Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) leader K P Sharma Oli has been made deputy premier and foreign minister.
Two senior Nepalese leaders, including the chief of the ruling party, on Tuesday left for India, where they are set to meet the Indian leadership, as the political crisis in Nepal deepened with the Maoists stepping up their protests to destabilise the government.
Though General Naravane's visit will not deal with 'impermanent' issues like the changing stands of politicians, it will certainly reinforce the deeper 'permanent' links between the people of Nepal and India. Time will hopefully tackle the present impermanence of the Sino-Nepalese romance, notes Claude Arpi.
The Communist Party of Nepal Maoist, which emerged victorious in the recent Constituent Assembly polls, decided on Wednesday that the next government should be under its leadership and that party chairman Prachanda' would head the government. The meeting reaffirmed the abolition of monarchy and implementation of republic in the country and concluded to form a coalition government and continue consensus with other parties.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday hailed the victory of Maoists in Nepal, calling it a 'positive development'. "The Maoists have successfully taken part in the democratic process in Nepal," Mukherjee said. According to Mukherjee, India would be better off with democratically elected governments in place in the neighbouring countries.
In a sudden U-turn that could break the lingering political deadlock in Nepal, Maoists on Thursday decided to give up their claim on the post of president, paving the way for formation of a new government. Following its Central Secretariat meeting in Kathmandu, the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist party also announced that it has withheld its decision to quit the interim multi-party government by Thursday.
K P Sharma Oli was elected as the next prime minister of Nepal on Sunday defeating incumbent Sushil Koirala in a contest which became necessary after parties failed to forge a consensus amid violent protests over the country's new Constitution.
Oli said the territories belong to Nepal 'but India has made it a disputed area by keeping its Army there'. "Nepalis were blocked from going there after India stationed its Army," he said.
The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) at a meeting held Monday night agreed in principle to form a coalition government under the leadership of former rebels, NC spokesman Arjun Narsingh Khatri Chhetri said.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that the Communist Party of India-Marxist was importing Maoists from Nepal and providing them with arms to terrorise people.
Nepal on Friday sought India's co-operation in moving the peace process forward, giving indications ahead of Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon's visit that it was looking forward to closer bilateral ties.
The Chief of Army Staff is scheduled to hold extensive talks with the top civilian and military brass of Nepal including his counterpart General Purna Chandra Thapa on a range of key issues such as further boosting the management of the nearly 1,800 km-long border between the two countries.
Much to the surprise of Beijing, Nepal's Parliament on Sunday ratified the contentious US-funded $500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation compact along with an interpretive declaration a day ahead of the February 28 deadline set by Washington.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday clarified that the remarks made by Prime Minister Oli 'are not linked to any political subject and have no intention at all to hurt the feelings and sentiments of anyone'.
The exit of CPN-UML may not immediately affect the Prachanda-led government, which is supported by the Nepali Congress which has 89 lawmakers in the House.
Stepping up his anti-India rhetoric, Maoist supremo Prachanda has accused it of backing a 'conspiracy' to restore monarchy in Nepal, which had turned into a republic from a kingdom just a year ago. Prachanda, who quit as premier after a dispute with President Ram Baran Yadav over the issue of sacking of the army chief, said the present Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) -led government is 'just a puppet' and efforts are on to 'murder the infant republic'.
The pact was to run the government on a rotational basis until elections to the parliament are held.
The Maoists in Nepal spearheaded by Prachanda today surged ahead in the landmark constituent assembly polls, winning 14 seats and leading in 65 of the remaining 240 constituencies. Prachanda, 53, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist who led a decade-long insurgency in the country to overthrow the monarchy, defeated his closest rival Rajendra Kumar K.C of the Nepali Congress in Kathmandu.
Hundreds of opposition-backed protesters demanding the resignation of Nepal's Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Monday attacked his motorcade and clashed with riot police at the airport in Khatmandu.
'Only when we show magnanimity and grace, give them the required respect and space, will they show the willingness to listen to us wholeheartedly,' says\nNCP leader Devi Prasad Tripathi.
For India to endorse Nepal's Buddhist conference will be like sipping from a poisoned chalice, warns former RA&W official Jayadeva Ranade.
Lamichhane's Rastriya Swatantra Party, which was formed just months ago, won 20 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives and is the third largest party among the ruling alliance.
A senior Nepalese Maoist leader has taken exception to the banning of Indian Maoists who he said are 'fighting for social transformation' in the country.
Yechuri said the Indian government has recognised multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy as two pillars of Nepal's democracy and any deviation from that will not be in the interest of Nepal.
The Committee has asked the UPA government to stop arms supply to Nepal and not do anything to legitimise the king's "authoritarianism".
After months of being in denial mode, Nepalese Maoists have come out openly extending "full support and cooperation" to the Naxalites in India, days after Home Minister P Chidambram mentioned about a possible arms supply from them.
Amid mounting pressure from the main opposition Nepali Congress and detractors within the ruling Communist party, Nepal's embattled Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal has said he would quit by next week if there was no "concrete" progress in the 2006 peace process.
CIDCA is headed by Luo Zhaohui, the former vice foreign minister and ex-ambassador to India.
Though Beijing asserts the Dalai Lama's successor needs its approval, observers say it remains concerned as the present Panchen Lama, the number two spiritual leader who was appointed by it after unseating the boy nominated by the Dalai Lama, has not gained much traction in Tibet.
Here are the highlights of Modi's second day in Nepal.
The turning point in his career was undoubtedly Nepal where he was sent as ambassador and acted with a cool head.
According to the Election Commission data, 30 out of the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats went to the BJP-led coalition in the latest elections, a sharp drop compared with 39 in 2019 and lower than the tallies of 2014 (31) and 2009 (32).
The Shiv Sena on Monday refused to call off the protest against the book launch of former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri in Mumbai.
Communist leader Vidya Devi Bhandari was on Wednesday elected as Nepal's first woman President by the parliament, weeks after it adopted a new landmark Constitution that declared the country a secular state.
China has not limited the 'battle' to the diplomatic field alone; the People's Liberation Army has become aggressive on the ground too. The recent 'fights' in Northern Sikkim and Ladakh are part of the pattern, asserts Claude Arpi.
Amid chants of Buddhist scriptures, Nepal PM K P Sharma Oli on Monday offered prayers at an ancient temple in Kathmandu to mark the reconstruction of five heritage sites demolished by last year's deadly earthquake.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's daylong "goodwill" visit to Nepal on July 9 will give him an opportunity to meet top functionaries of its interim election government as well as the leaders of the main political parties.
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