Tag: NEPAL

Categories
-Top News Asia News Nepal

Big blow to Oli as apex court annuls cabinet reshuffle

Oli had dissolved the House on May 21 and declared the elections after he lost the vote of confidence in the House….reports Asian Lite News

In a serious blow to Nepal’s embattled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, the country’s Supreme Court on Tuesday quashed the recent Cabinet reshuffle and relieved 20 ministers from their posts in Oli’s cabinet.

Oli, who slipped to caretaker status after the dissolution of the House and declaring the elections in November, had expanded the Cabinet and added 20 new faces on June 4 and June 10.

Oli had dissolved the House on May 21 and declared the elections after he lost the vote of confidence in the House.

The Supreme Court said in its interim order that a caretaker Prime Minister cannot reshuffle the Cabinet after declaring the elections.

That goes against the spirit of the Constitution, the interim order of the court stated, while issuing an order not to implement the decision to expand the Cabinet.

A division bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shamsher Rana and Justice Prakash Kumar Dhungana issued the order in the name of the caretaker government to release the newly appointed ministers from their appointments.

The Supreme Court interim order has asked Oli to relieve 20 ministers appointed after the House dissolution from their duties. With this, the size of Oli’s Cabinet has been reduced to five from 25.

The court’s decisions came in response to several writ petitions that were filed earlier this month, challenging Oli’s move to induct new ministers in the caretaker government.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party-UML has termed the Supreme Court’s interim order to relive 20 ministers as an ‘unexpected’ move.

“This Supreme Court’s decision is unexpected to us and this will take the country to a very complex mode,” party spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali told the media after the court’s verdict.

“We have concluded it as ‘unexpected’ but we’ll make our position clear once we read the full verdict,” he added.

The Supreme Court’s decision has been welcomed by the opposition Nepali Congress.

“This is a very positive decision as Prime Minister Oli has been assaulting the Constitution time and again. The Supreme Court has corrected Oli’s mistake,” said senior Nepali Congress leader, Ram Chandra Poudel.

“No caretaker government in the world expands the Cabinet after the declaration of elections. The court has taken its decision in favour of democracy.” Poudel added.

Oli had twice dissolved the Parliament. First in December last year, which was later reinstated in February. After his united party, the Nepal Communist Party, split in March during a verdict, Oli lost the majority in Parliament and lost the vote of confidence.

Again on May 21, he dissolved the House and declared the elections, which is being heard in the Supreme Court.

ALSO READ: Nepal to buy 4mn vaccines from China

Categories
-Top News China Nepal

Nepal to buy 4mn vaccines from China

Rich nations in partnership with India need to step up their game to bridge Nepal's Covid vaccine shortages.(photo:India Narrative)

Nepali media have speculated the price of the vaccines to be between $18 to $21 for two doses….reports Asian Lite News

The Nepal government has decided to procure four million Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by China’s Sinopharm under a non-disclosure agreement.

However, the government has not disclosed the price of the vaccine.

Since it is to be signed under a non-disclosure agreement, there is no provision of making public the rate of each dose, a senior Nepal government official said.

During a meeting of Covid Crisis Management Centre on Wednesday, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said the vaccines were expected to arrive by the end of June.

Nepali media have speculated the price of the vaccines to be between $18 to $21 for two doses.

Nepal

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raghubir Mahaseth confirmed the government’s decision to buy the Chinese vaccines developed by Sinopharm which were earlier branded as Verocell.

Nepal is currently using Verocell after China donated 1.8 million doses earlier as a grant assistance.

Similarly Nepal also received 1 million Covishield vaccines from India as a grant in January and procured another 2 million from the Serum Institute of India (SII) and paid the full money in advance.

ALSO READ: World Bank nod to $60mn fund for Nepal’s higher education

Out of that 2 million Covid vaccines that were procured from SII, Nepal has already received one million vaccines on February 21. But the Himalayan nation could not get rest 1 million after India put a ban on vaccine export.

The price of each dose of Covishield was $4.

