KATHMANDU, May 2: A meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party Secretariat has decided to call the standing committee meeting on May 7.

According to party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha, the Secretariat will meet again a day before the standing committee meeting to prepare for the next day.

The meeting has also decided to induct Bam Dev Gautam to the House of Representatives “in the appropriate time”.

According to Shrestha, Prime Minister and Party Chair KP Sharma Oli and another Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ took to self-criticism over the shortcomings made by the government and the party, and pledged to not indulge in any activity that could bring division in the party.

Accordingly, directives shall be issued to other party leaders and cadres to follow suit.

KATHMANDU, March 4: The government has re-appointed Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada as the Minister for Finance on Wednesday.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Khatiwada as the minister upon the recommendation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in line with the Article 78 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal, which provisions the appointment of a non-parliament member as a minister.

The government has also re-handed him the duty of the Communication and Information Technology Ministry.

Khatiwada has been heading both Ministries since the resignation of former minister Gokul Baskota following the bribe controversy before he resigned yesterday after his two-year term at the National Assembly expired. He was nominated as the NA member by the president upon the recommendation of the government on Feb 21, 2018.

Khatiwada, as per Article 78 (2) must obtain the membership of the federal parliament within six months from the date of the oath-taking or he will not be qualified to be reappointed as the minister. He is scheduled to take the office of oath and secrecy from the president today afternoon itself.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party Secretariat has nominated party Vice-chair Bam Dev Gautam as the upper house member to fill the remaining one vacant position replacing Khatiwada.

But Prime Minister Oli has backed Khatiwada for re-nomination to the upper house and has been refusing to recommend Gautam to the president despite the party pressure.

KATHMANDU, March 3: The two-year tenure of the nineteen members of the 59-member National Assembly, including Finance Minister Yuvaraj Khatiwada, is expiring today.

The departing lawmakers include Nepal Communist Party’s Haricharan Shiwakoti, Balram Baskota, Mina Budha, Yutol Tamang, Raj Kumar Kunwar, Kamala Kumari Oli, Kali Bahadur Malla and Khemraj Nepali; Nepali Congress (NC)’s Surendra Raj Pandey, Sarita Prasain, Binda Devi Ale, Badri Pandey, Mukta Kumari Yadav and Dhan Kumari Khatiwada; Rastriya Janata Party Nepal’s Brisesh Chandra Lal and Ramesh Prasad Yadav; and Samajbadi Party’s Ram Prit Paswan.

The opposition party’s lawmaker Durga Prasad Upadhyay, who term is also expiring today, died of cancer last month.

Article 86 (3) of the Consitution of Nepal states that term of office of the one-third of the NA shall expire in two years, another one-third in four years and the tenure of the final one-third will be six years.

The arrangement of their retirement was made by drawing lots.

The National Assembly Election held in Jan 23 has already elected 18 new lawmakers to replace them. One will be nominated by President Bidya Devi Bhandari upon the recommendation of the government.

The constitution provisions election of 56 members by an electoral college composed of members of the State Assembly, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the Village Bodies, and Mayors and Deputy-Mayors of the Municipalities while three, including a woman, are nominated the President.

Bimala Paudyal and Ramnaraya Bidari are other member nominated under President quota.

The ruling party Secretariat has already picked party Vice-president Bam Dev Gautam, who had lost the 2017 parliamentary election to NC’s Sanjay Gautam from Bardiya-2, to replace Katiwada despite objections from Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli.

The party has been pressuring Oli to recommend him to the President. But, the prime minister has insisted he has already recommended Khatiwada for renomination. 

CHITWAN, Feb 28: Nepal Communist Party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ believes Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli will recommend Bam Dev Gautam for the National Assembly as decided by the party secretariat.

“The party secretariat unanimously decided to nominate Gautam as the NA member. The prime minister must abide by the decision and he will,” said Dahal speaking at a press conference organized by Press Organization Chitwan in Bharatpur on Friday.

The conflict among the top guns of the ruling party has reached at its peak of late after the party secretariat nominated Gautam to the upper house against the will of PM Oli, who wants to renominate Finance Minister Khatiwada.

Oli has already informed that he had already forwarded Khatiwada’s name to the Office of President for nomination.

“Khatiwada can continue heading ministry for at least six months even if he is not renominated,” Dahal added.

When asked what happens if the prime minister does not recommend Gautam to the upper house, he said, “Let’s not talk about that. I cannot believe the prime minister will disobey the decision of secretariat meeting we both chaired.”

