Home
Biography
Crisis
Culture
Development
Economy
Education
Health
History
Human
Rights
Infrastructure
Law
Media
Miscellaneous
Nature
Politics
Society
|
Crisis solution
(current)
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2006-2007
|
22/05/2022: Post
politics in Nepal : Disillusioned or not with the
parties, a large number of people turn out to cast their
votes, by Abhi Subedi (kp), Local
Polls: Outcome And Message, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn),
Visiting
US official meets with Tibetan refugees despite
Kathmandu’s caveats : Nepal is in a precarious situation
as it navigates carefully to maintain a fine balance
amid rapid geopolitical shifts, by Anil Giri (kp), Residents
of Khotang depend on helicopters to reach
hospitals : Pregnant women suffer the most from
a lack of good hospitals and roads in Khotang,
by Dambar Singh Rai (kp), Statute
of limitation related to rape comes under fire,
by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening (Nepali), and Nepal Live (evening)
21/05/2022: #MeToo
gathers force but calls for sustained movement : Social
media posts by a girl detailing sexual violence
necessitate immediate action to reform laws to ensure
justice as society is invariably failing women and girls,
by Aakriti Ghimire and Shuvam Dhungana (kp), Youths
protest in Kathmandu demanding justice for rape victim :
A case of alleged sexual abuse of a woman has triggered
a rage against rape in Nepal. Youths in Kathmandu have
taken to the street demanding justice for a victim who
was allegedly raped some eight years ago (nlt), Youths
demonstrate demanding justice for victim, action against
perpetrator (In pics) (kh), Home
Ministry urges for help in investigating video clip told
incident related to VAW (kh), Rape
accused Manoj Pandey arrested (nlt), Vote
count in 684 out of 753 local bodies over : NC wins
mayor/chair in 303 local levels; UML in 185 and Maoist
Center in 116 (kh), Stability
was a common refrain. Local polls hint at more unstable
politics : It’s tough for any party to gain majority in
general elections. Experts suggest measures to ensure
stable governments, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Overcoming
Public Policy Dilemma, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
20/05/2022: Protesters
demand justice and extension of statute of limitation in
cases of sexual violence (With Photos) (rep), A
howl for justice : Galvanized by a series of videos
detailing one woman’s harrowing experiences of being
raped as a minor, Nepali women and men take to the
streets in protest, by Nishi Rungta (rec), Stop
blaming the rape survivors, speak up for justice, by
Shreena Nepal (nlt), Building
Public Faith to Build Our Democracy, by Milan Jung
Katuwal (rep), Vote
count in 628 of 753 local levels over : NC wins
mayor/chair in 280 local levels; UML in 173 and Maoist
Center in 112 (kh), Over
150 local units set to be devoid of representatives,
creating a vacuum : Experts show problem with the
system, including the law that restricts poll body’s
powers, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Increasing
concrete cover in Valley causing more urban floods :
Experts for building infiltrating ponds to avert flood
disasters and recharge groundwater, by Aakriti
Ghimire (kp), Cut
down to size : Citizens have shown what they think of
CPN-UML's actions in recent past (kp) [The
question remains: Why are Oli's coup and the
anti-democratic months-long blockade of parliament still
not being prosecuted?], JSP accuses
NC and Maoist Center of betrayal in polls (rep), Election
Economy : After the election, there is an economic
disaster waiting to strike Nepalis, by Rabin Giri
(nt), How
not to be a Sri Lanka : Nepal’s disease may not be as
severe as Sri Lanka’s, but the symptoms are the same
(nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
19/05/2022: NC
dominates results tally with wins in 252 local units,
UML victorious in 164 municipals (nlt), How
local elections punctured CPN-UML’s bloated ego : The
largest party from the 2017 elections appears set to get
relegated to a distant second with gains for the
Congress and more bargaining power for the Maoists,
by Tika R Pradhan and Binod Ghimire (kp), Impressions
from the election past : The big takeaway is that
nothing mattered in the end except the promise of change,
by Deepak Thapa (kp), Crunching
effects of inflation : The adversely affected are always
those at the bottom of the economic pile (kp), Civic
Engagement At Local Level, by Mukti Rijal (rn), Balen
Shah's popularity: Nepal seeks a new national party,
by Sumit Pathak (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening (Nepali), and Nepal Live (evening)
18/05/2022: Uphold
Women’s Constitutional Rights, by Namrata Sharma
(rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
17/05/2022: Constantly
spurned, how Dalits united to create history in local
elections : A team of independent Dalit candidates wins
four out of five seats in Ward 8 of Kanakasundari Rural
Municipality in Jumla, including the post of chair,
by DB Budha (kp), Sexual
assaults on blind women go unreported : Several blind
women have fallen prey to sexual assaulters in Bajhang
but the families’ apathy and society’s behaviour towards
sexual assault victims have kept many of them from
claiming justice, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp), Towards
voting reform : Election symbols were an alternative
when the literacy rate was 20 percent in 1960, by
Sujeev Shakya (kp), Slow-paced
counting : The best way to reduce the time for counting
the votes is to switch to the Electronic Voting Machine
(ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
16/05/2022: Why
aren’t more women selected as candidates?
Patriarchy alone is not a sufficient explanation
for the lack of women in candidate selection for
the recently held local elections, by Seira
Tamang (rec), Inflation
making life difficult for the poor and vulnerable :
Global price rises, devaluation of the Nepali rupee and
artificial price hikes by traders pushing goods and
services out of reach, by Krishana Prasain and
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Pregnant
women in Achham die for want of treatment : Rural women
are deprived of safe motherhood services due to
illiteracy, poverty and lack of public health awareness,
by Menuka Dhungana (kp), Disillusioned
voters : The truth of the matter is that people are fed
up with the antics of politicians (kp), Local
polls: Nepali Congress looks set to gain, and also to be
saviour of Maoists : UML reacts with charges of rigging
as alliance seems to have worked to give the odds in
favour of ruling parties, by Binod Ghimire (kp) Sluggish
vote counting calls for switching to tech-friendly
elections : The pace at which ballot papers of municipal
elections are being counted is tiring and cumbersome and
is a source of controversy, observers say, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
15/05/2022: Nepalis
in general love to vote. Why is turnout low then?
Disenchantment? In Kathmandu Metropolitan City, poll
officials say, just half of the registered voters showed
up to cast their ballot, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Festering
political feud resulted in violent election day,
observers say : Single-phase vote also stressed
security, making forces unable to contain the violence,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Call
for action against those who made it difficult for
persons with disabilities to vote : Depriving persons
with disabilities of their voting right has legal
consequences, rights bodies say (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
14/05/2022: People
vote with hope and fervour even as they resent
politicians, parties : There are some reports of
violence in different parts of the country, but the vote
was largely peaceful, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp),
Counting
votes within wire fences reflects degrading political
culture : Fears of shenanigans have grown, prompting
measures like CCTV and fencing, by Binod Ghimire
(kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
13/05/2022: Local
polls: Nepal votes to elect local representatives for
the next five years :This is the second time Nepal is
voting in the local polls after the country adopted a
federal democratic system in 2015 following the
promulgation of a new constitution, by Ashim Neupane
and Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Nepal
votes for local leadership (rec), Nepalis
head to the polls to shape the country’s future
(kh), Nepal
polls: Go vote for grassroots democracy : 17.73 million
people are voting today to elect over 35,000 local
representatives for 753 local units, by Binod
Ghimire (kp), People
displaced by the earthquake in Rasuwa are still awaiting
resettlement : As many as 174 quake-displaced families
are staying in temporary shelters at Khalte, by
Balaram Ghimire (kp) [They
urgently need the right to vote "None of them"!],
Tell
your own story : Citizens can decide whether they want
to elect somebody who governs them or serves them
(kp), Raute
community deprived of voting right, again (rep), Health
insurance must be an election agenda : Nepal’s health
insurance program is due for urgent reform, or it risks
being obsolete, by Gaj B Gurung (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
12/05/2022: The
more teeth to poll commission, the stronger democracy
will be, observers say : There are laws but the election
body lacks resources—human and financial—to crack down
on wrongdoers, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Mute
representatives : Clueless about the day’s business in
the House, lawmakers are hardly keen to discuss the
bills (kp), The
pace of federalism : Federalism is a new exercise in
Nepal, and it is not unusual for challenges to appear.,
by Khim Lal Devkota (kp), Implications
of low women representation in local polls, by
Neelam Dhanuse (rep), Local
Polls : Parties Put Heavy Stakes, by Mukti Rijal
(rn), Local
election: Are candidates aware of climate issues?,
by Ghanashyam Khanal and Yatish Acharya (ht), For
a new destiny : Let’s turn our collective anger into
wisdom. This time, let’s vote for Nepal, the Nepalis and
a new destiny, by Devendra Gautam (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
11/05/2022: Lack
of voter education in Achham villages may lead to
invalid votes : Both parties and their candidates have
failed to give due importance to the voter education
campaign. As a result, many eligible voters are unaware
of the voting process creating high chances of invalid
votes, by Menuka Dhungana (kp), Nepal’s
lawmaking process lacks consultation : Four years of
federal parliament have been disappointing for
participatory lawmaking, by Binod Ghimire (kp) [KP Oli in particular, but also the
Deuba-led government, have repeatedly tried to eliminate
the popularly elected parliament. It is completely
incomprehensible why these politicians want to run again
in parliamentary elections!], Voting
rights for all : Persons with disabilities in Nepal
continue to be excluded from the electoral process
(kp), The
oligarchy celebrates local polls : The fundamental
appeal of municipal polls lies in their ideological
vacuity, by CK Lal (kp), Inflation
fears as banks report large withdrawals ahead of local
elections : Central bank expects currency in circulation
to rise by Rs10-15 billion during the elections, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Only
31% capital budget spent (rn), Local
election manifesto: More ritualistic, less realistic,
by Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening (Nepali), and Nepal Live (evening)
10/05/2022: About
half of Nepal’s voters will not be able to cast their
votes in local polls (rep), Despite
law, Nepal fails to achieve Dalit women representation
in wards : Parties say they failed to find candidates,
an argument Dalit activists do not agree with, by
Tika R Pradhan (kp), For
people with disabilities, there are barriers galore to
right to voting: Secrecy, lack of ballot papers with
tactile relief, and tall tables are key infrastructural
issues, by Aakash Chaudhary (kp), Waiting
for inspiration : Unless our politicians realise the
plight of the ordinary people through their suffering,
nothing fruitful can be expected (kp), Tall
promises : "None of the political parties has unveiled
any plans for generating resources to fulfill their
promises" (ht), Revenue
collection hit by import curbs amid falling foreign
exchange reserves : Sluggish capital spending and
liquidity crunch also blamed, by Prithvi Man
Shrestha (kp), Why
import ban is undesirable : This policy is practically
suicidal since the banned items are major sources of
revenue, by Achyut Wagle (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
09/05/2022: Balen
Shah: A youth icon, and a ray of hope amid politics of
despair. Balen Shah has emerged as a symbol of hope for
change, an icon for those who are deeply dissatisfied
with established political parties to look up to in
Kathmandu, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Promises,
promises : Candidates have been promising voters the
earth and the sky as usual (kp), All
roar, no bite: Poll body says will monitor spending.
Experts doubt : The Election Commission has announced it
will deploy officials to monitor campaign expenditures,
but analysts say they see little chance of action
against overspending, a key source of corruption, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), In
Madhesh Province, the political landscape is changing :
Analysts say the CPN-UML will likely gain from the deep
divisions in the Madhesi parties and the alliance
politics of five ruling forces, by Anil Giri (kp) [KP Oli has also pursued a sometimes
brutal anti-Madhesh policy since 2015 and has shown no
understanding for the concerns of the Tarai people. It
is hard to imagine that the people have already
forgotten this!], Farmers
high and dry as local units fail to help : Local
governments only care about construction of roads and
bridges, neglecting agriculture, voters say, by
Binod Ghimire (kp), Education
Voters : Unless voters are shown what a real ballot
paper looks like, they could be disoriented in the booth
(ht) [Because of the
anti-democratic manipulations of the local elections by
the national party leaders, it may be even worse this
time than five years ago!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
08/05/2022: A
left turn Congress is taking as the party attempts to
counter communist forces : The grand old party, which
believed in free and open market policy, is now toeing
the line leftist forces followed, by Prithvi Man
Shrestha (kp), Local
Polls: A Democratic Milestone, by Ritu Raj Subedi
(rn), EC
warns against use of other party flags, election symbols
(ht), Majority
of local levels see old faces (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
07/05/2022: The
list of wrongdoings by the Deuba government goes long
but Kathmandu is fairly quiet : Don't be fooled. Not
much has changed since Deuba replaced Oli, except that
Deuba could get the much-debated MCC Compact ratified,
by Mahabir Paudyal (nlt), Call
to facilitate participation of persons with disabilities
(kh), Civil
society body urges EC to facilitate participation of
differently-abled people in local polls (rep), Local
polls more complicated now to predict with alliance
politics and splits : Despite Deuba’s wish and
Dahal-Nepal’s compulsion, their poll partnership did not
take off well, and UML hopes gains, by Anil Giri
(kp), Arzu
under fire for her remarks to stop grants where Congress
loses : Analysts say her remarks reflect a lack of
understanding of how the state functions, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp) [This is not only
offensive, it is criminal and corrupt!], Election
hits school enrolment campaign : School enrolment
campaign has not been able to make much headway since
most people are either out participating in political
rallies or listening to the political campaigners, say
educators, by Samjhana Rasaili (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
06/05/2022: Season
of lies : The range of dissemination possible in the
social media age helps amplify false information
(kp), Dahal’s
theatrics and his fixation with Bharatpur stoke
discontent in party : Insiders allege Pushpa Kamal Dahal
is all about his family and kin at the expense of the
CPN (Maoist Centre), by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Budget
session is just weeks away but uncertainties loom :
Holidays and House rules are obstacles, and there’s the
protesting UML too (kp), Local
Polls Deepen Democracy, by Bhupa P Dhamala (rn) [But not if they are appropriated and
controlled by the national level!], Women
in the informal economy: Recognise their contribution,
by Shreeju Niroula (ht), Exploring
the barriers to the right to inclusive election
in Nepal : Despite elaborate provisions on
including persons with disabilities in political
and public life in Nepal, political
participation by persons with disabilities
remains minimal, by Dev Datta Joshi (rec), Press
for people : Nepali journalists find
themselves at the crossroads: carry on
doing what they did, or adjust to a new
mediascape, by Sahina Shrestha (nt)
see also news
programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
05/05/2022: Nowhere
safe to go, people in disaster-hit areas live in terror
as monsoon nears : Hundreds of people still living in
places identified as unfit to reside seven years ago,
by Arjun Poudel (kp), Salyan
villagers forced to use polluted river water : Around 40
percent of the people in the district have no access to
clean water, by Biplob Maharjan (kp), Electoral
syndicate against women : From the first election, one
thing that hasn't changed is the politics of hegemonic
masculinity, by Chandra Bhadra and Sucheta Pyakuryal
(kp), Global
inflation straining Nepal’s forex reserves : Nepal’s
external economic situation isn’t worsening to the level
of Sri Lanka but warning signs are visible, experts say,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Going
local : Candidates seem to be in the dark about the
powers and functions of local bodies (kp), Industrial
sites continue to be hammered by power outages : Nepal
has to fall back on imported power in the winter when
domestic output drops to one-third of the installed
capacity, by Madhav Dhungana and Shankar Acharya
(kp), EC’s
Push For Electoral Reform, by Mukti Rijal
(rn), Cause
of rebel candidature: Party indiscipline or
wrong modus operandi?, by Jibaraj Pokharel
(ht)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
04/05/2022: Sthapit’s
remarks, audience reaction put society’s view of women
in focus : Concerns over safety and security of women
under leadership of such patriarchal men, by Aakriti
Ghimire (kp), Modi
to visit Nepal amid need to review relations in the wake
of geopolitical shifts : Delhi sending Navin Srivastava,
a strong China hand, as its new Nepal envoy ahead of the
Indian prime minister’s trip, by Anil Giri (kp), EC
directs candidates, political parties to spend through
banking system (kp), NHRC
calls for further investigation into newly-appointed IGP
Singh for human rights violation (rep), Roti-Beti,
Electricity, Connectivity, Security and Beyond,
by Samar SJB Rana (rep), Press
Freedom Still Faces Challenge, by Namrata
Sharma (rn)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
03/05/2022: Nepal:
The culture of silence among journalists on the rise,
by Guna Raj Luitel (rep), World
Press Freedom Day 2022: Nepal records 55 incidents of
press freedom violations in a year : “No efforts were
made to address impunity relating to crimes against
journalists. Justice is awaited both in conflict era and
post-conflict cases.” (nlt), 75
incidents of press freedom violation occur in a year
(kh), Nepal
progresses in Freedom of Press Index (kh) [??],
A
troubled agency called Nepal Police, thanks to Nepali
politicians : Country’s key law enforcement agency faces
controversies because of political parties’ vested
interests, by Anil Giri (kp), Covid
response fund releases money after 14 months : The fund
remained idle during the second and third waves due to
political wrangling, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), SC seeks written response from govt for not
submitting reports on time (kh), Nepal
progresses in Freedom of Press Index (kh) [??],
CEC
Thapaliya calls on mass media to aware people on voting
rights (kh) [Also on the
voting rights of election workers, security personnel
and the millions of migrant workers that have been
denied by politicians for years, despite clear
directives from the Supreme Court?], Govt
raises a loan of Rs 221 billion in nine months (kh),
Private
sector suggests govt impose high customs duty on goods
that can be produced domestically (rep), NRB
tightens cash withdrawal through credit cards (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
02/05/2022: As
the election date is approaching, game of lies and
deceit in Nepal : The political parties have
started distributing freebies to attract voters and
secure their seats. Taxpayers are going to have to bear
the costs. The government’s capital budget is going to
take a huge toll, by Anjila Shrestha (nlt), Election
Commission has stricter code of conduct but lacks
mechanism to monitor it : Observers find many clauses
impractical as neither parties can follow them nor
officials can check compliance, by Tika R Pradhan
(kp), The
school of failure : Local governments should invest in
quality education at the school level (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
01/05/2022: May
Day: Let’s acknowledge the contributions of older
workers, by Sanju Thapa Magar (nlt), Voters
in Birgunj are perplexed as to who to vote for because
of alliance politics : Since the Madhes Movement, the
parties that championed it have splintered and
ultimately joined hands with the forces they once
rebelled against, puzzling voters, Tufan Neupane and
Bhusan Yadav (kp), Listen
to the locals, by Parmeshwar Devkota (rn), Row
Of Rebel Candidates, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), Americans
are flying into Nepal in droves. Is there any renewed
interest? The MCC Compact’s passage and 75 years of
bilateral ties are the reasons, but there’s more to it,
analysts say, by Anil Giri (kp), Making
Nepal Prosperous: The Way Forward, by Suyesh
Raj Pyakurel (rep), 35pc
Bajura people living in extreme poverty
(ht), International
Workers’ Day: Daily wagers struggling to survive
(kh)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
30/04/2022: Women
leaders from across the political spectrum say they feel
constrained : Their representation in local elections
has been trimmed but they cannot speak up. Female
politicians say the fight will continue though, by
Aakriti Ghimire (kp), As
alliance parties threaten rebel candidates, Election
Commission says that’s criminal act : The election body
states that the threats violate citizens’ legal and
constitutional right to take part in elections, by
Tika R Pradhan (kp) [When will
the so-called top politicians finally be punished
appropriately for their constant high-handed behaviour?
