FEB 18 -Interview: Ranjit Rae
India has no intention of micro-managing Nepali institutuions 
Indian Ambassador Ranjit Rae arrived in Kathmandu in September last year, when the country had embarked on the election cycle. He has largely managed to avoid major controversies, something not all his predecessors managed to do and has taken up the mantle at Lainchour, arguably Kathmandu’s most important diplomatic mission, at a time of relative calm in Nepal-India ties. Crucially, Rae was Joint Secretary (2002-06) with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs at its North Desk, which looks after Nepal affairs. That was a period when New Delhi actively facilitated a peace deal between Nepal’s parliamentary parties (the Seven Party Alliance, SPA) and the Maoists, who were still underground. Right through the 2006 Janaandolan and the subsequent peace process, New Delhi has remained an active player in Nepal’s transition, often courting ire from various quarters in Nepal. In an hour-long exclusive interview with Editor-in-Chief of The Kathmandu Post Akhilesh Upadhyay and Editor-in-Chief of Kantipur Sudheer Sharma, Rae described current Nepal-India ties as excellent and explained that Nepal’s ‘stability, security and prosperity’ were fundamental strategic objectives of India’s foreign policy towards Nepal.

How would you describe the current state of Nepal-India relations? 

I can describe it in one word, ie, excellent. Our relations are very ancient, wide-ranging, warm and cordial. And in the new global context of economic reform and globalisation policies in India, they have opened up many new opportunities. So the challenge before us today is to build upon the age-old friendship we have and see how to make it even more dynamic.

What are New Delhi’s major foreign policy goals in Nepal? 

India and Nepal are very close friends and neighbours that share an open border. Our prime minister has said on more than one occasion that if India is to prosper, if India is to grow, if India is to reduce poverty amongst her people, then India needs peace, stability and friendship in her neighbourhood and especially in a country like Nepal with which we share open borders. If there is no peace and prosperity in India, Nepal will not be able to prosper either. The most important thing is to have peace, stability, security and prosperity in Nepal. So that is clearly a very fundamental strategic objective that is common to both Nepal and India.

Second, how do we make this relationship even stronger? I would specially identify economic areas. If we can take our economic cooperation to new levels that will really cement the relationship between our two countries. So I think these are the two fundamental objectives that we feel are common between India and Nepal.

Currently, we are in the middle of completing a peace process and a constitution. Do you see these processes heading towards the right direction, or what challenges do you see in completing them?

I think the peace process has been a great achievement for Nepal. It is a very positive development that has brought peace and stability in this country. Second, as far as transitions are concerned, I think Nepal is going through multiple transitions. There is the transition from monarchy to a republican system; the transition from a Hindu state to a secular state and the economic transition. There is also the process of constitution formation. So, if you see step-by-step, considerable progress has been made: elections have been held, a government has been formed and everyone is committed to enacting a constitution within a year. I think that will consolidate multi-party democracy and provide a very strong framework for development, stability, prosperity and inclusive growth. If you look at all of South Asia today, I think the one striking feature is that all the countries in the region are now multiparty democracies.  



In light of the ongoing transition, and that the Nepali Congress (NC) is now leading the government after a fresh mandate, what kind of relations does New Delhi have with our political parties—the NC, CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and parties to the right of the centre?

The first thing I would like to say is that both our countries are multiparty democracies; India and Nepal both have many political parties with different views. But the important thing is, on an issue like Nepal, all political parties in India share the same view and attach the same importance to the relationship with Nepal. There is consensus in terms of the way we look at Nepal in India, in terms of both approach and policies. I feel that the same is true of the political parties in Nepal.

The second point is, many political parties in Nepal and India share a very ancient and historic connection. With some political parties, the relationship is many decades old, with others it may be relatively new and there may be no relationship with some other parties right now. I feel that this relationship between the political parties is very important.

NC leaders were in India during its freedom struggle, for example. A number of our party leaders, likewise, have relationships with Indian leaders and there are party-to-party relationships too.

I have already made a general comment and certainly, we have great respect for the NC and for the contributions its leaders made to the Indian freedom struggle. I don’t think you would find this kind of example in many other countries of the world. This is certainly something we greatly appreciate and admire. It has contributed to the strong cooperation between the two countries. But that does not mean that the relationships with the parties that have come up subsequently are in any way different. I think every party, in its own way, has made significant contributions to Nepal and India-Nepal cooperation.  It is our desire to strengthen our political relationship with every political party that is active in Nepal.

How do you view the second largest party, the CPN-UML? 

We have very good relations with the CPN-UML, the UCPN (Maoist) and the Madhesi political parties. We have worked closely with each of these parties. As they have all been represented in the government, political leaders are known to us and we are committed to further stepping up our cooperation, not only between the two governments but also at the level of leaders and political parties.

To focus on party relations, one charge against the Indian establishment has been that it engages in a certain degree of micro-management of Nepal’s political parties, which are fundamentally independent institutions.

First, I would like to say that the Government of India and the Indian Embassy have no intention of micro-managing anything in Nepal. The only objective we have and what we wish for our friends in Nepal is stability and prosperity. And we hope very much that whatever we do in Nepal is for the mutual benefit of Nepal and India. My very firm conviction is that, at a fundamental level, there is convergence in terms of our national interests. I don’t see any fundamental divergence. Of course, in any close relationship, especially between neighbours with open borders, there will be irritants from time to time. Let me tell your readers that we have nothing but the best wishes and support for Nepal. There may be a perception of micro-management, which I see from the perspective of some newspapers and articles.

It is often said that as far as Delhi is concerned, three actors basically decide the larger bilateral relations: the Indian Ambassador, the National Security Advisor and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief.

I think this is a gross oversimplification of the way policies and decisions are made in the Government of India. We are a democracy and there is a certain process of decision making. It is also based on the political leadership. Eventually, the political leadership gives the political line in terms of what our approach should be. Then decisions are taken through a very comprehensive discussion across organisations and institutions involved in any approach. So I wouldn’t simplify it in the manner in which you have presented your question. I think it is a much more complex process and, as I said, there is wide political consensus in India in terms of policy and approach towards Nepal.



On some occasions, you have mentioned that India and Nepal could have common interests, mainly on security and development issues. Can you elaborate? 

Let me talk about security first.  In this era of globalisation and interdependence, peace, prosperity and security have become indivisible. When something happens in one country, it affects another country and they may not even be neighbours, as we have seen in the last 10-15 years. India and Nepal are neighbours with open borders. So clearly, peace and stability in one country has a direct impact in terms of peace and stability in the other. Security is thus a very important element of this bilateral relationship. And I am very happy to inform you that both our countries see our security as interlinked. So India and Nepal are coming together to ensure that nothing happens which causes insecurity in the other country. Second, we have very good cooperation between our security forces, whether it is the police or the military. This is in the traditional sense. In a broader sense, if you look at economic security, climate change or disaster management, security has a wider dimension. We are cooperating on those areas too.

In so far as economic cooperation is concerned, the India of today is very different from India before the 1990s. Post our liberalisation programme, we have clearly unleashed the entrepreneurial energies of our people. India is now growing at a much higher trajectory. We are almost a two-trillion-dollar economy. Of course, this year, we are expected to grow at about 5 percent but we were growing at 8 to 9 percent. Every year, we are adding something like $180 billion to the size of our GDP. I see great opportunities for Nepal in benefitting from this huge economic growth that is taking place in India. I think the challenge is to identify sectors where Nepal can take advantage of this economic growth.



Going back to the question of security, what are the specific areas of concern India has with Nepal vis-à-vis the open border? 

