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Posts published in “Nepal”

Oli’s offer has Madhav Nepal dreaming of Sheetal Niwas

by Tika R Pradhan in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 22, 2023Former prime minister and CPN (Unified Socialist) chair Madhav Kumar Nepal suddenly finds himself thrust to the spotlight following news reports that CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli has proposed Nepal as a possible presidential candidate. Nepal is also eager to run for the President in a vote scheduled for March 9, but the question remains whether the political parties will agree to make him their…

Congress hopeful of securing presidency after Maoist Centre’s decision

Report in Kathmandu Post, Feb 21, 2023 at 07:34 pmWith the decision of the CPN (Maoist Centre) office bearers on Monday to elect a new President through national consensus, Nepali Congress leaders said they have become more confident about their nominee getting elected to the top post. The presidential election is slated for March 9 and the Maoist Centre has entrusted Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal with the responsibility of taking the final call on…

Maoists cotton to Congress, as Dahal, Oli size each other up

by Tika R Pradhan in The Kanthmandu Post, Feb 21, 2023Even with just four days to go for the filing of nominations for the presidential election, the CPN (Maoist Centre) is still keeping its cards close to its chest. There have been no clear indications about whom it will support as the new head of state, even though the party seems to be inching closer to the Nepali Congress on the issue. Leaders of the…

Nepal’s democratic struggle is long but political gains still under threat

by Nishan Khatiwada in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 20, 2023On Falgun 7, 2007BS, the 104-year-long Rana regime ended in Nepal as the 1950 movement ushered in democracy. Next year, the Interim Government of Nepal Act 1951 was promulgated. It was a landmark achievement. But since then, Nepal’s democracy has experienced many trials and tribulations. Lok Raj Baral, a political analyst, says the establishment of democracy in 1951 opened “our door to light from darkness—of our…

UML’s candidate becomes new president: Chair Oli

report in The Himalayan Times, Feb 20, 2023 Chairperson KP Sharma Oli today reiterated that the candidate fielded by the UML would become the next President. Talking to media at the Biratnagar Airport, the former Prime Minister expressed the hope that there would be a consensus to make the presidential candidate fielded by the UML victorious. Stating the UML would make public the party’s presidential candidate on the day of the nomination registration, he said,…

As big parties argue over consensus President, Loktantrik Samajbadi sees Thakur’s chances

by Nishan Khatiwada in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 19, 2023As the presidential election nears, the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party has been in negotiations with other political parties, projecting the party’s chair Mahantha Thakur as the next president. The discourse of a consensus president is making headlines of late. Thakur is rightly one such candidate, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party leaders say. Party’s executive committee member Keshav Jha said that they have been holding informal talks with the Congress,…

Torture of a student: IU female students start leaving ‘Gana Room’ in fear

report in Prothom Alo, Feb 17, 2023Kushtia: After the news of a harrowing torture on a female student of Islamic University in Kushtia by some leaders-activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders broke, the students of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina hall’s Gana Room are now leaving in fear. The hall authorities, however, do not have any data on the number of students who left hall. Abdur Razzak, an assistant registrar of the hall, told Prothom Alo on…

UML turns to grassroots with alliance on rocks

by Purushottam Poudel in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 17, 2023The second-largest party in the House of Representatives, CPN-UML, has launched a two-month-long campaign called ‘Mission Grassroots’ starting on Friday, to strengthen the party organisation and broaden its ideological base at the local level across the country. On Friday, an orientation event for the leaders who would be working on ‘Mission Grassroots’ will be held in each of the seven provinces. To kickstart the campaign, party…

On presidency, Maoist Centre chair Dahal has feet in two boats

by Tika R Pradhan in the Kathmandu Post, Feb 17, 2023As the nomination day for the presidential election is approaching, the third largest party that leads the current government with the backing of the CPN-UML and later got the support of other parties including the Nepali Congress, the CPN (Maoist Centre) seems inching closer to the Congress. Some leaders of the party said the Maoist Centre could support the Nepali Congress in the presidential polls…

NPP pledges to strip former Presidents and MPs of Govt. benefits if voted into power

report in Daily FT, Feb 15, 2023National People’s Power (NPP) politburo member Sunil Handunetti says that all benefits accorded to former Presidents or their widows through the Presidents Entitlements Act (No. 4 of 1986) have continuously been provided to them over the years despite the situation in the country. He noted that this includes a rent-free house, a monthly salary allowance to maintain a private secretary, an official vehicle and other benefits similar to those…

As presidential vote nears, clouds gather over Maoist-UML alliance

by Tika R Pradhan in The Kathmandu Post, Feb 15, 2023On Monday, Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa claimed the ruling coalition would collapse by February 22. But the Maoist Centre leaders believe the coalition could continue even after a new President is elected through consensus. Thapa’s statement came after his recent meeting with Prime Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal with whom he discussed the presidential elections. “The agreement [to stitch…