The main opposition, CPN (Maoist Center), concluded its Standing Committee meeting, which witnessed an intense exchange of words between Party Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal, his supporters, and Janardhan Sharma, who is attempting to position himself as a potential successor to Dahal. However, Sharma’s colleagues within the party sided with Dahal, preventing him from consolidating influence. As a result, Dahal has emerged even stronger and is likely to retain his grip on the party for at least the next 10 years.
The internal rift within the Rastriya Prajatantra Party has escalated, with a rival faction led by Dhawal Shumsher Rana launching parallel activities. Rana, who plans to contest the party presidency, has been actively consolidating support by highlighting the weaknesses of the incumbent president, Rajendra Lingden, who is seeking re-election. The long-standing internal feud has deepened due to differences over the royalist movement that gained traction during the winter and spring but has since lost momentum.
The CPN-UML is preparing for its upcoming statute convention. Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari is reportedly seeking involvement in the convention, but party leaders maintain that her chapter is effectively closed. Bhandari and her close associates are said to be planning a future political strategy after her party membership was revoked. Her supporters are also reportedly working to raise the issue at the convention and are organizing separate activities within the party.
CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Dahal has continued his longstanding effort to unify fringe communist parties. He is currently in talks with Netra Bikram Chand, who leads a breakaway Maoist faction. However, the CPN (Unified Socialist), led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, has rejected Dahal’s unification proposal. This is in line with Dahal’s traditional approach of reaching out to smaller parties when he finds himself out of power.
Within the Nepali Congress, dissatisfaction over the performance of the NC–CPN-UML coalition government has become routine. Senior NC leaders continue to voice criticism. Meanwhile, the Rastriya Swatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party have been obstructing Parliament sessions, demanding the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the visa scam. In every session, lawmakers from both parties walk in only to walk out in protest. Despite this, the ruling parties have shown little interest in addressing their demands.
The upcoming by-election in Rupandehi-3 for a seat in the House of Representatives has become a prestige battle for both traditional and emerging political parties. The NC and UML are keen to win to reaffirm public trust, while newer parties like the Rastriya Swatantra Party are eager to claim the seat as proof of growing momentum in their favor. Some independents and minor parties are in quiet negotiations to form an alliance against mainstream candidates. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is also striving to retain its presence. All parties are currently focused on finalizing their candidates.
Bagmati Province, long marked by instability, appointed a new chief minister this week. NC leader Indra Bahadur Baniya replaced Bahadur Singh Lama, who is also from the NC. Although this shift has triggered some discontent within the party, it is unlikely to have a major impact on national politics or broader NC dynamics. Except for Bagmati, most provinces have seen relative stability after the NC and UML formed a coalition government.
Preparations are underway for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to New Delhi, though dates have not yet been confirmed. According to media reports, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is expected to visit Nepal next week to formally extend the invitation. Misri has been engaging with a broad range of government officials and political leaders. With two cross-party delegations recently visiting New Delhi, bilateral engagement has noticeably intensified.
Prime Minister Oli also addressed the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LDCs) in Turkmenistan this week. In his remarks, he outlined the major challenges these countries face, including lack of direct sea access, high transit costs, weak infrastructure, long and uncertain transit routes, limited market access, overdependence on a narrow range of exports, and vulnerability to global shocks and climate change-induced disasters.
He emphasized that the trade and transit rights of landlocked developing countries are a moral responsibility of the global community. He called for greater solidarity, enhanced financial and technological support, and fairer trade terms and transit regimes.
Nepal and China celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries this week. At a commemorative event, Prime Minister Oli reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to the one-China policy and highlighted the countries’ “time-tested” friendship. Over seven decades, he said, Nepal-China ties have deepened, rooted in mutual trust and guided by shared values. He added that China has consistently respected Nepal’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence.
The special investigation committee tasked with probing the controversial amendment of the Federal Civil Service Bill, particularly the “cooling-off period” clause, has submitted its report to House Speaker Devraj Ghimire. The report names two key individuals responsible for the tampering.
Meanwhile, Ram Hari Khatiwada, Chair of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee, is under pressure to resign over his alleged role in the controversy. The Rastriya Swatantra Party has demanded his resignation, but the Nepali Congress has not taken a public position. In a related development, the government’s failure to advance the Education Bill is expected to provoke renewed protests from teachers. Significant disagreements persist between the NC and UML over the bill's contents.
The Election Commission is working on a new regulation that would give sweeping oversight powers to the bureaucracy for monitoring and evaluating political parties. Most parties have condemned the move as unconstitutional and an attempt to control party activity. Given the widespread criticism, the proposal is likely to be revised.
Lastly, the National Examination Board (NEB) published the results of the Grade 12 examinations today. Of the 396,347 students in the regular category, 61.17 percent passed, while 36.49 percent of partial examinees were successful. The Board reported that 38.83 percent of regular students received a “non-grade” result in the exams held this May.
This is yet another indication of a resource-rich republic performing well below par for reasons best known to its ruling clique.