Non-election of such persons and their protégés would be
an appropriate response!], Over
4,000 withdraw candidacies, by Ranju Kafle (rn), RPP
expresses concern over death threat issued against the
party’s candidate (rep), Political
Empowerment Of Citizens, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), Women
rights group demand action against Sthapit over his
insensitive comments : The UML mayoral candidate for
Kathmandu is not fit to run for the post, say 45 rights
organisations (kp), Making
Nepal Prosperous: The Way Forward, by Suyesh Raj
Pyakurel (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
29/04/2022: Woman
tortured for dowry, despite court order (ht), Expanding
fiscal health space in Nepal : The government needs to
explore additional sources of financing to expand the
fiscal space of healthcare services, by Gauri
Pradhan (nlt), Fewer
women this time : Underrepresentation of women in
politics has long-term drawbacks (kp), Poll
panel's new directive unfair to fairer sex : Can affect
women's representation in civic bodies as parties prefer
to oblige alliance partners, by Ram Kumar Kamat
(ht), All-male
executive candidates (ht) [related to Itahari], Whose
election is it anyway? Kin and clan networks will once
again play a formidable role in determining victory
margins, by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp), Coalition
Politics – Feat or Anarchism?, by Devesh Jha (kh), Rebel
candidates refuse to heed party orders to withdraw from
race : Election Commission officials say it is against
the code of conduct to pressure the candidates to pull
out, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [Just
to remind you: In November 1994, "rebel candidates"
caused Girija's defeat after he refused to meet Ganesh
Man Singh's legitimate demands!], Ruling
alliance directs rebel candidates to withdraw
candidacies : Nepali Congress is making a last-ditch
effort to appease Jagannath Poudel who has filed an
independent candidature against Renu Dahal in Bharatpur
Metropolis to withdraw his candidacy (nlt) [Nepal
is a federal state. The national party leadership cannot
issue directives in this regard, at best
recommendations!], Don’t
force anyone to withdraw candidacy: Election
Commission (rep), Indicators
look bad but statistics bureau paints glowing picture of
Nepali economy : Economists question 5.87 percent
optimistic growth data released just before Nepal goes
to polls, calling it a cheery prediction, by Sangam
Prasain (kp), Top
US official to visit Nepal prior to local elections :
Under secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and
Human Rights arriving in the first week of May, by
Anil Giri (kp) [Sounds like
ongoing US influence!], Local
Bodies Need Capacity Building, by Udbodh Bhandari
(rn) [The centrally imposed
party alliances aim at exactly the opposite!], Ruling
parties agree to cancel coordination with other parties
immediately (rn) [If this
is to apply to all levels of the federal system, then
the latter is reduced to absurdity!], Supreme
Court continues interim order against govt’s
decision to suspend NRB Governor Adhikari
(nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
28/04/2022: Dalit
youth thrashed to death over dispute (ht), Public
availability of electoral roll data raises privacy
concerns : Experts are wary of potential misuse of the
data on all registered voters that has been made public
and is easily accessible to anyone on the internet,
by Aakriti Ghimire (kp), Alliance
politics impacts female candidacy in local level
elections : Close to 41 percent women had won in 2017,
but fewer will be elected this time, with nomination
number itself down, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Nepali
Congress in turmoil as alliance politics chafes scores
of local leaders : Insiders say leaders and cadres in
lower committees deprived of their right to speak up,
by Anil Giri (kp) [The party
leaders' understanding of democracy is exactly the
opposite of democracy!], Deuba
urges ‘rebel’ NC leaders and cadres to withdraw their
candidacies (rep) [Local
politicians should not be called rebels just because
they stand up for democracy and federalism, which are
disregarded by the party leadership!], Arguing
for depoliticization of local level elections, by
Sarita Giri (kh), Industrial
sector to face more power cuts amid reduced supply from
India : Supply disturbance from the southern neighbour
has forced the Nepal Electricity Authority to repeatedly
cut power to the sector, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), Electricity
export from India affected : Industrialists propose
two-day power cut; Face losses running into billions
(ht), Nepal
bans imports of luxury goods amid dwindling forex
reserves : The government response follows growing
concerns that the country could face an economic crisis
(kp), Priority
Agenda For Health Strategy, by Jhabindra Bhandari
(rn), Curbing
Monetary Muscle In Polls, by Mukti Rijal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
27/04/2022: Parties’
freebies and doles blow hole in state coffers,
economists say : During the election season, political
forces make announcements of free goods and services
which could do more harm than good and destroy the
system, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Centralised
decisions to pick local poll candidates raise questions
galore : Deuba warns Congress rebels to back off. Oli
tells UML mutineers to resist impulses, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp) [The Political
Party Act needs fundamental democratic revision: the
power of party leaders must be drastically curtailed;
all parties must be forced to comply with the
constitution and laws and to be socially inclusive at
all levels of the parties and in the nomination of
election candidates, under threat of deprivation of
party status; expulsion or otherwise "punishment" of
party members for expressing an opinion different from
that of the party leaders must be made almost
impossible. In the context of local elections, all
parties are acting anti-democratically and
unconstitutionally!], Coalition
partners seek electoral alliance within camp (rn) [These so-called top politicians
simply do not want to understand that in the federal
system they have no right to prescribe such things to
the local level!], Keep
the peace : The alliance among the ruling coalition
partners is likely to evaporate by the time of the
federal elections (ht) [By
then, these self-appointed leaders will have
successfully destroyed local democracy!], Party
nomination for local poll : Marked by dissent and
disappointment, by Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht), Crack
the whip : The Election Commission should punish the
candidates or parties that flout the code (kp), Voting: A
Voice Of The Voiceless, by Balmukunda Regmi (rn) [But only if candidates are also
nominated who represent their interests and not those
imposed by the central party leadership!], Low
Women Candidacy Breaches Statute, by Namrata Sharma
(rn), Believing
in democracy, once-extremist forces of Chand and Raut
are joining the poll fray : The hardliners joining the
elections is a good move and it does not matter whether
they win or lose, experts say, by Binod Ghimire (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
26/04/2022: Talking
out of their hat : Lest the parties forget: They cannot
fool all of the people all of the time (kp), Hard
to retain last election’s achievements with less women
candidates this time (kh), How
disinformation poses security threat and what Nepal
should do : Failure to prevent disinformation and
misinformation on time could lead to a serious national
security crisis in the long run, by Narayan Adhikari
(nlt), The
idea of ‘alternative politics’ is failing in Nepal. What
went wrong?, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Keshav
Sthapit’s candidacy for Kathmandu mayor sparks furore :
Sthapit has been accused of sexual harassment by at
least two women, by Aakriti Ghimire (kp), Health
care issues despite being vital remain neglected
in local elections : Candidates and parties must
come up with practical and realistic health care
plans, say doctors, by Arjun Poudel (kp), Mangalsen
women see no point in voting : Women of the
remote Achham local unit demanded a ban on
alcohol, introduction of women-centric
programmes at the local level and accessibility
to a good healthcare system, but their demands
remain unaddressed, by Menuka Dhungana (kp)
see also news
programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
25/04/2022: Local
Election 2022 : Expectation vs reality, by Ayushma
Maharjan (nlt), On
a slippery slope : After sliding into particracy,
Nepal's democracy is degenerating into kleptocracy
(kp), All
deals are local : Electoral alliances will essentially
make the voting process a formality in many places,
by Anurag Acharya (kp), Supreme
Court set to decide today on petition on women’s
representation in local governments : Deadline given to
political parties to file nominations for the May 13
local level elections ends today, by Binod Ghimire
(kp), Albatross
of an election alliance. Coalition yet to decide
candidates for most places : Election offices brace for
a hectic schedule today with just around 10,000
candidacies filed on Sunday, by Tika R Pradhan (kp)
[The fundamental interference of
party leaders to enforce central power interests in
local elections does not fit the democratic principles
of a federal state anyway!], First
Five Years of Federalism in Nepal, by Khim Lal
Devkota (rep) [Yes, the federal
state could be a good political system for Nepal if the
top politicians of the parties finally gave up their
centralist pattern of thinking! Right now they are again
preventing democracy and development on the local level!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
24/04/2022: Democracy
or kakistocracy? Democratic values undermined,
institutions heavily politicized, meritocracy completely
neglected, rampant corruption and nepotism unabated.
Nepal, many believe, is heading toward a democratic
kakistocracy (nlt), Parties
struggle to select candidates for local polls on the eve
of nomination filing : Coalition’s challenges huge
despite deal to share seats at all units. Even UML has
yet to decide on various positions, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp), Poll
Alliances And Discontents, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn),
Contractors
launch ‘construction holiday’ starting from today
(rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
23/04/2022: Alliance
for local polls raises spectre of the notorious
‘all-party mechanisms’ : The so-called all-party
committees were a tool for the parties to share the
spoils, and experts fear a repeat of the practice that
will degenerate into kleptocracy, by Binod Ghimire
(kp), Congress
faces revolt in grassroots bodies over seat-sharing
decision : Disgruntled leaders and cadres in several
units vow to defy alliance and contest local elections
as independents, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [The
top politicians of all major parties continue to
practise the centralist state!], AWC
appeals voters not to vote human rights violators
(kh), EC
asks leaders in closed list of PR system to remove names
if they want to contest local polls (kh), Writ
petition challenges ambassadorial nominations :
Petitioners say recent nominations have ignored
principles of inclusion and call for new nominations
(kp), From
Parochial To Reflective Citizen, by Dev Raj Dahal
(rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
22/04/2022: Call
for meaningful participation of Dalits in local level
polls (kh), Putting
Hometown First : The local leadership should be selected
based on whether the elected leaders can develop their
village or town and how patriotic they are, by Bhupa
P Dhamala (rn), JSP
dissatisfied as ruling coalition allocates mayor of
Nepalgunj to NC (kh), UML
feels the heat as nomination filing dates draw closer :
The opposition party, which was putting on a brave face,
is now seeking support from several fringe parties,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp), China
asserts, with envoy addressing issues—help for Nepal to
world order : Hou Yanqi says Beijing stands for its
southern neighbour as she sheds light on the
difficulties investors face in Nepal and challenges in
cross-border railway from north, by Binod Giri (kp),
Street
vendors are crucial to urban economy, but their plight
is huge : Those doing business on footpaths and alleys
need help, not harassment, experts say, by Pawan
Pandey (kp), Trade
deficit widening despite govt attempts to curb import
(kh), State-sponsored
economic crisis : The real emergency in Nepal’s economy
is not the Ukraine War, but a self-serving government
(nt), Mismanaged
Nepal, by Tilak Rawal (sp), A
Tumultuous Destiny, by K. Uprety (sp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
21/04/2022: NHRC
calls for ensuring women’s proportional representations
in local election (kh), Advocacy
group calls for meaningful representation of Dalits in
local governance : Samata Foundation says existing
representation is encouraging but not in proportion with
the population (kp), “Voters
should exercise their sovereign rights while voting”,
interview with Laxman Phuyal (kh), Parties’
promises in doubt as most are drafting local poll
manifestos centrally : Until local committees get to
draw their bespoke manifestos, such papers become mere
campaign rhetoric, experts say, by Binod Ghimire
(kp), Discontent
brews in Congress after allies finalise seat-sharing for
17 major cities : A section in the party and observers
denounce alliance politics, saying such a practice
shrinks democratic space, by Anil Giri (kp) [Nepal
is a federal state in which the national party
leadership can only make recommendations to the local
party level, but should not impose any directives,
especially regarding the nomination of local election
candidates and electoral alliances!], What’s
enticing some central and provincial leaders into local
politics : Assembly members and former ministers are
eyeing mayoral posts because of the lack of space at top
tiers and more resources at the local level, by Tika
R Pradhan (kp) [... and
contribute to making the local level socially even less
inclusive!], Lower
revenue collection raises questions about health of
economy : Officials say liquidity crunch and sluggish
capital spending slow down economic activities but
tourism hopes are high, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), It’s
the economy, stupid : You don’t need a weatherman to
know which way the wind is blowing (kp), Party
leaders reach Musahar settlement after five years since
last election (kh) [This
proves the whole disinterest of the politicians!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
20/04/2022: CM
Pokhrel blames federal curb for province’s failure to
work as per expectation (kh), Nepal
Rastra Bank’s autonomy restored : There is room for the
Ministry of Finance to act like a big brother should it
choose—wrongly—to do so, by Paban Raj Pandey (kp), Nepal
finance minister faces moral question after top court
rules against move to suspend central bank governor :
With an interlocutory order to the government not to
enforce its April 7 decision, Adhikari is set to resume
office, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Power
shortage in India hits supply to Nepal. Firms in east
face outages : Nepal still relies on power imported from
the south, where generation is running low now, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Patchy
approach : What the government has done to address the
problem seen with the foreign exchange reserve is
inadequate (ht), Pre-local
election dynamics in Nepal : Theory and reality, by
Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
19/04/2022: How
think tanks and social innovation can help in better
policymaking : A new crop of think tanks is emerging.
The government can step up and work with them with some
help from the donors if needed, by Simone Galimberti
(nlt), Ruling
coalition to finalize distribution of metropolises and
sub metropolises today (kh) [Nepal
is a federal state. Nominating candidates for local
elections is not the responsibility of national party
leaders!], “Keeping
us out of elections will obstruct peace process”,
interview with Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma (CPN), On
the horns of a dilemma: To restrict imports or make the
revenue : Private sector for hiking duties to curb
imports instead of banning foreign goods amid looming
economic crisis, by Prithvi Man Shrestha and
Krishana Prasain (kp), NC
Stands To Benefit From Poll Alliance : Having
allied with the ultra-rightist party of Kamal
Thapa's RPP-Nepal and pro-Christian party, Nepal
Pariwar Dal, Oli has made his intentions clear,
by Narayan Upadhyay (rn), Elected
representatives need to resign if they wish to
contest again : Supreme Court quashes petition
against poll commission’s mandatory requirement
of resignation (kp) [This
is now binding law, but still not rationally
comprehensible. The then Chief Justice Khil Raj
Regmi did not even resign from his position as
CJ in 2013 when he took over as head of the
executive.], In
Madhes Province, voters turning away from
Madhes-based parties, by Mukesh Pokhrel
(rec), Supreme
Court stays govt’s decision to suspend NRB
Governor Adhikari (nlt)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening (Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
18/04/2022: Patriarchy
plagues the lives of young girls in Siraha : When one
girl acts beyond the traditional norms, all other girls
in the village face the consequences—their education is
discontinued and they are married off, by Aakriti
Ghimire (kp), Achham
district judge who passed a controversial decision on a
rape case called to Supreme Court : Nabin Kumar Joshi
last month slapped a three-and-a-half-year jail term to
a rape victim, citing a non-existing legal provision
(kp), Former
Judges Forum-Nepal seeks probe into incompetent judges
(kh), Dalits
demand respectable, proportional representation in
upcoming elections (ht), As
political parties focus on winning seats, electorate
takes a back seat : Polling day is only 26 days away,
but none of the parties except for Rastriya Janamorcha
has unveiled their manifesto for the local level
election, by Binod Ghimire (kp), No
drastic measures : Politicians need to get their heads
out of the sand and start thinking constructively
(kp), Is
the crisis deepening? It is not that the economy is not
in trouble, but it is not so severe or dire as some are
saying, by Jagadish Prasad Bist (kp), Correct
Information Key To Fair Polls, by Ballav Dahal (rn),
CPN-UML
to support Joshi's son (ht) [Here,
too, nothing more than flawless nepotism!], NC
cadres against electoral alliance in local election:
Leader Thapa (kh), In
search of subnational policies : A large number of
policies are going to remain the same across all
provinces and our development aspirations, for the time
being, will be determined more by federal policies and
institutions than by provincial institutions and
policies, by Yatindra KC (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
17/04/2022: Election
alliances of Nepali parties: sense or nonsense in local
elections?, by Karl-Heinz Krämer (kh), Alliance
politics may help parties but for first-time voters, it
comes with confusion : During local level elections, an
adult votes for seven candidates. Remembering all the
symbols and cross-party candidates will be difficult,
observers say, by Binod Ghimire (kp), In
desperate bid, UML collaborates with two fringe parties
on polls : As the five parties take forward their
electoral alliance plan, the opposition party makes
boastful claims even while pursuing any potential tie-up,
by Binod Ghimire (kp), Nepal
seeks overseas nationals' help to build up forex
reserves amid economic woes (rep), NRB
staffers protest against govt move to suspend Governor
Adhikari (rep), Seeking
reinstatement, suspended NRB governor files petition at
Supreme Court (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal Live (evening)
16/04/2022: Some
100 provisions in 43 Acts are discriminatory to women :
If political parties don’t want to amend the
discriminatory laws, then the constitution itself should
be amended, experts say, by Binod Ghimire (kp) [The constitution has to be amended
anyway to uphold women's rights. The Oli government has
always fundamentally rejected this and the current
government is no better.], Dalit
women were elected in numbers. But have they been
empowered? Despite holding posts, experience as decision
makers was not encouraging as discrimination continued,
they say, by Tika R Pradhan and Binod Ghimire (kp),
Allies
set ways of candidate selection but disputes remain on
the ground : Members of the ruling coalition themselves
doubt the alliance’s effectiveness, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp), Local
level free to use discretion regarding electoral
alliance: NC Gen Secy Thapa (kh), Solutions
to the Crisis of Depleting Forex Reserves, by Lokesh
Todi (rep), Governance
Of Economic Life, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), 74
incidents of press freedom violation in 2078 BS (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
15/04/2022: Nepal's
political system: Does it need to change for the better?,
by Mim Bahadur Pariyar (ht), Rising
inflation, slower growth stoke stagflation concerns : As
inflation galloped to a 67-month high of 7.14 percent in
March, World Bank slashes Nepal’s growth forecast to 3.7
percent, by Sangam Prasain and Krfishana Prasain
(kp), State-sponsored
economic crisis : The real emergency in Nepal’s economy
is not the Ukraine War, but a self-serving government
(nt), Take
restrictive measures to avert an economic crisis, by
Surendra Pandey (kh), Economic
diplomacy takes a back seat as diplomats fail to push it
: Experts stress making it a part of the country’s
overall diplomacy so as to advance and achieve economic
goals, by Anil Giri (kp) [What
can you expect when the majority have no diplomatic
experience but get their posts on the basis of kinship
or party affiliation?], Landless
see ploy in distribution of temporary land ownership
papers ahead of local elections : Local representatives
distributed 1,197 temporary land ownership documents to
landless families in Shuklagandaki and Bandipur last
week, by Samjhana Rasaili (kp), Govt’s
capital expenditure stands at meager 27.45 percent of
the targeted amount in Q3 (rep), Debunking
the Low Capital Expenditure Practice : What Engineers
Say!, by Pradip Kumar Kafle (rep), Nepal
to miss growth target as concerns about economic woes
intensify : Fuelled by higher commodity prices, surging
inflation is also making life much tougher for many
Nepalis (ht), Government
positive to address demands of Janamat Party: Home
Minister Khand (rep) [Election
campaign tactics send their regards!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
14/04/2022: Women
in politics : One can have all the rules and yet find a
million ways to sidestep them (kp) Is
Nepal heading toward the worst economic crisis? While
indicating that the worst may be yet to come, economists
warn that if the government doesn’t work on correcting
the course, the Nepali economy might end up in a red
zone soon, by Ashim Neupane (nlt), Warning
signs : Our total export is insufficient even to
purchase fuel alone, whose prices have soared due to the
war in Ukraine (ht), Nepal’s
economic growth projected at 4.7% in FY 2079/80 (kh)
[??], Slower
yet gradual growth expected for Nepal amid global
challenges, says World Bank (ht), Central
bank independence : Inflation can be high when there is
a problem in the central bank’s independence, by Ram
Neupane (kp), NC
endorses election manifesto (kh) [Local
elections do not so much need a party manifesto
at the central level. They are primarily about
the local concerns and interests of the voters,
and these vary widely from region to region. The
same applies logically to electoral alliances.],
Electoral
alliance will not serve NC’s interest: Gen Secy
Thapa (kh), How
remittance is fuelling agricultural risks and
unplanned sprawl : In 1989, the urban cover
occupied just 221.1 sq km of the Tarai, but this
had increased to 930.22 sq km by 2016.
Agriculture’s share in the GDP has fallen
markedly over a decade, by Aakriti Ghimire
(kp), EC
for vacating stay on code provision, by Ram
Kumar Kamat (ht), Elections
law defines circumstances of ballot counting
centre capture (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
13/04/2022: Let
Women Lead Local Levels, by Namrata Sharma (rn), Ambassadorial
appointments: Unqualified, yet fortunate individuals,
by Ishwar Dev Khanal (kh) [Nepotism
as usual!], Dr.
Deuba calls for electoral quotas for women based on
proportional inclusion (kh), Central
bank paints grim picture of Nepal’s economy : Inflation
is rising, BoP is ballooning, remittances are falling
and imports surging, Nepal Rastra Bank reports, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Experts
warn against supply cuts as daily fuel imports hit Rs1
billion : Fuel accounts for 14.1 percent of Nepal’s
imports. Officials believe curbing imports can put
economy back on track, by Krishana Prasain (kp), Unhappy
countries of South Asia : The commonality of unhappy
countries is as clearly recognisable as that of the
happy ones, by CK Lal (kp), UML
and RPP-Nepal ink a deal to forge electoral alliance,
RPP-Nepal candidates to contest the poll with UML’s
election symbol (rep) [It
is legally hardly conceivable that RPP-Nepal candidates
should be allowed to stand with the party symbol of the
UML!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
12/04/2022: ‘The
human rights situation in Nepal is still far from
satisfactory’, interview with Nirajan Thapaliya,
Director, Amnesty International Nepal (nlt), Sledgehammer
to central bank autonomy : The passage of the Nepal
Rastra Bank Act was seen as a safeguard against
political interference, by Achyut Wagle (kp), Action
against governor may put Nepal in IMF’s bad books : One
of the IMF’s conditions for approving $396 million
credit facility is that central bank and its personnel’s
autonomy should be strengthened further, by Prithvi
Man Shrestha and Anil Giri (kp), Funds
shortage hits plan to expand nutrition rehabilitation
centres across the country : Nepal’s Sustainable
Development Goals target on nutrition is unlikely to be
met, health officials say, by Arjun Poudel (kp), Nirvik
Nari: An event celebrating women : Panellists
describe the challenges women face at both
social and policy levels (kp), Rising
campaign spending : Failure to ensure financial
transparency will facilitate corruption and
cronyism (kp), No
to luxury items : As there is no sign of
replenishing the foreign reserve, we have to
impose a ban on importing luxury goods (ht),
Opponent
bashing in politics: An appalling civic felony
but not in Nepal, by Pushpa R Joshi (ht), Peak
of liquidity crisis: Borrowing reaches Rs 101
bln, liabilities cross Rs 200 bln (kh), Women’s
Participation in Elections in Nepal, by
Shreeju Niroula (rep)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
11/04/2022: Election
year is here. Poll expenses major cause for concern :
Questions asked: Who funds politicians and why do they
do that? Observers say costly polls are a source of
corruption, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Shooting
the messenger : Action against Nepal Rastra Bank
governor is more whimsical than a studied decision
(kp), Governor
faced action for not cooperating with finance minister:
PM Deuba (kh) [When
COAS Katawal refused to cooperate with the
Maoist-led government in 2009 and was therefore
dismissed, the then President Ram Baran Yadav,
who was elected as the NC candidate, immediately
reversed this decision. How times change!],
Ex-FinMins
condemn suspension of NRB guv : Call it ruling
coalition's move 'to cover up its own incompetence under
finance minister' (ht), Bad
precedent : The erosion of NRB's autonomy could lead to
the appointment of a new governor with change of govt
(ht) [Yes, because of the total
party-political infiltration of all spheres of public
life, all functionaries of the country will then be
replaced on average at least once a year. This means
that politicians will still have no time at all for
their actual tasks! But at least they can cover up their
incompetence!], Economy
in crisis but how grave is it? Economic turbulence looms
large with half of the country’s income going to import
bills. But situation manageable if immediate mitigation
measures are taken, economists say, by Sangam
Prasain and Krishana Prasain (kp), BRI
and MCC : Implications for Nepal, by Dron Lamichhane
(rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
10/04/2022: Governments
come, governments go. Badis’ condition as bad as ever :
Ranked at the bottom even among Dalits, generations of
Badi have endured extreme socio-economic marginalisation
over the past century, by Aakriti Ghimire (kp), What
ails five-year-old provinces? Provincial governments
were largely non-performers but non-cooperation from
Singha Durbar is to blame, leaders say, by Binod
Ghimire (kp), Action
against governor causes unease among Congress leaders :
Leaders say the party has been dragged into Maoist
agenda and the uncalled for decision could backfire,
by Anil Giri (kp), Date
set but why some are doubting timely polls : Several
factors at play including difficulty in forming
alliances and petitions at court, by Tika R Pradhan
(kp), Health
insurance policyholders bear the brunt of payment
arrears by authority : Hospitals curtail services to
those covered by health insurance owing to delay in
payment by insurance board, by Madhab Aryal (kp), Doing
diplomacy differently: Bridging the gap between policies
and people : Public diplomacy should not just be about
promoting culinary delicacies and cultural traditions
but also about finding better ways to involve and engage
people in foreign affairs, by Simone Galimberti
(nlt), Nepal’s
deepening economic crisis: Opposition CPN-UML slams the
government on economic slowdown : The Opposition said
the coalition parties themselves have conflicting views
on vital issues such as economic policy formulation, bi-
and multilateral assistance mobilization, and role of
the private sector in the economy (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
09/04/2022: Financially
hard for women to contest elections (kh), Keep
up our local level representation, women leaders urge
Deuba, poll body : Parties fighting elections in an
alliance are likely not to field women candidates for
both top local government positions, taking advantage of
a flaw in the law, by Binod Ghimre (kp), Election
Commission tweaks provision for level representatives to
contest polls : People's representatives registering
candidacy in the local-level elections should sign a
document mentioning not availing government facilities
(nlt), Governor
suspended when economy is in crisis and finance minister
in question : Government forms a committee to look into
Governor Adhikari’s activities, leading to his automatic
suspension, by Anil Giri and Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), Government’s
health insurance scheme fails to retain subscribers :
Only 20 percent of the total population is covered by
the scheme and dropout rate is high owing to poor
service delivery at healthcare institutions, by
Arjun Poudel (kp), Middlemen
rake it in while farmers and consumers suffer :
Kathmandu residents pay high prices for vegetables, but
growers get little of the money, by Pawan Pandey
(kp), Just
Pursuit Of Civil Society, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
08/04/2022: Five
years of local governance: What went wrong? Several
instances show that the local governments have grossly
failed to abide by the constitutional spirit. Corruption
is what they have excelled at, by Jivesh Jha (nlt),
Time
to cleanse local governments : If the parties field
incompetent and corrupt candidates, voters should reject
them, by Dinesh Pant (kp), EC
ready to make clear code of conduct (kh), Can
Bandi bring the transitional justice process on track?