There have been terrorism-related cases, fake Indian currency smuggling, gold smuggling and trafficking of protected species. Also, because we have an open border, someone commits a crime in one country and runs to the other. I think this is a problem for both countries.

The open border between India and Nepal can bring a lot of positive advantages but sometimes, unfortunately, they are also misused by people who do not have the best interests of the two countries at heart. I think both countries are committed to ensuring that this misuse is minimised and prevented.



On that, how would you describe the current framework for cooperation vis-à-vis border security? And what level of satisfaction do you have in terms of our security establishment’s execution of the existing framework? 

We have very good cooperation between the Indian and Nepali security forces. I think the legal frameworks could be improved. At a political level, we have to be very conscious of each other’s interests and requirements. At the execution level too there is good cooperation now. What is good about this cooperation is that it is now taking place in smaller units at the operational level. Of course, it is important at the central level but to improve security, it is more important to have good cooperation at the level of the border districts. This is moving on very satisfactorily. We have regular border district coordination meetings where these issues are discussed.



You talked about the porous border. Do you think putting a registration mechanism in place for citizens of both countries would help control fake currency smuggling and other terrorist activities? 

At the fundamental level, I think open borders are a very good thing. If you look at all the regional cooperation and organisations wherever they exist, they have completely open borders like in the European Union. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is also moving in that direction. But an open border sometimes leads to problems. Clearly, we have to step up our cooperation and coordination to ensure that the benefits are maximised and the problems are minimised. To do so, you definitely need to have regulation and more patrolling along the border but the border needs to remain open. This has been so traditionally for centuries. People of the two countries have such close relationships across the border, you may even go shopping from one country to the other or a school. People cross the border many times in a day. This lies at the heart of the relationship between the two countries. So I would like to encourage this, rather than control it.

One area where Nepal has clear potential is hydropower. Nepal’s hydropower establishment has requested India to reciprocate in a power-sharing agreement but that has not happened at the government level. Should it occur, prospective investors would at least know that there is a power-exchange mechanism in place and they can invest within that framework knowing very well that they have an assured market in India.

For your readers’ information, I would like to say that, India, despite being a power-deficit country, actually exports power to Nepal. We have committed to export some 200 megawatt of power to Nepal. Second, hydropower possibly offers the most significant opportunity to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries. There are many ways in which this can be done. It can be done at the government-to-government level, as we have committed in the Pacheshwor Multipurpose Project under the Mahakali Treaty. It could be done at the private sector level, as is being done in the case of Upper Karnali or Upper Marsyangdi or even Arun III where Indian private companies have been given the opportunity to develop them. What has happened over the years is that progress has been extremely slow. In fact, we have not had a major hydropower project for many decades. And sometimes, people tend to become cynical.

As to the power-trade agreement, it is certainly very important. But if I may inform you, India has already put power-trade under the OGL (Open General Licence). So you are free to trade power with India without any licence or specific approval. As far as I understand, from a technical perspective, in hydropower projects, a certain basic minimum has to be sold through a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and you trade at the margins. So the viability of the project is not actually determined by the share of the power you trade but by the long-term PPA you have. The power trade price can go up and down, that is on the margin. So I don’t think that the power trade between the two countries, whether it be at the government or private sector level, is held up because of the power trade agreement.  But yes, we do have a proposal for a power trade agreement, which is under consideration at the Government of India. And we will do whatever is required to promote and step up cooperation.

The current transmission line that runs from Dhalkebar in Nepal to Muzzafarpur in India is not complete yet. During our rainy season, we have a power surplus which can be exported to India. But we haven’t been able to do so because of the current infrastructure, ie, the transmission line does not support it. Progress on the Indian side has not been very satisfactory.

I agree with you. I think it is very important to set up infrastructure that will allow for power exchange and trade. Right now, we are engaged in the development and renovation of three transmission lines. It is currently a point-to-point power exchange. Eventually the idea should be to connect the two (Nepal and India’s) electricity grids so that there is seamless transmission of power. I remember reading in one of the newspapers a couple of weeks ago that because of the lack of Indian customs clearance, loadshedding in Nepal is going to increase by so many hours everyday. We, of course, rebutted that very strongly.

This is a very high priority project. India is already committed to exporting more than 200 MW of power to Nepal and that can only happen if the transmission lines are upgraded. In order to make sure that the transmission lines are upgraded, certain procedural things and customs and other related formalities have to be completed. All these have been explained to the Nepal Electricity Authority and I am happy to say that are working very strongly on all these issues.



India is helping Nepal in various small projects like building schools and health centres all over the country. Some people wonder, why doesn’t India concentrate on investing in large infrastructural projects rather than providing such scattered assistance to Nepal? Is there a possibility for doing so instead? 

First of all, thank you for raising this question. I would like to give you some information about the scope and range of our assistance. India is assisting in some 484 projects in Nepal at a total cost of something like 60 billion Nepali rupees. It is a very huge assistance programme. This does not include the concessional lines of credit that we have given. In recent years, we have two ongoing lines of credit of 350 million dollars for infrastructural development. So India has a huge assistance and partnership programme and this covers both large and small projects.  The Mahendra Highway, the East-West optical fibre network to facilitate internet and mobile telecommunications in Nepal, the BP Koirala Institute for Health Sciences and trauma centre in Kathmandu are some of the large infrastructural projects. There are also some irrigation projects and Tarai roads projects: some 1,400 km of roads are to be developed. We are developing railway lines along the India-Nepal border, integrated check posts. And we have over 225 small projects like schools, dispensaries, small roads.

Our approach is a combination of large and small development projects. But I agree with you that we need to review some of our schemes and particularly our small development schemes. I am very keen to ensure two things now. First, that the local community is a genuine stakeholder in that project; they want the project. Second, we must ensure that these projects are sustainable.



 

The other component of the question is, are there any large infrastructural projects with Indian assistance that coming up? 



Well, we have the Tarai roads projects and the integrated check posts project. These are two very large infrastructural projects. We also have the transmission lines projects financed under Indian lines of credit. There are also other projects in the pipeline in which more discussions need to be held: like a bridge on the Mahakali River and talk of a Mid-hill highway. But I think we must focus our energies on what we have.



That brings us to our last segment, international relations. Do you see any cooperation between India and China in large infrastructural projects in Nepal? 

First of all, cooperation between India and China is very robust. Our bilateral trade is around $65 billion and likely to go up a $100 billion in the next couple of years. Cooperation between the two cou-ntries is very vibrant, robust and mutually beneficial, including in the power sector in India. Certainly, there could be cooperation between our companies.



The point is, has there been any discussion regarding India and China jointly investing in a large infrastructure project in Nepal? 

For many large projects you need huge amount of resources. And where are these resources going to come from? You need companies that have to undertake engineering, procurement and construction contracts. Most of these projects are through global contracts. Clearly, there are opportunities. As far as India or Nepal is concerned, the primary objective is to develop power. You need energy to fuel your economy, just as India needs it for the same. I think there are opportunities and the private sectors engaged are conscious of it. But the first thing to do is get a power development agreement. Only then can you start talking about financial closure and awarding of contracts and so on. Right now, even the PPAs have not even been finalised, though discussions have been going on for a long time.



What are convergent and divergent views of India and China regarding Nepal’s politics and transition? 

I can talk about India. I think peace and stability in Nepal is very important for India. I think that is the same for China. Clearly, there is convergence in terms of the objective of peace, security, stability and prosperity in Nepal. I must say that the international community as a whole has worked very closely in recent years, even in terms of political transitions that have been taking place in Nepal. You would recall, 10 days prior to the last Constituent Assembly elections, people were skeptical including many journalists. There were questions whether the election would be held or not even one week before the election. And the international community stood as one and supported this whole process. I think it is not only India and China but this general convergence amongst the international community in terms of how they see developments in Nepal and the overall goal of stability and peace.

