Nepali Times | Nepal’s constitution, 3 years later. Three years after Nepal’s constitution was promulgated, experts from the region are gathering in Kathmandu for a three-day conference to discuss progress in translating it into better governance, inclusion and due process, as well as the challenges in agreeing to amendments. Jointly organised by Kathmandu University School of Law and the South Asia Trust, the Conference on the Constitution of Nepal 2015 will be inaugurated by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Saturday and will conclude in the presence of Prime Minister K P Oli.
Read also: ‘The letter and spirit‘, Editorial The gathering will review the strengths and weaknesses of the constitution, especially in institutionalizing federalism and take stock of the three elections last year to local, provincial and federal assemblies. Constitutional experts agree that it is important that the 2015 statute succeeds to ensure the country’s stability. Read also: ‘Share rule and self rule‘, George Varughese. Oli accuses govt of overshadowing elections. Science & Technology Baidu hires Microsoft expert in artificial intelligence push Baidu Inc, which operates China's most popular Int... Sports FA Cup: Allardyce’s Palace win; 2 non-league teams through Sam Allardyce secured his first victory as Crystal... Opinion Digital technology: Data-driven urban development Everyday we are contributing towards the process o... BHOJPUR: CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has accused the government of not being enthusiastic enough to hold the elections on time.
Speaking with the media at Biratnagar Airport on Tuesday, Oli stressed the constitutional need to hold all three tiers of election—local, provincial and federal—within the next 10 months. He, however, lamented that the incumbent government did nothing to achieve the goal. The former Prime Minister also suggested the government not to get entangled in other insignificant matters and urged it to focus on the elections. New Avatar | Editorial. If Baburam Bhattarai musters the courage to admit mistakes, his New Force party would be on a much surer footing Diwakar Chettri For most Nepalis the high-profile launch of Baburam Bhattarai’s Naya Shakti (New Force) party resembled the unveiling of a new brand of cosmetics. Indeed, some of the full-page jacket ads in national dailies on Sunday morning were followed the next day by similar false covers promoting a new detergent. The irony of it was that both were makeover exercises. Ever since he split off from the Maoists, Bhattarai himself has been repositioning his public persona from a proponent of political violence to a benign technocrat.
His Maoist party has now broken up into no fewer than five pieces, although Pushpa Kamal Dahal has managed to reunite some of the splinter groups under the newly renamed CPN-Maoist Centre. To be sure, successive opinion polls over the years have shown Bhattarai to be head and shoulders above other politicians in terms of popularity.
Read also: Clampdown on dissent | GUEST COLUMN. Kanak Mani Dixit is one of the most vocal dissident voices on Nepal. I have known him for more than ten years as a journalist, human rights defender, teacher and a builder of institutions. He has never run away from his responsibilities as a concerned citizen and has spoken out on many occasions against violations of human rights, abuse of power and corruption. One wonders whether the arrest of Kanak is the signal for a new clampdown on dissident voices in Nepal under the new constitution. Kanak’s arrest and the manner of his detention in a police lock-up in Kathmandu on allegation that he has amassed disproportionate wealth by misusing his position as the Chairman of Sajha Yatayat raises serious questions of abuse of authority by Nepal’s Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
This arrest is questionable particularly as the Supreme Court of Nepal on November 2015 had questioned the basis on which the accusations of financial irregularities were made against him. Excessive force used against Tarai protesters. A flame is seen in air as a protester throws petrol bomb at Nepal Police personnel at Birgunj, Parsa on Saturday, December 19, 2015. Photo: Ram Sarraf Entertainment Cosby accuser asks judge to void 2006 secrecy pact Constand's lawyer Dolores Troiani says Cosby is us...
Travel Ramble to Manaslu The trek starts at a slightly awkward location and... Automobile Electric car firm Faraday aims to start Nevada plant by 2018 Upstart electric car company Faraday Future hopes ... Kathmandu, April 14 An annual report of the United States Department of State has pointed out that security personnel in Nepal used excessive force to control protests against the new constitution, especially in the Tarai. The report adds that the continued absence of a permanent constitution for much of the year and further delay in having in place functioning transitional justice mechanisms exacerbated the lack of accountability for human rights and humanitarian law violations during the country’s 10-year insurgency.
Isolated Nepal PM could be toppled by constitution crisis. Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, also known as KP Oli, observes a minute of silence for earthquake victims during an event organised to mark the 18th National Earthquake Safety Day and the official launch of earthquake reconstruction efforts in Bungamati. Photo: Reuters Food A satisfying experience Tabela, originally a horse stable at some point in... Education Students learn to cope with crisis Everyone in the country has been affected by the o... Lifestyle World’s first ‘robot run’ farm to open in Japan Japanese firm said on February 1 that it would ope... Sports West Ham’s Carroll fit for Southampton, Byram ruled out West Ham United striker Andy Carroll is fit to fac... KATHMANDU: An unwieldy coalition of lawmakers trying to implement Nepal’s first democratic constitution is finding common cause with protesting minority groups, isolating Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and increasing the risk his government could fall this spring.