Victims and rights activists say it is possible if he
doesn’t compromise on the stand that he has so far been
taking, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Ambassadors
recommended for 20 countries including China : Bishnu
Pukar Shrestha, a rights activist and conflict victim,
has been picked for Beijing under Maoist quota, by
Anil Giri (kp), No
data as malnutrition turns into major killer in Bajura
villages : Lack of detailed study in Muktikot, other
villages worsens situation when the actual toll of
deprivation is unknown, by Basanta Pratap Singh
(kp), Around
500 women and children rescued from Nepalgunj border
point (rep), President
nominates Dahal as NA member (kh) [Nepotism
at its best!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
07/04/2022: Nepal
Amid Triangular Geopolitical Game, by Yuba Nath
Lamsal (rn), Bipartisan
Congress delegation from US to arrive on April 23 :
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to lead the team to
Kathmandu. The team from Washington is arriving on the
heels of MCC Compact’s passage, which Beijing has
objected to, by Anil Giri (kp) [Sincere
help is very welcome and urgently needed by Nepal, but
not interference and abuse of Nepal in international
power conflicts, especially those with its immediate
neighbour China! Of course, this also applies
reciprocally to China], Voting
process is going to be complex as parties go for
electoral alliance : Voters of parties in the alliance
will have a tough time finding the poll symbols and
remembering which party has fielded candidates for which
positions, by Binod Ghimire (kp), UML
objects to provisions in election code of conduct
(nlt), Time
is of the essence : Every little measure should be taken
to ensure economic stability at a precarious time
(kp), Policy
conflict in Nepal : Up until the 1970s, there was a
misconception that once policy is made, it is
implemented, by Chandra Ghimire (kp), Advocate
Gobinda Bandi, a non-lawmaker, appointed as law minister
(rep) [There cannot be enough
male Bahuns in the government!], Lakhan
Thapa Magar Foundation demands UML Chair Oli to withdraw
his statement on first martyr of Nepal (kh), Nepal
bans import of luxury items amid depleting forex
reserves (rep), Citizen
Participation In Service Delivery, by Mukti Rijal
(rn), Government
recommends names of ambassadors to 20 countries
(with list) (kh) [Three
quarters of them are Bahuns, which once again
shows who considers themselves as the owners of
this land!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali), and Nepal
Live (evening)
06/04/2022: Voting
rights for Nepalis abroad: Full of promises, lack of
action : Political parties have promised suffrage to
Nepali citizens living abroad time and again but have
not taken definite measures to actually allow them to
vote, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), China’s
boomerang policy and MCC in Nepal, by Saurav Raj
Pant (kh) [Nepal is a pawn in
the global power struggle between China and the USA.
Like China, the latter has problems with democracy and
human rights, internationally as well as at home. No
other country has waged so many wars far from its own
borders, sometimes justified with lies, and supported
dictators when it served its own interests. They have
not yet overcome racist thinking and actions in their
own country. China basically bad and the USA basically
good does not help Nepal. The country must try to use
the global conflict between the two major powers for its
own benefit with diplomatic skill.], Election
security: Concerns arise from parties fighting polls :
Not much threat from so called armed outfits and those
boycotting the vote. Observers and experts say it would
be better if parties fix their rifts and conflict,
by Anil Giri (kp), Election
code of conduct in question after the UML refuses to
sign it : Experts fault Election Commission for failing
to win the confidence of all parties registered to
contest the polls, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), High
and dry : Infrastructures built without proper planning
end up causing long-term destruction (kp), President
Bhandari issues five ordinances (rep) [Continued
ordinances instead of laws: This is the state of
parliamentary democracy in Nepal as already favoured by
KP Oli before!], Poll
preparation, monitoring panel formed (ht) [There
must be poll monitoring independent from government and
political parties!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
05/04/2022: NRB
puts ban on import of private vehicles (kh), How
myopic they are : People in far-flung areas lack basic
necessities, and they are building view towers (kp),
EC
holding meeting with leaders of political parties today
: To seek written commitment on election code of conduct
(kh), Leaders
engage in heated argument in meeting called by EC to
discuss local polls (rep) [The
party leaders prove once again that they are unwilling
to abide by democratic principles and prefer unlawful
behaviour!], Main
opposition UML refuses to sign in election code of
conduct citing noise in the hall (kh) [???],
Reinvigorating
Literacy Campaigns, by Uttam Maharjan (rn), Malnutrition
up in Muktikot (ht), UN,
development partners and AIN concerned over possible
coercion, force or intimidation directed at their staff
or partners in upcoming polls : "We are particularly
concerned when our staff and projects face challenges,
such as pressure from any stakeholder to provide
donations or in-kind assistance," reads the joint
statement (nlt), Election
Commission issues directives to compulsorily field woman
candidate (nlt)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
04/04/2022: Alliance
politics may trim women’s representation in local
governments : As coalition partners plan to fight May 13
polls in alliance, observers wonder if the inclusion
idea is at stake, by Binod Ghimire (kp), How
to address inflation pressure amid current economic
hardship? The authorities have always been intervening
in the wrong areas to tackle the surging price level in
the economy, by Prience Shrestha (nlt), Prime
Minister Deuba’s India visit: What he discussed, what he
missed? (nlt), Deuba
returns home from India trip with pilgrimage to Kashi :
Visit may be trust-building bid but many view it
differently amid geopolitical flux and evolving
Nepal-India relations, by Anil Giri (kp), Diplomatic
hobnobbing : Nepal’s politicians need to have the
astuteness to translate friendly ties into economic
advantage (kp), Many
agreements, little action : Any future Nepal-China deal
should include an implementation schedule to ensure it
is carried out, by Purushottam Ojha (kp), Absence
of bridge puts students’ lives at risk : Seven students
have lost their lives crossing the river in the past
three years, say locals, by Biplab Maharjan (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
03/04/2022: Action
against victim of rape creates furore : Achham District
Court judge in the dock. Questions raised over his
competence as well as Nepal’s judicial system, by
Tika R Pradhan (kp), On
boundary row, brief talk with no concrete resolution :
Deuba and Modi renew commitment to better bilateral ties
and enhance cooperation on energy, connectivity. Experts
term the visit a confidence booster, by Anil Giri
(kp), Flag-waving
duplicity : Nationalism and national interest are not
natural bedfellows, although politicians tend to
conflate the two, by Avasna Pandey (kp), Prisoners,
detainees still face humanitarian problems (ht), 'Govt
not serious about decriminalising abortion, by Ram
Kumar Kamat' (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
02/04/2022: Legally
unmarried, socially married : In Karnali, early
marriages, driven by a host of factors, are rampant,
which have multiple consequences, especially on girls,
by Aakriti Ghimire (kp), Elderly
people in rural Bajura face hassles in getting allowance
: As the villages have no transportation services, most
of the beneficiaries have to walk quite a distance to
receive the social security allowance from the
designated banks, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp), As
fuel prices rise, Nepalis buffeted by stagnant incomes
and high inflation : The Department of Transport
Management has allowed transport entrepreneurs to jack
up bus fares and freight charges on inter-provincial
routes by 10 to 14 percent, by Krishana Prasain
(kp), How
will the Nepali Congress-led alliance fare in the
metropolitan cities? Nepali Congress has declared
electoral alliance with Maoist Center, CPN (Unified
Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party for the upcoming
local elections. How will they fare in six
metropolitans?, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Nepal,
India sign four agreements (nlt), ‘Save
the Himalayas, save the river’ campaign (kh), Enhancing
Efficacy Of Governance, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), 'Empowering
local governments a must' (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
01/04/2022: A
case against nostalgia : The past would seem better if
one belonged to the upper castes or were associated with
royalty, by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp), Coalition
members seek to fortify alliance plan for local
elections : There’s, however, many a slip twixt cup and
lip, with Madhes-based parties involved, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp), Experts
doubt implementation of latest trade deal with China :
Beijing has agreed to provide duty-free treatment to
Nepali goods, but the northern neighbour has been
barring exports from Nepal for years, by Krishana
Prasain (kp), Youths
head for India in droves indifferent to elections : Say
earning livelihoods and feeding their families are more
important to them, by Thakur Singh Tharu and Bhawani
Bhatta (kp) [It is the criminal
failure of the previous Oli government, but of course
also of the present Deuba government, to have simply and
purposefully disregarded the SC's directive on the
participation of migrant workers in the elections! It
has already been established for five years that 2022 is
an election year!], Industrial
outage may continue for a month : Factories are facing
up to 14 hours of power cuts in the eastern industrial
belt as electricity imports get too costly, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), UML
and RPP discuss electoral collaboration (rep) [Oli seeks proximity to the
anti-federal, anti-secular, Hindu-fundamentalist and
pro-monarchist RPP, in short, a party that fundamentally
opposes the 2015 Constitution? Yet only a few hours
earlier he had claimed that his party would dominate the
elections even without an alliance!], Campaign
launched to field independent candidates in local level
election (kh), Air
Pollution : One of Nepal’s key policy failures, by
Shuvam Rizal (rec), Deputies
drive development in rural Nepal : Nepal’s female deputy
mayors and chiefs vie for top local government positions
in May's local election, by Laxmi Basnet (nt), Periphery
within the periphery in Nepal : A remote village in
far-west Nepal readies to vote in local elections with
anticipation and hope, by Kunda Dixit (nt), Grassroots
democracy promotes good health : Expensive medical care
is making Nepalis poorer, but there are examples of
local governments trying to change that, by Sagar
Budhathoki (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
31/03/2022: Violence
against girls goes unabated : Seventy-nine rape cases
reported in Morang this fiscal year; nearly two-thirds
of the victims are children, by Binod Bhandari (kp),
‘Out
of compulsion’: Ruling coalition’s electoral alliance
easier said than done : Nepali Congress needs it, but
the Maoists need it more. Leaders and analysts say there
are complications galore, by Anil Giri (kp), Misinformation
questions media credibility: PM Deuba (kh) [That of the politicians as
well!], Scars
of Maoist Insurgency: ‘Dear PM, first save the
victims!’, by Guna Raj Luitel (rep), Tackling
Electoral Offences, by Mukti Rijal (rn), Election
staff must arrive at polling stations three days
in advance (rep) [And
what about the opportunity for these staff
members to vote themselves? This is a
fundamental right of all Nepalese, and the
government must ensure that this right can be
exercised.], Nepali
Army and U.S. Army hold Nepal-U.S. Land Forces
Talks in Hawaii (kh) [Against
the background of the global competition between
the USA and China, this proves anything but
Nepal's neutrality!], Deuba’s
India visit: Symbolism over substance : With
India closely monitoring the US-China
competition in the Himalayas, it could convey to
PM Deuba a message in this regard, by Kamal
Dev Bhattarai (ae)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
30/03/2022: Chitwan
National Park once again sets settlers’ huts ablaze :
The park burnt around a dozen huts in the area on Sunday
while several others were demolished, by Ramesh
Kumar Paudel (kp), Making
Deserted Villages Alive, by Bhupa P Dhamala (rn), Discourage
Muscle, Mafia & Money In Polls, by Namrata
Sharma (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
29/03/2022: Amnesty
International’s report highlights government’s failure
to safeguard citizens’ rights (nlt) [see AI
report on Nepal], Two
injured as IED goes off in Itahari (kh), Two
injured in explosion in Itahari (rep), Loans
on commercial terms could greatly increase Nepal’s debt
burden : Focus should be on grants, and if credit is a
must, interest should be nominal, experts say, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
28/03/2022: 39
cases of caste-based discrimination (ht), Chinese
minister wraps up Nepal visit with mixed signals and
messages : Beijing reiterates BRI but Kathmandu fails to
mention. Experts say deals signed are customary, by
Tika R Pradhan and Anil Giri (kp), The
stress of entrance exams : The entrance examination is a
barrier to young children's growth and development,
by Dipu Shakya and Kenji Kitamura (kp), EC
decides to provide 73 small parties their own election
symbols (kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
27/03/2022: Deprivation,
hunger and infant deaths in a remote Bajura village :
Mothers in Muktikot suffer from lactation insufficiency
for lack of nutritious food and lose their babies either
in the womb, at birth or at neonatal and postneonatal
stages, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp), 84
kids in Muktikot suffering from malnutrition (ht), Wang
visit: Nepal, China sign nine agreements, none on BRI :
Nepali side conveys it wants more grants from China than
loans. Two foreign ministers underscore the need for
concerted efforts to expedite execution of ongoing
projects, by Anil Giri (kp), Left
Unity Proposal : A Fanciful Move, by Ritu Raj Subedi
(rn) [This anti-inclusive
gathering of egomaniacal, power-hungry and yet
incompetent top politicians will never find unity, much
to the detriment of Nepal!], 'Pro
bono lawyers need resources' (ht), It
is govt responsibility to grant citizenship to people:
JSP Chairman Yadav (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
26/03/2022: Two
held for attacking a woman with acid
(kh), JSP
Chief Whip Pramod Sah attacked; guard’s pistol snatched
away (kh), Federal
MP Shah seriously injured in clash over land dispute,
by Madan Thakur (rep), JSP
accuses UML of attacking their Chief Whip Shah
(rep), Indian
firms Tata, Airtel warn to block internet bandwidth in
Nepal (rep), Building
Civic Capacity Of People, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), Bajura
Gandharvas Living In Makeshift Huts, by Sher Bahadur
Sarki (rn), NA
Chair Timilsina Urges Party Leaders To Follow COVID-19
Health Protocols (rn), Nepal
and China sign nine agreements : One of the agreements
is on a technical assistance scheme for the China-aided
feasibility study of the cross-border railway (kp),
Nepal,
China sign nine bilateral agreements (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
25/03/2022: Commission
to dig up sites in search of missing persons :
Disappearance commission set to excavate possible places
where victims could have been buried after being killed
by either the state or rebel forces, by Binod
Ghimire (kp), High-tech
surveillance : Political leaders cannot be trusted to
allow the elections to happen freely and fairly
(kp), Nepal
wants to be off aviation blacklist. It has not passed
key bills yet : The government has been working on the
proposed legislation since 2009 when it made a
commitment to ICAO to split the civil aviation body
during the safety audit, by Sangam Prasain (kp), 417
households getting land ownership certificates after 36
years (rep), Don’t
act on the Act : The vagueness of a new amendment to the
broadcast law is designed for arbitrary application
(nt), Fixing
the broken parts in Nepal-China ties : Foreign Minister
Wang Yi must use his Kathmandu visit to clear the
growing distrust between Beijing and Kathmandu, and seek
to better understand Nepal, including its age-old links
to Tibet, by Kanak Mani Dixit (nt), Sky
high fuel price hits Nepal’s tourism, airlines : Fallout
of Ukraine war knocks country’s aviation as it struggles
to recover from pandemic (nt)
see also news programmes of
Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
24/03/2022: No
deliberation on sexual violence in parliament due to
obstruction: Minister Regmi (kh), No
interim order in cases of constitutional body
appointments : Appointees from the time of Oli
government can continue their work pending final hearing,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Musahar
children in Rautahat deprived of formal education and
state benefits : Musahar children are deprived of birth
and citizenship certificates due to the apathy of local
government, guardians say, by Shiva Puri (kp), Jumping
ship : This party-hopping exercise is nothing short of
betrayal of the people’s trust (kp), Women
Prove Leadership Mettle, by Mukti Rijal (kp), Impeachment
of CJ: Generating more smoke than fire, by Jiba Raj
Pokharel (ht), What
kind of financial help are we getting from China? On
each of the nine projects Nepal has shortlisted under
the BRI, it has to negotiate loans with Chinese banks,
by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
23/03/2022: Local
governments failed to live up to the people’s
aspirations : Will the upcoming election change
anything?, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), UML
Chair Oli defends HoR dissolution as just : Says
dissolution was meant to retain NCP unity (kh) [The decision of the court is binding
law, even for godlike persons like KP Oli. His renewed
statement is tantamount to contempt of court!], Beijing
mission is a priority, but Nepal has had no envoy there
for 5 months : Nepal’s political parties have made
ambassadorial posts a tool to appoint people of their
choice disregarding ethical and political principles,
by Anil Giri (kp), This
is poll season and party-hopping is rife : Quitting one
party to join another is not unusual but an upward trend
points to rise of opportunism, observers say, by
Binod Ghimire (kp) [This is
facilitated by the fact that all parties lack vision,
have undemocratic structures and their leaders swagger
in opportunistic wisdom!], Happy
about what? Happiness, for Nepalis, has remained a dream
deferred for quite long (kp), National
Broadcasting (11th Amendment) Regulation, 2021 looks
suspicious: Nepal Working Group for Internet Freedom
(rep), President
Bhandari issues Railway Ordinance (rep) [Nepal
is a parliamentary democracy, that is run by ordinances
without active parliament! Isn't this funny?], Local
Polls Bolster Democracy, by Yuba Nath Lamsal (rn), Addressing
gender violence in cyberspace, by Prasansha Rimal
(rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
22/03/2022: Prachanda
asks PM Deuba to provide subsistence allowance to the
injured and disabled of armed conflict, others (kh)
[And what about all those people
who were killed, wounded or disappeared in the course of
the atrocities committed by the insurgent Maoists or the
army? What about justice for the victims, regardless of
which side they were on?], Center
should not intervene in federalism to smoothly function:
CM Pandey (kh), Election
Commission defends rule requiring local officials to
resign before seeking re-election : Officials say rule
ensures level playing field for all candidates by
preventing possible misuse of state resources, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp) [But
that does not justify a constitutional violation. The
harshest possible punishment of the incumbents running
again in case of misconduct without ifs and buts could
be an option.], Supreme
Court stays rule requiring resignation by local
officials seeking re-election : Clause 36 of the
Election Code of Conduct says elected officials seeking
re-election must resign before filing their nomination
for the upcoming local elections (kp), Voting
rights : If 115 countries can realise out-of-country
voting, there is no reason why Nepal cannot do so
(ht), CPN-Biplav
leader Manik Lama nabbed in allegation of planting
explosives (kh), Nepal
Army and US Army launch joint medevac training exercise
in Kathmandu (kh) [??],
LSP
likely to join govt as PM Deuba prepares to reshuffle
Cabinet (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
21/03/2022: Rape
cases continue unabated despite harsher laws (ht), School
teacher arrested on sexual harassment allegation
(kh), Curfew
in Letang following death of police constable in a clash,
by Binod Bhandari (kp), Curfew
clamped in Letang after police killed in clash (kh),
Disenfranchised
– millions of Nepalis have no voting rights : Despite
the outsized impact that migrant workers have on Nepal,
they are still unable to vote in elections as Nepal has
no provisions for absentee voting, by Marissa Taylor
(rec), No
voting rights for Nepalis abroad, by Ram Kumar Kamat
(ht), Political
parties reiterate commitment to give voting rights to
Nepalis abroad (rep) [This
statement by the political parties is simply a lie. The
SC's prescription has been there for years. Neither the
Oli nor the Deuba government, nor the parties involved
in them, have done anything to implement it. The right
to vote belongs to all Nepali citizens, including the
helpers and security personnel deployed on election day,
including the many people who are denied citizenship
papers by the state for gender-discriminatory reasons!],
Writ
filed at SC against provision of level representatives
to resign for contesting polls (nlt), As
coalition’s poll alliance conundrum continues, Congress
to decide on Friday : CPN (Maoist Centre) and CPN
(Unified Socialist), with their options limited, ratchet
up the rhetoric, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [An
electoral alliance of the ruling parties would prevent a
return of the coup leader Oli. If the NC refuses, there
could be an alliance of other parties and the NC would
possibly be the big loser again! The chances of CPN (MC)
and CPN (US) seem slim without an electoral alliance.