Dahal had lobbied for the constitution amendment making Gautam eligible to become the prime minister. However, the planned three-member task force was dissolved before it was formed owing to public outcry and criticisms within the party.

Gautam had also put forth the condition of the constitutional amendment when the party asked him to become the upper house member.

“The last secretariat meeting removed such condition,” said Dahal.

Dahal also denied reports that he and some secretariat members held meeting with some industrialists before nominating Gautam.

“The reports are baseless. I will congratulate them if anyone brings proof about the meeting,” he said.

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: The Nepal Communist Party Secretariat Wednesday nominated party Vice-chair Bam Dev Gautam as the National Assembly member but Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is unlikely to take him to the upper house.

Gautam’s name was finalized against Oli’s will and the chair has warned he would renominate Finance Minister Yuvaraj Khatiwada who two-year tenure as due to expire next week. He was appointed to the upper house by the president upon the recommendation of the Oli government. 

Oli has fallen into minority especially after Pushpa Kamal Dahal was named the executive chair of the party in return for letting the Prime Minister lead the government for a full five-year term. Previously, the two chair duo had reached a secret deal to head the government for an equal period.

And most of the secretariat members except Ishwar Pokhrel have aligned with Dahal of late, most of the decisions including the election of Agni Sapkota as Speaker have been taken against Oli’s will.

Sources have claimed that Dahal, senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhav Nepal and Gautam had assembled at Dahal’s residence in Khumaltar before the secretariat meeting.

He had also warned the secretariat members he would not tolerate any conspiracies against him during the meeting, according to reports.

“If you have already decided to nominate Gautam to National Assembly, lets nominate him.”

“But I am ready to face the challenge.”

Soon after the meeting, Oli had called senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and warned him the Council of Minister would not recommend Gautam for the vacant president quota. 

And it was Dahal who proposed Gautam’s name for the upper house and, as well as a plan for constitution amendment clearing the way for Gautam, who lost the 2017 parliamentary election, to head the government in the capacity of prime minister.

However, the plan was not materialized as the secretariat dissolved the planned three-member taskforce comprising of Nepal, Subash Nembang and Khimlal Devkota before it was even formed owing to criticisms within the party and public outcry.

Oli has accused his rival faction of forwarding Gautam’s name in the influence of some industrialists who are unhappy with Finance Minister Khatiwada.

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: The Nepal Communist Party has decided to nominate Bam Dev Gautam as a National Assembly (NA) member on Wednesday.

A secretariat meeting of the ruling party held in Baluwatar took the decision.

Gautam will be nominated to the upper house by President Bidya Devi Bhandari upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. He will succeed NA member and incumbent Minister for Finance Yubaraj Khatiwada whose two year tenure is due to expire next month.

The meeting has also dissolved the task force formed to carry out necessary homework to amend the constitution paving way for a NA member to become the head of the government, according to party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

The decision to dissolve the three-member task force led by Madhav Kumar Nepal has dashed Gautam’s hopes to become the prime minister. Gautam has demanded an amendment in the Article 76 which only allows the member of House of Representatives to become the prime minister.

The election of the upper house held on Jan 23 has already elected 18 members to replace the outgoing 19 member in the 59-member National Assembly.

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: Nepal Communist Party leader Ram Narayan Bidari backed the party’s plan of constitution amendment to license an upper house member to become the prime minister.

The ruling party has formed a three-member task force led by senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to explore the possibilities of constitution amendment so that Bam Dev Gautam, soon to be National Assembly member under president quota, could be a candidate for the post of head of the government.

Gautam, who had lost the 2017 parliamentary election, was proposed as NA member by a section of the party close of Executive Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ making him eligible for the post of prime minister.

Article 76 of the Constitution of Nepal states that the President shall appoint the leader of a parliamentary party that commands a majority in the House of Representatives as the Prime Minister. A National Assembly could only be appointed as a minister or a deputy prime minister. 

“In several countries, the constitution allows the members of both upper and lower house to become a prime minister,” said Bidari.

“The constitution is a changeable document,” he added.

However, the party’s bid of constitution amendment just to serve the interest of an individual politician or small portion of the party is in the brink collapse as two members of the task force Subash Nembang and Khimlal Devkota refused to be a part of the committee.

They have argued that amending the constitution to serve individual interest will invite serious damages in the long run.