There seems to be a certain level of nervousness about Chinese investments in Nepal in the Indian intelligentsia and among its think tanks, which is clearly reflected in the Indian media.

The defining characteristic of our times is the economic rise of Asia: of India, of China and the continent as a whole. The centre of global economic gravity is shifting towards Asia. Clearly, the Asian footprint is going to expand, not only in Asia but all over the world. So the Chinese are investing in India, Nepal, South-east Asia, Europe, Africa. Indians are doing the same. We are talking about connectivity between India and Asean. We are talking about driving from Calcutta to Kunming and the Bangladesh-China, India-Myanmar forum for regional cooperation initiative. As economies get more interdependent, more interlinked, this will be a factor in promoting stability in the countries concerned. India and China have very vibrant and strong cooperation in every sector.



So how do you explain the unease that we encounter regarding Chinese investments in Nepal?

I cannot speak for individual analysts or strategic experts. Perhaps you have to address the question to them. What I am trying to say is that this is the development of our times. And you have to see how best you can take advantage of these developments.



Moving on, what kind of relationship does Washington, another major ally, and New Delhi share vis-à-vis Nepal? 

Let me tell you again that India and Washington also have a very vibrant and robust relationship based on shared democratic norms and values. Clearly, we discuss issues of mutual interest. If we have a bilateral discussion then we might discuss developments in the region. For instance, we would like very much to know what is going on in Afghanistan. These are normal state-to-state interactions. The ambassadors here meet from time to time; I meet with the Chinese ambassador and the American ambassador.



As Kathmandu happens to be the Saarc capital, one of the major irritants for Saarc regionalism has been that India and Pakistan do not see eye-to-eye on regional issues. Where do you see this going? 

See, when Saarc was conceived, it was precisely for this reason. It was agreed that bilateral issues would be kept out of Saarc. The idea was, you may have political differences but that does not prevent you from having economic cooperation, which can be mutually beneficial.  

But the fact is that intra-regional cooperation has developed from strength to strength in Asean. Their intra-regional trade now runs in the billions. Saarc, however, is stuck where we started.

I agree with you. Our progress has been slow and not at a satisfactory pace. Ideally, as I said, we should put aside political differences and focus on the economic situation, which is win-win for all the countries concerned.

KANCHANPUR, FEB 18 -
Police arrested some bank employees and their relatives suspecting them of their alleged involvement in the bank robbery .

The Mahendranagar branch of Nabil Bank Limited was looted on December 9, 2013.

Meanwhile, police have been interrogating the arrestees.

Among the suspects are some bank employees and their relatives.

The arrestees have been identified as Dil Bahadur Singh, brother of Bishan Singh, the Manager of Nabil Bank Mahendranagar Branch. A contractor, Dil Bahadur was arrested from Chandani. Also arrested are the bank employees and the driver.

Masked men carrying weapons had looted Rs 23.1 million from a vehicle inside a forest at Malakheti on the border between Kanchanpur and Kailali districts. They had intercepted a vehicle carrying the amount and made away with the amount. The amount was being transported to Dhangadhi from Mahendranagar to be deposited in the Nepal Rastra Bank. RSS

NEW DELHI, FEB 18 -
Supreme Court Tuesday commuted the death sentence to the three assassins of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi to life imprisonment, holding that the 11-year long delay in deciding their mercy petition had a dehumanising effect on them.

The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam said that the delay was not only inordinate but also unreasonable and unexplained.

The court said that life imprisonment would mean life in jail till end.

Gandhi was killed in 1991. His assassins were convicted by a TADA court in January 1998 and were awarded death sentence, which was confirmed by the apex court May 11, 1999.

The three assassins - V. Sriharan alias Murugan, A.G. Perarivlan alias Arivu and T. Suthendraraja alias Santhan - sought the commutation of their death sentence to life imprisonment on account of the inordinate delay of nearly 11-years in deciding their mercy petitions.

The court while commuting the death sentence rejected the contentions advanced by Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati on behalf of the central government.

The court said that though there is no time limit given in deciding the mercy petition by the president, but it was incumbent upon the government to decide the same at the earliest.

The court said this should be included as an additional criteria amongst the several government has already issued.

While rejecting the government's contention that it was incumbent upon the death row convicts to prove that they have suffered torture and dehumanisation during the pendency of the mercy petition, the court said there is nothing in Indian law and international law that puts the burden of proving torture and dehumanising condition on the death row convicts.

KATHMANDU, FEB 18 -
CPN-UML candidate for the chairman post of Constituent Assembly, Subash Chandra Nembang has registered his candidacy on Tuesday.

Nembang's candidacy is proposed by UML parliamentary party leader KP Oli and seconded by Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

Nembang is likely to win today's eCA chair poll with the support from NC, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and RPP-N.

The parliamentary secretariat has given the deadline to register the candidacy from 10 am till 2 pm.

Meanwhile, the UCPN (Maoist) is yet to decide on registering candidacy.

Nembang will be declared winner unanimously if no other candidates name is registered.

The CA chairman also serves as the speaker of the House.

MUMBAI, FEB  Actress Juhi Chawla, who has worked with stars like Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in her prime, hopes that someday she is paired with Salman Khan in a movie.

"I hope I get to work with Salman...he will not work with me because he hasn't in all these years," Juhi told IANS even as she laughed.

"I don't see that happening. But I never thought I will be working with Madhuri (Dixit)... so you never know. I would love to do anything which is justified on papers," she added.

Juhi and Madhuri are working together for the first time in "Gulaab Gang".

Juhi and Salman have been a part of a few common films, but they never got to play a pair.

KATHMANDU, FEB 13 -
Nepal lost their game against Thailand by 8 wickets after setting them a target of 40 runs in the ACC Women’s Premier at the Gymkhana ground in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Thursday.

Nepal batted first and made 39 runs. Thailand bowled out Nepal in 28 overs.

For Nepal, Saraswati Chaudhary made 11 runs in 51 balls while Neera Rajopadhyay made 5 runs, Mamta Thapa contributed 3 runs and Sarita Magar, Mamata Chaudhary, Shova Ale and Rubina Chhetri made two runs each.

On Tuesday, Nepal beat Iran by 221 runs in the opener.

KATHMANDU, FEB 13 -
The UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-Maoist is celebrating the 19th anniversary of the ‘People's War Day’ separately on Thursday, organising various programmes across the nation.

The Maoists, who took up arms on Feb. 13, 1996 for what they called ‘the change’, have been celebrating the ‘People’s War Day’ every year, although the former rebel party came into the mainstream politics after signing the peace deal in April, 2006.

On the occasion, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the party will be active in the process of drafting constitution as per the wish of general public.

Meanwhile, sister organisations of both the parties have been organising various programmes to mark the day.

KATHMANDU, FEB 13 -Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) has revised water tariff effective from Thursday.
The Drinking Water Tariff Fixation Commission on Wednesday issued a public notice about the revised water tariff following consultations with all the concerned stakeholders. The commission along with the NWSC had organised public hearings and provided 15 days to report any dissatisfaction with the decision. According to the corporation, consumers with meter connection will now have to pay a minimum monthly charge of Rs 110 per 10,000 litres of water compared to the existing Rs 50 for the same amount. However, consumers without meter will be charged Rs 560 per month.
According to Arjun Bahadur Dhakal, managing director at the NWSC, there was an urgent need to revise the tariff to maintain and operate the institution and its branches responsible for providing adequate supply of safe drinking water to consumers. “The water tariff has not been hiked since 2005. Over the years, the rise in inflation rate and increase in expenses of infrastructure and other related equipment had affected the smooth operation of the system in the institution,” he said.
The commission has also put forth a set of conditions before the corporation to improve both quality and quantity of drinking water . The conditions include improving the supply system, institutional restructuring, repair and upgradation of supply lines and leakage control. 