What the top politicians of all parties pompously
proclaim does not correspond to reality anyway!],
Solar
Irrigation Pumps, Women and Smallholders in Eastern
Tarai, by Gitta Shrestha and Labisha Uprety (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
20/03/2022: EC
to not allow int’l organizations to observe local level
elections (kh), PM
Deuba says govt committed to holding free, fair
elections (kh) [This must
be confirmed by independent observers. The advance
exclusion of international observers is questionable!],
When
does the term of current House expire? No one actually
knows : Constitution sets five-year term but does not
say when date starts. Experts differ, some saying
polling day, others insisting date when Parliament first
met as the beginning, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [Nepal is a parliamentary democracy.
In such a democracy, parliament should not be dissolved,
but should remain constant. It makes sense for a
parliamentary term to last from the day of the first
sitting of a parliament until the first sitting of the
next elected parliament. Unfortunately, the Nepali
parliament is often seen as an obstacle by the executive
and is therefore misused to enforce its policies.],
Rule
for local officials to resign to contest May polls
courts controversy : Election Commission says move aimed
at creating a level playing field. Opponents call it an
unwarranted move, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp) [What has been said about the federal
parliament also applies to the term of office at
provincial and local level.], EC's
'unjust' election code kicks up a row :
Provision requiring local reps to quit to
contest polls condemned, by Ram Kumar Kamat
(ht), Maoist
Center is open to all options for electoral alliance :
Prachanda alleges NC leaders for using derogatory
language (kh) [Dahal knows
that without an electoral alliance, his party may face
disaster.], New
Poll Alignments In Making?, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
19/03/2022: Nepalis
are dying in the Gulf. Not enough done to prevent loss
of life : The causes of death are not being properly
investigated, says a report, highlighting how migrant
workers are exposed to a series of risks to health,
including heat and humidity, by Binod Ghimire and
Arjun Poudel (kp), Nepal
turns the happiest country in South Asia (kh), The
Locomotives Of Local Self-Governance, by Dev
Raj Dahal (rn), Another
COVID wave looms, govt dithering on jabs
(ht)
see also news programmes
of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
18/03/2022: Good
governance is vital. How can Nepal achieve it?, by
Yogendra Prasad Lamichhane (nlt), Election
Code of Conduct: Resignation mandatory prior to
becoming candidate (kh) [This
rule is nonsense, anti-democratic and a violation of
Article 215 of the Constitution, which guarantees a term
of five years and does not declare that this term must
be shortened if incumbent representatives wish to run
again!], Supreme
Court delays passing verdicts after giving interim
orders : Experts say cases on which temporary orders
have been issued must be cleared swiftly by conducting
the final hearing, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Feudalism
to Federalism : Districts are obsolete and redundant,
doing away with them will save money and free Nepal of a
centralised mindset (nt), Local
government by the people, for the people, of the people
: Local elections in May give Nepalis a chance to vote
in capable leaders based on performance, by Ramesh
Kumar (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
17/03/2022: Women’s
representation and intersectional (un)inclusion, by
Kalpana Jha (rec), Ways
to commit to democracy : Nepal needs an essential
internal effort to drive reforms that are well overdue,
by Blair Glencorse and Narayan Adhikari (kp), US
delegation to be in Nepal right after Chinese foreign
minister’s visit : A team of 25 Congressional members,
the biggest ever, is flying into Kathmandu after the MCC
compact’s passage, which Washington has hailed and
Beijing has noted, by Anil Giri (kp) [The
power games between China and USA on the back of Nepal
continue!], Ukraine
War: Lessons for Nepal, by Dron Lamichhane (rep), If
chief justice impeachment delayed, parties charging him
will be in dock : Experts say failure to impeach Rana
for ‘corruption and incompetence’ sets bad precedent,
by Binod Ghimire (kp) [This was
obviously the aim of the coalition government when it
prorogued the session of Parliament!], Misuse
of power : It seems that the impeachment motion was
tabled in the House only to sideline Rana from his
office (ht), There
is no disagreement in the alliance over electoral
tie-up: Dahal (rep), Prachanda
says electoral alliance with UML possible (kh) [Dahal continues to change his mind
within hours. Oli is a putschist and therefore
unelectable. Dahal has claimed responsibility for the
deaths of 5,000 people during the insurgency and should
face trial immediately! The real reason for Dahal's
statement is his fear that without an alliance, his
party will no longer have a chance.], Breaking
Indoctrination Culture, by Tulasi Acharya (rn), Right
to education for children with disabilities: It's the
government's responsibility, by Dev Datta Joshi
(ht), PM
Deuba urged not to act mute spectator to imminent split
in NRNA (rep) [The extreme
politicisation by the political parties, which are often
not very democratic and power-oriented instead of
people-oriented, will also be the doom of this once
hopeful organisation!], Do
young climate activists have roles in local elections?,
by Sonam Lama (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
16/03/2022: Designed
for systemic dysfunction : No constitution can work if
an ethnonational elite is unwilling to give up its
privileges, by CK Lal (kp), Conflicting
geopolitical interests of big powers and its
implications in Nepal : Is Nepal likely to become
a pawn between Washington and Beijing’s rivalry? Will
Nepal benefit materially from its inherent position?,
by Niyati Adhikari (nlt), House
is prorogued; questions arise over motion to impeach
chief justice : Impeachment proposal against Cholendra
Shumsher Rana, registered on February 13, is in
Parliament. With no session now, it is in a state of
limbo, by Anil Giri and Tika R Pradhan (kp) [KP
Oli understood parliamentary democracy as proroguing or
dissolving the popularly elected parliament to rule
autocratically with ordinances and the present
government is not much better!], Inauguration
of Jayanagar-Janakpur railway falls uncertain as
ordinance related to it is now rendered invalid
(rep) [The government, President
and KP Oli should be held personally accountable!],
Too
close to the bone : Perhaps there's more truth in the
song than what politicians want us to believe (kp),
As
Election Nears, Trend Of Switching Parties Rises In
Madhes, by Shiva Shankar Mishra (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
15/03/2022: Minister
Regmi informs global community on Nepal’s efforts on
women empowerment (kh) [Improvements
yes, but the reality is different. In the constitution,
laws and society, equality between women and men is
still a long way off!], Towards
Gender Equality, by Uttam Maharjan (rn), Chinese
company which bagged Melamchi reconstruction contract
reluctant to work (kh), BSP
expels 26 leaders including Bagmati Province Assembly
members (kh) [The Political Party Act needs revision in many
respects. This must include that the party leadership
cannot so easily expel disagreeable party members if
they differ from the opinion of the party chairperson.
This is the opposite of democracy!], BRI
to be in focus when Wang Yi visits Nepal this month :
Signing on at least two projects likely during the
Chinese foreign minister’s trip, on the heels of
ratification of American grant that Beijing has taken
exception to, by Anil Giri (kp) [In
face of Putin's war of aggression, the BRI project has
clearly lost value. The trade routes to Europe sought by
China are likely to be blocked in the long run.],
Consumer
fraud proliferates as government drags its feet : World
Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year on March
15, but there has been little respite for harassed
Nepali consumers, activists say, by Krishana Prasain
(kp), A
song that took the country by storm : Prakash Saput’s
music video portrays the disillusionment of former
Maoist fighters while depicting the real story of
society, observers say, by Anup Ojha (kp) [watch song
video], ‘Impartiality’
in public appointments : The obvious resultant pitfalls
thereof are mismanagement and unchecked corruption,
by Achyut Wagle (kp), Prospect
Of Electoral Alliance, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn), Fringe
parties threaten to boycott polls (ht), Govt
recommends proroguing parliament session (kh) [Parliament is not a tool for
autocratic top politicians, but the basis of Nepal's
political system. Countless laws have long demanded to
be passed by parliament, but autocratic politicians like
Oli and also the leaders of the current ruling alliance
don't give a damn!], Assessing
Nepal’s foreign policy after MCC Compact ratification
and Ukraine crisis : Has the Deuba government really
deviated from the fundamental principles of
non-alignment and Panchasheel? What does non-alignment
and Panchasheel mean for Nepal?, by Geja Sharma
Wagle (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
14/03/2022: How
Nepal’s public procurement process is hindering quality
outcomes : It is immensely important for Nepal to do
away with the anti-competitive practice that has
afflicted infrastructure development in the country,
by Ayushma Maharjan (nlt), With
motion to impeach Rana tabled in the House, new
questions arise : What will happen to justices and
judges who have been charged with being complicit in
corruption with the suspended chief justice, experts
wonder, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Human
Rights and Peace Society demands action against
suspended CJ Rana (rep), Debate
on Rana impeachment on Mar 16 (ht), Climate
change: A matter of political will : Despite alarming
reports on Nepal’s vulnerability to the climate crisis,
the lack of political commitment is deeply concerning,
according to experts, by Aakriti Ghimire (kp), Abysmal
public service : A people-friendly government agency is
something long overdue in Nepal (kp), Budget
for populist projects in election year a pattern,
observers say : There are fears the current Deuba
government too could include such projects in the
upcoming budget, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Local
Level Election: Issues of Political Representation,
by Rajendra Bahadur Singh (rep), NHRC
facing challenges for want of physical resources
(ht) [This reflects the value
that government, state organs and political parties
place on human rights!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
13/03/2022: Women
serving as deputies at local units aspire to take up
executive roles : As local elections near, women
representatives, however, doubt the male-dominated
parties where patriarchy is deep-rooted will make way
for them, by Binod Ghimire (kp) [The
male party rulers will never let women participate in
power in the way they deserve!], Fringe
parties demand level playing field : As local elections
draw close, candidates not getting uniform symbols puts
them at a disadvantage, politicians say, by Binod
Ghimire (kp), SC
orders to present the writ against 14 lawmakers for
final hearing (nlt), SC
asks to hold full hearing on UML Chair Oli’s writ on
April 3 : Writ demanded dismissal of 14 defecting
lawmakers, including leader Nepal (kh), Let’s
give Prachanda the benefit of doubt, by Ishwar Dev
Khanal (kh), Prachanda
rules out immediate possibility of alliance with UML
(kh) [????], Cash
margin on import to address challenges in economy:
Finance Minister Sharma (kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
12/03/2022: Times
of non-alignment are over, it is good for Nepal : Nepal
voted against Russian aggression in Ukraine at the UN
General Assembly. It could herald a new era of truly
independent foreign policy for Nepal, by Simone
Galimberti (nlt), Ruling
parties to form panel for working out local polls
seat-sharing : While leaders of CPN (Maoist Centre) and
CPN (Unified Socialist) are keen on electoral alliance,
second-rung leaders of Nepali Congress say the idea goes
against their party statute, by Anil Giri (kp), Social
Discipline In Time Of Transition, by Dev Raj Dahal
(rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
11/03/2022: Visit
visa for all? No, terms and conditions apply, by
Anjila Shrestha (nlt), MoHA
asks DoI to regulate visit visa (kh), None
of the above : Citizens should get to show they prefer a
non-existent entity to a politician that betrays them
(kp), Not
much has been done to address problem of invalid votes :
Local level polls are just two months away, but the
Election Commission has yet to start voter education,
which can hugely reduce the number of votes that go void,
by Binod Ghimire (kp), Strengthening
female representation : Women’s underrepresentation in
leadership positions reflects a combination of the
design of the quota system and party nomination
behaviour, by Rohini Pande, Michael Callen, Binod
Paudel and Satish Wasti (kp), Making
gender equality closer to reality: Let's devise a
contest, by Simone Galimberti (ht), Nepal’s
impeachment template: justice or a political ploy? The
power of impeachment is an extraordinary power enshrined
in the Constitution to reaffirm the democratic idea that
no one is above the law. In Nepal, however, this power
is exploited whimsically, by Robin Sharma (rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
10/03/2022: New
country, old rules : Systemic discrimination against
women, minorities and free-speech advocates continue in
subtle and not-so-subtle ways (ae), Time
for Nepali women to stand higher : With local
elections coming up, we must double down on our
efforts to create equal opportunities for Nepali
women to lead, by Nicola Pollitt (ae),
Initiative
to conclude citizenship Act amendment with consensus:
Minister Khand (kh) [After
all, the citizenship law must not contradict the
corresponding regulations of the constitution. And even
its rules on citizenship are extremely discriminatory,
especially for women.],
Forgotten
children : A solution must be found to the stateless
children, whose problems will only compound as they grow
up (ht), Voters
unlikely to get right to reject candidates in local
level elections ; Court’s eight-year-old ruling to give
people right to cast negative votes yet to be
implemented for the lack of a law, by Binod Ghimire
(kp) [To this day, the
autocratic politicians do not want to understand that
decisions of the Supreme Court are binding law that the
executive and the legislature have to abide by.],
Voters
Must Reject The Corrupt, by Mukti Rijal (rn), MCC
story has been the best ‘lesson learning’ for all,
by Yogendra Prasad Lamichhane (kh), Planned
visit from the north after MCC pact’s passage piques
curiosity : Chinese foreign minister set to travel to
Nepal, most likely on March 26-27, amid Beijing’s
reservations about Kathmandu’s nod to the Washington
grant, by Anil Giri (kp), Duties
decentralized, resources centralized : Five years since
their election, local governments are still grappling
with legal, budgetary and human resource constraints,
by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
09/03/2022: Mountain
women’s problems are taller than the mountains, by
Upendra Lamichhane (rep), The
balancing act : Any policy devised to correct the trade
imbalance, if done in isolation, will be pointless,
by Bijendra Man Shakya (kp), The
first step towards a gender-inclusive political system :
The 2017 local elections saw over 14,000 women elected
as local representatives, but for many of them, their
tenure has been mostly about navigating social
challenges, by Pinki Sris Rana and Shranup Tandukar
(kp) [This was undoubtedly a
significant improvement, but the males remained in
control of most of the top positions.], Only
by making the local level self-reliant can the country
develop: FinMin (rep) [Yes,
and with the additional prevention of any political
interference from the national level in the affairs of
the provinces and local units. Since the beginning of
Oli's ruthless power struggles, the federal system has
been abused in the interest of the national party
levels.], Discrimination
against women continues, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht), Forgotten
children : Woes of migrant women, by Mausam Shah
Nepali (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
08/03/2022: Women
look for a human economy— equal for all : Problems
ranging from managing cash, paying workers, rent and
repaying loans caused distress to women during Covid-19
pandemic, forcing many to quit entrepreneurship, by
Krishana Prasain (kp), Banks
to remain closed today (kh) [Because
of International Women's Day? Why? As long as the machos
at the top of the extremely patriarchal state do not
give women absolutely equal rights and participation,
nothing will change. And this is definitely not what all
the almost exclusively male top politicians want. Their
brains are not capable of such insight.], Harsh
toll on visit visa: Govt likely to ask citizens to hold
on their travel dreams : Ironically, only rich Nepalis
can travel abroad, by Eak Raj Bastola (kh), Wake
up Nepal : Young Nepalis do not want to be based in a
country where the government can be so stupid, by
Sujeev Shakya (kp), Home
Minister Khand takes initiative to forge deal on
citizenship bill (kh) [Completely turning away from male bias?], Nepal-India
railway service becomes uncertain as ordinance has
expired : Nepal Railway Company has been operating
trains on the 35-kilometre Kurtha-Jayanagar Cross Border
Railway without passengers since February 13, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp) [This
really symbolises the whole farce of Nepali politics and
the unconscionable behaviour of the top politicians who
actually believe that their only task is power struggles
and personal enrichment!], MCC
And Interpretative Declaration, by Uttam Maharjan
(rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
07/03/2022: Respect
international laws to respect women : We all need to
work for the actual implementation of UN conventions and
international laws. Otherwise, the celebration of
women’s day will be nothing more than a formality,
by Jivesh Jha (nlt), Gender
Equality Still A Far Cry: Stakeholders (rn), Women
lawmakers ask Home Minister to address issues of
citizenship, visit visa (rep), Misinformation,
disinformation, false news and trial by social media :
Unchecked false and fake news and videos are rife online
and they can affect investigations as well as harm the
victims, experts say, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp), Gaps
pointed out in fiscal federalism (kh), Parliament
forms committee to study allegations against Chief
Justice Rana : The 11-member Impeachment Recommendation
Committee has four members from CPN-UML, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp), Know
when to talk : The MCC row may be over, but the Nepali
media and intellectuals need to reflect on their role,
by Anurag Acharya (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
06/03/2022: Ensuring
gender equality, by Diksha Sharma (kh), Child
marriage still rampant in Rolpa : As many as 31 underage
couples tied the knot in Rolpa Municipality-2 alone in
the past two years, by Kashiram Dangi (kp) [Just
to remind you: in the mid-1990s, Rolpa was one of the
early Maoist strongholds. What social improvements did
the uprising actually bring about there?], Electoral
alliance and Prachanda’s election mathematics, by
Ishwar Dev Khanal (kh), Maoist
members question Dahal’s ‘high-handedness’ in party
decisions : At the ongoing Central Committee meeting,
the chairman has the challenge of keeping the party
united as the MCC row festers, by Tika R Pradhan
(kp) [Like many top Nepali
politicians, Dahal is more of an autocrat than a
democrat. This is also reflected in the Political Party
Act and party statutes, some of which are not very
democratic.], Interpretative
declaration : Assists Alliance To Ride The Storm, by
Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), World
Bank pulling out of transmission line projects shows
challenges for MCC : Land acquisition for transmission
towers and the right of way are major hurdles, which
must be settled before the five-year US grant enters
into force, officials say, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), The
chase for money : The anxiety to sustain life and
livelihood propels people to try and earn as much as
they can for a modicum of security, by Avasna Pandey
(kp), Russia-Ukraine
Conflict Likely To Have Cascading Effects In Nepal,
by Laxman Kafle (rn), 'House
obstruction causing system to fail', by Ram Kumar
Kamat (ht), HoR
meeting adjourned again, next meeting scheduled for
March 13 : HoR forms impeachment recommendation
committee (kh), HoR
moves forward impeachment motion against Chief Justice
Rana : 11-member impeachment recommendation committee
formed (kh), CPN-US
Chair Nepal says HoR dissolution likely (kh) [As the Supreme Court has twice told
Mr Oli, the House of Representatives cannot be dissolved
so easily, certainly not by any so-called top
politician. New elections are due in a few months
anyway. What's the point? It would certainly be better
for the Nepali people if parties that prevent
parliamentary work by hook or by crook or (want to)
constantly dissolve parliament were themselves
dissolved!], Parliament
obstruction is an infringement of people's sovereign
rights: Bhim Rawal (rep) [!!!!!! Wake up, Mr Oli! Voting for your
party would be a waste of votes!]