Nepal had reached Baluwatar late Tuesday evening after Nembang and Devkota pulled out of the task force. 

The party standing committee also rejected the proposal outright, and the proposal has been taken to the party secretariat, where the majority of the nine members are in alignment with Dahal.

According to leader Raghuji Panta, none of the secretariat members had opposed the proposal to amend the constitution.

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Power-hungry Bam Dev’s personal interest frustrates party leaders

KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam’s hunger for power and continuous push for the constitution amendment only to pave way for him to become the prime minister is taking a toll in the ruling party.

Gautam, who had expressed a desire to become the prime minister before the 2017 election, lost to Nepali Congress candidate Sanjay Gautam from Bardiya-1 and failed to become a House of Representatives member.

But his desire for prime minister’s post has continued. 

The party had even convinced the Kathmandu-7 House member Ram Bir Manandhar to resign so that it could be field Gautam from the constituency, but the plans did not materialize owing to criticisms within the party.

A central committee meeting of the ruling party amended the party statute clearing the way for Gautam to become the vice-chair. He was recently elevated to the post.

But this has not filled Gautam’s stomach.

The party recently decided to recommend Gautam as the National Assembly member, but he is demanding an amendment to the constitution fit to his desire, paving way for a National Assembly member to become the prime minister.

The Election Commission recently conducted the election of the 59-member NA to replace the 19 members whose tenure is due to expire next month. The ruling NCP won 18 seats and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, who dramatically announced an electoral alliance with the ruling party on the eve of the elections, won two. 

Gautam will be appointed as the NA member by the president.

Article 76 of the Constitution of Nepal states that the President shall appoint the leader of a parliamentary party that commands a majority in the House of Representatives as the Prime Minister. A National Assembly could only be appointed as a minister or a deputy prime minister.

The ruling party on Monday formed a three-member task force under the leadership of senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to hold consultations and provide suggestions for amending the constitution. Subash Nembang and Khimlal Devkota are other members.

Oli, whose position in the party has weakened recently, is already in minority in the nine-member secretariat. Majority of the secretariat members including Gautam have aligned with party executive chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who also share good relation with Nepal.

The exercise has been described as Oli’s move to win the favor of Gautam even though the prime minister, according to party sources, does not want an amendment. 

And the amendment plans which only benefit the interest of an individual has upset the leaders within the party. 

Nembang, who is loyal to Oli, was surprised to learn about the task force. Nembang argued that the constitution cannot be amended to serve the interest of one person.

NCP standing committee member Keshav Badal warned that the move could blow serious damage to the party reputation.

Furthermore, NCP does not have a two-third majority to amend the constitution. Samajbadi Party quit the government after Oli refused Upendra Yadav’s proposal to form an expert recommendation committee to do homework for the constitution amendment during a cabinet meeting.

Although Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) share a close relationship with the ruling party of late, the regional party is unlikely to support the amendment proposal only to clear the way for Gautam to become the prime minister since RJPN itself has a long list of issues which remain unaddressed for years.

Also, the ruling party should not forget that amendment in the constitution just to serve the interest of a small portion of the party could anger the public who have been deprived of their rights and privileges. 

KATHMANDU, Feb 14: Nepal Communist Party Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam’s Valentine’s Day celebration photo has gone viral in social media.

In the photo posted by his son Haris Gautam on his Facebook, the senior leader of the ruling party is seen kneeling down offering a red rose to his spouse Tulasa Thapa as he celebrates his affection for his wife.

“We are nothing in comparison to romantic father and mother,” wrote Haris.

KATHMANDU, Oct 17: Nepal Communist Party (NCP) co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will be the prime minister of Nepal once K P Sharma Oli completes two-and-half-year at the office, said leader Bam Dev Gautam.

“The party is ready to implement the agreement reached between Oli and Dahal during the unification between former UML and Maoist Center. Both the chairs respect the agreement,” said Gautam during an interview Janata Janna Chahanchan.

According to the “secret agreement”, the two chairs have agreed to lead the government “based on equality for equal periods of time”.

Dahal, in a television interview with Dhamala in early June, had said Prime Minister Oli would respect the agreement and was optimistic about getting the premiership after Oli completes two-and-half-year.

“When Oli completes half term, Prachanda will be the prime minister,” he said.

Gautam also claimed that NCP is the only force that can take the country to complete socialism.

“Nepal will be declared socialism within three years,” he said.