The Indian Army also provided 1 lakh vaccines to its Nepalese counterpart earlier, while the country also received 348,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine provided under the COVAX facility on March 7.

“We are in talks with the World Bank to receive 5 million vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson,” Mahaseth said in the interview.

“Since immunisation against Covid is our top most priority, we have asked the vaccine

manufacturers to deliver the doese within 45 to 60 days. Nepal needs to inoculate its 72 per cent population out of the total 30 million.”

The World Bank has already pledged $75 million for Nepal to procure the Covid vaccines.

ALSO READ: Indian Army welcomes Nepali women

Categories
-Top News India News Nepal

Indian Army welcomes Nepali women

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has released the announcement calling for eligible Nepali females to submit their application through the online…reports Asian Lite News

In a first, the Indian Army has opened vacancies for Nepali women in the Corps of Military Police.

The announcement comes at a time when there are calls to abrogate the recruitment of Nepali youths in the Indian Army.

The Army says that that it wants to continue the recruitment of Nepali youths both male and female in a bid to widen the scope for the youngsters.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has released the announcement calling for eligible Nepali females to submit their application through the online.

The announcement has set a certain criteria but has also given some relaxation to the children of who parent died during service in the Indian Army.

As per the criteria those who have passed class 10, aged between 16 to 21 years or those who were born between October 1, 2000, to between April 1, 2004, and height above than 152 cm can apply.

The deadline for submitting application is July 20.

Those categorised as Veer Nari, are eligible to apply up to 30 years, according to the notice.

Those who fulfil the criteria will go for further selection process in Ambal, Lucknow, Jabalpur, Pune, Belgaum and Shillong.

The kids of former Indian Army recruits, Veer Nari and whose fathers were killed while on duty will get waive in weight and grace marks of 20 in the written examination.

@IndiaInNepal
ALSO READ: India must step up game to support Nepal

As per the treaty between Nepal and India, there is a separate Gorkha Regiment in Indian Army and over lakhs of Nepali nationals have served in various positions in the Indian Army and retired.

The recruitment of Nepali youths began in 1816 during the rule of the East India Company.

Over 32,00 Nepali nationals are currently serving in the Indian Army at various capacities in seven Gorkha Rifle regiments (1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th), each of which has five to six battalions (around 800 soldiers each).

The 2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th regiments went to the British Army after Independence in 1947. These have now been consolidated into one Gorkha Regiment.

Currently over lakhs of veterans are receiving pensions after retiring from the Indian Army.

It was the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist who demanded the scrapping of the recruitment of Nepali youths in Indian and British Armies before they waged the civil war in the country in 1996.

After 2007, the Maoists were in the government in Nepal in different capacities but they never raised the issue with Indian and British governments about scrapping provisions of Gorkha recruitment in Indian and British Armies.

But instead of scrapping the recruitment process, both Indian and British Armies are expanding the recruitment process and now Indian Army has started recruiting women too.

ALSO READ: World Bank nod to $60mn fund for Nepal’s higher education

Categories
-Top News Asia News Nepal

World Bank nod to $60mn fund for Nepal’s higher education

Faris Hadad-Zervos

Nurturing Excellence in Higher Education Program builds on Nepal’s previous successful higher education projects supported through results-based financing, said World Bank statement…reports Asian Lite News

The World Bank has approved USD 60 million to improve the quality of Nepal’s higher education, scale up online learning, and expand access to academic institutions for underprivileged students.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of building back better and prioritizing human capital development,” stated Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

“Improving access to quality higher education and helping students acquire the skills that are in demand in the labor market will contribute to Nepal’s COVID-19 recovery and strengthen its resilience.”

In a press release published on Friday, World Bank said that the Nurturing Excellence in Higher Education Program builds on Nepal’s previous successful higher education projects supported through results-based financing.

Nepal

It will help the government of Nepal align its higher education sector with labour market needs, boost collaborative research and entrepreneurship, improve governance, and access to quality higher education, especially for disadvantaged students, the release said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created strong incentives to expand online platforms and blended learning, which the program will help scale up across Nepal’s universities.