see also news
programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
05/03/2022: Agriculture
census to record impact of climate change : Experts say
warming temperatures are cause for concern for Nepal’s
food security, as droughts, flooding and erratic
rainfall, among others, are causing damage to produce,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), A
dysfunctional House is betrayal of democracy,
electorate, observers say : Parliament has failed to
function for the last six months due to the protests by
opposition UML against the Speaker, by Binod Ghimire
(kp) [KP Oli has made it clear
for years that it is against parliamentary democracy!],
Ensure
Rights Of Older People, by Sanju T Magar (rn), Building
An Egalitarian Society, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
04/03/2022: “High
time we worked towards strengthening federalism”,
interview with Lal Babu Raut, Chief Minister of Madhesh
Province (kh), Six
fringe parties holding protest rally against MCC at
Khulamanch (kh), UN
vote on Ukraine shows geopolitical shift in South Asia,
observers say : Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives vote for
resolution to deplore Russia. India, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh and Pakistan abstain, by Anil Giri (kp),
UN
Human Rights Council to set up independent inquiry into
alleged rights violations by Russia in Ukraine : During
a vote in the 47-member body today, 32 nations including
Nepal voted in favour (kp), Private
gas stations refuse to buy fuel from NOC, fuel shortage
likely (rep), Child
marriage unabated, thanks to ignorance of legal
provisions (ht), Discuss
impeachment : The parties must find a way out of the
quandary as they did for the ratification of the MCC
compact (ht), Interpretative
declaration: Makes no change in compact, by Durga
Prasad Bhurtel (ht), Can
Nepal elections change its male-stream politics? This
May, vote for women leaders and minority groups and make
our local governments more inclusive and less tokenistic,
by Aditi Adhikari (nt), MCC
And The Weaponization Of Aid : MCC, with its super power
political pressure, has also badly distorted the
12-Point Delhi Deal inspired 2006 “democracy” and the
politics of major parties, exposing the two-faced sleaze
within them, by Dipak Gyawali (sp), MCC
ratification : Crisis Averted, by Keshab Poudel (sp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
03/03/2022: Monitoring
disparities in gender : It is the informal sector that
we need to watch to measure the depth of the law’s
penetration (kp) Maoist
support to MCC pact exposes fissures in the party :
Compact opposers in the party, however, rule out a split,
by Anil Giri (kp), MCC
acknowledges parliamentary ratification of Nepal Compact
: Move enables work to continue towards implementing the
electricity and road projects, the US aid programme says
(kp), Meeting
our commitments : New view towers, built to encourage
tourism, don’t fit into the economic worries of the
hills, by Madhukar Upadhya (kp), Ruling
coalition discusses electoral alliance (kh), Revamp
Federal Civil Service, by Khagendra Prawaha (rn), Reining
In Poll Expenses, by Mukti Rijal (rn), Liquidity
crisis : Nepal's economy will further deteriorate should
the remittance inflow continue to plummet (ht), A
sitting lawmaker provokes youths to demand dowry. Who
will hold him accountable?, by Rojina Rai (nlt), Immature
diplomacy costing Nepal dear : Both America and China
violated diplomatic protocols by trying to force Nepali
leaders to toe their respective lines, by Kamal Dev
Bhattarai (ae), Can
Nepal be a reliable energy provider? India will buy
electricity only from the projects developed by the
exporting country or by Indian investors. Only a few
Nepali projects qualify, by Nihar R Nayak (ae), Climate
change and migration : Global warming exacerbates
Nepal’s old problems of poverty, marginalization, state
neglect, inequality, discrimination, and out-migration,
by Minani Gurung (ae), Few
women in federal, provincial executive bodies : Nepal
has constitutionally assured 33 percent women
representation in all governmental bodies, but the
provision’s implementation remain poor, by Pratik
Ghimire (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
02/03/2022: Nepal
comes top in South Asia in closing gender gaps : Nepal
outpaces all countries in the region in World Bank’s
Women, Business and Law index, but experts say Nepali
women continue to face hurdles, by Krishana Prasain
(kp) [see World
Bank report data on Nepal], Gender
Parity Still Far Cry, by Namrata Sharma (rn), Individual
Brilliance, Collective Failure!, by Pradip Kumar
Kafle (rep), Prohibitory
order lifted in Birendranagar (kh), MCC
head office acknowledges Nepal’s MCC ratification
(kh), ‘There
are manageable challenges ahead’, interview with
Himesh Dhungel, first country head of MCC Nepal (kp), Electoral
alliance among ruling parties still up in the air : Some
fear UML might try to exploit its position on the MCC
pact during elections, by Anil Giri (kp) [Which
position? The UML's main concern is to prevent
parliamentary democracy!],
Ruling
parties 'ashamed of' prolonged House obstruction (rep),
NC
Spokesperson Dr Mahat rules out electoral alliance among
ruling partners (kh), Time
for Pax Sinica? The Chinese have shown that even
Americans need their indirect consent to have their way,
by CK Lal (kp), MCC's
approval through parliament : Defeat of polarisation and
extremism, victory of realism, by Jiba Raj Pokharel
(ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur
TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
01/03/2022: Dahal
defends MCC pact after protesting against it for long :
Leaders in his own party insinuate that the Maoist chair
has displayed duplicity on multiple occasions over the
US grant, by Tika R Pradhan (kp) [Dahal
is very much to blame for the continued unrest and riots
on the streets!], Birendranagar
mostly calm after curfew order (rep), The
way is forward : The frantic running around turned out
to be all sound and fury, signifying nothing (kp), MCC
through, with a Chinese shadow : China, like never
before, chose to directly meddle in Nepal’s
decision-making process, by Achyut Wagle (kp),
MCC Ratification Deepens Alliance, by Narayan
Upadhyay (rn), China
reacts positively (ht), Ukraine
and the political value of renewable energy ; Russia’s
economic and political power as an energy exporter
emboldens its invasion of Ukraine. There is a lesson
here for emerging economies like Nepal, by Shuvam
Rizal (rec), After
MCC Compact ratification, a lot to reflect on and learn
for Nepal : The MCC's Nepal Compact had to be ratified
by parliament and it did. The focus now should be on its
speedy implementation but there is a lot to learn as
well (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
28/02/2022: Geopolitical
sandwich : A robust foreign policy is only possible
against a backdrop of sound economic fundamentals
(kp), Growing
pains or down a rabbit hole? Kathmandu should
demonstrate credible commitment to transfer power to the
provinces, by Gambhir Bhatta and Sameer Khatiwada
(kp) [None of the high-caste male top politicians are
really interested in federalism because it means
relinquishing control of power. The commitment to
federalism in the constitution they created only served
to ensnare the masses who saw in federalism the chance
for better inclusion of the country's population groups
and regions.], Banda
keeps public vehicles off the streets; most schools,
colleges remain closed (rep) [Every
bandh is a fundamental crime against people, especially
against children. ! Nepal is not the property of
autocratic politicians!], Suspicious
object found in Banepa, defused (kh), Suspicious
object found in front of parliament building (kh), MCC
ratification is Nepal’s sovereign decision: US. "Nepali
government will now be able to continue to work towards
implementing the five-year program" (kh), Ratification
will mean more jobs for Nepali people, a reliable supply
of electricity and lower transportation costs: US
Embassy (rep), Compact
to be terminated if it violates Nepali laws (ht), President
to donate to sadhus, ascetics (ht) [Nepal
is still not a secular state!], Rastriya
Janamorcha leaves ruling alliance (rep) [The
hooligans who attack the police in the most aggressive
form and destroy public property definitely do not
represent the Nepali people!], Curfew
clamped in Surkhet (kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
27/02/2022: As
Nepali Congress continues talks with UML, alliance seeks
ways to ratify MCC : Coalition partners working on
‘interpretative declaration’ which Maoists, Unified
Socialist believe can be middle path, by Tika R
Pradhan and Anil Giri (kp), Ruling
coalition decides to ratify MCC compact (nlt), Ruling
coalition decides to ratify MCC today with
interpretative declaration (kh), Maoist
Center holding PP meeting to inform about party’s
decision on MCC : Maoist Center to vote on MCC with
interpretive explanation (kh), MCC
on Parliament’s agenda; UML likely to obstruct meeting
(kh) [Oli claims to do
everything exclusively in the interest of the people.
This is probably why he has been blocking the work of
the people's elected representatives for months. Why
does this party still want to stand for elections at
all?], ‘Nepal
will not be part of any US military alliance by being
party to MCC Compact’ : 11 points of Nepal's
interpretative declaration on MCC (kh), Protest
against MCC continues (With Photos) (rep), Nepal’s
Parliament ratifies MCC Compact with “interpretative
declaration” (kh), Nepal
Parliament ratifies MCC compact : The US grant, one of
the most debated agreements in the country’s history,
gets through the House after the coalition agreed on
interpretive declaration, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), What’s
in the declaration that led to passage of the US grant
from Nepal House, by Binod Ghimire (kp), ‘Nepal
will not be part of any US military alliance by being
party to MCC Compact’ : 11 points of Nepal's
interpretative declaration on MCC (kh), Five
years after signing, America-funded MCC Compact ratified
by parliament : The $500 million MCC Nepal Compact had
become the victim of extreme politicization. Nepali
communist leaders had vehemently stood against
parliamentary ratification of the Compact, by Adhim
Neupane and Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), MCC
Nepal compact: What is in the “interpretative
declaration” endorsed by Nepal’s parliament? (nlt),
Deliberations
on much-debated MCC Compact in parliament : Who said
what? , by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Gagan
Thapa forwards a strong reason for MCC Compact
ratification ; The Nepali Congress General Secretary
says Nepal should ask for more grants from China and
India as well (nlt), Transitional
justice law yet to be revised 7 years since court order
: Campaigners to move court to hold officials in
contempt for not abiding by the ruling, by Binod
Ghimire (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
26/02/2022: Nepal
sees progress in CSO Sustainability Index (nlt) [see
report
(Nepal pp. 38ff)], Nepal
sees progress in CSO Sustainability Index-2020 (kh),
Alternatives
being sought to keep ruling alliance intact: Prachanda
(nlt), Ruling
coalition likely to split due to MCC, says Prachanda
(kh), PM
Deuba urges Prachanda to take institutional decision on
MCC (kh), ‘We
are searching alternatives to protect alliance, resolve
national problem’: Prachanda (kh), Deuba
in a fix as Maoists vacillate, UML refuses to commit on
MCC pact : As Dahal keeps on moving the goalposts,
Congress is increasingly under pressure. Oli refuses to
budge, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), PM
Deuba gives ultimatum to Dahal to finalize Maoist
Center’s stand on MCC grant agreement by 3PM (rep),
Another
People’s War likely: Chairman Dahal (rep) [And
who should follow you? The victims of the first
"people's war", to whom and their families you deny
justice? The numerous members of the Maoist rank and
file who sacrificed life and health and whom you have
wiped out of your memory while enriching yourself beyond
measure and living a nice life? Come to reality and
retire from politics today, and please take the whole
guard of other failed politicians and the monarchists
with you! (This statement is not meant to excuse the
abuse of Nepal for the American and Chinese power
games!)], Ruling
NC holding talks with main opposition UML at Balkot :
Prime Minister Deuba to meet UML Chair Oli soon
(kh), They
Hate MCC And Destroy Public Property, by Aashish
Mishra (rn), Maoist
Center should leave alliance if not in favor of MCC:
Former PM Bhattarai (rep), Flood
victims in Bajhang decry government apathy : Floods
victims in the district have been seeking rehabilitation
in safe locations for the past two decades but no help
has been forthcoming, locals say, by Basanta Pratap
Singh (kp), Value
Premises Of Democratic Regime, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
25/02/2022: HoR
meeting postponed till February 27 : Deterrence likely
to affect MCC ratification deadline (kh), A
new equation is in the making as Congress, UML take
negotiations forward : With his government partners
standing against the MCC’s ratification, Prime Minister
Deuba has expedited talks with opposition leader Oli,
who has a litany of preconditions, by Anil Giri and
Binod Ghimire (kp) [Oli is the
worst possible bedfellow. Only a few months ago, Deuba
saw it necessary to topple the Oli government because
Oli repeatedly trampled on the constitution and
parliamentary democracy in the most authoritarian
manner. Since then, Oli should be politically an
untouchable!], Talks
between PM Deuba and UML Chairman Oli make no headway as
Oli remains adamant to his stance (kh), Issues
in foreign employment : Nepal's foreign employment
management regulation remains a subject of controversy,
by Thaneshwar Bhusal (kp), 34
political parties and organizations to protest against
MCC today (rep), Large
number of security personnel deployed from Maitighar to
New Baneshwor (rep), CPN
(Unified Socialist) to participate in parliamentary
discussions on MCC (rep), Civil
Society’s Role In Governance, by Shyam Prasad
Mainali (rn), It’s
decision time : Ratification of the American-funded MCC
grant to Nepal goes right down to the wire, by Hoang
Chu (nt), The
message is the medium
The MCC debate shows how social media tools can whip up
populist hyper-nationalism and stifle rational voices
(ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
24/02/2022: NHRC
urges for peaceful demonstration (kh), “Victim
identification hinders attempts to counter human
trafficking” (kh), Parliament
meeting slated to discuss MCC Compact today (nlt), House
meeting postponed until Friday (nlt), Pressure
mounting on top leaders as deadline to pass MCC
approaches (kh), MCC
will not be ratified: Former PM Khanal (kh), Ruling
coalition can break if no support in endorsing MCC: NC
leader Poudel (kh), Why
a deadline if it’s a ‘gift’? China taunts at US over MCC
: Beijing’s remarks just a day before a plan to put the
American grant to vote makes it more clear that Nepal
has fallen into a big geopolitical quagmire, by Anil
Giri (kp), MCC
and the communists : What beats reason is why our
communist parties feel the need to ‘protect’ China,
by Deepak Thapa (kp), Tabling
of MCC in parliament : A step in the right direction,
by Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht), Tourism
industry flying blind for lack of post-pandemic recovery
roadmap : Tourism Ministry officials say they have ‘no
idea’ what the tourism revival committee has been doing,
by Sangam Prasain (kp), New
Baneshwor overwhelmed with protestors against MCC
(rep), Successful
Mayors Make It To The Top, by Mukti Rijal (rn) [This should hardly be expected in a
Nepal of socially non-inclusive rope-lines and male top
politicians endowed with undemocratic power!], Ruling
coalition likely to collapse due to differences over MCC
ratification (kh), Is
Nepal being pushed to the geopolitical trap? Nepal
can fall into the trap if we drag China and the US into
the issues that Nepal ought to be able to deal with on
its own and if China and the US begin to allow their
bilateral matters with Nepal to be enmeshed in their
rivalry, by Mahabir Paudyal (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
23/02/2022: Oli
meets Deuba after talks with US ambassador as MCC
deadline approaches : Nepali Congress, CPN-UML expedite
dialogue on a new deal just as coalition partners drift
apart over the American grant. Efforts are on to save
the ruling alliance, by Anil Giri (kp), Conspiracy
being hatched to break coalition and overthrow
government: Prachanda (kh) [The
main person responsible for this coalition crisis is
Pushpa Kamal Dahal! Please don't play Putin! On the
other hand, the main problem is that the US and China
are increasingly playing their power games on the back
of Nepal. Both are primarily pursuing their own
interests!], Prachanda
in search of strategy to hit two targets with one arrow
(kh), NC
is free to partner with UML to ratify MCC: CPN-US leader
Khanal (kh), PM
Deuba has been manipulated by US: Former PM Khanal
(rep), JSP
leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai floats two options for
ratification of MCC agreement (rep) [??],
MCC
in Nepal: Games Nations Play!, by Shankar Man Singh
(rep), Political
Consensus Needed For MCC, by Namrata Sharma (rn), Gone
Wrong, In System Or In Actors?, by Yuba Nath Lamsal
(rn), China
sees US-backed MCC Compact as coercive diplomacy in
Nepal (kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
22/02/2022: Supreme
Court refuses to register writ against MCC (nlt), De-sensationalizing
the MCC debate : Media and social media have a very
important role to play when it comes to spreading
knowledge and awareness about the MCC Compact, by
Sudeep Uprety (nlt), Strategic
planning in place to achieve SDGs: NHRC Member Dr
Dhungel (kh), Ruling
coalition will not be affected by MCC: Maoist Chair
Prachanda (kh) [... says the former revolutionary who talks
differently every few hours and can't remember what he
said before!], With
US compact in House, Deuba weighing up options to get it
ratified : While the prime minister wants his two
alliance partners, opposers of the compact, to come on
board, he is in talks with the CPN-UML as well, by
Anil Giri (kp), Confusion
remains as to how the MCC grant will move forward :
Lawmakers set to start discussions on $500 million
American assistance from Thursday, by Tika R Pradhan
(kp), Nepal:
Status of International Relations, by Ranjeev Kunwar
(kh), Nepal’s
external debt down due to dollar slide : Fluctuations in
exchange rates resulted in an exchange gain of Rs16.47
billion in the second quarter of the fiscal year, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Belated
but welcome : Caste-based discrimination is an
abomination of our society (kp), Local
Election, National Importance : Democracy seems to
delight people only as long as they feel they are
getting fast, fair and free services from the local
bodies, by Atindra Dahal (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
21/02/2022: Khas-Arya
women are ‘de facto’ women leaders : While Nepal has
reserved quota for women, the majority of the positions
at administrative, political, and bureaucratic levels
are occupied by those from the Khas-Arya group, by
Aakriti Ghimire (kp), Let
us all speak our languages : It needs to be ensured that
not a single language becomes extinct. If it does, then
it means Nepal has failed to live up to its
constitutional ethos, by Jivesh Jha and Bidhan
Chandra Jha (nlt), 37
languages on verge of extinction in Nepal being
preserved (kh), International
Mother Language Day being observed today (kh), Pie
in the sky : There is no end to ludicrous talk from the
politicians when it comes to promises (kp), MCC
compact tabled in the House as two ruling parties say
they are against it : Observers and cadres alike
disapprove of double-dealing by the Maoist Centre and
the Unified Socialist, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Prachanda
urges Maoist lawmakers to wait for a while when asked to
quit government (kh), Prime
Minister Deuba wooing parties to ratify MCC (kh), Anti-MCC
protests disrupt road traffic in Kathmandu throughout
the day : Thirty-five ‘violent’ protesters arrested from
New Baneshwar area. Daily wage earners see difficult
days ahead, by Anup Ojha and Shuvam Dhungana (kp), MCC
protesters face tear gas, water cannon (ht), Anatomy
of MCC complexities: A lesson for political parties,
by Sisir Bhandari (ht), Government
debt reaches Rs 1728.93 billion : External debt
decreases due to US dollar exchange rate fluctuation,
by Eak Raj Bastola (kh), Let
us salute migrant workers : They do not command the
respect they deserve in government policy or people’s
minds, by Paban Raj Pandey (kp), Politically
pardoned : The president’s power to pardon criminals
needs reform as it has been misused numerous times by
governments for political ends, by Shreya Joshi and
Prakriti Acharya (rec), Nepal’s
social media platforms are full of false information and
sensational content regarding MCC grants. Is it
disinformation for clickbait or organized propaganda?,
by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
20/02/2022: Nepali
politicians are big on promises but short on delivery
:Observers see disconnect between politicians and
people, as leaders barely heed citizens’ basic concerns,
by Anup Ojha (kp) [There is
absolutely nothing to add to this! This whole generation
of politicians should finally be sent into retirement!],
Between
domestic politics and diplomacy : It is interesting how
political leaders and scholars have interpreted the MCC
document differently, by Purna B Silwal (kp), Ruling
coalition to split today itself if MCC not tabled in
Parliament (kh), Ruling
coalition meeting begins at Baluwatar : To forge
consensus on MCC (kh), Unified
Socialist to allow MCC pact’s tabling in the House : The
scenario surrounding the US grant’s parliamentary
ratification seems to be changing with the party
maintaining a tough position softening its stance,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Nepal’s
ruling alliance agrees to table MCC compact in the
parliament : Parliamentarians are supposed to discuss
the project under MCC grant on the basis of facts and
logic to debunk false narratives propagated especially
by social media and YouTubers (nlt), Ruling
coalition decides to table MCC in Parliament (kh), Prachanda
did not agree in coalition decision to table MCC:
Prachanda’s secretariat (kh) [Obviously,
Dahal and his party want to be nothing but history soon!],
Khanal
concerned over his party’s decision to table MCC at
parliament (rep), We
don't support MCC: Nepal (Setopati) [How
should I know what my mouth said yesterday?], BAC
to table MCC in Parliament amid Maoist’s objection
(kh), Parliament
meeting begins, MCC to be tabled in today’s session
(kh), CPN
(US) for tabling MCC deal, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht),
Minister
Karki tables MCC on behalf of Finance Ministry (kh),
Govt
tables MCC in parliament amid protest of UML and Maoist
lawmakers (rep), Next
HoR meeting on February 24 (rep), First
Dalit woman CDO says caste discrimination is an affront
to society : Born as a girl in a Dalit family meant a
lot of struggle for this 44-year-old civil servant, who
is determined to work towards fighting the social
scourge of casteism, by Anup Ojha (kp), Impeachment
Against CJ Rana Can It Revitalise Judiciary?, by
Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), UML
to not immediately form position on MCC (Setopati),
MCC
tabled on instruction of foreigners: UML (Setopati),
Act
of tabling MCC in parliament an insult to Nepalis: Bhim
Rawal (rep), If
Bhim Rawal wants to oppose MCC, he should declare UML
Chairman Oli a traitor first: Gagan Thapa (kh), MCC
introduced in House to prevent further polarization in
society: Speaker Sapkota (kh), Minister
Karki insists on ratifying MCC compact agreement through
parliament (rep), Foreign
Ministry says parliament will decide what development
aid to accept : Nepal will accept aid based on its
national interest and priorities, statement adds
(kp), Police
resort to firing to control mob in Baneshwor (kh), Police
fire rubber bullets as protesters rally against MCC at
New Baneshwar (Ratopati), Duplicity
again: Prachanda takes to social media to lambast the
government for tabling MCC Compact. Can he come clean? A
leader whose credibility has steadily eroded over the
past few years, Prachanda is known for doublespeak and
dubious character. He has exhibited this trait on MCC
Compact repeatedly, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
19/02/2022: Nepal’s
democracy revolutions, and achievements and failures :
As the country celebrates democracy, observers see some
gains, some hollow promises, by Binod Ghimire (kp),
CPN
(Unified Socialist) to allow tabling of MCC Compact
(nlt), Caught
between ruling coalition and MCC, Deuba feels the heat :
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba wants to ratify the US
grant, but doing so comes with the risk of breaking the
five-party alliance. His choices are limited (kp), US
Embassy takes to social media to dispel MCC rumours :
There have been a number of videos on YouTube awash with
disinformation on the MCC compact, calling it an
American ploy to ‘trap’ Nepal, by Shuvam Dhungana
(kp), Incarnation
Of Free Spirit, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
18/02/2022: A
house of cards : Nepali politics is a circus for the
making and breaking of governments for petty reasons
(kp), The
ideological wasteland of the Nepali communists : It has
been extraordinary to witness the prevarication,
doublespeak and large-scale mobilisation against the MCC,
by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp), Parliament
meeting today, MCC Compact not on the agenda (nlt),
Is
PM Deuba in deep trouble?, by Ishwar Dev Khanal
(kh), Deuba
reaches out to Oli after ruling alliance fails to find
consensus on MCC : Coalition split looms as Congress and
UML explore options after tough Maoist stance against US
grant’s ratification, by Anil iri and Tika R Pradhan
(kp) [The government partners
must be aware that a cooperation of NC and UML could
mean a return to power by the attempted destroyer of
parliamentary democracy!], UML
Chair Oli asks PM Deuba to come up with blueprint for
cooperation (kp), Maoists
threaten to withdraw support. How will it affect the
government? Legal experts have divided opinions and
interpretations of the constitutional provisions, by
Binod Ghimire (kp), Parliament
meeting postponed till Sunday (kh) [Politicians
and parties that fundamentally reject parliamentary
democracy should not be allowed to participate in future
elections! The behaviour of Oli and his CPN (UML) is
highly damaging to the state and destroys the future of
the country!], Cadres
of ruling parties burn tires in protest against MCC
(rep), Coalition
partners’ student wings protest against MCC : Sister
wings of Maoist Centre and CPN (Unified Socialist) took
to the streets to protest the American grant programme
(kp), Time
for consensus : Quite unlike previous US aid, the MCC
agreement is pouring money explicitly (ht), As
protests erupt in Nepal over MCC, US Embassy says
violence and incitement to violence are never acceptable
: “We are a strong supporter of free speech and public
discourse based in fact. The right to express one’s
views is intrinsic to democracy, and people must be
allowed to peacefully share their views.” (nlt), China
speaks about the US-funded MCC’s Nepal compact. Can
Nepal’s leadership avert falling into a ‘geopolitical
trap’? While the USA is asking Nepal’s political leaders
to meet or renege on their commitments of ratifying the
compact, the comment from a Chinese official on the
matter is feared to fuel the controversy (nlt), High
tension in Nepal : The longer Nepal drags MCC
ratification, the more credibility it loses as a
functioning democracy, by Rabin Giri (nt), Using
power wisely : Inability to share political power
jeopardises Nepal’s ability to source US funds for
distribution of electric power (nt), To
be or not to be on the MCC : Billions invested by
Nepalis in the hydropower sector will be in danger if
transmission lines are not built, by Anil Shah (nt),
What
the Chinese think about Nepal’s Maoists : After 2006,
Beijing muted criticism of Prachanda because his party
is 'Maoist', by Aneka Rajbhandari (nt), Still
looking for Dad missing in Nepal : A daughter grows up
to be a journalist to find her missing father who
disappeared 17 years ago during the insurgency, by
Anita Bhetwal (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
17/02/2022: Politics
and expletives : Politics in Nepal has been attracting
people from those quarters devoid of any form of modesty
(kp), The
dark underbelly of Nepal’s internet : Nepal’s cyber
bureau registered 3,906 complaints of online harassment
against women in the final five months of 2021, by
Anushka Nepal (nlt), SC
issues order to register writ petition against local
elections (nlt), Supreme Court
accepts petition challenging date of local level
elections : The court had earlier refused to register
the petition, which argues that May 13 polls will
deprive thousands of elected representatives of their
right to serve for full five years, by Binod Ghimire
(kp), 104
child workers at two wards of Melamchi alone (kh), Coalition
on the brink of breakdown as Maoist Centre plays
spoilsport : Ruling parties are meeting today to try to
find an elusive consensus as Maoist Centre and CPN
(Unified Socialist) are unlikely to change their
positions on the US grant, by Anil Giri and Binod
Ghimire (kp), Transmission
lines’ worth lost in the din of charged-up MCC row :
Projects to be developed under the US grant will be the
backbone of a high capacity system to transport power on
a large scale in the country and beyond, stakeholders
say, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), The
water and food nexus : Despite Nepal's vaunted water
resources, there isn't enough for growing more food,
by Khem Raj Sharma (kp), Nepalis
expect double-digit inflation over next one year :
Although government figures show a relatively modest
inflation, people are feeling increasing inflationary
pressure, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), What
if… voters got to reject candidates?, by Kamal Dev
Bhattarai (ae) [What do the high-handed politicians care about a
ruling of the Supreme Court?], Right
to reject : What we need is a mechanism for the public
to express its disappointment with politicians (ae)
[There are probably not many
countries where this is as urgently needed as in Nepal!],
The
debased politics of bargaining : The political parties
were indifferent to the crisis in the judiciary, all the
while looking to exploit it for vested interest. They
got to do so on February 13, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai
(ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
16/02/2022: Alienation
of Muslims in Madhesh : The ‘othering’ of the most
significant minority will probably require more effort
from civil society, by CK Lal (kp), Government
set to table MCC compact in House today, but confusion
remains : Congress, the key ruling party, says the
Speaker has given word on tabling of the grant.
