KATHMANDU, June 17: Youths took to the streets of the capital on Wednesday as well protesting the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, government’s lackluster response to COVID-19 pandemic, corruption and the Office of President’s spending Rs 10 million in carpets as part of its renovation works during the crisis.

For the past few days, the youths have buzzed the streets in major cities across the country defying the lockdown orders and restrictions in mass gatherings against the government’s activities.

The protest flared after Prime Minister K P Sharma refused to furnish the details of the billions of rupees the government claimed to have spent in the COVID-19 response.

Following the pressure for financial transparency, Prime Minister’s Press Advisor Surya Thapa, in his Facebook page, shared a surface detail of Rs 8.39 billion the government spent in the fight against the pandemic, which according to Thapa, was revealed as per the decision of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Center Directorate Committee. But the information lacks authenticity as the it does not reveal who prepared the expenditure details.

The protesters are also unhappy with the government’s performance to the COVID-19 as the cases continues to surge in the country while quarantine facilities are sub-standard and has become the potential source of infection and cause of deaths. The safety women patients in the quarantine facilities have also been questioned after a woman was gang-raped in a facility set up at Shahid Smriti Secondary School in Lamki Chuha Municipality-1 of Kailali district on Saturday night.

Moreover, they have also demanded the government halt the unreliable RDT tests and expand the PRC testings.

At a time when the government is facing criticism for its incompetence in dealing the pandemic, delay in procurement of testing and protective kits, misuse of funds while the entire country goes through the hardships of crisis, the government’s decision to renovate the Office of President spending around Rs 18 million in carpet replacement and toilet renovation has put the youths out of their house and into the streets with the slogan ‘Enough is enough’.

Here are some photos of the youth demonstrations in Koteshwor captured by Reporters’ Club photo journalist Mukunda Kalikote.

SAGAR KARKI, KATHMANDU, Jan 16: As the two parties of the left alliance CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center), who swept the recently concluded House of Representatives and Province Assembly election, are expediting talks for possible merger, concerns are on the table how the two parties will conclude the power sharing deal and leadership management in the party after merger.

It is almost certain that KP Oli, Chair of UML, which won 80 seats in House of Representatives election under first-past-the-post system, will be the next prime minister. Maoist Center Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal also seems contended with Oli heading the next government. But question also remains on the issue who will head the party?

Maoist leaders have demanded that Dahal should be handed the responsibility of party chair if Oli becomes the prime minister. Even though some leaders of UML seem to have agreed on Dahal heading the party, some leaders such as General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel’s controversial remarks earlier last December that ‘prime minister, party chair and parliamentary party leader should be the same person’, added some mistrust between the two parties. Even though, Pokhrel corrected his statement saying it was his personal opinion, his remarks was one of the recipes for growing speculation on party merger process.

Besides, With President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s tenure due to expire in two months because of constitutional provision, the race for the position of President and House of Speaker are also open.

UML Chair Oli has been in mood to continue Bhandari’s tenure for the second term since she has served for only two years while the first President Ram Baran Yadav served for seven years. Maoist Center Chair Dahal has also made peace with Oli’s mood to continue Bhadari’s tenure for the next five years since Dahal has served no objection on the matter yet.

Also, President’s Bhandari’s hosting of dinner party to the entire family of Dahal and various other leaders of left alliance have also been described by various media as the strategy to lobby her tenure in the position for second term.

But UML sources say that, the UML leaders are divided over whether to continue Bhandari’s term for the second time or select a new leader.

Meanwhile, senior leader of UML, Jhala Nath Khanal and former House Speaker Subash Nembang are also on the fray. Khanal in a recent interview with Rishi Dhamala said that he was ready for any position, whether be it president, prime minister or party chief if the party hands him the responsibility. According to UML sources, Oli, if he cannot continue Bhandari’s tenure, is in the mood to select Subash Nembang for the presidential position.

But, another senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal is lobbying for Khanal for the position saying that Khanal’s proper management is crucial since he has already handled the responsibility of party chair and prime minister previously. According to Nepal, failing to manage Khanal to a dignified post could widen the faction after the unification.

It has also been understood that Chair Dahal is in the mood to lobby Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ for the position.

Likewise, sources have said that voices have been raised to continue Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun’s tenure for the second term as Pun is a Janajati. Similarly, it is almost certain that one from either former Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar or Subash Chandra Nembang will be given the position of House of Speaker.

KATHMANDU, May 4: President Bidya Devi Bhandari will not be casting her vote in the local-level elections scheduled for May 14.

The President is the guardian of the constitution. But she will have to cast vote in favour of a particular political party if she takes part in the election. Hence, she has taken the decision to abstain, the President’s press advisor Madhav Sharma said.
President Bhandari has been registered as a voter at Chapali in ward no. 3 of Budhanilakantha municipality of Kathmandu district. RSS

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has vented ire on one of the top leaders of the country for the major political parties performance, specially on the upcoming CA election.