NC,UCPN-M blame UML for stalemate. Environment Carcass of whale washes ashore in western India Marine biologists in India are conducting an autop... Lifestyle Thais turn to dolls for good luck A craze for lifelike dolls thought to bring good l... Health Life at Zika epicenter a struggle for afflicted family Around the fifth month of her pregnancy, Daniele F...
Kathmandu, January 29 Talks between the major parties and the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front have been stalled after the major parties passed the constitution amendment bill without the front’s consent. CPN-UML, which leads the coalition government, and its chairman Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli have been blamed for the failure of the talks at a time when the stakeholders were about to strike a deal. Unified CPN-Maoist Vice-chairperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said UDMF had shown flexibility in its stance and the major parties should strike a deal with it before things got out of hand. Jimmy Carter urges Nepal leaders to quickly resolve crisis. Former US President Jimmy Carter arrives to speak during an event honoring former US Vice President Walter Mondale hosted by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota in Washington October 20, 2015.
Photo: Reuters Opinion Living with earthquakes: Fortune favours the prepared The lessons of rapid reconstruction from Bhuj (Ind... Science & Technology Chinese ship with advanced sonar to search for Flight 370 A Chinese ship equipped with advanced sonar equipm... Art & Culture Conservation based on savaged material Much study is still required on the themes and cr... KATHMANDU: Former United States President Jimmy Carter urged the Nepali political leaders to quickly resolve differences over the new Constitution, claiming the political unrest marred post-quake reconstruction in the Himalayan nation. “The international community should continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Nepal and help with plans for long-term reconstruction.” Nepal Constitution can't address people's problems: HRW. A copy of Nepal’s Constitution 2072 lies on the table inside the Constituent Assembly in Kathmandu, Nepal September 18, 2015.
Nepal. Photo: Reuters Automobile Tata Zica on the way Sipradi Trading Pvt Ltd, authorised distributor of... Environment Blue skies over Beijing? KATHMANDU: Human Rights Watch, a New York-based international human rights organisation, commented in its annual world report that the new Constitution of Nepal cannot full address problems of people. In a press release issued from the HRW headquarters today, the organisation said it “instead creates further burdens for children born to a Nepali mother and foreign father.”
“Nepal has had years to discuss and prepare a constitution which would address the expectations of all its communities, including its sizable stateless population,” said Brad Adams, HRW Asia Director said in the release. “Most of the protester deaths were attributed to excessive use of force by the security forces,” it added. UDMF to continue its agitation. Top leaders of four constituent parties of the United Democratic Madhesi Front at a press conference in Janakpurdham, on Sunday, November 1, 2015. Photo: Brij Kumar Yadav Mobile & Apps Gadgets to watch out for If you are planning to buy a new gadget, here is g... Automobile Tata Zica on the way Sipradi Trading Pvt Ltd, authorised distributor of... Business Hyundai Motor’s 2015 profit sinks to 5-year low Hyundai Motor Co. reported its lowest annual profi...
Health Maintain normal body temperature! People are still homeless living in make shift ten... Kathmandu, January 25 The United Democratic Madhesi Front today decided to continue its agitation till its 11-point demands were addressed in a package. The decision was taken after a meeting of the UDMF which was attended by second-rung leaders of the front as the chiefs of the constituents were out of Kathmandu. The front said investigation into the killings was necessary to check impunity and dictatorial attitude of the state. India says amendment ‘positive’ India has ‘regarded’ the first amendment to Nepal’s new constitution as ‘positive developments’, but is hoping that other issues will also be addressed. A day after Parliament endorsed the first constitution amendment bill despite opposition from Madhesi parties, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a terse statement: “We regard the two amendments passed yesterday by the Nepali Parliament as positive developments. We hope that other outstanding issues are similarly addressed in a constructive spirit.”
On 20 September, when the constitution was promulgated, India had only ‘noted’ it expressing displeasure over exclusion of Madhesi parties from the statute drafting process. In December, when Nepal passed a cabinet resolution to add clarity to citizenship provisions, amend the constitution to address Madhesi demands for proportional representation and set up an all-party mechanism to redraw boundaries, India had welcomed it. Madhesi parties to intensify stir. Women For reasonable purchase Kathmandu is becoming a shopping hub with new shop... People The one who never gives up For many solving Mathematics problems is a nightma... Sports Raonic stuns former champion Wawrinka in Melbourne Milos Raonic fended off a spirited comeback from f... Kathmandu, January 24 Unhappy with the first amendment of the constitution, the agitating Madhesi parties have threatened to intensify their agitation. Sadbhawana Party Co-chair Laxman Lal Karna said the first amendment passed by the Parliament yesterday did not fulfil the demands of Madhesi parties and neither did it respect the sentiments of agitating forces.
He said that under the garb of 15 clusters for reservation, particularly in the name of women, and backward regions, only the Khas Arya group that had 80 per cent representation in state organs would benefit. “The government’s document hasn’t defined these two terms. Address other issues too: India. Nepal amends constitution. Nepal has amended its new constitution, promulgated only four months ago, to appease Madhesi dissenters.