Ratification may take longer though depending on how
politics unfolds, by Anil Giri and Binod Ghimire
(kp), Deuba,
Prachanda agree not to table MCC Compact today : CPN
(Maoist Center) that had earlier allowed tabling the
Compact changed its tone today. The party has warned of
leaving the government if the Compact is tabled without
consensus in the ruling alliance (nlt), Maoist
Center to quit govt if MCC tabled without coalition’s
consent (kh), Maoist
Center holds protests against MCC (rep), Demonstrations
held in support of MCC in Kathmandu (kh), Anti-MCC
protestors clash with police (rep), Govt
directs security agencies to beef up security (rep),
Minor
impact of bandh; 18 arrested (kh), Nepal's
period poverty: Time to bring about change, by
Apekshya Basnet (ht), Facts
speak for themselves: All major parties and their top
leaders were involved in the process of finalizing the
MCC grant : Political leaders seem to be using the MCC
grant as a bargaining tool to secure their political and
personal gains. But leaders of all major parties were
involved in the process of negotiations and approval of
the $500 million Compact at different stages, by
Ashim Neupane and Nishan Khatiwada (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
15/02/2022: Federal
spirit in local elections : The parties should let their
subnational organisational entities distribute election
tickets, by Achyut Wagle (kp), Political
weaponization of MCC may be damaging for Nepal, by
Ishwar Dev Khanal (kh), Snakebite,
an invisible neglected crisis in Nepal : Close to 3,000
people die of snakebites every year in Tarai alone, many
before reaching the hospital, by Arjun Poudel (kp),
New
Deal On MCC, CJ Impeachment, by Narayan Upadhyay
(rn), Implement
SC order to enable Nepalis abroad to vote' (ht), Announcement
of local polls: Dual contest between UML, NC, by
Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht), Climate
change as a driver of child marriage, by Shuvam
Rizal (rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
14/02/2022: Gender-based
discrimination unabated in Nepal, says NHRC (ht), Rana
suspended as ruling parties move a proposal to impeach
him : As many as 98 lawmakers of Nepali Congress, Maoist
Centre and CPN (Unified Socialist) register a motion to
impeach Cholendra Shumsher Rana amid a fluid political
situation, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), What
impeachment motion against chief justice is and how it
will proceed : Rana’s been suspended, but what it takes
lawmakers to actually remove him from office, by
Binod Ghimire (kp), Health
workers concerned over high maternal mortality rate in
Banke : Teenage pregnancies and a lack of regular health
checkups, nutritious food and awareness among family
members are the leading causes behind the high maternal
mortality rate in Banke, health workers say, by Rupa
Gahatraj (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
13/02/2022: Impeachment
motion against CJ Rana registered at Parliament
Secretariat (nlt), Lawmakers
level 21 charges against CJ Rana (with full text)
(rep), Senior-most
Justice Deep Kumar Karki becomes acting CJ following the
suspension of Rana (nlt), Speaker
Sapkota calls an all-party meeting Monday (kh), How
the House restored twice became totally dysfunctional :
Politicians, both from ruling and opposition parties,
have trampled on the sovereignty of the hallowed
parliament, observers say, by Binod Ghimire (kp), [The incompetent and anti-democratic
so-called top politicians should be disposed of in the
dustbin of history as soon as possible! None of them
wants democracy, rule of law, inclusion, real secularism
and federalism!], Parliament
meeting postponed again (kh), HoR
meeting rescheduled for Feb 16 (rep), Deepening
rift over MCC among partners threatens the unity of
ruling coalition : Maoist Centre sticks to its guns on
the US compact as Deuba appears firm on tabling it for
ratification, by Anil Giri (kp), ‘Nepal
risks losing decades of progress on health care’ : Dr
Bibek Kumar Lal, director of the Family Welfare Division
under the Department of Health Services, on Covid
situation, vaccination challenges and how badly the
pandemic impacted the country’s regular health
programmes (kp), Karnali
residents suffer from salt shortages every year :
Understaffed salt depots and mismanagement on part of
relevant authorities forcing villagers to buy the
commodity from traders at exorbitant prices, by
Krishna Prasad Gautam and Raj Bahadur Shahi (kp) [Continued
neglect by government and administration!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
12/02/2022: Congress,
UML mull motion to remove Speaker Sapkota if no
cooperation on MCC : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
is seeking the main opposition’s support to ratify the
US grant as his key coalition partner, Maoist Centre, is
playing spoilsport, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Observers
see diplomatic, economic risks for Nepal if US reviews
its policy : Washington’s warnings over continued delays
in ratification of its $500 million grant pact do not
bode well for the country, officials at foreign and
finance ministries say, by Anil Giri (kp) [The
great powers USA, China and India ruthlessly play out
their power interests in tiny Nepal and the latter's
politicians continue to put their ideological interests
above the urgent needs of the country and its people.],
Differences
persist among top leaders over MCC compact : Dahal wants
consensus bid postponed until after elections while
Madhav Nepal and Upendra Yadav call for review of pact
terms, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Unified
Socialist Chairperson Nepal suggests postponing MCC
agreement till election (rep) [What
an unrealistic claptrap!], Dalit
Community In Earthquake-Hit Barpak Still Under Makeshift
Huts, by Narendra Dhakal (rn), Buttressing
Social Welfare State, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), Govt
discusses issues of 3-point deal struck with Chand-led
party (kh), Govt,
Biplav-led NCP discuss implement of three-point deal :
The erstwhile government and the party on March 5, 2021,
had signed a three-point peace deal that brought the
underground outfit to peaceful politics (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
11/02/2022: Nepal’s
unpunished war crimes : On the 20th anniversary of
Muktinath Adhikari’s murder by the Maoists, his daughter
pleads for justice, by Sabita Adhikari (nt), Still
1.1 million children are engaged in labour in Nepal
(kh), Why
policies fail in Nepal : Lack of research on policy
implementation makes it difficult to pinpoint the causes,
by Chandra Ghimire (kp), A
make-or-break situation that the ruling coalition is in
: Alliance partners expedite meetings, and the CPN-UML
has emerged as a key player as Millennium Challenge
Corporation Nepal Compact becomes a crucial issue,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Top
American official says US will review Nepal ties if MCC
compact is not ratified : Donald Lu from the State
Department in phone calls to Deuba, Oli and Dahal
expresses deep concerns over delay in ratifying the $500
million grant, by Anil Giri (kp), US
Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu urges top leaders
for MCC endorsement at the earliest : The telephone
conversation was held at a time when the deadline set
for the MCC endorsement is approaching near (nlt), Decoding
Donald Lu’s message to Nepali leaders : The telephone
call itself is a strong message to the Nepali political
actors that the perennial delay in the Compact
ratification has become a source of frustration in
Washington (nlt), Political
parties weigh their electoral prospects as US presses
for early decision on MCC grant deal, by Kosh Raj
Koirala (rep), The deal-breaker : The US-supported MCC
project can make or break the governing coalition ahead of
elections, by Sonia Awale (nt), Government
dials down annual budget, once again, after failing to
spend : Economists say an electoral spending boom this
year and last year’s low base effect may help the
economy grow to some extent but the 7 percent target
still looks too ambitious, by Sangam Prasain (kp), Annual
budget size reduced to Rs 1.546 trillion (ht), Bird's
eye view : We remain predatory humans that seek to
thrive by disregarding the lives of others (kp), A
tale of displacement for conservation : The longstanding
‘park-people’ conflict surrounding Chitwan National
Park, which includes instances of gross human rights
violations against the Tharu community, is a story that
is often buried in the garb of conservation, by
Nirupan Karki (rec), 13
February : On the 26th anniversary of the start of the
Maoist insurgency, history repeats itself as a farce
(nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
10/02/2022: This
is why MCC transmission line seems crucial (kh), Break
the impasse : Parliament cannot continue to remain the
centre of disorder created by petty politics (kp), Will
people from Kalapani region get to exercise their
franchise? There’s no voter list update. Nor does the
poll body know which local units it is supposed to
conduct elections in, by Prithvi man Shrestha and
Anil Giri (kp) [Sorry, but given
the current circumstances, this question sounds
ridiculous!], Politicians,
individuals compete to form new parties as elections
near : Ten political parties were registered with the
Election Commission in past three months and more are
coming, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Low
education standard and equity among key challenges to
promote human capital in Nepal: WB report (rep) [see
corresponding WB
report], ‘Nepal’s
economy is at an alarming stage’, by Eak Raj Bastola
(kh), Let
753 flowers bloom : It is still difficult to easily
subvert Nepal’s democratic spirit (ae), My
Vision for Nepal : End the politicization of vital
sectors, by Sanduk Ruit (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
09/02/2022: The
art of dirty politics : Politicians seem to forget that
citizens are not their subjects and the country is not
their fiefdom (kp) [In
every respect, the top politicians see themselves as
arrogant heirs of the authoritarian monarchy, to whom
democracy, the constitution, human rights, inclusion and
true secularism appear as obstacles to their quest for
power!!], House
of Representatives to meet on Feb 14 (kh) [The
time for a decision on MCC is rapidly running out. In
the event of a rejection, the discontinuation of various
power plant constructions should also be considered.
Without the transmission lines financed with MCC money,
they do not make much sense!], Janamat
Party Chair Raut warns of obstructing elections if
farmers’ demands not addressed (kh), Alcohol
use a driving cause behind domestic violence in
Makawanpur : Although most victims of domestic violence
choose to settle their cases out of court, more women
are coming forward with complaints against their
perpetrators these days, police say, by Pratap Bista
(kp), Supreme
Court rejects petition challenging the date of local
election : The petitioner, who approached the court
arguing May 13 polls will deprive thousands of elected
representatives of their right to five-year term, says
he will appeal against the court’s refusal (kp), MCC,
BRI and The Game Theory: Nepal’s Quest for Equilibrium,
by Pradip Kumar Kafle (rep), Why
MCC transmission line seems crucial, by Ramesh
Lamsal (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
08/02/2022: Government
decides to hold local level polls on May 13 : Those
elected from second and third phases of polls in 2017
say they would challenge the move in the court, by
Tika R Pradhan (kp) [This
doesn't have to be a problem. The elections can be held
nationwide on one day. But those elected in 2017 will
not be replaced by the newly elected until their
five-year terms expire.], Coalition’s
future hangs in balance as elections declared amid MCC
confusion : Leaders say too early to talk about
electoral alliance but those opposing the US grant say
any move to push it for ratification would lead to a
breakdown of the coalition, by Anil Giri (kp), Ratify
MCC Grant At Earliest, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn), Time
to act : The MCC might have been ratified a long time
back if the parties did not keep shifting their stance
on the issue (ht), MCC
and likely political developments: Headed to
uncertainties, by Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht), Clearing
the air on the MCC : Excerpts from a discussion between
representatives of the Confederation of Nepalese
Industries Young Entrepreneurs Forum and officials from
MCC and MCA-Nepal, by Amun Thapa, Nirnaya Bhatta and
Manish Shrestha (rec), To
China, with questions and a message : As the MCC debate
heats up once again, accusing fingers are being pointed
at China not only for making efforts to stall the
ratification of the American grant but also about
non-cooperation on Nepal-China land route trade, by
Mahabir Paudyal (nlt), Acute
food crisis hits Rudhi village in Bajura (ht), Citizens
demand investigation on murder case against House
Speaker, say he is not fit to remain in post : “The
major political parties must immediately take action
against Agni Sapkota in order to protect the values and
principles of the parliamentary system." (nlt) [He should never have been elected to
that office until a court confirmed his innocence. What
kind of constitutional state is this?]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
07/02/2022: Govt
decides to hold local polls on May 13 (rep), Politics
of smokescreen: How the MCC debacle exposes a crisis of
credibility in Nepali politics : The debate on the MCC
grant shows a collective failure of Nepal’s political
leaders. The dishonest rigmarole has exposed the dubious
character of politicians, politicians' mistrust in our
own institutions, and priority on petty interests over
development, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Dahal’s
mendacity, double-dealing and subterfuge : How two
letters exposed the Maoist chair’s political shenanigans
using the MCC compact, by Binod Ghimire (kp), MCC:
PM Deuba has just three weeks; so he’s in trouble
(kh), Unnecessarily
dragging MCC into dispute could have serious
consequences, warns Dr Bhattarai (kh), A
confused coalition now clearly is in trouble amid MCC
muddle : Deuba holds a meeting with Dahal and Oli in the
wake of recent developments. Opposers of the US grant
ratification say ruling alliance will break if it is
tabled in Parliament, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), MCC
will not be passed without national consensus,
amendment: CPN (Maoist Center) (rep), Govt
to table MCC agreement in parliament on Feb 9 (rep),
Govt
to provide relief for kin of disappeared conflict
victims (ht) [Relief is not enough, they deserve justice! People
who have already partly admitted their responsibility,
must finally stand trial!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
06/02/2022: PM
Deuba, Prachanda under pressure to ratify MCC Compact as
Feb 28 deadline approaches (kh), PM
Deuba makes frantic efforts to forge consensus on MCC,
Maoist and Unified Socialist “not positive” (kh), Dahal
under pressure as his and Deuba’s letter to MCC becomes
public : Millennium Challenge Corporation in its
response sets February 28 deadline for compact
ratification as committed by the Maoist leader and prime
minister (kp), Let's
Endorse MCC Compact At The Earliest, Leaders Say
(rn), MCC’s
response to PM Deuba and Prachanda: ‘Continuing with the
compact is Nepal’s sovereign choice’ : The MCC has set a
February 28 deadline to ratify its Nepal Compact
(nlt), Fatema
Z Sumar: ‘We are looking for the compact to be ratified
by February 28’ : The MCC vice president of Compact
Operations says it’s within MCC Board authority to
discontinue Nepal’s eligibility to receive the $500
million grant and such a decision will end MCC’s
partnership with Nepal, by Jagdishor Panday (kp), Failure
to ratify compact may mean ramifications for Nepal, MCC
warns : In its response to a letter by Deuba and Dahal,
MCC Compact Operations has indicated cuts in aid,
assistance, private investment and foreign direct
investment, officials say, by Anil Giri (kp), Avoiding
Geopolitical Pitfalls, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), Devolution
of sycophancy : With federalism giving rise to new power
centres, ‘chakari’ culture has taken newer forms, by
Avasna Pandey (kp), ‘Nepali
Congress should learn from BP Koirala’s playbook on
China to resolve border issues with India’.
Interview with Geja Sharma Wagle, foreign policy analyst
(nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
05/02/2022: A
farce that MCC task force became with nothing to say :
The government team formed to ‘study’ the US grant has
no suggestions to put forth as the members are divided,
by Anil Giri (kp), MCC
Will Do No Harm To Nepal, Say Experts, by Modnath
Dhakal and Aashish Mishra (rn), Holding
local level elections on May 18 may not end legal
complications : Representatives elected in the second
and third phases of the local level polls conducted in
2017 can move court asserting their right to serve for
full five years, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Concluding
The Transitional Politics, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
04/02/2022: With
vaccination cards made mandatory, many women and gender
minorities are deprived of public service : For people
to receive a proper identification card such as
citizenship, they need to have a vaccination card and
vice versa, which keeps them in a never-ending loop,
by Anushka Nepal (nlt), The
story the numbers tell : The census has thrown up
several questions our policymakers will need to keep in
mind in the years to come, by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp),
Nepalis
moving from mountains to plains : There is much more
than meets the eye in the preliminary results of Nepal's
2021 census, by Shristi Karki (nt), MCC
pact remains stuck but there’s been spending under it :
Rs4 billion spent so far for implementation of projects
under the US grant whose fate is hanging in the balance,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), MCC
risks split in Nepal’s ruling coalition : Geopolitical
pressure from Beijing to refuse American infrastructure
grant threatens governing partnership (nt), Let’s
grow our own : The state cannot remain a mute spectator
when market-driven imports are causing a dent in the
economy (kp), NHRC
reprimands Minister Renu Yadav for issuing threat to
Raut (ht), Deliberative
democracy: Engaging citizens in political process,
by Simone Galimberti (ht), Power
to the periphery : Local elections in May is a chance to
devolve political power, and allow federalism to
function, by Sonia Awale (nt), Ground
reality of landlessness in Nepal : Politicians have
weaponsied land for elections without addressing the
deeper crisis of landlessness, by Rabin Giri (nt), Owning
land gives former slaves self-respect : Nepal’s former
bonded labourers build homes, find financial
independence and dignity, by Unnati Chaudhary (nt),
Partisan
interests once again govern politics, by Robin
Sharma (rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
03/02/2022: CK
Raut-led Janamat Party obstructs East-West Highway
(kh), Sapkota’s
role as a nonpartisan post holder comes into question :
Amid Deuba’s plan to move MCC grant for its ratification
from the House, the Speaker has expedited his own
consultations which experts call unwarranted, by
Binod Ghimire and Anil Giri (kp), UML
will help NC if proposal to impeach speaker tabled:
Secretary Rayamajhi (kh) [???],
Ruling
alliance is on the verge of disintegration due to MCC:
Gajurel (rep), How
Nepal, a country of farmers, became a food importer over
the years : Nepal spent nearly $1 billion on buying food
from India alone in a year as agriculture stumbles due
to faulty policies. Food import bills have grown 78
times in two decades, by Sangam Prasain (kp), Diversifying
trade : The embargo highlighted the need to reduce our
dependency on products of the agricultural sector
(kp), National
census preliminary report on Bajhang comes into question
: Local units in the district have accused the
government of failing to collect and report factual data,
by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp), Not
all 66 percent urban residents have access to even
minimum urban amenities : Most municipalities formed by
merging erstwhile village development committees are
considered ‘urban’ despite a severe lack of resources
and infrastructure, by Aakriti Ghimire (kp), Settle
the MCC now : The government should table it in
parliament and let the sovereign body decide (ae) [But according to the understanding
of democracy of the supreme rulers of the political
parties, they alone decide how their elected
representatives have to vote, not their conscience.],
Representation
at the local level : Effect of political parties’
mergers and breakups are certain to be reflected in the
outcome of the impending local elections, by Pratik
Ghimire (ae), What
if… we didn’t need the National Assembly? Influential
political leaders want to be MPs as non-parliamentarians
cannot become ministers for more than six months, by
Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae) [In the
federal system, the National Assembly has special
significance as the representation of the provinces at
the national level, but the central party elites must be
strictly prevented from influencing its staffing.
