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Kathmandu- CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has tested positive for Covid-19.  A PRC test conducted on January 22 showed Covid-19 positive, according to party leaders.  Oli has been in isolation in his residence Balkot, Bhaktapur. The main opposition leader was supposed to convene a press conference on January 23.

Kathmandu-- CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that postponement of local elections is not acceptable to his party. Issuing a press statement concerning the contemporary political situation, the main opposition leader firmly opposed the ruling coalition’s reported plan to hold the elections of the national parliament deferring the elections of local governments which is supposed to take place in April.

 Oli, however, said that his party is ready to face any elections. Our party has always stood in favor of a fresh mandate and we are firm in our position, we are ready to face elections any time, says Oli.  There are divergent views inside the ruling coalition regarding the elections.  Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the elections. Similarly, the ruling coalition is planning to hold consultations with Election Commission. 

At least seven civilians, including four women, were killed and nine others wounded when a bomb blast hit a minibus in Herat city, capital of Afghanistan's western Herat province, Xinhua reports.

"Seven dead and nine wounded were admitted to Herat Regional Hospital following a bomb blast in Herat city Saturday evening," Harif Jalali, physician-in-chief of the hospital, told Xinhua.

According to local residents, the incident occurred when an improvised bomb planted in a minibus was detonated in Police District 12, a Shiite-dominated neighborhood in the city, 640 km west of Afghanistan's Kabul. Some of the wounded were in critical condition.

EC asks RPP to remove ‘Hindu state and Monarchy’ from party statute

Kathmandu-

Election Commission(EC) has dispatched a letter to Rastriya Prajatantra Party(RPP) requesting the latter to remove words like ‘Hindu State and Monarchy’ from the party’s statute. The EC has said that these words go against the constitution adopted in 2015.

 Party leaders have objected to the EC letter stating that they cannot remove their core values like Monarchy and Hindu state. The key political agendas of the party are the revival of a Monarchy with a Hindu state. Party chair Rajendra Lingden has not provided any public reactions concerning EC’s letter.

EC asks RPP to remove ‘Hindu state and Monarchy’ from party statute

Kathmandu-

Election Commission(EC) has dispatched a letter to Rastriya Prajatantra Party(RPP) requesting the latter to remove words like ‘Hindu State and Monarchy’ from the party’s statute. The EC has said that these words go against the constitution adopted in 2015.

 Party leaders have objected to the EC letter stating that they cannot remove their core values like Monarchy and Hindu state. The key political agendas of the party are the revival of a Monarchy with a Hindu state. Party chair Rajendra Lingden has not provided any public reactions concerning EC’s letter.

China has provided two million syringes under a grant which have been delivered on January 22. The assistances come at a time when there are reports that scarcity of syringes is hampering the vaccination program.

“China fully empathizes with Nepali people suffering from the recent pandemic. In light of the needs of Nepal, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal provided to Nepal two million syringes under the grant, which have been delivered on January 22, said the Chinese Embassy in a press statement.

With a view to helping Nepal in its fight against the pandemic and realizing its economic recovery, China will keep close coordination with Nepal and provide assistance in anti-pandemic supplies within its capacity, the Embassy said.

It has been more than three weeks since CPN (Maoist Center) concluded its 8^th General Convention, re-electing Pushpa Kamal Dahal as party chair for the next five years. The party, however, has not been able to elect the party’s office bears due to the high number of aspirants.  

The convention decided to elect 15 office bearers including a chairman, a senior vice-chairman, six vice-chairmen, a general secretary, two deputy general secretaries, three secretaries and one treasurer.

The party concluded its convention saying that the Central Committee will elect 14 office bearers. But the party has not elected the office bearers yet. 

Dahal had publicly said that the process to elect the office bearers has been delayed as the party’s senior leaders Barsha Man Pun and Onsari Gharti Magar are currently in China.

He along with his spouse Gharti Magar had not attended the party’s convention as well. But this is not the only reason that the party has not elected the office bearers yet. There are multiple aspirants mainly in the post of senior vice-chairman and general secretary which are considered as the vital posts after the chairperson. Leaders who will be elected to the posts will also decide the next party chairman after Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Pun is scheduled to return from China on Monday and the party is likely to expedite the process of electing the office bearers.
Party leaders, however, said it will take some time because of the intense competition among the leaders.

The party has to convene the meeting of the Central Committee to elect the office bearers. But, such meeting is unlikely in the near future due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Though Dahal is likely to take retirement in the near future, party leaders are closely watching a person to replace him.

Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya served as Dahal's deputies for a long time but after they left the party, there are curiosity on who will replace him in the Maoist party. 

Nepal recorded 10,254 new Covid-19 cases and 16 deaths on Saturday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 20,187 (14,462 RT-PCR and 5,725 antigen) tests were conducted today.

The Ministry said that 708 infected people recovered from the disease.

There are 72,862 active cases across the nation as of today.