FEB 10 -Nearly three months have passed since the November 19 election to a second Constituent Assembly. The two largest parties in the CA—the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML—seem to have finally made some progress over power sharing but there are a number of potential flashpoints, not least the long-term status of President Ram Baran Yadav. Today, the House will elect a new prime minister and that will lead to talks over government formation. Anil Giri and Pranaya SJB Rana spoke to the leader of the NC’s talks team, Ram Sharan Mahat, about negotiations with the UML, the constitution-writing process and the NC’s modus operandi.



It is nearing three months since the election was held and a government hasn’t been formed yet. As part of the NC’s talks team, what are specific outstanding issues between the UML and the NC regarding power sharing?
This delay is not just because of power sharing. There were a number of reasons, including the problem created by the Maoists after the election results started coming out, the delay over proportional representation (PR), the constitutional requirement of the President’s appeal for consensus and the election of the prime minister through voting. These time-consuming procedures are not normal in parliamentary practice. But this does not mean that the political parties are not to blame. A power-sharing deal between the NC and UML should have been done much earlier. We should have been discussing ministerial portfolios, the House speakership and parliamentary committee chairmanship. But the UML brought the issue of a Presidential election upfront, which was a surprise to us. This, in our view, is extra-constitutional. A new Presidential election will require amendment to the constitution. We should be concentrating on writing a new constitution instead of amending the old one. Second, during the whole election campaign, the issue of a Presidential election never came up. Third, we cannot use the President in the power-sharing bargain. His office is above party politics.


What kind of challenges lie ahead for the NC President Sushil Koirala?
It is definitely not easy for Koirala. Negotiating with the UML has shown us that it will not be a cakewalk. We thought it would be an easy negotiation but it has not been so. Their demand for an election to a new president and vice-president, which was not on the table before, shows how new things come up during the course of negotiation. Then there is the issue of internal party management. This is certainly a challenging and testing time for his leadership. But I am confident that all these things will be sorted out in time.


How confident are you that the constitution will be written in time?
I am hopeful, provided that all parties show real commitment. But take the case of the CA rule and procedure committee. The previous rules were too elaborate and complicated so we wanted to simplify them to facilitate constitution making in one year. But there has been a delay in forming the committee itself because even parties with one or two CA members are all demanding a position on the committee. If this is allowed, it will be a jumbo-sized committee.


Will the new Assembly own up the achievements of the previous CA?
As a sovereign body, the CA is not bound to accept what was agreed in the previous CA. But the political parties that will be playing major roles in the constitution-making process have already pledged to take ownership of the agreements reached in the previous CA. If there have been formal agreements, we are ready to take ownership to that. That is part of the inter-party agreement we made and also part of the election manifestos of all three major parties.


But there’s also a school of thought that since more than 85 percent of the current CA are new faces and that they have no obligations take ownership of the previous agreements?
Yes, there are new faces but of the same party. Unless the parties change their positions, new faces will not make a difference. If parties are committed to what they agreed in the past, the faces will not matter. Furthermore, there have been few agreements in the previous CA. The only formal thing that the previous CA passed by the full House was a federal democratic republic. In some committees, there were unanimous reports. The Natural Resources and Economic, Financial Resources Committee, of which I was a part, had a unanimous report. Why do you want to reinvent that? If you want to reinvent everything then it might not be possible to complete the constitution-making process in one year. Of course, this does not rule out the possibility of fine-tuning if there are concrete reasons for doing so. Also, if some parties do not agree with what was agreed before, they have the freedom to oppose it while voting.


Let’s talk about the new government. Will you be part of the Cabinet?
We have not yet decided this. It is for the prime minister and the party president to take the decision on whom to include in the Cabinet and in what capacity.


What will be the priorities of the new government?
The immediate priority is to help the constitution-making process. There is a general perception that the government will make the constitution but this is not true. The government will only create enabling conditions to complete the constitution in time. The second priority is to improve governance through rule of law. There is too much indiscipline and anarchy in our system. You need to have a strong government to ensure rule of law. We will fight corruption and ensure stability in administration. The third priority is the economy—create a proper environment for new investments, revive economic activities and create a business-friendly atmosphere to push economic growth. We saw during our election campaign that everybody is concerned about development. You have to meet the aspirations of the people through higher growth, more development benefits going to the people and generating economic activities.


What we have seen from the NC so far seems reminiscent of the 90s when the party was mired in intra-party conflict, which greatly affected the functioning of the government. How will you ensure that this doesn’t repeat?
Internal party management is a difficult job. When there is no consensus, an election needs to be held. That is what happened recently and we settled the issue of Parliamentary Party leader. As far as your fear about a repetition of the 90s goes, I hope that will not happen. Leaders have become more mature and we have seen that the people are sick of frequent changes in government. We pledged to the electorate that we will provide stability. The people will not spare any party that creates instability. In the recent election, we saw what happened to the Madhesi parties, which have a notorious record of splitting. They faced the music of the electorate. This time, national parties have emerged as major actors. They have led the nation in the past and have learned.


One crucial aspect of the peace process remains incomplete. The formation of two committees—of the Truth and Reconciliation and the other for the disappeared. How will you take this in parallel with constitution-writing?
We have no choice but to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court to make the TRC and Disappearance Commission bills in line with international practices. The Maoists will have to accept this too. If you believe in rule of law, you have to accept the Supreme Court verdict on these matters. Eventually, this issue will reach the Parliament. The Maoists are insisting that the TRC bill be made as soon as possible. A Maoist member made a case for this in the House just the other day. So a fresh bill will need to be made and passed through the House. 

KATHMANDU, FEB 11 -
Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat has claimed that no agreements were made regarding allocating the Ministry of Home Affairs and Finance Ministry to the CPN-UML.

However, the UML has claimed that the NC agreed to grant the portfolio to them with an understanding to make them participate in the government.

Talking to ekantipur on Tuesday, Mahat who is also a member in the talks team from the NC said no agreements were forged to provide them the portfolios as being disseminated in the media.

"The UML did expect to take charge of Home Ministry during the meeting but we need to hold discussion with the leadership," Mahat said.

Meanwhile, the UML has claimed not to join the government sans the allocation of Home Ministry.

The final decision is yet to be made as some NC senior leaders are pressuring newly elected Prime Minister Sushil Koirala not to cede the ministry given the prospect of local elections, and to instead maintain a strong hold on the bureaucracy.

While Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel, who is unlikely to join the government, is seeking reward for his loyalty, former Finance and Foreign Affairs Minister  Mahat is also pursuing the post of Deputy Prime Minister, along with one other powerful ministry such as finance, foreign or energy. Other strong contenders for ministerial berths from the NC include Sujata Koirala, Arjun Nar Singh KC, Bimalendra Nidhi and Narayan Khadka.

KATHMANDU, FEB 11 -Votes for: 405; Votes against: 148

A seven-point deal signed between Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the two largest parties in Constituent Assem-bly, on Sunday paved the way for Koirala to become the country’s 37th prime minister.

During a poll, Koirala—the sole candidate—got 405 votes in his favour. The third largest party, UCPN (Maoist), and some other parties voted against Koirala. Votes against his candidacy numbered 148.