Completely superfluous, however, is the office of the
largely functionless vice president, whose task could be
performed in exceptional institutions, for example, by a
functionary of Parliament.]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
02/02/2022: Don’t
blame women, blame misogyny : Here is a look at how
books and literature from Swasthani to Mahabharata to
Badhusikshya have portrayed women as being inferior to
men and why we should unlearn the claims, by Shreena
Nepal (nlt), Coalition’s
vote alliance will depend on how the US grant moves
ahead : Sources say Deuba has been telling Congress
leaders not to discuss poll alliance until MCC issue
takes decisive turn, by Anil Giri (kp), Lawyer
who fought Rayabhar case pro bono says many innocents
may be in jails : The Post talked to advocate Radhika
Khatiwada, who took up Umashankar Rayabhar’s case, to
learn what motivated her to take up the case and in what
ways she will be involved in the case in the future
(kp), Barking
up the wrong tree : Rayabhar landed in prison due to
lack of integrity and common sense among the authorities
(kp), Political
economy of patrimonialism : Deuba has failed in making
an honest attempt to disentangle the interwoven knots of
structural corruption, by CK Lal (kp), Right
to leadership of persons with disabilities and issue of
accessibility, by Krishna Gahatraj and Simone
Galimberti (rep), Care
Economy Growing Fast, by Namrata Sharma (rn), Call
for amending the Local Election Act: Do we need a
constitution at all?, by Birendra P Mishra (ht) [A disturbing article by this author,
whom I otherwise hold in high esteem. Even the initial
assertion that no other constitution in the world
provides for someone to become head of government who is
not also chairman of the governing party has no basis in
fact. Just one counterexample: In Germany, Angela Merkel
was most recently chancellor for many years, but not
party chairman. Her successor Olaf Scholz is not
chairman of his party either. But what is most confusing
is the final demand that politicians abolish the
constitution, which I hope is meant ironically. The
constitution contains even more serious contradictions
and inadequacies than the ambiguities about electoral
law. Subordinate laws may not contradict the
constitution, but should help eliminate ambiguities.],
Bhutan’s
shame: why the world must continue to remember the
expulsion of ethnic Nepalis : Over 100,000 Bhutanese
refugees have been resettled in third countries but
7,000 remain in camps in Nepal, hoping that one day they
will be allowed to return home, by Prasansha Rimal
(rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
01/02/2022: Government,
Election Commission agree to hold local polls on May 18
at one go : As Election Commission officials and the
prime minister agreed on the date it will be formally
announced through a cabinet decision soon (kp), Govt
preparing to register a proposal to remove Speaker,
by Ishwari Subedi (rep), Women
light the World (kh), Dr.
Bhattarai challenges Bhim Rawal to substantiate
allegation against him (kh), How
worthless wrangling is delaying MCC ratification in
Nepal : The US has a clear agenda; the grant comes with
greater benefit and less risk (kh), Deuba,
Oli in talks through various channels on MCC pact,
leaders say : Even as Prime Minister Deuba appears
confident that his coalition partners will support the
passage of the US grant, he is keeping multiple options
open, by Anil Giri (kp), MCC
compact threatens coalition’s unity : Despite deep
divisions over the US grant, two partners say the
coalition will remain intact as a break-up will bring
down the government, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Dr.
KC files supplementary petition with DLMI against CJ
Rana (kh), Nepal’s
climate change migrants : More and more Nepalis are
being pushed out of their homes by extreme weather
events, agricultural difficulties, and the pursuit of
economic freedom from the elements, by Shuvam Rizal
(rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
31/01/2022: Impunity
behind disappearance cases in Nepal, finds report
(ht), SC
orders to implement rights for Dalits (kh), Girls
in Pipalgaun deprived of education : There are more than
30 girls of school-going age in Pipalgaun, a Dalit
settlement in Achham, and none of them goes to school as
the parents want them at home to help run the household,
by Menuka Dhungana (kp), More
ways to tackle a problem : Remote regions have suffered
from years of negligence, and nothing has been done to
ensure a lasting solution (kp), Local
level elections: Law revision must or not? Depends who
you ask : Ruling alliance says it will amend Acts to
make them compatible with the constitution. First
declare dates; if it’s by May 19, there is no need, the
main opposition says, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Prepare
for the polls (ht) [And don't forget, the local units were dissolved
by Sher Bahadur Deuba at that time instead of extending
their terms!], Dr
Bhattarai reinforces the need to ratify MCC without
further delay (kh), UML
leader Rawal urges govt not to ratify MCC through
parliament (rep), Province
1 government decides to split 7 ministries into 12
(kh) [This is a waste of money
for the pure satisfaction of power interests], Lawmakers
call for measures to retain hill, mountain populations :
As many as 32 districts have witnessed population
declines owing mainly to outmigration, according to
preliminary figures of the latest census, by Prithvi
Man Shrestha (kp), Government
unaware of extent of Covid spread, asks people to report
results of home testing : Experts say accurate data is
key to planning and lack of data means the authorities
are not serious about the pandemic, by Arjun Poudel
(kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
30/01/2022: What
constitution and election laws say about local level
polls : Politicians and experts are divided over
constitutional provisions and poll-related laws.
Interpretations are different, by Tika R Pradhan and
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Coalition
makes a turnabout, agrees to hold local level polls by
mid-June : Plans are afoot to align election laws with
constitutional provisions. Confusion, however, persists,
by Anil Giri (kp), 'Hold
local polls from mid-April to mid-May' : The ruling
alliance also wants Local Election Act amended to
eliminate contradictory provisions, by Ram Kumar
Kamat (ht), Ethos
of disillusionment : A state of general laziness is
taking over the culture of awakening and resistance,
by Abhi Subedi (kp), High
inflation amid low growth: Worrying case of the
stagflation predicament in Nepal : Surging oil prices
amid the pandemic disrupt economic activities, while
savings erode and banks run short of funds (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
29/01/2022: Ruling
alliance decides to hold local level poll by mid-June
(rep), Ruling
coalition fails to reach consensus on election date :
Coalition meeting to take place at 4 pm again (kh) [Please abide by the constitution!
These discussions are completely unnecessary!], PM
Deuba proposes coalition partner to hold election in
April (kh) [Whatever you write into the Local Level Election
Act, it must not contradict the provision of the
superior constitution!], Ruling
coalition in law revision bid as poll body stresses
timely local elections : Commission says it is in the
dark about the amendment process, as ruling alliance
attempts to reach a decision, by Binod Ghimire (kp),
Why
is Mt Everest becoming a trash dump site?, by Eak
Raj Bastola (kh), Supreme
Court orders release of a man languishing in jail for no
apparent crime : Uma Shankar Rayabhar’s release order
comes after continuous reporting on how the poor man was
framed. Legal experts say the case shows many problems
in the system, by Tika R Pradhan (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
28/01/2022: Can
Nepal’s Latest Citizen-Led Street Protests Shake Things
Up?, by Amish Raj Mulmi (Carnegieendowment), Local
polls: Why is Nepali Congress submitting to coalition
partners at the cost of democracy? Prime Minister Deuba,
who is also the president of the Nepali Congress, looks
bent on putting democratic values and constitutionalism
at stake for the sake of keeping the coalition intact,
by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt) [Deuba has also put democratic values and
constitutionalism at risk in the past in order to
maintain his personal power. Just think of the year
2002!], Congress
forms 37-member central work execution committee : The
mechanism, as powerful as the Central Working Committee,
will take up the issue of local election and its date
(kp), Oli’s
couldn’t-care-less attitude about the coronavirus
continues : A Covid denier while he was prime minister,
the UML chair attends a public function when he is
supposed to isolate, by Tika R Pradhan and Arjun
Poudel (kp), Demographic
imbalances : Short-sightedness has led to this
imbalanced distribution of population (kp), Demographic
picture : The rapid population shift toward the plains
from the hills will have political consequences in the
long-term (ht), Opportunity
or victim of geo-politics : Nepal’s geo-politics has
both opportunities and risks depending on the capability
of our leaders, by Lok Raj Baral (kp) [Since
Nepal has no capable leaders, or they are prevented by
the incompetent ones, the focus is likely to remain on
risk.], Lumbini
Province’s coalition as per centre’s decision: CM KC
(kh) [Clearly, the politicians
at the central level do not understand the meaning and
rules of federalism at all!], All
politics is local : Local governments elected in 2017
show what the country can look like when people are put
first, by Sahina Shrestha (nt), Think
nationally, vote locally : Local government elections
cannot be held hostage just because two national parties
are afraid they will lose (nt), Hiding
their head in the sand : Illegal sand mining on Chure
rivers displaces farmers, decimates a fragile landscape,
y Ramu Sapkota (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
27/01/2022: Nepal’s
population is 29,192,480 : Census preliminary data shows
population grew by an average 0.93 percent annually, the
slowest growth in 80 years, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), As
row over polls deepens, provinces’ case is different :
Legal experts and provincial leaders assert that
politicians in Kathmandu should not decide on provincial
assembly elections as the provinces are empowered to do
that, by Tika R Pradhan (kp), Why
Local Polls Draw Growing Interest, by Mukti Rijal
(rn), Madhes
Province issues order to book violent Janamat Party
cadres (kh), Tip
of the corruption iceberg : Ordinary Nepali citizens
bear the ramifications of being labelled as citizens of
a corrupt state (kp), Government
officials, businessmen charged with corruption : Some of
the country's renowned names in business are accused of
causing losses to the state (kp), Not
bad, not bad at all : Local governments fulfil many of
the expected functions yet they continue to be
undermined, by Deepak Thapa (kp), VCs
flay government decision to appoint ministry staff at
BPKIHS (ht) [The system has long been in need of change:
neither a king nor a prime minister belongs at the head
of a university or similar institution This is the only
way to avoid political interference and nepotism!],
Corruption
flourishing : With the CPI showing no improvement,
whatever has happened to our leaders' repeated pledges
not to tolerate corruption? (ht) [This
is like the peace process: perpetrators and others
responsible will never bring about improvement!],
Nepal's
coalition government: How long will it last?, by
Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht), Intraparty
Democracy at Stake in Nepal, by Arpan Gelal (rep), Complaint
lodged with Rautahat police against Minister Yadav
(kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
26/01/2022: Nepal’s
population is 29,192,480, Central Bureau of Statistics
says : Preliminary data unveiled on Wednesday shows the
country’s population grew by an average 0.93 percent
annually since 2011. The growth rate is lowest in 80
years (kp),
National Census 2021: 95 Men Per 100 Women Gender Ratio,
by Prakash Silwal (rn), Nepal’s
population reaches 29.1 million, growth of 0.93 percent
: As per the preliminary report, at least 2.1 million
Nepalis are abroad (nlt), Nepal's
population reaches 29.1 million (rep), Nepal’s
population reaches 29.91 million (kh), More
than 2.16 million Nepalis live abroad: CBS Report
(kh), Nepal’s
urban population reaches 66.08 percent : Increase in the
number of municipalities adds to urban population
percent (kh), Back
to their old tricks : As if there weren’t enough
problems, the politicians are constantly looking to add
to them (kp) [Nepal's incompetent and autocratic politicians
are the biggest obstacles to an inclusive development of
democracy and society. This was already the case under
the monarchy and the panchayat system and it has hardly
improved since then!], Extralegal
entity making the calls on crucial issues a cause for
concern : Experts say the political coordination
committee, formed ‘to assist the government’ should
refrain from dictating on important matters like
elections, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Tear
gas fired to disperse protestors from disrupting
elections (rep), CK
Raut’s cadres attack a doctor in Janakpur (nlt), CK
Raut’s cadres vandalize Mayor’s vehicle in Sarlahi :
Janamat Party cadres clash with police in Janakpur
(kh), Nepal’s
position in corruption index remains unchanged : Nepal
ranks 117th among 180 countries and territories in the
latest Corruption Perception Index. The country is
behind Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka in South Asia, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Averting
a potential catastrophe : Water scarcity due to the
drying up of water reserves has given rise to many
problems, by Aadesh Subedi (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
25/01/2022: Plan
to amend law to delay local polls faces criticism :
Parties should not create instability by misinterpreting
constitutional provisions, leaders and experts say,
by Anil Giri (kp),
Local level elections will be held by mid-April 2023:
Madhav Nepal (kh) [According to Article 225 of the Constitution,
local elections must be held five years after the last
elections, and at the latest six months later. This is
binding. What is written in subordinate laws may not be
constitutional and then as irrelevant as the arguments
of a handful of male Tagadharis at the head of the
government and political parties. Nepal is not their
property!], Quandary
Over Election Dates, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn), 60
percent of households with children lost income and
livelihood during pandemic: Survey : The survey found
out that the major emerging needs of families in the
pandemic are reportedly financial assistance, food and
employment (nlt), What
is behind the rift inside the Janata Samajbadi Party
Nepal? Party insiders point to issues ranging from
an unequal distribution of ministerial positions in the
government to the recent ‘death threat’ by Renu Kumari
Yadav against CK Raut, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Politicians’
incompetence is turning the best minds away, ruining
Nepal’s future: A renowned US-based Nepali expert came
to Nepal to help the country create well-paid jobs for
fellow Nepalis but Nepali politicians responded in such
a way he began to lose hope, by Anjali Subedi (based
on talk with Ramhari Subedi) (nlt), Back
to the eighties : Stringent government measures will
only throttle formal businesses and push them to leave
Nepal, by Sujeev Shakya (kp), Transparency
International ranks Nepal 117 on corruption perception
index (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
24/01/2022: Despite
constitutional provision, women in Nepal struggle to get
their rightful share of ancestral property : Although
the constitution states that women are equally entitled
to have their share of ancestral property, the law's
implementation has been sketchy, by Anushka Nepal
(nlt), Legal
experts suggest ruling parties to amend inconsistent
laws (kh), Don't
misinterpret law : The political parties in power should
not misinterpret the legal provisions, simply to serve
their political interest (ht), Country’s
imports hit Rs1 trillion mark in the first half of the
fiscal year : If inflation reaches double digits and
trade deficit keeps rising, the situation may turn from
bad to worse, by Prithvi Man Shrestha and Sangam
Prasain (kp), Cash
scheme for pandemic-hit poor receives poor response in
Kathmandu : Officials say strict criteria for grant
eligibility might be responsible, by Prithvi Man
Shrestha (kp), Resuscitation
of the Bygone Loksewa Legacy, by Pradip Kumar Kafle
(rep), A
case of sheer govt negligence: Over 7,000 tons
fertilizer dumped to rot at Birgunj dry port, by
Narayan Neupane (rep), Once
a power-starved nation, how Nepal is now wasting its
precious electricity : As the government has failed to
export surplus electricity to potential buyers like
India and Bangladesh, or offer it to domestic consumers
at a competitive rate, Nepal is wasting hundreds of
megawatts of clean energy every year (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
23/01/2022: EC
directs RPP to remove ‘monarchy’ and ‘Hindu state’ from
its statute (kh), EC
warns of action if RPP does not amend statute, party
logo (rep), RPP
calls office bearers’ meeting as EC asks to remove Hindu
state, monarchy from party statute (kh), RPP
to seek political and legal redressal against EC’s call
to remove Hindu state, monarchy from party statute
(kh), What
if the local elections are not held on time? As the
government is dithering over when to hold the local
elections, experts warn that deferring local polls can
have consequences on federalism and can also invite
constitutional crisis, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), 'Simultaneous
elections not feasible', by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht), Confusion
in Nepali Congress over polls, particularly local
elections : Deuba is in a fix as he feels obliged to
coalition partners while he faces pressure from his own
party leaders, by Anil Giri (kp), It
is govt’s responsibility to shape local level by holding
polls: EC (rep), Pandemic
can derail progress made in child nutrition, UNICEF
warns : Says Nepal achieved marked progress in reducing
child stunting during 2002-2016 (kp), Govt
preparing to spend additional Rs 240 million to decorate
new ministers’ quarters (rep) [Corruption
in its purest form!], Model
social inclusion policy for local levels (ht), World
Economics Forum outlines 5 risk factors for Nepal in
2022 (kh), Politics
of amnesia: Opposition UML lambasts the government on
the same charges labeled against it while in power :
Around six months in power, the coalition government led
by Sher Bahadur Deuba has ruled the country in such a
way main opposition leader KP Sharma Oli is now in the
position to question its integrity and intention
(nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
22/01/2022: Amid
sluggish government response, Covid-19 third wave
rampages the country : Public health experts say without
prompt, reliable and effective response to battle the
pandemic, Nepal risks becoming the hotspot of the
unimagined rapid surge, a rise of serious cases and even
deaths, by Amish Neupane (nlt) [There
is nothing to expect. Nepal's politicians have only
their power interests in mind, not the concerns of the
people, for whose solution they have applied and want to
apply again this year!], Nepal
progresses significantly in nutrition of mothers and
children at risk: UNICEF. There are many reasons behind
this improvement but one of the major reasons is the
involvement of more than 50,000 female community health
volunteers (nlt), Ruling
alliance to consult legal experts amid confusion over
timing of three polls : Deuba’s coalition partners say
they are considering holding the three tiers of election
simultaneously, by Anil Giri and Tika R Pradhan
(kp), Nepal
Oil says it is bankrupt, further price rises foreseen :
Situation is so bleak that it is back to the bad old
days when the loss-making, cash-strapped public
enterprise used to ask the government for handouts to
import fuel, by Krishana Prasain (kp), Activists
call for sacking Minister Yadav for her incendiary
remarks : A group of activists has said a sitting
minister threatening target killings is the result of
unchecked lack of accountability in the country
(kp), NC
General Secy Sharma suggests dismissal of Minister Yadav
(kh), Prime
minister says all outstanding issues will be sorted out
through talks : Deuba, in his address to the nation,
says the House will resume through agreement (kp) [You have so many urgent tasks that need action,
not talks!], Around
33 percent households remain at risk of falling into
poverty due to COVID-19 pandemic, survey reveals
(kh), Nurture
Good Politics In Nepal, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), Experts
underscore overhauling reforms in formulating
legislation (kh) [What
legislation? This has been blocked for months by the
anti-democrat KP Oli, who even before as PM preferred
not to pass laws through parliament, but to impose them
through ordinances!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
21/01/2022: The
foe within : Our entire state is a shining example of
commissions, kickbacks, and kleptocracy, by Amish
Raj Mulmi (kp), Measuring
poverty in Madhesh: What should be done? The government
of Madhesh province has been claiming all along that it
is a pro-poor government. On what basis is the
government evaluating the poverty situation of the
province?, by Randhir Chaudhary (nlt), Maoist
chair Dahal’s non sequitur sends ripples across the
political spectrum : Proposal to hold general elections
in April-May by delaying local level polls, which must
be held by that time, has been criticised as being
against the system and rule of law, by Anil Giri
(kp), Prachanda’s
proposal of ‘early elections’ triggers ripples in Nepali
political spectrum (kh), Dance
of democracy : Two parties in ruling coalition block
holding local elections on schedule, by Santa Gaha
Magar (nt), Polls
in the time of pandemic : Playing politics with local
elections will undermine Nepal’s democracy and
grassroots development (nt), Women
journalists say they face harassment, but actions rarely
taken : Calls for making working space safe have been
lost in din of the ‘nothing unusual’ refrain, by
Ankit Khadgi (kp), Victims
of negligence : Most of the relief work usually falls on
the shoulders of ordinary citizens rather than the state
(kp), Working-journalists
Association demands probe over Civil Hospital’s neglect
to treat journo (kh) [Rejected
for reasons of caste??], Civil
society representatives protest life threatening remarks
of sitting minster (kh), The
scars of war : Two siblings who survived a Maoist attack
in 2002 speak of their long struggle and hopes for the
future, by Sahina Shrestha (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
20/01/2022: Panel
to ask PM on inclusive, proportional system in envoy
appointment (ht), Democracy
in political parties : Why do the same leaders continue?,
by Krishna Man Pradhan (ht), Minister
Renu Yadav gives provocative statement; threatens to
kill CK Raut (kh) [If the
minister has really expressed this in such a way, she is
no longer sustainable for a minute and should be
dismissed immediately!], Nepal’s
sitting minister threatens to repeat the ‘Gaur
massacre’: Here’s the story of the 2007 carnage and
impunity that followed : Since 2007, victims of the
carnage have been demanding justice but to no avail,
by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), No
China involvement is India’s caveat for buying power
from Nepali plants : The southern neighbour has but one
concern about buying electricity—who is helping develop
projects in Nepal, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp) [Interference by both India and the
U.S. in the context of their own anti-China interests!],
New
school reform plan set for rollout despite two previous
flops : A 10-year Rs953.43b Education Sector Plan will
come into action in July, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Prioritise
Public Education, by Umesh Raj Regmi (rn), Queues
and chaos : Every wave seems to expose our lack of
preparedness, always leaving things to be done at the
eleventh hour (kp), Quick
and effective decisions : The government should show how
its policy decisions can create changes on the ground in
favour of farmers, by Madhukar Upadhya (kp), Have
No Dilemma On Local Polls, by Mukti Rijal (rn), Shocking
revelation : It proves that the persons assigned to
vaccinate the public had sold them in the black market
for personal gain (ht), Dahal
proposes to hold general election in April-May, by
Ameet Dhakal (Setopati), संवैधानिक
व्यवस्थाअनुसार ६ महिनाभित्र स्थानीय निर्वाचन गर्न सकिन्छ
: दाहाल (ka)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
19/01/2022: Constitutional
and legal contradictions surface amid local election
talks : Some parties in the ruling coalition appear to
be in bid to exploit the loopholes to delay local level
polls, which have been proposed by the poll body for
April-May, by Anil Giri (kp), The
Election Commission should be allowed to decide when it
wants to hold the polls (kp), Provinces,
local units rely heavily on Kathmandu for resources :
Sub-national governments have been forced to compromise
on their autonomy in decision-making due to their
over-reliance for resources on the federal government,
experts say, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Redrawing
the map : Territorial issues between countries are as
challenging to resolve as claims over land ownership
between squabbling siblings, by CK Lal (kp), Internally
democratic : Nepal’s political parties are required to
ensure inclusive, decentralized democratic processes in
their internal functioning but they remain highly
centralized, by Sambridh Ghimire (rec) [Today's male party leaders are neither willing nor
able to do this! They see themselves as the only
rightful and godlike owners of Nepal!]