“A key priority of the program is to promote the inclusion of disadvantaged students, including those facing economic hardship due to COVID-19,” stated Mohan Aryal, World Bank’s Program Task Team Leader.

“The program will expand targeted scholarships to help disadvantaged students pursue labor market-driven academic programs and support equity grants to higher education institutions in needy and disaster-affected areas in Nepal.”

1st liquid oxygen plant

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has laid a foundation stone virtually for the construction of the country’s first liquid oxygen plant which is expected to help substitute oxygen import from India.

“As they will be insufficient at the time of a pandemic, the liquid oxygen plant will be important in meeting the deficit in oxygen supplies,” Oli said during the virtual inauguration ceremony on Sunday.

Shankar Oxygen Gas Pvt. Ltd, the sole importer of liquid oxygen in Nepal, is setting up its own liquid oxygen plant in the southwestern city of Bhairahawa, reports Xinhua news agency.

Covering an area of 3,716 square metres, the plant will have a production capacity of 60 tons per day, according to the company.

The excess production could be exported to neighbouring countries and used in the industrial sector once the Covid-19 pandemic is over, said Oli.

Some hospitals in Nepal which were relying on imported liquid oxygen were forced to resort to bottled oxygen for several days last month after Indian authorities ordered a halt to exports due to a surging demand for oxygen at home to cope with a deadly second wave of the pandemic.

In May, some Nepal hospitals had to turn away Covid patients due to an acute shortage of medical oxygen and beds as 8,000-9,000 new cases were reported in most days of the month after a second wave hit the nation in April.

In response, the Nepal government had made it mandatory for hospitals with over 100 beds to establish their own oxygen plants. (ANI/IANS)

ALSO READ: India must step up game to support Nepal

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 Nepal

India must step up game to support Nepal

Confronting a major health crisis, Nepal has issued a worldwide appeal, including the United States and the United Kingdom — countries with whom India is in touch to define a global response to the ever-evolving pandemic, reports Rahul Kumar

Developed countries, in partnership with India, need to step up their game to support Nepal, which is staring at significant shortages of Covid-19 vaccines.

Having vaccinated a substantial number of their citizens, countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have surplus stocks of jabs. In fact, the WHO has appealed to the developed countries, not to begin vaccinating children. Instead, these jabs can be sent to help developing countries, such as Nepal, to make up for their shortfall.

India’s massive and unexpected second wave of Covid-19 has upset previous plans. Countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal which were looking for Indian vaccines, are being forced to look elsewhere as the demand for jabs in India has exponentially surged. The Indian situation may ease only later this year. China, another vaccine maker is also finding it hard to step into the breach, because of its own prior commitments.

A health worker is seen at an isolation ward of a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal,

Confronting a major health crisis, Nepal has issued a worldwide appeal, including the United States and the United Kingdom — countries with whom India is in touch to define a global response to the ever-evolving pandemic.

An editorial in The Kathmandu Post titled, Help us, world, says that the daily infection rate remains around 7,300. With an increase in the number of cases, hospitals are flooded with patients leading to massive oxygen shortages. The editorial quoted the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, appealing to the international community to send vaccines to the country.

One of the biggest appeals has been made by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli through his opinion piece in the UK’s The Guardian newspaper.

Oli’s opinion piece published on May 10, says: “As I write this, my country is battling a new and brutal wave of the covid-19 pandemic. The rise in the number of infections poses a serious challenge to our brave doctors, nurses, other care providers, citizen volunteers and the entire health service system.

Nepal

… But due to the constraints of resources and infrastructure, the pandemic is turning out to be an overwhelming burden. I have, therefore, appealed to the international community to help us with vaccines, diagnostic tools, oxygen kits, critical care medicines and equipment, to support our efforts to save lives. Our urgent goal is to stop preventable deaths occurring”, says Oli in his opinion for the British newspaper.