At a meeting with Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel today, President Yadav expressed his dissatisfaction for major parties’ failure to bring the hardline Baidhya-led CPN-Maoist on board the CA election.

The CPN-Maoist on Tuesday concluded its central committee meeting in Pokhara deciding to concentrate the whole party power in the poll boycott.

“What the High-Level Political Committee is doing,” Poudel quoted Dr Yadav as saying.

President Yadav asked the leaders to take initiative to bring the CPN-Maoist on board the election.

Likewise, President Dr Yadav said that this electoral government should not unveil new policies and programs that have long-term effects.

Updated:

KATHMANDU: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, who has been admitted to the University of Tokyo Hospital in Japan, has been discharged today.

President Dadav has no cancer and his health condition was normal, the Embassy of Nepal, Tokyo, said in a statement citing  Prof Toshiaki Watanabe, vice-director of the hospital.

The President will be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday as medical test reports show his health is normal,” the statement reads. 

The Embassy of Nepal has also thanked to the Government of Japan, University of Tokyo Hospital, Nepalese community in Japan and the Japanese and Nepalese media for their “courtesies, understanding, invaluable support and constant cooperation”.

The President is expected to arrive home on Friday. Dr Yadav had left for Tokyo on June 17  for medical check up by leading a 10-member delegation including his legal advsior.

KATHMANDU: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav is flying to Japan on Monday if possible for his treatment.

Doctors have suggested the President to go to Japan for treatment as it was not possible in Nepal. President Dr Yadav is suspected of having intestine cancer. However, a biopsy would confirm whether he was a cancer diseased or not. 

Earlier, the President visited Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and Grande Hospital, Dhapasi after having some problems in stomach.

The President is scheduled to fly Japan after the government makes all provision for his treatment. A source said that Minister for Health Biddhyadhar Mallik is taking all responsibilities of President Yadav’s treatment from the government side.  

KATHMANDU: Despite massive protest from different sections of civil society and political parties, Acting Chief Justice Damodar Prasad Sharma today administered oath of office and secrecy to Lok Man Singh Karki as the Chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on the presence of Presence of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. Karki was appointed after the approval from the President to the recommendation made by the Constitutional Council (CC).

Similarly, Bhanu Prasad Acharya was appointed Auditor General and Kayo Devi Yami Chief of Public Service Commission (PSC) based on recommendation of the CC.

KATHMANDU: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and CPN (UML) senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal held discussions on the current political stalemate and a way out of this. The discussions took place at the President’s residence, Sheetal Niwas today.

Leader Nepal who had met the UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on this very topic earlier today said that he met with the President for initiatives on a way out from the constitutional and political crises in the country as the President and they were also concerned over the crises.

Senior leader Nepal said that he shared the view with the President and the UCPN (Maoist) chairman that there was no alternative to consensus for breaking the stalemate but any consensus reached when the present government was still intact would not be acceptable to them.

“It has come in the public that the government is thinking of allocating ministries for holding new election. The motive to make the country astray by establishing an upper hand and lingering the crisis would not be allowed to be fulfilled,” he said.

The UML senior leader said that since the country was headed towards constitutional vacuum, the country should be run as per the spirit of the Articles of the constitution and that initiatives for consensus should be taken before the Tihar festivakl by holding serious dialogue from a new level.

Former Prime Minister Nepal suggested that discussions should be held on the legal ways and processes for reaching agreement in a package so that an environment of confidence would be built and election held within April 2013, provided that the present government paved the way for that.

He stated that they also discussed the problem related to the budget. He added that it was beyond imagination that ordinances on the full budget and appointments to the various posts on the constitutional bodies being introduced under this government when even one-third of the budget so far has not been passed.

Leader Nepal said that in the meeting the President expressed his wish that the political parties should hold discussions on ending the political deadlock at the earliest and also the concern that the country should not move towards further crisis. RSS

KATHMANDU: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has asked senior leaders of major political parties to forge consensus on outstanding issues at the earliest to provide resolution to ongoing political impasse.
During his meeting with the senior leaders at his residence in the capital on Friday morning, the President handed down his statement to the leaders.
Among others the statement has asked the leaders to forge consensus and brought to their attention that the two-third budget presented earlier would be ending by the middle of November.
He urge leaders to garner consensus for holding general elections while expressing discontent towards the adoption of ordinances culture by the incumbent government reported CPN UML Chairman Jhalnath Khanal.
Expressing dejection towards the leaders to garner consensus despite their repeated commitments, the President asked them about what should he do to give passage to the nation, NC President Koirala said.
Terming Presidents concern to be positive, UCPN Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal said that efforts to garner consensus will be resumed after Dashain festival.