Koirala’s nomination was proposed and supported by party’s Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel and UML Parliamentary Party leader KP Oli. Koirala is the young republic’s sixth prime minister. Earlier, efforts to form a consensus government under him had failed.

Of the 571 lawmakers, 553 were present during election. The NC has 194 seats in the CA while the UML has 173. Some fringe parties also voted for Koirala. He has been leading the party since 2010 after the death of Girija Prasad Koirala. He is the fourth prime minister from the Koirala clan.

Since the establishment of democracy in 1950, Matrika Prasad Koirala, BP Koirala and Girija Prasad Koirala became prime ministers. The NC has got to lead the government after six years.

Koirala has a challenge to facilitate the constitution-drafting process as the executive head as the UCPN (Maoist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal and Madhesi parties remain in opposition.

Though Koirala is the party president, he needs to work hard to get full support from his own party which has at least two factions. Sher Bahadur Deuba, who leads a strong faction, was in the race for Parliamentary Party leader and was defeated by Koirala by a small margin.

“A new constitution will be promulgated within a year,” Koirala told the House before voting on Monday.

“I am determined to complete the constitution-drafting process through consensus, reconciliation and unity among the parties.”

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the agreement between the two parties is “unconstitutional”. “Our party has some reservations,” said Dahal.

Addressing the House before the election, RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa announced to stay in opposition protesting the seven-point deal reached between the NC and the UML that made the coalition possible. Koirala also received warning from his coalition partner UML in parliament before the vote. UML PP leader KP Oli warned him not to move “unilaterally” as the government head. “The UML will not only applaud the government, we will also watch its functioning.”

Hinting at the party’s softened stance on presidential election, Oli said the UML had compromised with the NC rising above partisan interest “for the sake of the country”.

Koirala, a bachelor who has maintained a clean image and integrity in sixty years of his political career, presented some of the key priorities of his government. Koirala replaces the chief justice-led election government.

Koirala’s priorities

Constitution promulgation within a year

Local body elections within six months

  Common minimum programme and policies targeting social justice and economic prosperity

  Checking strikes and bandas

Providing relief to conflict-hit people

  Controlling prices of essential commodities

  Improving environment for foreign investment

  Infrastructure development and promoting social services

Enhancing relations with India and China and create ground for political consensus

Zero tolerance against corruption

KATHMANDU, FEB 11 -
Sushil Koirala will assume his office as the country’s 37th prime minister—the fifth after the country became a republic—today. The septuagenarian Nepali Congress (NC) president will take the leadership of the government that has a challenging responsibility of delivering a new constitution within a year.    

Born on 12 August 1939 to Bodh Prasad and Kuminidi Devi at Biratnagar in Morang district, Koirala started his political career from his schooldays at the age of 15 inspired by the social-democratic ideals of his cousin BP Koirala, the NC founding leader.

Often regarded as a leader of a clean political image, Koirala has spent over 60 years in Nepali politics. Though he is not known for being at the forefront in the past political movements, Koirala’s role in a struggle for democracy cannot be undervalued.

   After the royal takeover in 1960, Koirala went to a political exile in India where he remained for 16 years along with other members of the Koirala family. During the exile years, he was also the editor of the NC mouthpiece, Tarun.

Koirala is mostly remembered for his involvement in the hijacking of a plane belonging to the Nepal Airlines that was believed to be carrying a huge amount of money which the NC needed to support its movement against the Panchayat Regime. In 1973, he was arrested in India for hijacking the plane and he served the jail term for three years.

Since 1979, Koirala has been a member of the Central Working Committee of the NC. He was appointed the party’s general secretary in 1996 and the vice president in 1998. Koirala was also elected to the parliament from Banke district in 1991 and 1999, respectively.

In 2001, Koirala was defeated by NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba in the race for the parliamentary party leadership.

In 2008, Koirala was appointed the acting president of the NC by Girija Prasad Koirala, the former party president. After serving two years as the NC acting president, the party’s 12th general convention in 2010 elected Koirala the party president. In the second Constituent Assembly elections on 19 November 2013, Koirala won from both his constituencies in Banke and Chitwan.

The NC leaders who know him closely say that Koirala believes in the value based politics rather than glamour.

“Though he was not established leader from any movement, his value based politics has kept him into politics for such a long time,” said Puranjan Acharya an analyst who knows Koirala closely. 

KATHMANDU, FEB 10 -
Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala is all set to lead the new government following the Prime Minister election on Monday.

Koirala had filed his nomination papers for the post of prime minister on Sunday, after the CPN-UML, the second largest party in parliament, decided to extend support to a government led by him.

The 74-year-old Koirala, who is considered "Mr. Clean" in Nepali politics, has never held any public office.

If Sushil Koirala becomes the prime minister, he will be the fourth from his family after Matrika Prasad Koirala (1951-52 and 1953-55), Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1959-60) and Girija Prasad Koirala (1991-94, 1998-99, 2000-01 and 2007-08).

After filing his nomination papers on Sunday, Koirala said he was hopeful of delivering a new constitution within a year.

"Responsibility to draft a democratic constitution has shifted to the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. We are hopeful that we will deliver a new constitution within a year. I will definitely work with the other parties to fulfill this historic responsibility," he said.

He said there was a "strong desire" within the country and outside for peace by delivering a new constitution.

"It is my commitment that we will able to come up with such a draft by six months and will promulgate a new constitution by a year," Koirala told media persons at the assembly building.

"I have also spoken with Maoist chairman Prachanda for his support, to which his reply has been positive," he said.

The last Constituent Assembly was formed in 2008 with an objective to draft a new constitution within two years. It, however, failed to deliver even after repeated extensions of its tenure and was dissolved in 2012.

IANS

KATHMANDU, FEB 10 -
The parliamentary secretariat has made public the work schedule of Monday's parliament session of the Constituent Assembly.

As per the action plan, Prime Minister Candidate Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and supporter CPN-UML parliamentary party leader KP Oli is scheduled to put forth their opinion.

Following this, Surya Bahadur Thapa, the oldest lawmaker in the new Constituent Assembly (CA), will forward the proposal to elect Koirala as the new PM .

Koirala is the lone candidate in today's PM election . If elected, Koirala will become the sixth PM after the first CA election in 2008.

On Sunday, Koirala had filed his candidacy for the prime minister following a seven-point agreement on power-sharing between the two largest parties -- the NC and UML -- to pave the way for forming Koirala-led government.

With Koirala’s election , the country will get a new elected executive head 21 months after the dissolution of the first CA, nearly three months after the second one was elected. The Cabinet will replace the Chief Justice-led technocratic government formed in March last year.

KATHMANDU, FEB 10 -
Chairman of Interim Election government Khilraj Regmi is scheduled to address the nation on Monday.

Regmi , who is due to bid goodbye to the Cabinet today

will make clear on whether to return to the Supreme Court to assume the role of Chief Justice or to resign from the post in his address to the nation today.

Meanwhile, PM election is due to kick off in a while.

KATHMANDU, FEB 09 - Dr Koirala quits as TUTH director
Dr Govinda KC , senior orthopedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, resumed his hunger strike on Saturday as the government failed to appoint a new dean at the Institute of Medicine (IoM) in two weeks’ time as promised to him.

Dr KC, who was to start fast-unto-death at 2 pm, delayed his strike for two hours after the Dean Search Committee formed by the TU requested him to wait saying that it would recommend a name for the dean.

The committee was sharply divided over the criteria for recommending the names, which resulted in resignation of Dr Deepak Mahara, a member of the panel.

Dr Mahara was in favour of recommending three names on the basis of seniority, while two other members Dr Krishna Kumar Oli and Dr Ratendra Shrestha opposed seniority as the sole criteria. They argued the dean could also be nominated from other than IoM professors.

