A profile of veteran Nepali politician K P Sharma Oli, detailing his rise to power, his various stints as prime minister, and his impact on Nepal's political landscape.
Nepal's deposed prime minister K P Sharma Oli has denied that his government gave the shootout order during the 'Gen Z' protests on the first day of the agitation on September 8 that killed at least 19 people.
'9 September saw Kathmandu and other key cities under the control of goons.' 'There was no authority, the police was nowhere.' 'The crowds torched all three centres of the state -- the supreme court, parliament and the Singha Durbar government headquarters.' 'The army stayed aloof from the complete destruction of these edifices, which is less than a kilometre from its headquarters.'
'Gyanendra back on the throne would be bad news for the Nepali people. He may not have learnt from his experience, but we have.'
The leader of Nepal's largest communist party was appointed as prime minister on Sunday by President Ram Chandra Paudel to lead the coalition government with the Nepali Congress (NC), the largest party in Parliament, apart from other smaller parties.
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.
The main Opposition party Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) disrupted the National Assembly meeting on Wednesday, demanding the prime minister's resignation. The meeting has been postponed to 1 pm Thursday.
In a dramatic turn of events, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' was appointed as the new prime minister of Nepal by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday.
In a press statement, the foreign ministry here said 10 Nepali nationals lost their lives in the recent attack by Hamas in Israel.
'It is flabbergasting to think that this heavenly region has, for decades, been coveted by India's aggressive neighbours,' says Claude Arpi after a recent visit to Ladakh. 'Wanting to use the newly created infrastructure to defend the borders after the clash of 2020 with China and the resulting standoffs, the home ministry is keen to boost border tourism to show that these areas are controlled by India.'
The JSP has made an electoral alliance with main opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist headed by K P Sharma Oli.
With the support from eight political parties, 78-year-old Poudel's victory was certain. His rival Subas Chandra Nebmang had support of former prime minister KP Sharma-led CPN-UML.
Prachanda took the oath of office and secrecy from President Bhandari at an official ceremony at Shital Niwas.
Nepal's political crisis deepened on Friday as both embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and the Opposition parties staked a claim for the formation of a new government by submitting letters comprising signatures of lawmakers to President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
India and China made progress in five-six friction points along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh through talks in the last three years and efforts are underway to resolve the remaining issues, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday.
A five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana issued the verdict stating that President Bhandari's decision to dissolve the lower house upon a recommendation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli was an unconstitutional act, delivering a major blow to the veteran Communist leader who was preparing for snap polls.
Former Nepalese foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey observed that the current situation is not encouraging for India-Nepal ties, saying the "present leaders" created irritants in the relationship in the past.
Nepal witnessed political turbulence in 2022 that dramatically turned rivals into allies and throned former guerrilla leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' as the prime minister for a third time, as Kathmandu made efforts to balance ties with immediate neighbours India and China with high-profile talks and visits.
Deuba was elected as the 40th prime minister on June 6 with the support from Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre, which is now a part of Left alliance and opting for merger with Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist.
Clean toilets, colour-coded dustbins, comfortable beds, oxygen cylinders and all amenities one can expect in a top class hospital -- the first inmates of the train coaches converted into isolation wards have come away praising Indian Railways for providing a unique solution to care for suspected COVID-19 patients.
The first two coaches that rolled out from the Railway Coach Factory in Kapurthala also have fixtures coated with titanium dioxide and the provision for plasma air equipment in AC ducts to sterilise interiors using ionised air. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal also indicated that the new coaches could be the new normal.
Military experts said the aim of constructing the bridge in the Khurnak area could be to ensure that the Chinese People's Liberation Army is able to quickly mobilise its troops in the region.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Oli, 69, at a ceremony at Shital Niwas, after he was reappointed to the post on Thursday night as the Opposition parties failed to secure majority seats in Parliament to form a new government.
The Seven Party Alliance, which has been at the centrestage of the democratic movement in Nepal and was instrumental in the transition of the nation from a monarchy to a republic, is virtually defunct. The Himalayan nation is witnessing a new round of political alignments and re-alignments with the CPN-UML joining hands with the CPN-Maoists, leaving behind the Nepali Congress.The UML and Maoists have reached an agreement to seek consensus with other parties on amendments.
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.
The 75-year-old veteran politician and Nepali Congress President took the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari during a swearing-in ceremony which was delayed by over two hours.
The decision to remove Oli from the party's general membership was taken at the Standing Committee meeting of the faction led by former prime ministers Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal after Oli failed to produce explanation to his recent moves as sought by party leadership, sources said.
Nepal's Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist on Thursday demanded a suspension of the vote counting, alleging conspiracy after initial results showed the party trailing at third position in the constituent assembly elections.
Even as Chinese troops continue squatting on territory that we claim as our own -- this was the lowest allocation for defence in percentage terms since the 1950s, reveals Ajai Shukla.
"The Prime Minister's unilateral move to conduct fresh election by allowing to dissolve the most representative Constituent Assembly was aimed at capturing power and this has created frustration in the minds of the general public," said a joint statement issued by five parties.
The ministry's year-end review is silent on the continued occupation by Chinese troops of territory that India has always claimed and patrolled.
Nepal's five-time Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who had been unwell for several months, died here today after multiple organ failure.
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.
In a major breakthrough, Nepal's ruling coalition partners on Saturday sorted out the vexed issue of portfolio distribution and power sharing after they 'tentatively agreed to a deal' to give the 20-day-old Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist government a "full shape" by Sunday.
A day before the declaration of abolition of monarchy, the Maoists in Nepal agreed to the provision of a ceremonial president with executive powers to prime minister. Initially, the Maoists wanted a presidential system and a ceremonial prime minister. However, other major political parties--Nepali Congress and UML-- wanted the prime minister with executive powers and a ceremonial president.
The opposition Nepali Congress had sought Prachanda's resignation after the Maoist government was reduced to a minority in the wake of CPN(UML) pulling out in protest against the decision to sack the Army Chief.
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.
'This allows opportunities for (Chinese) entry into the domestic politics of Nepal, something that is also encouraged by Nepali politicians's willingness to play the China card (vis-a-vis India).'
Nepal's major parties on Wednesday failed to break an impasse over the formation of a new government as efforts to strike a deal on sharing of power proved futile. During crucial talks in Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's residence here, the Maoists rejected a proposal from Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML to amend the interim constitution to remove a provision requiring two-thirds majority for forming or unseating the government.
The move comes as the intra-party feud reached climax in the ruling NCP which has been witnessing months long tussle between two factions, one led by 68-year-old Oli and Party's chairman and another led by 66-year-old 'Prachanda', also the executive chair of the party and former premier.
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