Nepal - Central News Hub

Oli ousts Prachanda from party chairman’s post

The ruling party is now divided into two factions — one led by Prime Minister Oli and another by Prachanda. Both were chairmen of the unified party until Monday…reports Asian Lite News

Nepal’s ruling party is witnessing high drama since Sunday ever since Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli dissolved the House of Representatives and proposed to hold midterm elections on April 30 and May 10.

After Oli recommended dissolving the House, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari swiftly approved the proposal, creating political ripples in the Himalayan nation.

After Oli’s decision to dissolve the House, Nepal’s ruling Communist party is functioning as two political parties which were united just two years back. Until they unified in 2018, Oli was the chairman of Nepal Communist Party (UML) while Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ used to lead the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist). After their merger in May 2018, both were chairmen of the party until Monday.

The ruling party is now divided into two factions — one led by Prime Minister Oli and another by Prachanda. Both were chairmen of the unified party until Monday.

Both factions have now constituted their own central committee members, standing committee members and party committees following the dissolution of the House.

On Thursday, a central committee of the Oli faction removed Prachanda from the party chairman’s post. With this decision, the faction led by Oli has one chairman but another parallel faction has two chairmen — Prachanda and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Oli said the party’s central committee meeting on Thursday took action against Prachanda for violating the party statute and for his involvement in anti-party activities. From Thursday, only Oli’s signature will work as that of party chairman.

In this row, the Prachanda-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) had already removed Oli from the party chairman’s post earlier this week for taking “unconstitutional” and “undemocratic” decisions, replacing him with Madhav Kumar Nepal.

It then unanimously elected Prachanda as parliamentary party leader replacing Oli on Wednesday. The Oli faction has also removed Narayan Kaji Shrestha as spokesperson and replaced him with Pradeep Gyawali.

Over one dozen cases have been filed in Nepal’s Supreme Court against the House dissolution move while the opposition parties have announced fresh agitation against Oli’s move.

On the other hand, both factions have claimed themselves as the official party and kept on sending their decisions to the Election Commission. Only the Election Commission gives a verdict which the CPN holds with authenticity in this row. At present, the Election Commission is studying and probing the documents submitted by both sides.

Also read:China, Nepal hold talks amid political turmoil

Indian Army Chief Due in Nepal to Boost Ties

At a time when Nepal-India ties appear to have reached an all-time low due to the boundary dispute starting from November last year, Gen Naravane added a twist in May after India opened a new track linking the Mansarovar to the state of Uttarakhand…reports India Daily Newsdesk

In a mission to strengthen defence, security and overall ties with Nepal, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff, Indian Army, will arrive in Nepal on November 4 on a three-day visit.

At the invitation of General Purna Chandra Thapa, Chief of the Army Staff, Nepali Army, the Indian army chief will pay a customary visit to Nepal.

At a time when Nepal-India ties appear to have reached an all-time low due to the boundary dispute starting from November last year, Gen Naravane added a twist in May after India opened a new track linking the Mansarovar to the state of Uttarakhand.

Nepal protested the opening of the new track by India because the newly constructed road surpasses a trijuncture between Nepal, India and China. The Indian road passes across Lipulekh, that Nepal claims its own territory which Nepal had protested earlier in 2015 during an agreement between New Delhi and Beijing.

After Nepal’s protest over the new road constructed by India followed by dispute in Kalapani area which is an unsettled boundary row since decades, General Naravane had said that it was in fact China that was creating a flashpoint between Delhi and Kathmandu. “I don’t know what they are actually agitating about. There is a reason to believe that they might have raised this problem at the behest of someone else and that is very much a possibility,” Naravane had said at an online conference in May.

His statement had created huge uproar in Kathmandu. Many officials believe that Naravane’s statement was one of the major reasons behind Kathmandu’s decision to release the new map on May 20 incorporating Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura which is currently occupied by India.

Chief of Army Staff General M.M. Naravane

The main events in his programme include paying homage at the martyrs’ memorial in the Army Pavilion, receiving a guard of honour in the Army Headquarters, holding official meetings with his counterpart General Purna Chandra Thapa and address the student officers at the Army Command and Staff College, Shivapuri near Kathmandu, the army has said.

The main highlight of the visit will be the conferment of the rank of an honorary General of the Nepali Army to General Naravane by President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari on November 5 amidst a special ceremony, the statement reads.

Nepal and India have a historic tradition of conferring the honorary title to each other’s army chief since 1950. And Nepal Army only procure military hardware including lethal weapons from India in a concessional price since long.

General Naravane is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister and Defence Minister K. P. Sharma Oli on the final day of his visit.