By Nishan Khatiwada in The Kathmandu Post, May 02, 2023The wirter is a reporter covering national politics for The Kathmandu Post.All eyes are now on the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) after it trounced the big political parties in two of the three constituencies in the recently-concluded bypolls. The party has given continuity to its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. With the RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane and Prime Minister Dahal holding two back-to-back talks,…
Posts published in “Nepal”
By Krishana Prasain in The Kathmandu Post, May 02, 2023The writer is a business reporter for The Kathmandu Post covering markets.Chinese authorities have issued a new rule under which Nepali trucks are not allowed to cross the border at Tatopani and their cargo has to be transferred to Chinese trucks for onward transport to points in Tibet, officials said. Nepal’s exports through the Tatopani border point resumed on Monday after eight years, and three goods-laden…
By Sangam Prasain in The Kathmandu Post, May 01, 2023Nepal plunged into its first recession in six decades as economic output continued to be weighed down by inflation and political instability. Economists warn that the country, which is aiming for middle-income status in the next three years, will have a hard time getting out of the slump as political uncertainty, corruption and market and climate vulnerability go deep. As per the National Statistics Office, the…
By Tika R Pradhan in The Kathmandu Post, May 01, 2023Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who was among the chief ideologues of the decade-long Maoist movement, is currently chair of the Nepal Samajbadi Party. His party contested with the symbol of CPN (Maoist Centre) in the November 2022 elections, after severing ties with Upendra Yadav-led Janata Samajbadi Party. Following the promulgation of the constitution, as a political experiment, Bhattarai ditched the mother Maoist party and…
By Nishan Khatiwada in The Kathmandu Post, May 01, 2023The suspense over the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s next move endures. As matters stand, the RSP leadership is keeping its cards too close to its chest—whether it will join the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government or withdraw its support, remains to be seen. The party registered impressive victories in two of the three constituencies in the by-elections. “The prime minister had called to congratulate me. He also inquired…
By Tika R Pradhan in The Kathmandu Post, May 01, 2023Lawyers have started protests from Sunday demanding that the government appoint a new chief justice without further delay. The Nepal Bar Association, the umbrella organisation of lawyers in the country, announced a week-long protest with eight demands including the filling of vacant judge positions and appointment of the chief justice. The ongoing tussle between the ruling coalition and the main opposition CPN-UML has delayed the…
by Nishan Khatiwada in The Kathmandu Post, Apr 30, 2023The newly-emerged Rastriya Swatantra Party stunned the old parties in the recent by-elections, securing landslide victories in two of the three constituencies. Another new force, the Madhesh-based Janamat Party, gave a tough fight to the provincial veteran Upendra Yadav, who was the common candidate of the ruling coalition, in Bara-2. The bypoll results, according to observers, give a clear message to the traditional political parties that…
by Anil Giri in The Kathmandu Post, Apr 30, 2023On Friday, the private secretariat of Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat released a statement stating that China would provide Rs80 billion for the execution of various infrastructure-related projects in Nepal. The commitment was made during a meeting between Mahat and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song at the finance ministry. Officials at the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, told the Post that…
Report in The Kathmandu Post, April 29, 2023The government’s plan to distribute cash relief to disqualified former Maoist combatants has entered Parliament, but no ruling party appears ready to take ownership of the plan. Discussing the matter in the House, several parliamentarians have asked the government to halt the cash relief to disqualified former Maoist combatants who are set to receive Rs200,000 per head. Interestingly, ruling Nepali Congress lawmakers have joined the main opposition CPN-UML…
By Tika R Pradhan in The Kathmandu Post, April 29, 2023After the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won two out of three seats in the by-elections, its chairman Rabi Lamichhane, who took the oath of office and secrecy as a newly-elected lawmaker, said on Friday that his party isn’t thinking of joining the government in its current set-up. With the RSP emerging from the April 23 by-elections with an increased strength, all eyes are now on…
By Tika R Pradhan in The Kathmandu Post, April 28, 2023More than a month after a change in the ruling coalition ahead of the presidential elections, the CPN-UML has lost power in two provinces, resulting in the appointment of new chief ministers on Thursday. Nepali Congress provincial assembly leader Surendra Raj Pandey has been appointed the new chief minister of Gandaki Province while another Congress assembly leader Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary was appointed the chief minister…