Similar appeals have been made by a cross section of the Nepali community asking the world to help the country battle the surge in virus numbers.

ALSO READ: India, Nepal reiterate shared commitment to uninterrupted trade

Last week, people came together under the umbrella of Covid Alliance for Nepal and launched an online petition asking the US to provide vaccines after the US announced that it would release 60 million AstraZeneca doses globally. The petition is being led by resident Nepalis as well as Nepali citizens living in the US.

The alliance consists of ‘influential people’ – healthcare professionals in the US, journalists and activists. The Kathmandu Post quoted one of the activists, Sakar Pudasaini as saying: “The only effective solution is the vaccine. We cannot wait until the deaths are in thousands before we act.” Pudasaini added that people will have to act now so that the virus does not reach villages where little infrastructure exists.

The activists are optimistic that the US will provide the medical help that Nepal needs as it has considerable resources.

In one such massive appeal, 83 members of the Nepalese civil society have written to China asking for vaccines, oxygen supplies and other Covid-19 related supplies. Nepali newspaper The Annapurna Express said: “This is perhaps the first instance of the Nepali civil society making such an appeal with China, even as there have been many instances of similar appeals to various western countries.”

Analysts say that control over vaccine patents by Big Pharma companies is largely to blame for the huge vaccine shortages in the Global South, including Nepal. But the first breakthrough has been achieved after US President Joe Biden earlier this month endorsed a joint filing in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by India and South Africa to suspend Big Pharma patents. Once that is done, the flow of vaccines, which can be locally manufactured, can be untapped.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed lifting the patent protections of coronavirus vaccines with Biden, so that vaccine shortfalls triggered by the deadly second wave of Covid-19 could be bridged.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi also informed President Biden about India’s initiative at the WTO for a relaxation in the norms of the Agreement on TRIPS to ensure quick and affordable access to vaccines and medicines for developing countries,” said the statement released after the talks. The relaxation would grant governments quicker and more affordable access to the life-saving doses.

“This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” U.S. trade representative Katherine Tai said in a statement, endorsing India and South Africa’s stand to uncork vaccine flows. “The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines,” she observed.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Nepal bans distribution of Patanjali’s Coronil

Categories
Asia News India News Nepal

Nepal bans distribution of Patanjali’s Coronil

The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits…reports Asian Lite News

Coronil, the so-called immunity booster kit manufactured by yoga guru Ramdevs Patanjali group in India, has landed in a controversy in Nepal after the Himalayan nations Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine imposed a ban on its distribution.

The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits, which have also landed in controversy in India and Bhutan.

The controversy erupted in Nepal after the Patanjai Yoghpeeth on last Thursday handed over Coronil kits, sanitisers, masks and other immunity booster medicines worth crores of rupees to outgoing Health Minister, Hrydesh Tripathi.

The day after he received the support from local officials of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, Tripathi was removed as the Health Minister.

“The Coronil kits provided by the Patanjali Yogpeeth did not receive permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we have decided not to distribute it,” Basudev Upadhyay, the Director General of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, said in a press conference.

“The Coronil kit could be beneficial for the treatment of respiratory disorders, but it has not taken permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we cannot distribute it,” Upadhyay added.

As per the Nepali law, any drug can be imported only after obtaining permission from the DDA.

ALSO READ: Nepal oppn moves SC demanding restoration of house

Meanwhile, the spokesperson at Nepal’s Health Ministry, Krishna Poudel, told IANS that he is not aware about the distribution of Coronil kits in Nepal.

“We do not know if the outgoing Health Minister Tripathi accepted the support. We have heard that it is yet to get permission from the DDA,” said Poudel.

“Coronil is not registered with the DDA and it cannot be distributed or sold out without registration,” DDA spokesperson Santosh K.C. told IANS.

“We have not received any document for its registration as well as seeking permission for selling out in Nepal. We do not know how the former Health Minister accepted the donation. We have not received any letter from the Health Ministry to grant permission for its distribution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Patanjai Yogpeeth said that the consignment of 1,500 Coronil kits was provided upon the request from the government of Nepal.

