|
days
since the people forced King Gyanendra to end his putsch
|
5911
|
days
since Comprehensive Peace Agreement; government, leading
party politicians, former Maoists and army leaders still
prevent conclusion of the peace process
|
5856
|
days
since promulgation of the Interim Constitution
|
5406
|
days
since elections to CA-I
|
3356
|
days
since elections to CA-II
|
2686
|
days
since promulgation of non-inclusive and until today not
really implemented constitution through illegal procedure
(text
of constitution)
|
1832
|
days
since the federal system should have been implemented;
still missing: numerous laws, infrastructure, fiscal
regulations, naming of Province 1, etc.
|
1807
|
days
since KP Oli became PM: most of the necessary working
processes not really completed; instead, growing violation
of fundamental rights, federal chaos, unabated nepotism,
corruption and power struggles
|
0768
|
days
since PM Oli putsched and tried to destroy the democratic
system with the help of President Bidya Devi Bhandari
|
0691
|
days
since the Supreme Court ruled that the merger of CPN-UML
and CPN-MC to form the NCP on 17 May 2018 was
illegitimate, thereby reactivating the two original
parties
|
0564
|
days
since the Supreme Court reinstated the House of
Representatives again and ordered the replacement of Prime
Minister KP Oli by Sher Bahadur Deuba; continued disregard
of constitution and democratic principles
|
0033 |
days since PK Dahal
became PM in cooperation with KP Oli, misusing the votes
of former coalition partners
|
|