“I quit as I could not agree with them,” Dr Mahara told the Post.

Dr KC said he was compelled to start a hunger start for the fourth time as TU officials were not serious about resolving the problem at the IoM. He accused top officials at the university were influenced by the political leaders and ‘academic mafias’.

“It is clear that TU officials are working in favour of academic mafias,” he told reporters before starting the protest. He has demanded the dismissal of TU office bearers, including Vice Chancellor, Rector and Registrar claiming that they did not follow the order of the government to appoint the dean immediately.

Prominent among his five-point demand is reappointment of Dr Prakash Sayami, who was forced to resign as the dean of IoM, and go for a new appointment based on the seniority and work experience only if he denies resuming the post. Sayami had tendered his resignation on December 4, unyielding to the TU demand that the IoM give accreditation to new medical colleges.  Other demands include immediate action against the IoM officials who were found guilty in various corruption cases and investigation into irregularities in the process of granting license to new medical colleges. Twelve medical colleges have received letter of intent, while the TU has been pressuring IoM officials to grant licence to four of them.

He has also urged the government to start state-owned medical colleges in the rural parts of the country to ensure equity in access to health services. “I request all of my colleagues not to halt health services this time,” said Dr KC, who is still recuperating from the previous hunger strike.

TU Registrar Chandra Mani Poudel said they are waiting for the committee’s recommendation. “We will appoint the dean once we have the recommended names for the post,” Poudel said.   Dr KC had ended his 14-day hunger strike on January 24 after a four-member government taskforce headed by Secretary at Prime Minister’s Office Krishna Hari Baskota assured him that his demands would be addressed at the earliest. The government team had agreed to open a feasibility study on providing autonomy to the IoM, stop affiliation to new medical colleges and set up a mechanism to appoint a new dean on the basis of seniority and work experience as demanded by Dr KC.

Dr Koirala quits as TUTH director

The Tribhuvan University Executive Council on Saturday approved the resignation of Prof Dr Bhagwan Koirala , executive director at the TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj.

Koirala had submitted his resignation on Friday, citing difficulty in handling the TUTH administration due to problems caused by delay in dean appointment. Narayan Khanal, legal advisor to the TU, informed that the resignation was approved by the Council meet on Saturday afternoon. Dr Ratendra Shrestha, a former acting dean and member of ‘Dean Search Committee’, has been appointed as the new executive director of TUTH for three months, sources said.  But the move is likely to aggravate the current crisis, with hospital’s resident doctors saying that       they would not allow him to work in the position.

Koirala said he decided to step down after his requests to the TU authority to create favourable working environment in the hospital was not given importance.

He said TUTH has become the victim of the problems in the Institute of Medicine.

“The trouble of the IoM has disrupted the smooth running of TUTH.” (PR)

KATHMANDU, FEB 09 - Ahead of Monday’s prime ministerial election, the two major political parties—Nepali Congress and CPN- UML —have defended their respective positions on electing a new President.

The NC wants to give continuity to the incumbent President citing the Interim Constitution that the tenure of the head of state remains until the promulgation of a new constitution by the Constituent Assembly.

However, the UML has refused to discuss ministerial portfolios arguing that the new CA has been mandated to elect the President like any other top political post. Both the parties are unwilling to backtrack.

The UML is in talks with the NC taskforce and leaders close to Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba simultaneously. The party initiated talks even with leaders close to Deuba sensing conflicting views within the NC regarding new presidential election. Contrary to NC establishment’s take for concentrating on the prime ministerial election, the Deuba faction has adopted flexibility, according to UML leaders.

Both NC and UML have also approached the UCPN (Maoist), the third largest party, to garner its support.

“Both the Maoists and leaders close to Deuba are positive about replacing incumbent President with a new one but the NC establishment is not ready to go for fresh presidential election,” said UML leader Gokarna Bista.

UML leaders, however, are unsure of Maoist support. “They [Maoists] may support the NC leaving the agenda of President halfway if the NC offers them plum positions,” said Bista.

The UML believes that its stance on new presidential election in the face of a fresh mandate will weaken if the Maoist party agrees to vote for the NC ’s prime ministerial candidate in exchange for offers in the new government cashing in on the UML having to occupy the opposition bench. Publicly however, the Maoists have spoken for electing a new President.

Contrary to its earlier stand to allow the NC to lead the government as the largest party, the UML , which is not a much smaller party, has warned of filing candidacy for the PM’s post.

On Saturday, UML lawmaker Rambir Manandhar collected the PM nomination form from the CA Secretariat hinting that the party could field its candidate if the NC stands for continuity of President Ram Baran Yadav. “The move was to create pressure for settling the row,” said UML leader Pradeep Gyawali.

Even UML top leaders say they will join an NC -led government if the party agrees to elect key officials. They say their party is not concerned much about ministerial berths and will be a part of new government once the Presidential row is settled in consensus.

“The NC has accused us of obstructing the process of forming a new government. But we are ready to join the government even without the Home portfolio if the President is changed,” said UML Parliamentary Party leader KP Sharma Oli.

A high-level meeting of the NC and the UML was under way until the time the Post went to press in their bid to seek agreement. NC President Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and Parliamentary Party leader Oli were meeting at the residence of NC leader Deep Kumar Upadhyay in Tripureshwor.

In the meeting, the UML proposed to settle the row over power-sharing and presidential election even by deferring the prime ministerial election scheduled for Monday while the NC stood against the idea.

There is no need to defer the date as talks are going positive, said NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat.

KATHMANDU, FEB 09 - Rita Thapa (name changed) of Khartali-4 Sindhupalchok was returning from Saudi Arabia on January 8 when she was arrested at the Tribhuvan International Airport ( TIA ) for travelling on a forged passport. She was later released after ‘paying’ Rs 3,000 to the immigration officials.

According to sources, Thapa is one of 20 women the Immigration Department exploits every day for alleged use of a forged passport. Only a few of these women are ever handed over to the courts. They get doubly exploited, by both employers in foreign countries and by bureaucrats back home.

Despite facing legal proceedings and severe public criticism for its corrupt service, the immigration terminal at TIA continues to exploit migrant labourers, often targeting females.

Every day immigration officials exploit dozens of returnees through the arbitrary settlement of cases which should fall under the jurisdiction of the police and courts. Most of these cases involve alleged passport forgery.

According to the Immigration Department, some 500 cases of passport forgery have been reported in the last one year, involving mainly women. Many more are informally settled.

A report published by the National Vigilance Centre concerning corruption in the foreign employment sector shows that officials at the Department of Immigration and TIA labour desk under the DoFE pocket Rs 2 million in bribes each day.

The report was handed over to the Commission for Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the then Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, Lilamani Pokharel.

Last year, a high-level panel on violence against women had urged the government to strengthen pre-departure surveillance instead of troubling the returned workers who are usually victims of ‘fraudulent agents’. The report had also recommended the government install more close-circuit cameras and bar immigration officials from using cell phones to discourage ‘airport setting’.

Setting is a term used to describe the nexus of dishonest airport staff who ensure safe passage for workers holding illegal documents. These staff members are usually under the influence of agents or recruiting agencies.

In most of the cases, workers are not even aware that they are holding fake passports or other documents.

The recommendation, however, has been gathering dust in the PMO.

Officials at Nepal Association of the Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), an umbrella organisation of recruiting agencies in Nepal, say that airport staff demand bribes even when migrant labourers follow legal procedures. Some 300 workers bound for the United Arab Emirates were refused passage by airport staff on December 2, with officials demanding extra documentation from the workers. Some of those stranded, as well as their recruiting agencies, told the Post that immigration officials had initially demanded money.

