Hello, greetings from Kathmandu
Today marks the seventh day of the 10-day-long Dashain festival. On this occasion of Bijaya Dashami, the President, Prime Minister, Speaker, politicians, and high-level government officials extended their best wishes to the public.
As this newsletter is being written, thousands of people are on their way home to celebrate the Dashain festival. However, some remain stranded due to landslides along major highways. In his message, President Ram Chandra Poudel called on all citizens to remain patient and extend their full support and cooperation in holding the upcoming elections on the announced date.
He emphasized the need to ensure the continuity of the people-elected parliament and government. Since the formation of the new interim government on Sept 12, President Poudel’s consistent message has been the timely execution of elections. He sees no other democratic way out of the current crisis than going to the polls as scheduled.
Prime Minister Sushila Karki, in her message, reiterated her commitment to holding the elections on March 5. She stated that the current government was formed on the foundation of GenZ protests and that it would conduct the elections to the House of Representatives on time. Karki faces mounting pressure to hold the elections on the stipulated date while also addressing the demands of protestors and political parties. In her address to the nation, she has made it clear that the government cannot fulfill demands that fall outside the bounds of the current constitution.
She carries the herculean task of creating an appropriate environment for elections amid provocative statements from both political leaders and GenZ protestors. So far, Karki has not held meetings with any political leaders. However, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah and other forces are pressuring her to amend the constitution to pave the way for a directly elected president.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Coordinator of the Special Convention Organizing Committee of CPN (Maoist Center), expressed hope that cultural festivals like Dashain would inspire collective efforts toward building a prosperous Nepal with social justice, by overcoming the present complexities.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, in his message, described the events during the GenZ demonstrations as unimaginable and tragic in Nepal’s history. This is Deuba’s first public statement since the protests, during which he was severely beaten by protestors.
Interestingly, CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has not issued any statement on Dashain so far. Meanwhile, on Sunday night, Nepal Police raided the Jawalakhel-based residence of Bhushan Rana, brother of Arzu Rana Deuba and brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Police have yet to release any official information about the raid. The move follows Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal's recent instruction to reopen long-sidelined corruption cases, including the high-profile fake Bhutanese refugee scandal.
CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel has claimed that the country has become a "deep state laboratory" due to geopolitical conflicts—though he did not elaborate on the statement. However, it is clear that CPN-UML suspects the involvement of foreign powers in the recent protests in Nepal.
In a Facebook post, Pokharel wrote: “Our country fell under the grip of geopolitical conflict. We could not protect ourselves from their game of weakening national power.” Communist parties in Nepal often view external conspiracies behind domestic developments that don’t align with their interests. His statement came a day after a day-long party meeting, where Chairman KP Sharma Oli shared his views and insights regarding the ongoing protests.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party(RSP) has directed its lawmakers to submit their red diplomatic passport and parliamentary identity cards to the Parliament Secretariat. Following the GenZ protests, the party announced the mass resignation of its parliamentarians. The protests have also triggered internal disputes within the party.
Note: In light of the country’s critical situation, The Annapurna Express has launched a daily newsletter aimed at informing both our domestic and international readers about the latest developments in Nepal. If readers need any clarification about what is happening in Nepal, feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Editor
