Solidarity Centre for Nepal Democracy

Uddhab Pyakurel Assistant Professor in School of Arts, Kathmandu University, Nepal ／  Academic Advisory Committee of CSSAME The issue of Nepal-China border management has been in forefront once again along with the blockade experienced by Nepalis in Nepal-India border in 2015 just after Nepal promulgated its new constitution. In fact, the Indian blockade further proved that Nepal is not only a landlocked but also practically an India locked country. It was partly because the role performed by Nepal’s northern border-Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. If one could see Chinese role to help Nepal to overcome crisis, it could do almost insignificant help to Nepal. And it was not that China was unable to assist Nepalis but it did not do much. The major reason behind the insufficient support was a long-practiced Chinese interest that is not to invite further complication by opening the Tibetan border. In an Interview [1] , the author argued that Nepal-China relations ...

Local body staffers demand local election at the soonest Various trade union leaders from the Local Body Employee Association, Nepal have urged the government to announce the local elections. During a meeting with Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey on Monday, they also demanded that no delay be made in announcing the date for local election. "It's been over 15 years since the local bodies are without poeple's representatives. Due to the failure to hold the local election, service delivery by the local bodies and local development work have been affected,” reads the memorandum signed by Harikumar Shrestha, the association's chairman. They have submitted a 15-point memorandum demanding timely local election.  The memorandum states that the number of local bodies have already been fixed so the government's focus now should be on holding the local election. They also demanded that about 6,000 staffers who have been working in loc...

  A parliamentary probe committee has stated that the then CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court earlier this month, cannot be impeached by the parliament. The probe committee reached the conclusion after finding that allegations made against Karki did not have substantive grounds.  Karki was accused of spying on top government officials, influencing the health ministry decision to increase quota of Kist Medical College, where his brother has stakes and conducting MBBS entrance exam of Kathmandu University.  In its investigation the panel did not find strong evidence to back the first two allegations. However the committee found Karki breaching the constitutional jurisdiction in the third case, a panel member said.  "It has been found CIAA intervened in the MBBS exam held by the KU breaching its constitutional jurisdiction on the instruction of Karki. But allegations over other two cases couldn't be substantiated," the...

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday asked four questions to the agitating Madhes-based political parties with regard to ending the ongoing political deadlock and urged them to come up with clear answers. The prime minister at a meeting with the leaders of the Madhes-based parties on Monday asked them what would be their reaction if the government made preparations for election and announced election date after completing the process for constitution amendment.  Likewise, Dahal asked the Madhes-based parties if they would participate in the elections even if the parliament rejected the amendment bill. The prime minister also asked them whether or not the agitating parties would be ready for local polls if some reasonable changes are made to the report of the local level restructuring commission in line with their demands. Similarly, the prime minister informed the Madhes-based leaders that the ruling coalition is ready to address their demand for making fu...

  CPN (UML) General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel today termed the proposed amendment of the constitution as being against national interest.  Speaking at a press meet organized by Press Chautari Nepal, Kaski Chapter, Pokharel expressed his party's determination to not allow the amendment proposal to be put to vote at the Parliament.  He challenged the government to put other proposals to vote by withdrawing the provision on provincial border demarcation and expressed concern at efforts to introduce the Hindi language as the language to be used in documents and works in future.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday announced to expand insurance facility to Nepali workers leaving for foreign jobs.  The Prime Minister directed the concerned agencies to provide insurance facility also to Nepalis working in India. As per the announcement, Nepalis working in India will get an insurance of Rs 500,000 for deadly diseases, life insurance of Rs 750,000 and a maximum of Rs 150,000 from Foreign Employment Promotion Board.  With the announcement, a worker can receive a maximum of Rs 1.4 million as compensation and relief amount from the government. It will be mandatory to receive work permit for working in India from the concerned District Administration Office or District Administration Office in the districts bordering with India.  PM Dahal said that the orders will be implemented from Saturday.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has assured the agitating Madhes-based political parties that the government would hold the local-level election only after amending the constitution. During a meeting with the top leaders of the agitating parties at his official residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dahal made the assurance after Madhes-based parties warned that they would not support the election if it is held without amending the constitution. General Secretary of the National Madhes Socialist Party (NMSP) Keshav Jha said there has been an understanding that the government would not announce the date for local-level poll without the consent of the Madhes-based parties. Top leaders of the Madhes-based parties at the meeting had rejected the prime minister’s proposal to announce poll date before the amendments in the constitution. Prime Minister Dahal had argued that it would be appropriate to announce the date of election right away as it may take some time ...