Parliament passed the first amendment to the Constitution of Nepal (2015) amidst sloganeering by Madhesi lawmakers late Saturday night. Although the first constitution amendment bill was tabled in Parliament to address Madhesi demands for proportional representation, Madhesi lawmakers rejected it saying it was ‘incomplete’. As soon as Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar began the House proceeding, Madhesi lawmaker Sarbendra Nath Sukla accused the Big Three parties of trying to mislead people by passing an ‘incomplete’ bill. “This amendment fails to fulfill our demands,” he said. After Sukla wrapped up his speech, all Madhesi lawmakers rose from their chairs, encircled the rostrum and obstructed the House.
Parliament, which was scheduled to convene at 3:30 pm, was delayed by five hours as the Big Three parties found themselves at loggerheads over revision of the bill. Down, down, down. Four months into the Indian blockade, prices are soaring, the currency is depreciating and the economy is in the hands of black marketeers In August last year, as Madhesi parties began protests against Nepal’s new constitution, Shiva Narayan Paswan (pic left, with his family) was one of the first textile workers to be laid off in Bara. The sole breadwinner of his family, he has been borrowing from friends to feed his family and is deeply in debt. Paswan, 45, thought that the Madhes unrest would end and his factory would reopen soon. It has now been five months, and there is no sign of the blockade being lifted. “Every morning I wake up with hope.
His wife, Jitani Devi, added: “We sometimes sleep hungry. In the industrial corridor of Bara and Parsa, which was the flashpoint of violence in August and September, nearly all the factories closed down putting 100,000 workers out of their jobs. “Some businesses are adapting to the crisis buying fuel in black-market,” says Murarka. Read also: India says Nepal Constitution amendment 'positive' PM KP Sharma Oli and Indian PM Narendra Modi.
File photos World Indonesia’s second-biggest party to back President Widodo: website The leader of Indonesia's second-largest political... Business Bill on cards to operate Foreign Employment Fund Minister for Labour and Employment Deepak Bohara s... Lifestyle Carry off chequered coats with panache Chequered designs, prints and flashy colour combin... KATHMANDU: India said two amendments to the Nepal’s Constitution endorsed by the Parliament on Saturday were “positive”. Issuing a statement a day after Nepal made the first amendment to its four-month-old Constitution, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, “We regard the two amendments passed yesterday by the Nepali Parliament as positive developments.” “We hope that other outstanding issues are similarly addressed in a constructive spirit,” the statement added. The sourthern neighbour was reportedly unhappy with the Nepal’s Constitution.
With us, or against us | This Is It. Nepal makes multi-billion-rupee development plan for Terai. Madhesis quit taskforce.
Perilous progress in Nepal - Policy Forum. Major parties on verge of breakthrough with UDMF? Madhav Kumar Nepal seeks consensus government. Year of despair. Oli adds ministers while people die of cold. Kathmandu's false dawn: how PM Oli lost the plot & what India can do. Nepal to change new constitution after pressure from India. The wild west. The enemy within. Transformer blasts common in Valley. Faces of Madhes | Nepali Times Buzz. <b>Shyam Saran:</b> Nepal treads a perilous path. Kathmandu nights. Over the hump. Nepal: the struggle for equal citizenship rights for women. SOS | Editorial. In Dependence | Editorial. Nepal police fire on ethnic protesters blocking road; 2 dead.
#MadhesSpeaks. … who will bell the cat? | By The Way. Cost of obduracy. The Silent Majority: A Civil Rights Movement Grows in the Shadows of Nepal. In Nepal, a lesson for all constitutional governments. Nepali Times. Look south | As It Happens. Nepal crisis fuels black market for petrol. Document. A Mexican standoff in Nepal. UN official calls for peaceful dialogue - The Himalayan Times. Restraint, resolve and resilience | This Is It. A race against winter. East West | Travel Blog by Kunda Dixit | Nepali Times. Messiahs of the Madhes | Comment. Onus on Oli | As It Happens. Patience, resilience, conscience. The right to have rights. Please the plains. Tharuhat lifts banda for Dashain-Tihar. Barking up the wrong tree | By The Way. NRB to bring relief package for borrowers - The Himalayan Times.
North and South | Comment. Before it's too late | Comment. The constitution as if the people mattered | By The Way. Nepal constitution: Breakthrough or abdication of responsibility? Nepal's minorities: Constituting a nationality. In Nepal, where a battle for rights merges with geo-politics | world | Hindustan Times. Nepal’s Constitutional Crisis | JILS Blog. The Kathmandu Post :: CA snubs proposal for gender friendly citizenship provisions. Why is Nepal's new constitution controversial? - BBC News. The Kathmandu Post :: [Constitution special] Don’t talk, just listen. The Kathmandu Post :: [Constitution special] Forgotten promises. Citizenship provisions discriminate against women - The Himalayan Times. Making the best of it | Editorial. Amid Protests, Nepal Adopts Constitution. My Republica - The brute majority. Women have no nationality. “Now I can rest in peace”
Most Nepalis are Not Celebrating their New Constitution. Here’s Why. The Kathmandu Post :: Cycle of exclusion. The risk of intractability.