“The problem is becoming so serious that women are forced to resort to airport setting even to return to Nepal. I myself witnessed an incident just a week ago,” says NAFEA Chairman Bal Bahadur Tamang. Officials at the Immigration Department, however, claim that conditions have improved, especially after the Sita Rai incident and the CIAA crackdown.

“It’s improper to raise fingers against the whole institution just because one or two officials are corrupt. We have been doing everything possible to ensure transparency and maintain professional dignity,” says Kamal Bhattarai, spokesperson for the Immigration Department.

PALPA, FEB 06 - Fourteen persons were killed when a passenger bus plunged into a river at Chidipani VDC in Palpa district on early Thursday morning.

The Bhairahawa bound bus (Lu 1 Kha 4924) skidded off the road and plunged some 500 meters down into Bhalu Khola along the Siddhartha Highway at around 2 am, police said.

The identification of the deceased is yet to be established. Seven others were injured in the accident. They are admitted to Palpa -based Mission Hospital and Lumbini Medical College for treatment.

Locals, Nepal Police and Nepal Army personnel are carrying out the rescue operation in the accident site. The reason behind the accident has not been known yet.

KATHMANDU, FEB 06 - A day after electing a parliamentary party (PP) leader, CPN-UML senior leader KP Sharma has warned that his party would take the lead in forming government if Nepali Congress (NC) failed to do so.

PP leader Oli, however, maintained that his party's preference is to support the NC in forming government and promulgating a democratic constitution within a year, adding that these ends could also be achieved through the formation of a government under the initiative of the UML.  

“The NC was asked to propose a power-sharing model some two months ago. I wonder why the NC is delaying,” Oli said.

The UML is likely to take a tough approach in future negotiations with the NC.

Immediately after the November 19 election, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal urged NC President Sushil Koirala to propose a respectable power-sharing deal to form government . Though both parties have formed negotiating teams, the NC is yet to make a satisfactory proposal to the UML.

In informal meetings on a future power-sharing government , the NC is believed to be offering the UML the home finance, federal affairs and local development portfolios, though is unlikely to cede further ministries.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Oli said his party will take initiatives to lead the government only if the NC fails to strike a power-sharing deal.

Oli further warned the NC not to initiate an 'unholy' alliance with the UCPN(Maoist) and other parties in order to undermine the strength of the UML, the second largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA). If this does proceed, however, Oli maintained that the UML would sit in opposition and would remain committed to drafting a new constitution, adding that “such an alliance would not function in the long run.”

On the presidential election row, Oli reiterated the UML's position, arguing that a new president should be elected due to the fresh mandate of the CA.

“The continued tenure of the incumbent President is not politically correct, constitutionally valid or morally righteous. He [the President] has no moral ground to stay in power after the new CA is in place."

KATHMANDU, FEB 06 - The Nepali Congress ( NC ) on Wednesday instructed its lawmakers to be present at the election of the prime minister scheduled for Monday. NC President and Parliamentary Party leader Sushil Koirala is contesting the election.    

Convening the party's first PP meeting at the CA building in New Baneshwor, the NC leadership directed its lawmakers to play active role in the Legislature-Parliament and Constituent Assembly.

According to NC spokesperson Dilendra Prasad Badu, party President Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel directed the lawmakers to regularly attend the CA meeting and Legislature-Parliament, and strongly support the party's agenda. The PP meeting was informed about the decision taken by the party's Central Working Committee on Tuesday.

KATHMANDU, FEB 05 - Backed by Gautam, Oli wins 98 of the total 173 votes to beat UML chairman by 23 votes
Senior CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli defeated party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal in a vote on Tuesday to claim the Parliamentary Party (PP) leadership securing 23 more votes than the party chairman.

Oli defeated Khanal after hectic negotiations in the party Central Committee (CC) and several others closed-door meetings failed to reach a consensus on a PP leader.

Oli maintained that the party will be unified, while no political prejudice would be evident in decisions. “We will move ahead in a very friendly manner,” Oli said.

Backed by the majority of party stalwarts including Vice Chairman Bam Dev Gautam, Oli secured 98 of the total 173 votes, while Khanal elicited just 75.

The second largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA), the UML, had elected the PP leader for the first time in its two-decade long parliamentary history.

The elected PP leader Oli said he will do his best to coordinate the party and parliamentary front and play an effective and constructive role on all fronts. “There will be no prejudice against you [lawmakers] regardless of your choices in the election,” Oli said, addressing party leaders and journalists at Singha Durbar. “We asked you to exercise the democratic process and you adopted it independently.”

Oli said he will focus on constitution-writing and building a stronger party in the days ahead.

In his address to party cadres, leaders and journalists after the defeat, Khanal said Oli ’s victory was a victory for his party, for democracy and for Nepalese people. “We all are on the same ground. We will achieve a lot once we stay united in constitution-writing and building the party,” said Khanal.

The internal equation of the party dramatically altered after Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam, originally supportive of Khanal, announced his support for Oli .  Oli , who stood third-in-line for the post, had emerged stronger following support from Vice-chairman Bidhya Bhandari, General Secretary

Ishwor Pokharel and Secretaries Bishnu Poudel and Shankar Pokharel among others.

Oli had been competing for the post of the party chief since the seventh general election held in February 2003.

In 2009’s Butwal General Convention Oli was defeated by Khanal after he withdrew his candidacy at the last moment in a bid to elect the then General Secretary Nepal as party chief.

Party insiders say however that he lacks inter-party negotiation skills due to his “opposition mentality.”

“Like an experienced lawyer, he [ Oli ] argues to weaken opponents due to his opposition mentality that has developed from the very beginning of his stay in jail during Jhapa bidroha,” said General Secretary Pokharel.

Even some party insiders argue his presence as the head of the parliamentary party will distance the UML from the former rebel UCPN (Maoist) in the coming days.

KATHMANDU, FEB 05 -Voting process to begin at 11 am
 A meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) on Tuesday recommended February 10 as the date to elect a new prime minister. The Parliament Secretariat will unveil details for the holding of the election after an official announcement on Wednesday.

The BAC, a cross-party mechanism inside the CA, made the recommendation a day after President Ram Baran Yadav wrote a letter to the Secretariat initiating the process of electing a prime minister as per Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution 2007.    The president made the request after the parties failed to form a unity government as per Article 38 (1) of the Interim Constitution within the deadline of February 2. “The voting process in Parliament will begin at 11 am on February 10 (Sunday) for electing a new prime minister,” said Sushil Kumar Shrestha, a member of  the BAC.

The Nepali Congress (NC) President and Parliamentary Party leader Sushil Koirala is the lone leader to announce his candidacy for the prime ministerial race. Thirteen of the 22 parties that participated in a recent all-party meet have pledged to support an NC-led government.  The second largest party, CPN-UML, has not announced a candidate, while K P Oli has been elected the UML’s PP leader. Leaders say the party is likely to support Koirala in the House. The third largest party, UCPN (Maoist), has announced that it will not join government though will play a constructive role as an opposition party.

The fourth largest party in the CA, Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N), has announced that it will remain in opposition while supporting Koirala for his prime ministerial bid.

The formation of a major-ity government is likely to gather momentum from Wednesday as the UML selected its prime ministerial candidate Tuesday. Meanwhile, the BAC meeting failed to make a decision on taking ownership of the progress of the last CA after the UML objected, saying the issue should be decided after the election of a prime minister. Similarly, the meeting failed to form a panel for the preparation of the rules of procedures of the CA and Parliament.