The national conference of the CPN-UML central front organisations has concluded issuing a 20-point declaration here on Tuesday. The three-day conference concluded prioritising to strengthen national unity, social harmony along with implementing the constitution, said party secretary Yogesh Bhattarai. The conference has stressed on the implementation of the constitution rather amending it. The party has urged to announce the date for local poll saying that three-tier of elections should have completed by January 2018. Similarly, it has urged to withdraw the irrelevant constitution amendment bill terming it traitor. Leader Bhattarai added that the conference has directed the different organisation fronts to be prepared for effectively launch Mechi-Mahakali Campaign to be begun from March 4 by the party. The conference was participated by different 20 organisations.

Chairman Kamal Thapa and National Chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana are most likely to contest for leadership during the first unity convention of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party scheduled to be held in the Capital next month. The convention that begins on February 17 is the first after two rightist forces Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal and the RPP merged on November 22 to become the RPP. With 37 seats in the 595-strong Parliament, the RPP is the fourth largest party. The four-day jamboree will be held at the Bhrikutimandap-based exhibition hall.  A new leadership and a Central Working Committee will be elected for the next four years. According to party sources, Thapa and Rana have expedited their consultations with the cadres. Rana, who chaired the RPP before the merger, is the national chairman, the second-in-command after Thapa. Dilnath Giri, the chief whip of the party, said around 4,500 delegates will elect a 150-member CWC including the...

-   KAMAL DEV BHATTARAI Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has said the Election Commission is ready to conduct the local elections within May-June if all the legal provisions are made within a week. Yadav, who is currently in New Delhi to renew a memorandum of understanding between the election commissions of Nepal and India, said the local, provincial and national elections would be conducted by January 21 next year. The government plans to hold the local elections within May-June, provincial elections in September and national elections by January. He said the EC would speed up the preparations after  the laws are passed and the election date announced. The election authority was working to increase voter turnover in the upcoming polls. “Last election, there was 80 percent turnover. We will increase it in the upcoming vote,” he said. An MoU signed between the election bodies of the two countries in 2011 on mutual coopera...

-   Krishna Thapa The indefinite banda in Nuwakot, enforced by the people of Likhu region to protest the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission (LLRC), continued for the 10th consecutive day on Tuesday.  The shutdown has mainly affected the farmers and the earthquake-affected families, as transportation service in the district is at a halt. Vegetable and dairy farmers have been unable to take their produces to the market while the earthquake victims have no way of transporting construction materials to rebuild their homes. The villages, including Khanigaun, Chaughada, Suryamati, Thansingh, Kabilas, Ganeshsthan, Narjamandap, Kharanitar, Ralukadevi, Samudratar, Shikharbesi and Betini, have been hit hard. The banda enforcers have allowed schools in the district to operate their classes from Monday.  The people in Likhu region began protesting after the LLRC report did not incorporate their recommendation of granting Likhu a village council status. Th...

Summary and translation by Uma Nepal Dr. Bhattarai has recently written an online write up. In his online write up, whatever thought he has given in the name of being against to Oli, it has attacked to the freedom, sovereignty and unity of Nepal. None of the patriarchates can just sit looking at it. Opposition of Nepali nationality in the name of opposition of Oli-ism Since sometime now, to deplore the Nepali nationality, Dr. Bhattarai has created the rumor of it being as the “artificial nationality”. He should have known that the nationality which carries willingness for the salvation, freedom and dignity of any oppressed society is always progressive, no matter in whatever way it comes out. Prithvi Narayan Shah took Nepal in the process of being developed as a modern nation. Including him and his family along with different other nationalist personality like B.P. Koirala, Pushpalal, Madan Bhandari has given much devotion in order to establish today’s nation. “Mahendra nat...