Officials at Nepal’s Health Ministry said that officials from Patanjali Yogpeeth in Nepal and India had approached former Health Minister Tripathi directly, handing over some documents that received permission from the government of India for its distribution and provision of selling for the general public as an immunity booster.

The Bhutan government had already rejected the support provided by Patanjali.

ALSO READ: India, Nepal reiterate shared commitment to uninterrupted trade

Categories
-Top News India News Nepal

India, Nepal reiterate shared commitment to uninterrupted trade

India is Nepal’s largest export destination, receiving an overwhelming 74% of its total exports…reports Asian Lite News

Reiterating their shared commitment to uninterrupted trade and economic exchanges, India and Nepal on Monday underscored the criticality of supply chains and discussed ways to keep them pandemic proof.

In a virtual meeting between the Secretary, Department of Commerce of India, Anup Wadhawan and Secretary, Industry, Commerce and Supplies of Nepal, Dinesh Bhattarai, a shared commitment to uninterrupted trade and economic exchanges was reiterated.

Underscoring the criticality of supply chains, the secretaries of the two countries discussed ways to keep them pandemic-proof.

“A shared commitment to uninterrupted trade & economic exchanges. Secy @DoC_GoI Mr Anup Wadhawan & Secy @MoCNepal Mr Dinesh Bhattarai met virtually to underscore the criticality of supply chains & discussed ways to keep them pandemic-proof,” said a tweet of the Indian Embassy in Nepal.

A shared commitment to uninterrupted trade & economic exchanges. Secy @DoC_GoI
Mr Anup Wadhawan & Secy @MoCNepal Mr Dinesh Bhattarai (Twitter)
ALSO READ: Chaos in Nepal after Oli dissolves Parliament

According to Nepal Customs, India is Nepal’s largest export destination, receiving an overwhelming 74% of its total exports followed by US with a distant 10% share, Germany 3%, UK 2%, Turkey 1.5%.

Ambassador of India to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, in an article republished by INN had stated that even after an initial slowdown in April 2020 the trade flows between India and Nepal quickly picked up, and steadily began to exceed even long term averages.

Citing statistics published by Nepal Customs, the Indian envoy indicated that during the first nine months of Nepali Fiscal year 2077-78, Nepal’s exports to India saw an unprecedented 23.5% increase over the same period last year.

“This is remarkable considering that the trade flows in the rest of the world actually dipped in this period, by almost 5%,” he said. (INN)

ALSO READ: Nepal oppn moves SC demanding restoration of house

Categories
Asia News Nepal Politics

Ruling party’s 11 lawmakers expelled for supporting oppn

A standing committee meeting of the ruling party held here decided to take action against former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal along with nine others…reports Asian Lite News

Nepal’s ruling Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) on Monday expelled 11of its lawmakers including former Prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal for going against the party and supporting the alliance formed by the Opposition.

A standing committee meeting of the ruling party held here decided to take action against former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal along with nine others for supporting the Opposition to oust the government.

According to an official release, Ram Kumari Jhankri, Mukunda Neupane, Kalila Khatun, Sarala Yadav, Pushpa Kumari Karna, Nira Devi Jaisi, Pushpa Karna Kayastha and Kalyanai Khadka have been expelled from the party.

Earlier on Saturday, the UML had sought clarification from 11 lawmakers for extending their support to oust party from the government. The decision to expel them even from the party’s general membership comes hours after the deadline given them to furnish clarification expired on Monday morning.

Sher Bahadur Deuba

With the expulsion of leaders, the party is on the brink of formal split. A new party called CPN (Unified) has already been registered with the Election Commission (EC) by a student leader close to Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Meanwhile, the Standing Committee meeting on Monday also decided to seek clarification from 12 other lawmakers of the party for their involvement in supporting the Opposition alliance to oust the UML-led government.