KATHMANDU, FEB 05 - Nepali Congress' ( NC ) Central Working Committee (CWC) on Tuesday officially proposed its party President and Parliamentary Party leader Sushil Koirala for the post of prime minister according to the party's charter.

In implementing Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution after a seven-day deadline to install a consensus government expired Sunday, the NC officially proposed Koirala as PM candidate under a majority government.

The NC wants maximum participation of the parties represented in the CA in a Koirala-led government, a press statement issued by the party reads.

To ensure Koirala is unopposed for the post of PM, the CWC has formed a negotiating team to convince other parties.

During the meeting, Koirala had proposed party leader and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba lead the team, though Deuba rejected the offer saying that he was not an appropriate candidate and that he would extend support from outside.

After Deuba rejected the offer, the meeting entrusted Koirala to appoint the negotiating team. Unofficially, until now, Koirala had been giving the responsibility of negotiating with the second largest party, CPN-UML, to Ram Sharan Mahat and Deep Kumar Upadhyay.

CWC members Shanker Bhandrai and Pushpa Bhusal maintained that the NC should keep the option open to form a government with the help of the UCPN (Maoist), RPP-N and Madhesi parties if CPN-UML seeks a larger stake in the Cabinet. "

CWC member Dhan Raj Gurung meanwhile said that Cabinet should be no larger than 25 members with preferences given to new faces.

The negotiating team is mandated to create a common ground for the drafting of a new federal, democratic and republican constitution within a year, and for the holding of local elections within six months, promoting economic prosperity, social justice and poverty alleviation.

The team will also forge consensus and seek resolutions on discouraging bandas, providing relief to conflict victims, setting transparent and accountable governance and ensuring law and order.

The team will discuss the power-sharing issue with other parties including the CPN-UML beginning Wednesday.

The meeting also drew the concern of the government to the sacking of Mahanta Tapeshwor Das of Janaki Mandir of Janakpur and urged the government to follow tradition.

The party also thanked the parties and leaders who had extended written support to Koirala of late.

At the meeting, party Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel, CWC members Ram Sharan Mahat, Arjun Nar Singh KC, Mahesh Acharya, Narahari Acharya and 20 others had voiced their perspectives.     

KATHMANDU, FEB 04 -
Top brass leaders of CPN- UML are holding a meeting at UML leader Bam Dev Gautam's residence in Bhaisipati in an attempt to forge consensus on the name of Parliamentary Party leader.

Party Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Vice Chairman Gautam, senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal, Bhim Rawal, Surendra Panday, KP Oli, Ishwor Pokhrel, among others, are present in the meeting .

A CC meeting of the party scheduled to being at 11 am has not started yet due to the meeting among the leaders.

Meanwhile, the party's PP office in Singha Durbar is preparing for PP leadership election. The election is scheduled to be conducted by electronic voting machine at 4 pm today.

Chairman Khanal and senior leader Oli are likely to contest the election if the meeting fails to agree on unanimous leader.

Senior leader Nepal had proposed Khanal’s name while Vice Chairman Gautam lobbied for Oli as PP candidate during the party's CC meet on Monday.

KATHMANDU, FEB 04 -
The Nepali Congress has called its Central Committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss government formation.

The meeting will dwell upon new government formation, its structure, power sharing, among other issues, NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba said.

Meanwhile, an informal meeting held between the office bearers and some central members at party President Sushil Koirala's residence in Maharajgunj has decided to take formal decision on power sharing and hold talks with other political parties for the formation of united government.

Meanwhile, the NC is all set to form a talks team from the central committee to forge understanding with the CPN-UML on power sharing.

Koirala has already appointed Ram Sharam Mahat and Deep Kumar Upadhyay in the talks team.

"The NC will make attempts to make the political parties participate in the majority government if the party fails to garner support to install consensus government," NC Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel said.

Likewise, party spokesperson Dilendra Badu said a committee will be formed formally to hold talks with the political parties.

Meanwhile, the UML has already given the responsibility to hold talks on power sharing to party vice chairman Bamdev Gautam and Secretary Bishnu Poudel.

MUMBAI, FEB -Actor Ranveer Singh says there are no plans yet of working with ace filmmaker Aditya Chopra. There was buzz that Aditya Chopra’s next directorial venture would have Ranveer in the lead, but the actor quashed such rumours.

“It is not true, but I wish it was. Being directed by Adi sir in a movie would be a dream come true for me,” Ranveer said. Ranveer was launched by the YRF banner in Band Baaja Baarat, which was a huge hit. His second film, Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, was again with Chopra’s banner.

He later acted in two films—Lootera and Ram Leela—which were not backed by YRF. However, his two upcoming movies—action drama Gunday and romance-action flick Kill Dill—are with Yash Raj Films. 

KATHMANDU, FEB 04 - People all over the country are observing Shree Panchami on Tuesday. People are thronging the temples of Saraswati to pay homage to the goddess of knowledge.

Shree Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Magh every year. The Basanta season begins on this day, and the festival is also referred as Basanta Panchami.

On this very day, children are taught alphabets, and elders also begin their new lessons of art, music and in other creative fields.

According to folk belief, if a person swallows seven rice grains, that are offered to the Goddess, s/he will become wise and knowledgeable. So, students and children clamor for the rice grains strewn around the idol.

Since the day is believed to be auspicious, marriage ceremonies and other religious fuctions are being carried out throughout the country.

KATHMANDU, FEB 04 - After efforts to install a consensus government by Sunday failed, President Ram Baran Yadav on Monday called on the parties to begin the process of forming a majority government.

The Office of the President issued a statement in the name of the Legislature-Parliament on Monday to begin the process of forming a majority government. Yadav cited Article 38 (2) of Interim Constitution 2063 in support of his announcement.

Attempts to form a consensus government as per Article 38 (1) of the Interim Constitution failed due to a lack of support, with the UCPN (Maoist) and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, among others, resolving to sit in opposition while maintaining that they will play a responsible and constructive role.

President Yadav, however, has not given any deadline for the formation of a majority government.

On January 26, President Yadav had called on the parties to form a consensus government before February 2, however an agreement regarding government formation proved elusive despite multiple rounds of talks.“As the request made by the President to install a government according to Article 38 (1) failed, the President has sent a message to the Legislature-Parliament to inform the Constituent Assembly (CA),” said the statement issued by the President Office.

Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala had telephoned President Yadav on Sunday, urging him to undertake the required formalities to allow the formation of a majority government. Minendra Rijal, a Congress CWC member,  has claimed that an NC-led majority government will be formed by February 11.

Speaking at an interaction programmed in the Capital on Monday, Rijal said the next session of the Legislature-Parliament, to be held on February 5, will chart the plans for the election of a PM, adding that the new government will be formed within three to four days.

He also affirmed that the NC will cooperate with the UML to promulgate a new statute.

PM poll date likely tomorrow

Acting on a President’s letter asking to form a majority government, the Parliament Secretariat is likely to announce the date of prime minister’s election at a Parliament session on Wednesday.

A Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting on Tuesday will hold consultations with the parties represented in the CA about the date of prime minister’s election. BAC is an all-party body that discusses and sets the business both for the Parliament and CA. The Secretariat is believed to have recommended February 9 date for the PM election.

General Secretary at the Parliament Secretariat Manohar Prasad Bhattarai will unveil the detail itinerary of the PM election.

“We will fix the date for the prime ministerial election on Wednesday during the Parliamentary session which will initiate the election process,” said Mukunda Sharma, spokesperson at the Secretariat.

Unless the parties demand more time, the election process will begin within a week. The festering dispute in the CPN-UML over selection of its Parliamentary Party leader is likely to delay the process of PM election.