Solidarity Centre for Nepal Democracy

The Republicans are united in their belief that the ‘expansionist’ ambitions of communist China must be checked by empowering China’s rivals like India The only thing that can be said with certainty about Donald Trump is that no one is sure what he will do when he officially assumes the presidency of the United States on January 20th. The same goes for his foreign policy. But that won’t stop this columnist and his ilk from some self-taught crystal-gazing on Trump presidency. True to his form, Donald Trump has picked a CEO of a private company to run the State Department. The new Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, who will be the de facto foreign minister of the US, is the CEO of the oil behemoth ExxonMobile. The Texas oilman’s only foreign policy experience (of sorts) is negotiating oil contracts with various dictators, most notably Vladimir Putin of Russia. (Putin has even honored Tillerson with ‘Order of Friendship’ award, a state decoration.) Even his other cabinet picks...

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has clarified that the constitution amendment bill was registered in a bid to forge a national consensus. Inaugurating the fifth Dhading Festival at Dhading on Thursday, PM Dahal argued that the constitution amendment bill registered on November 29 this year was the same one as registered by the CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress (NC) then President Sushil Koirala. Dahal insisted, "It is imperative to increase wider acceptability of the bill to bring into effect the new constitution." Forewarning of crisis plaguing the country due to the politics of negation, Dahal urged the major opposition, which has been objecting the bill, to seek resolution through parliament. He shared that the major issues such as constitution amendment, impeachment against the suspended CIAA Chief and elections will be dealt based on a package deal in consultation with the major opposition, Madheshi Front and Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Re...

Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has accused the main Opposition, the CPN-UML, of trying to create rift between the hill and Madhes communities. “The government has registered a constitution amendment bill in parliament to establish peace in Tarai-Madhes. But the UML has been obstructing the House in protest of the bill. The UML is thus trying to create a rift between the hills and the Tarai,” said Deuba. Speaking at a national gathering of Treasurers of NC in the capital on Friday, Deuba said that by obstructing the House, the UML was expressing its anger for having to quit government. “Parties form and leave government in a democracy. It is a normal process. It is not appropriate to hold the House a hostage just because you (UML) have to leave the government,” he said. Deuba also claimed that UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli had already given his nod to the kind of constitution amendment bill registered by the government. “But now he is obstructing the b...

Nepali Congress senior leaders have made an insistence on holding the three-tier elections with the endorsement of the constitution amendment bill registered in the Legislature – Parliament. At the inaugural ceremony of the Congress District Treasurers' First National Conference here coinciding with NC saint leader, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai's 93rd birth anniversary, NC leaders pointed out that it was mandatory to hold local, provincial and federal level elections by Magh 7, 2074 BS for brining the constitution into practise. On the occasion, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba said the constitution's full implementation was possible only if the three-tier elections could take place within the timeframe set by the constitution in agreement among all the parties. Accusing the CPN (UML) of moving against the proposal for provincial border demarcation, Deuba lashed out, "For how many days will they continue to obstruct the Parliament? Don't they have any responsibility...

Madhes-based political parties did not welcome the constitution promulgated on 20 September, 2015. When the entire country was rejoicing over the promulgation of the first constitution of the Republic of Nepal, people in Madhes protested it by announcing blackout. The reason was - ‘Madhes voice’ was not addressed by the constitution. Differences regarding citizenship provisions, provinces and representation issues, among others, were cited as the reasons behind the dissatisfaction. With the government still struggling to take Madhes based parties in confidence, the constitution has not been implemented yet.   Civil society and political leaders in Madhes state that Madhes is equally worried about the political deadlock and want to see the country moving further. But for that to happen the first thing to be done is to address demands raised in Madhes, they say. His five decade long experience in Madhes and mainstream politics makes Khushilal Mandal to believe that ther...

Chairman of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Upendra Yadav has accused the CPN-UML of trying to kill pro-change agendas like republicanism and federalism under the pretext of nationalism. Claiming that the CPN-UML has been actively trying to kill achievements like federalism and republicanism and pushing the country towards a civil war, Yadav said the UML's nationalism was of the Panchayat time. ‘‘CPN-UML is creating a plot by instigating people, asking them to come out on the streets against the constitution amendment bill. This is a plot against federalism and the democratic republic," Yadav said addressing a regional mass gathering at Pakadi, Kapilvastu on Friday. Lashing out at the UML, Yadav accused the party of instigating communal conflict in the country. Yadav even warned that his party would not let the elections take place if the constitution is not amended as per their demand. 17-12-2016, MyRepublica

With the government bent on tabling the constitution amendment bill in parliament, protests have intensified again in various districts of western and mid-western regions after a gap of few days. Protests that had been toned down earlier in view of the hardships caused to the locals, have now been intensified from Friday with an announcement of a three-day general strike in all districts of Province 5. 'Joint struggle committees' comprising leaders of major political parties in the districts--Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Palpa--announced the strike against government preparations to table the amendment proposal in parliament. The strike has largely affected vehicular movement while schools, government offices, factories and markets remained closed.  Tensions ran high in Gulmi, Nepalgunj of Banke and Rolpa after the protestors prevented locals from using all kinds of vehicles. Over 24 prot...