These lawmakers providing their signatures to make Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba a new Prime Minister are also likely to be expelled from the party’s general membership.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, President Bidya Devi Bhandari issued an ordinance to amend the Nepali Citizenship Act, reported The Himalayan Times.

The President’s office said in a statement issued that the President had issued the Nepali Citizenship (first amendment) ordinance pursuant to Article 114 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal.

After the issuance of the ordinance, citizenship by descent will be provided to offsprings of ‘bona fide’ citizens of Nepal, those owning citizenship by birthright. Likewise, as per the ordinance, the children whose mothers are Nepali citizens but their fathers’ identities cannot be established, will be granted Nepali citizenship.

Amendment of the citizenship act was one of the clauses put forward by Mahantha Thakur, Rajendra Mahato faction of the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal to provide their support to Prime Minister Oli.

The bill was under discussion in the House of Representatives for the past two years but was not endorsed due to disputes among the parties, The Himalayan Times reported further. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Chaos in Nepal after Oli dissolves Parliament
Categories
-Top News Asia News Nepal

Nepal oppn moves SC demanding restoration of house

Sher Bahadur Deuba

On May 21, President Bhandari dissolved the House at the recommendation of the Oli government and announced the mid-term elections for November 12 and 19…reports Asian Lite News

Nepal’s opposition on Monday moved the Supreme Court against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament, holding the mid-term elections and President Bidhya Devi Bhandaris rejection to appoint the opposition leader as the next prime minister.

On May 21, President Bhandari dissolved the House at the recommendation of the Oli government and announced the mid-term elections for November 12 and 19.

Nepali Congress President and leader of the opposition party, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of the Janata Samajbadi Party Uprendra Yadav, former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and dozens of other leaders and lawmakers had moved the Supreme Court.

A writ petition, which was filed on the behalf of Deuba, demanded the restoration of House, appoint him the next Prime Minister by removing Oli who no longer enjoys a parliamentary majority.

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli

“Due to the Prime Minister who always thinks he is above the constitution and law, we were forced to move the Supreme Court again and again,” said Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa.

Oli too had earlier dissolved the house in December last year, but it was reinstated on by the apex court.

“We have the support of the majority lawmakers and Supreme Court will look after our grievances,” said Thapa.

Of the 275 members of the House of Representatives four are suspended and 136 is the magic number needed for a majority.

Deuba is backed by 147 lawmakers and all of them signed in the writ petition.

ALSO READ: Nepal President Dissolves Parliament, Election In November

All 147 lawmakers from different political parties have verified their signatures at the Supreme Court after the writ petition was filed.

Before dissolving the House, President Bhandari had also rejected the claim by Deuba to form the new government saying that both opposition party leader and Oli secured signatures of the majority lawmakers, and hence it was impossible.

Oli had claimed that he had the support of 152 lawmakers.

Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari reviews the honor guard as she leaves for a visit to China at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, April 24, 2019. Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari left for a visit to China on Wednesday to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma/IANS)

The opposition parties called the President’s move as “unconstitutional and undemocratic” and had attempted a coup with the support of Prime Minister Oli.

Deuba’s move was supported by his own party, Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), a section of ruling party led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and a section of the Janata Samajbadi Party.

Oli’s ruling party, Nepal Communist Party-UML, is a divided house.

Out of its 121 lawmakers, 23 lawmakers have signed in favour of making Deuba as Prime Minister.

More lawmakers would support Deuba but some of our lawmakers are not well and some are infected by Covid,

Birod Khatiwada, a lawmaker said that due to Oli’s working style, the ruling party is on the verge of a split.

Janata Samajbadi Party is also on the verge of split as 13 out of its 32 lawmakers have decided to support Deuba.

A section of the Janata Samajbadi Party is all set to join the Oli government.

It was formed last April after the merger of Rastriya Janata Party and Samajbadi Party Nepal.