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
18/01/2022: Children
without father or born through second marriages deprived
of birth registration : Many children are stateless as
they are unable to get citizenship certificates due to
lack of birth registration documents issued by ward
office, by Amrita Anmol (kp) [How
can a state that calls itself a democratic
constitutional state deny citizenship to children
because their parents were not legally married to each
other? This is a serious violation of international law!],
Ruling
alliance agrees to hold local polls in April (nlt),
Experts
call for bringing India, China on board to resolve
Kalapani row : Modi statement on Lipulekh has created
fresh uproar, with Delhi, Kathmandu issuing statements
one after another, by Anil Giri (kp), Stagflation
looms large : Decreasing remittances, dwindling forex
reserves and widening balance of payment deficit are
impossible to be reversed overnight, by Achyut Wagle
(kp), The
lasting scars of war: sexual violence during the
conflict : Fifteen years since the 10-year conflict
ended, there is no justice and little peace for victims
of rape and sexual violence, by Ameesha Rayamajhi
and Deepesh Shrestha (rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
17/01/2022: Fake
stories on MCC Vs nationalism: Readers confused with
eye-popping headlines (kh), Mass
meetings, rallies and gatherings banned until Feb 12
(kh), Nepal
reeling under fertilizer shortage as China reluctant to
supply it on time : 38,500 metric tons of fertilizer
stuck in China, by Eak Raj Bastola (kh), Deuba
in poll dilemma— whether to listen to his party or
alliance partners : At least two parties in his
coalition want three tiers of elections in one go.
Congress thinks otherwise, by Anil Giri (kp), Migrants
return : The reverse movement of migrants can be
perceived either as a problem or an opportunity by the
authorities (kp),
UML seeks government accountability while it holds the
House of Representatives hostage : A dysfunctional
Parliament is unlikely to convene meetings anytime soon
amid Covid-19 scare, by Binod Ghimire (kp), CK
Raut-led Janamat party announces protest programs
(kh), Janakpur
voted permanent capital of State 2 (kh), The
bitter struggle behind sweet sugar: Is the industry on
the verge of collapse? Sugar mills are crushing farmers
instead of sugarcane, while the successive governments
stand as mute spectators secretly serving the crony
capitalists while ignoring the farmers who are fighting
for justice (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
16/01/2022: Rights
violation of women, children worrisome (ht), FDI
in first five months of current FY increases by 49.6
percent; Govt’s capital expenditure stands at 13.44
percent (kh), Govt’s
capital expenditure stood only 13.44 percent in the
first half of current FY, less than last year’s 14.4
percent (rep), NA
Meeting Scheduled For Monday Postponed Again (rn), HoR
meeting postponed due to COVID-19 (kh), COVID-19
third wave: Political leaders in isolation (kh), Government
reiterates Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh belong to
Nepal (kh), Lipulekh,
Limpiyadhura and Kalapani integral parts of Nepal:
Government : Nepal government has been requesting Indian
government to stop unilateral construction/expansion of
any road that goes via Nepali territory, Minister Karki
says (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
15/01/2022: Division
over local level poll dates as two ruling parties press
for delays : CPN-UML for Election Commission-proposed
dates while the Congress wants fresh discussion with
political forces, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Calls
grow in ruling parties for Deuba to speak up on Lipulekh
: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is under pressure to
respond to Modi’s statement on India’s road expansion
through the territory that Nepal has included in its map,
by Anil Giri (kp), Media
for Deep Democratization : Democratization should not be
misunderstood as merely creating more structures,
populating them and pursuing ritual elections, by
Mohan Nepali (rep), Public
Space Makes Authority Responsible, by Dev Raj Dahal
(rn), Janamat
Party stages protest rally in Gaur (ht), Six
months in power: Deuba Government has been a monumental
failure : Here is a list of major failures that mark the
six months in office of Prime Minister Deuba, by
Nishan Khatiwada (nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
14/01/2022: Amid
a virus crisis, Nepalis grapple with an inflation burst
: Inflation hits a 64-month high to 7 percent. Prices
are going through the roof, which could affect the
overall standards of living and hamstring economic
growth, by Krishana Prasain (kp), Nepal’s
economy’s facing hard time: Former Finance Minister Dr.
Lohani (kh), Economic
forecast : For a country like Nepal to fully return to
the pre-pandemic level, the govt needs to vaccinate its
total eligible population (ht), Gamgadhi
fire victims shiver under flimsy tents in winter chill :
A massive fire on November 15 last year had destroyed 21
houses in the Mugu district headquarters, by Raj
bahadur Shahi (kp) [Failure of
the Deuba government to provide assistance! The party
convents were probably more important!], New
virus wave hits political meetings, gatherings : Cabinet
has not been able to meet since January 5. With their
leaders in isolation, political parties have postponed
scheduled events, by Anil Giri (kp), The
right to live : The misuse of technology to enforce
sex-selective abortion needs to stop (kp), Nepal’s
global image : There is no logic that resource-rich
Nepal should remain at a lower rung of the development
ladder indefinitely, by Yagya Bahadur Hamal (kp), Will
the current coalition continue until the next election?
CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) are the
biggest advocates of sustaining the coalition until the
elections as if their existence would be endangered if
they compete in the election under the respective party
banners, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Nepal’s
ruling party Nepali Congress asks New Delhi to
immediately stop road construction in the Lipulekh area
: Nepali Congress has categorically claimed that
Lipulek, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani are Nepal’s territory
and India should respect historical evidence (nlt),
Lessons
still not learnt : On National Earthquake Safety Day on
15 January, let us remember that the 2015 quake taught
us to be better prepared (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
13/01/2022: Nepal
failed in preventing Covid deaths and addressing rights
challenges: HRW (kp) [see HRW
report on Nepal], Gender
bias forcing women into sex-selective abortions :
Sex-selective abortions are illegal in Nepal but are
still widely practised for preference of sons over
daughters, rights activists say, by Rupa Gahatraj
and Aakash Chaudhary (kp), Deuba’s
six months in office: A poor show of governance : There
is not much for the government to boast about on any
front, observers and analysts say, by Anil Giri
(kp), Poor
families yet to get one-time grant of Rs10,000 : Those
receiving the government incentive must be willing to
work voluntarily in the future under the Prime Minister
Self Employment Programme, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp), Dang
police office registers complaint in conflict-era
disappearance case : Victims are losing hope in
transitional justice bodies and are turning to regular
justice process, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Covid
surge threatens to hinder Nepal’s economic recovery :
Nepal’s economy has been estimated to grow 3.9 percent
this fiscal year, unchanged from its June 2021 outlook,
the World Bank says in its Global Economic Prospects
report, by Sangam Prasain (kp), Inflation
soars to 7.11 percent in the fifth month of current FY,
general people hit hard as prices of daily essentials
reach five-year high (rep), Inflation
on the rise, remittance dwindling and foreign exchange
reserve depleting (kh), MCC,
Indo-PacificStrategy and Nepal-US Relations, by Dron
Lamichhane (rep), Civil
Society At The Crossroads, by Mukti Rijal (rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
12/01/2022: Supreme
Court orders immediate distribution of senior citizen
allowance (kh), Two
major Madhes-based parties in crisis : Disputes deepen
in Upendra Yadav’s Janata Samajbadi Party and Mahantha
Thakur’s Loktantrik Samajbadi Party over key
appointments (kp), Nepal
Faces New Geopolitical Reality, by Yuba Nath Lamsal
(rn), Investigation
stopped : It seems that the attorney's office is under
pressure from the powers that be which do not want the
case to move forward (ht), Why
case filing in document forgery in Lalita Niwas land
grab scam has been delayed : Police submitted documents
so as to move case by January 11; district attorney
office returns it for more investigation, says statute
of limitations not applicable, by Prithvi Man
Shrestha (kp), Country
in crisis: Need for responsible Opposition, government,
by Jiba Raj Pokharel (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
11/01/2022: Cronyism
in Nepali politics : The government instead of acting as
a neutral player seems instead to be a puppet in the
hands of a few individuals (kp), Divisive
politics : The disillusionment campaign begins in an
election year with millions of first-time voter, by
Sujeev Shakya (kp), Nepal’s
democracy, political parties and internal politics,
by Raghab Sharma (kh), Second
wave caught Nepal unawares. No lessons learned a year
later : No strategies made to fight new surge when there
was lull despite warnings of an explosion of infections,
experts say, by Arjun Poudel (kp), Prithivi
Jayanti and National Unity Day: Unity in Diversity,
by Shankar Man Singh (rep), Enhancing
the Dialogue Efficiency of Political Parties in Nepal,
by Dev Raj Dahal (tn), That
iconic portrait of Prithvi Narayan Shah, by Pranaya
Shamsher JB Rana (rec)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
10/01/2022: As
cases rise, Covid response agency recommends slew of new
measures : Limiting gatherings to 25 people, school
closure until January-end, and vaccination cards at
public places, among the suggested measures, by
Arjun Poudel (kp), Education
Ministry decides to close schools until Jan 29 (kh),
Nepal’s
mask-averse politicians : On most occasions, Nepali
leaders barely cover their nose and mouth, while they
often play fast and loose with health safety protocols,
disregarding the virus threat, by Tika R Pradhan
& Binod Ghimire (kp) [At the
same time, politicians continue to call for mass
meetings. This can be called irresponsible at best, but
it is more criminal!], Control
the spread : To break the chain of spread requires a
concerted effort of the authorities and the entire
community (kp), He
was murdered for his fight to save environment. Justice
eludes his family two years on : Justice has not been
served in Omprakash (Dilip) Mahato’s murder. Instead,
the victim’s family faces false allegations, by
Tufan Neupane (kp)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
09/01/2022: Need
for openness in governance : The age of democratic
accountability in Nepal also needs to emphasise citizen
engagement, by Taranath Dahal (kp), PM
Deuba intensifies efforts to ratify MCC (kh),
Deuba
makes overtures to Oli over House obstruction, MCC : UML
chair says position remains the same on both issues,
by Anil Giri (kp), Senior
leaders in isolation after Dahal tests positive for
Covid-19 : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other
ruling alliance leaders were present in two meetings on
Thursday and Friday attended by the Maoist chair, by
Tika R Pradhan (kp), Taking
economic growth rate to 7 percent is challenging:
Governor Adhikari (kh), Political
leadership’s myopic vision impeding national drive for
development: Dr. Bhattarai (kh), Ward
member, teacher arrested for settling rape case
involving 77-year-old woman (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
08/01/2022: Health
institutions in Achham reel under lack of infrastructure
and manpower : There are more than 500 health
institutions in the district and none of them is
equipped to provide essential services, by Menuka
Dhungana (kp), Dilapidated
Salyan Prison overcrowded with inmates : The
stone-and-mud building with four rooms shelters 129
inmates, including 22 women and three of their children,
by Biplab Mahrajan (kp), Govt
mulls closing int'l border, suspending flights to and
from Nepal as COVID-19 cases see a fresh spike
(rep), Oli
has held parliament hostage: NC General Secretary Thapa
(rep), Why
are some countries rich and others poor?, by
Vaishally Shah (rep), Perils
Of Pre-Political Politics, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn), CCMCC
decides to close schools till Jan 29 in view of surging
COVID-19 cases : Vaccination card made mandatory at
public places, including airports (kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
07/01/2022: Despite
constitutional mandate, women’s representation in Nepali
politics remains minimal, by Anushka Nepal (nlt), 90
percent employed women are working informally in Nepal :
Women informal sector workers share a disproportionate
burden of unpaid care work and family responsibilities
that limit their job opportunities, by Aakriti
Ghimire (kp), Declining
standards of journalism : Spreading misinformation
affects media credibility and harms all democratic
institutions, by Ila Sharma (kp), Battling
the Shame of Periods Stain : Why cannot we just
normalize a period stain? Why do girls have to be
ashamed of something biological and completely natural?,
by Jyoti Sharma (rep), Ruling,
opposition parties doing little to end stalemate, by
Ram Kumar Kamat (ht), Study
shows only 0.30 % of news stories in Nepali media have
bylines of women journalists (rep) [see corresponding
report], Volatile
Mix of Politics and Religion : Local elections this year
will be a kind of referendum on federalism and
secularism (nt), Clean
up elections to clean up politics : In a democracy,
elections force accountability but the voting process
itself needs to be overhauled, by Shristi Karki (nt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
06/01/2022: The
fire of Hindutva upsurge : The combustible mixture of
religion and politics is likely to widen the gulf
between different communities, by CK Lal (kp), Despite
current calm, standoff in Supreme Court portends larger
complications : Constitutional Bench is unable to sit,
Judicial Council is ineffective and Judicial Service
Commission hasn’t met, delaying judges’ appointments,
promotions and transfers, by Binod Ghimire (kp) [Since the beginning of KP Oli's
authoritarian and anti-democratic actions, Nepal has
increasingly been showing signs of a failing state!],
No
encouragement for start-ups : Strategies must be put in
place to provide a conducive environment to allow the
youths to thrive (kp), Industry
and commerce in disarray due to headless ministry : The
Deuba administration has not appointed a new industry
minister since the previous incumbent left office last
May, by Krishana Prasain (kp), All
officials, except two, at Maoist Center’s central office
test positive for COVID19 : Maoist Center Chair
Prachanda isolating himself from today itself (kh),
Is
Landlockedness a Boon or a Curse for Nepal? Changing the
Grand Narrative, by Pradip Kumar Kafle (rep), Charge-sheet
ready : Land mafias would not have dared grab the govt
land without a nexus of the politicians, bureaucrats and
even justices (ht), Nepal
as a battleground in the era of ‘Great Power
Competition’, by Rajan Karki (tn), Burning
despair : The recent law on acid attacks is a step in
the right direction but it would’ve gone a longer way
had it also accounted for burn survivors, by Marissa
Taylor (rec), What
if… (local) elections cannot be held on time?, by
Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae), Nepal’s
federal provinces: Missed opportunities, by Thira
Lal Bhusal (ae)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
05/01/2022: Nepal
can do much better : Journalists and state agencies are
both to blame for the low ranking in the press freedom
index, by Bhanu Bhakta Acharya (kp), Nepal
emerging as a transit and destination country for forced
labor and sex trafficking: Report. The study has also
found out that traffickers have also been operating
under the cover of educational consultancies to lure
young children to go abroad for education (nlt) [see
corresponding World
Bank report], Over
4.4 million people involved in informal sector face
vulnerabilities, by Eak Raj Bastola (kh), All
you need to know about National Assembly elections : 19
members will be elected on January 26 to replace those
who are retiring on March 4 (kp), Their
five-year terms are ending but most local units still
don’t own office buildings : Federal officials blame
lack of funds and unresolved issues at the local level,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp), Women’s
Battle For Leadership, by Namrata Sharma (rn), 128
Landslide Survivors In Nawalparasi Continue To Spend
Night In Open (rn), Chinese
Ambassador Hou meets MCC Task Force Coordinator Khanal
(kh), What
is CK Raut up to? After earning opprobrium for being a
secessionist for a long time and then receiving praises
for joining mainstream politics respecting Nepali
sovereignty, CK Raut is again in the headlines. Is he
doing politics the right way?, by Nishan Khatiwada
(nlt)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
04/01/2022: Nepal's
federalism: Time for a review : The first elected local
governments under the federal constitution promulgated
in 2015 are near completion of their five-year tenure,
by Achyut Wagle (kp), And
the chairman proclaimed: ‘I am the chairman; elect me’ :
The Maoist Centre convention is much ado about nothing,
as its sole aim was to reinstall Dahal as leader,
insiders and observers say, by Tika R Pradhan (kp),
Convention
of appointees : The message from the jamborees is a
preview of what to expect during the general elections
(kp) [Voters shall once again only be allowed to choose
between the old and repeatedly failed politicians who do
not represent society in terms of gender or ethnicity.
All parties agree on this! What kind of democracy is
this anyway?], Major
parties pick candidates as they brace for National
Assembly elections : Prospects grim for UML. Except in
Province 1, ruling alliance controls enough weight to
beat the main opposition party, by Anil Giri (kp), EC
dismisses Milan Pandey's complaint (rep)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
03/01/2022: Electoral
Integrity: A Crucial Aspect of Sustaining Democracy,
by Rajaram Bartaula (rep), Hope
and despair : Beneath their tall claims, politicians
desire to attain power at any cost (kp), Maoists
pledged to uplift marginalised. And they further
marginalised them : Dalits in party are questioning if
they are going to get the promised space, as they are
left out of committees now, by Tika R Pradhan (kp),
Deuba
accused of nominating only supporters to Congress
central committee : Among 13 nominated, just two, or
mere 15 percent, are women, by Binod Ghimire (kp), Deconstructing
Political Hierarchy, by Madhav Prasad Aryal (rn), Stop
interfering : Frustration runs high among those police
personnel who don't have the connections or money to
influence their promotions and transfers (ht), Ruling
coalition shares seats in National Assembly : To jointly
field candidates in NA poll (kh)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
02/01/2022: Police
open fire on CK Raut’s party cadres, five injured
(kh) [The police shot at these
people just because they were demonstrating? Not even in
the case of damage to property would the use of firearms
have been appropriate!], At
least 16 injured as Janamat Party cadres clash with
security personnel in Dhanusa : Eight security personnel
and eight party cadres have been injured so far.
Authorities are still trying to bring the situation
under control, said police (kp), Desmond
Tutu and Nepal : Tutu’s death has become an occasion of
soul-searching in tackling the multiple whammies, by
Abhi Subedi (kp), Wake
up from this dreamy world : Ours is a country where
personal interests always take precedence over national
interests, by Tim Gurung (kp) [And
all the failed "top politicians"! are so ignorant and
refuse to understand that they have to go if they want
to finally do the country a service!], Maoist
Path Of Revolution : Who Will Bell The Cat?, by Ritu
Raj Subedi (rn), Follow
Einstein’s Socialism, by Parmeshwar Devkota (rn), Incidents
Of Violation Of Press Freedom Increasing (rn), Over
9,000 crimes against women in five months (ht), End
interference in security bodies, CIAA tells home
ministry (ht)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
01/01/2022: Extrajudicial
killings and the wait for justice : Unlawful executions by
police, especially in the Tarai, have continued despite
rights organisations including the United Nations calling
on Nepal to act to stop them, by Tufan Neupane (kp), Press
freedom violation cases on the rise (ht), Call
for more inclusive media in terms of content,
participation (ht), Hostility
to media continues even as instances of press freedom
violation see a decline in 2021 (rep), Nepal
unique in guaranteeing women’s rights: PM Deuba (kh) [No, Mr Deuba, the opposite is the
case!], 434
at risk of trafficking rescued (rep), Looking
back at 2021: The year not to be forgotten in politics :
The year 2021 witnessed a lot of unpleasant and
unfortunate political events that are going to shape
Nepal’s politics in 2022, by Nishan Khatiwada (nlt), Election
process for National Assembly polls begins from today
(kh), Politics
in 2021 : Democracy was saved but hope is all we have,
by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep), Civic
Face Of Constitutional Democracy, by Dev Raj Dahal
(rn)
see also news programmes of Kantipur TV : morning
(English), evening
(Nepali)
|
Timetable
6025
|
days
since Delhi agreement of political parties
|
5873
|
days
since the people forced King Gyanendra to end his putsch
|
5661
|
days
since Comprehensive Peace Agreement; government, leading
party politicians, former Maoists and army leaders still
prevent conclusion of the peace process
|
5606
|
days
since promulgation of the Interim Constitution
|
5156
|
days
since elections to CA-I
|
4525
|
days
since CA-I committees presented suggestions for the new
constitution (discussion in CA prevented by leading male
high caste politicians)
|
3764
|
days
since SRC presented suggestions for the federal structure
(majority suggestion rejected by Nepali Congress)
|
3647
|
days
since dissolution of CA-I (followed by constitutional
chaos, usurpation of power by top politicians and
government under the Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi)
|
3106
|
days
since elections to CA-II
|
2677
|
days
since promised Constitution by CA-II failed in time
|
2540
|
days
since non-inclusive deal by male Tagadhari leaders of the
three big parties
|
2436
|
days
since promulgation of non-inclusive and until today not
really implemented constitution through illegal procedure
(text
of constitution)
|
2310
|
days
since unilateral and non-inclusive first amendment of the
new constitution
|
1582
|
days
since the federal system should have been implemented;
still missing: numerous laws, infrastructure, fiscal
regulations, staff, naming of Province 1, etc.
|
1557
|
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
|
0880
|
days
since the Samajbadi Party Nepal left the coalition
government after PM Oli refused any discussion to make the
constitution more inclusive though this promise had been
decisive for cooperation
|
0518
|
days
since PM Oli putsched and tried to destroy the democratic
system with the help of President Bidya Devi Bhandari
|
0453
|
days
since the Supreme Court confirmed the deliberate
unconstitutionality of Oli's procedure : Oli continued to
reject personal consequences and further destroyed
democracy and state
|
0441
|
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
|
0314
|
days
since the Supreme Court reinstated the House of
Representatives again and ordered the replacement of Prime
Minister KP Oli by Sher Bahadur Deuba; still no
perspective; disregard of constitution and democratic
principles
|
|