Submit your Article

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and Finance Minister Janardan Sharma today held a meeting to discuss the budget in view of the upcoming elections. 

During the meeting that took place at the Ministry of Home Affairs, the two primarily discussed the budget for transport and logistics management for security bodies (Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force) in the election, according to Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division chief, joint-secretary Dr Bhisma Kumar Bhusal. As said by Bhusal, the Home Ministry is expected to estimate the budget towards current expenditures also till Thursday and send it to the Finance Ministry.  

Home Secretary Teknarayan Pandey, Finance Secretary Madhu Marasini and Chief of Security and Coordination Division, Ministry of Home, Joint Secretary Mukunda Niraula were present in the discussions.  

On the occasion, the Finance Minister apprised the Home Minister about pressure on the Ministry with the announcement of the local-level poll for upcoming May 13.  In response, the Home Minister said the Ministry was aware of the work pressure on the Finance Minister before the election and it would appraise it of essential issues in the days ahead.

The meeting followed the Nepal Police and the APF’s demands for vehicles and required election logistics from the government in view of the election. RSS

The Democratic Socialist Party has demanded that the government hold the local level elections in Madhesh in September.

The government has decided to hold the local level elections in all the 753 federal units in a single phase on May 13.

Democratic Socialist Party Madhesh Pradhesh Chairman Jitendra Sonal said that the representatives of Madhesh will be deprived of their rights if the elections are held in May.

“I would like to draw the attention of the Nepal government, Election Commission and concerned stakeholders that the elections should be held in September as the five-year term of the elected representatives will expire only in September,” read a statement issued on Wednesday.

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba extended his tributes on the 7th memorial day of former Prime Minister and former NC President Sushil Koirala.

Paying homage to the late Koirala through Facebook, PM said that the immense contribution of Koirala to NC and his leadership role in the promulgation of the constitution would be always inspiring to us.

Former NC President Koirala, who was leading the government while promulgating the constitution in 2015, died on this day in 2016. RSS

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing to table the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact at the Parliament even by removing Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota.

According to a source, Prime Minister Deuba is planning to endorse the MCC from the Parliament even by looking a suitable alternative for Speaker Sapkota after coalition partners—CPN (Moiast Centre) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal become a stumbling block in the MCC.

Speaker Sapkota on Tuesday evening postponed the meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for today till February 14.

Leaders were preparing to hold discussions on tabling the MCC in the Parliament at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee scheduled for today.

Prime Minister Deuba is planning to hold a decisive discussion at the meeting of the ruling coalition for one more time after the Speaker postponed the meeting by a week.

Speaker Sapkota postponed the meeting after the leaders failed to forge national consensus on the MCC.

Sapkota said that he postponed the meeting at the request of the government.

The $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact will easily be tabled in the Parliament if the parties forge a common ground by February 14.

“The Prime Minister will start the process to remove the Speaker if the parties failed to forge consensus within February 14,” a Nepali Congress leader said.

According to a source, the main opposition CPN-UML and Democratic Socialist Party have also expressed their commitment to help the Prime Minister to remove Sapkota from the post of Speaker.

The 10th session of the Federal Parliament had started on December 14.

But, the main opposition CPN-UML has been obstructing the House proceedings demanding that Speaker Sapkota relieve 14 of its lawmakers, who later went on to form the CPN (Unified Socialist), of their position.

Earlier on Tuesday, civil society members had urged the political parties to file an impeachment motion against Sapkota accusing him of not working transparently.

Issuing a statement, they said that Sapkota has studiously ignored the series of Supreme Court orders in relation to the murder case.

“Influencing the police administration by virtue of his position of power as Member of Parliament and minister in the cabinet and by remaining an absconder on the murder case of Arjun Lama, Agni Sapkota is responsible for obstructing justice in the particular case and contributing to the general weakening of the law and justice system in the country,” the statement further read.

“The political parties should take immediate steps to protect the values of the parliamentary system by taking decisions regarding the activities of Speaker Sapkota,” the civil society members said.

Earlier on Tuesday, UML politburo member and former minister Mahesh Basnet said that preparations are being made to file an impeachment motion against Sapkota.

Leader Basnet said that he along with 100 lawmakers are ready to sign a paper at any time to file the impeachment motion against Sapkota.

US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry also held a meeting with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and discussed the MCC.

Later, Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala reached Balkot, Bhaktpur to hold a meeting with Oli.

It has been learnt that the duo discussed MCC, future of ruling coalition and upcoming local level elections.