ALSO READ: Chaos in Nepal after Oli dissolves Parliament

Categories
-Top News Asia News Nepal

Chaos in Nepal after Oli dissolves Parliament

The decision is likely to polarise the politics of Himalayan nation for the time-being, where opinions are largely divided over whether elections can take place or not, reports Asian Lite News

Nepal Prime Minister KP Olis decision to dissolve Parliament has led to controversy, uproar and opposition in the Himalayan nation.

On the recommendation of Oli’s Cabinet, President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Friday midnight dissolved the House and declared snap polls for November 12 and 19.

The decision is likely to polarise the politics of Himalayan nation for the time-being, where opinions are largely divided over whether elections can take place or not.

Another looming question is whether to take part in the elections which, according to some, are carried out in an unconstitutional and undemocratic way.

“Dissolution of the House is an attempt to political coup and declaration of so-called elections is a fraud,” former Prime Minister and ruling party leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said in a statement on Saturday.

Though Oli and Nepal are in the same party, the latter’s faction is running a parallel structure after serious differences erupted between the two.

K P Sharma Oli.

Oli is the chairman of Nepal Communist Party —UML.

“This is regression and this is also the attempt to rape Parliament. The President’s Office has hit back the Constitution. This is regression part two. I condemned the act of the Prime Minister and have asked all to protest against it,” said Nepal.

According to party leaders, the proximity between the President and Prime Minister is the reason behind this attempt.

Oli had earlier dissolved the House on December 20, 2020, but the Supreme Court reinstated it this February 23.

ALSO READ: Nepal confirms new Covid-19 variant

Ram Chandra Poudel, a senior leader of the opposition Nepali Congress party, said Bhandari and Oli have committed a fraud against the Constitution.

“At a time when opposition parties stake claim over the new government with the majority vote, the sudden dissolution of the House is an unconstitutional and undemocratic act and we will fight legal, political and constitutional battles against it,” he said.

Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari reviews the honor guard as she leaves for a visit to China at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, April 24, 2019. Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari left for a visit to China on Wednesday to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma/IANS)

The decision to dissolve the House came hours after a new government formation bid had failed.

President Bhandari on Thursday called on the formation of a new government by Friday 5 p.m. as per Article 76 (5) of the Constitution.

After failing to win the House’s confidence, Oli recommended the President to initiate the new government formation.

Before the deadline ended, Oli and opposition party leader and President of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba had stake claims over the new government with respective majority support.

While invalidating both petitions registered by Oli and Deuba, Bhandari stated that the claims made by the two failed to meet the required provisions and hence neither can form the government.

Some lawmakers have signed both sides and some took action against those who supported beyond the party line, so claims made by both Oli and Deuba did not meet the criteria, a notice issued by the President Office said late Friday.

ALSO READ: World record as Nepali guide climbs Everest twice

Nepali Congress has called a meeting of opposition parties on Saturday to chart out a future plan against the dissolution and declaration of the midterm elections.

Former Prime Minister and Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai said that in the midst of the alarmingly rising Covid-19 pandemic, the dissolution has plunged Nepal into an endless crisis and may lead to a full counter-revolution.

“There may be no election and the federal democratic constitution may collapse, resist it,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Nepal on Saturday reported 8,591 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative count of infections in the country to 5,05,643.

The death toll in the Himalayan Nation has reached 6,153 with 129 COVID-related fatalities in the last 24 hours.

Citing the country’s Health Ministry, Kathmandu Post reported that 389 people tested positive in a total of 743 antigen tests.

However, 373,684 infected people have recovered from the disease so far, including 8,848 of them in the last 24 hours.

A total of 19,357 RT-PCR tests were performed in the past 24 hours. As of Saturday, 2,897,503 RT-PCR tests have been carried out across the country, Kathmandu Post reported.

According to Kathmandu Post, in the past 24 hours, Province 1 witnessed 1,204 new infections, Province 2 recorded 574 cases, Bagmati registered 3,875 cases, Gandaki reported 369 cases, Lumbini reported 2,032, Karnali reported 616 cases and Sudurpaschim reported 1,023 cases.(with inputs from ANI)

ALSO READ: Nepal President Dissolves Parliament, Election In November