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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has made it clear that he changed the power equation even by taking risks in order to make the government's works effective.

The PM said so while putting his views on the latest political developments and in reply to the queries of lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

On the occasion, Dahal said he had declared before this in the House that he would not remain in his post if he failed to prove his capability or to bring positive change and raise hope in the country, but he did not get support from some factions in the erstwhile ruling coalition for his commitment.

"I had been telling time and again that I was not satisfied with the government's pace of work. I had two alternatives – either to protect my post by running an average and ad-hoc government or to work for nation building as per my political resolve even by risking the post. I chose the second option," the PM said.

He maintained that although his step might seem reflective of uncertainty and unreliable to some, it was in the interest of the country and the people. The PM added that this would be proven from the government's works and their result in the coming days.

"It is not that as a government we did not achieve notable results in various sectors. However, I wanted speed and dynamism. I was and am not in a state of confining myself in the cage of self-praise for the average results, he said, adding, "Colleagues (in the erstwhile ruling coalition) loved me as a person, but did not do me justice as a Prime Minister highly aspiring for change, good governance and prosperity."

The Kathmandu-based Indian Embassy in coordination with Maiti Nepal celebrated International Women’s Day in the premises of Maiti Nepal on Wednesday.

With the slogan “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” and “Inspire Inclusion”, the program was organized to honor and appreciate the contribution of the women, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy.

Asta Laxmi Shakya, the first Chief Minister of Nepal, was present in the program as a chief guest.

Along with Anuradha Koirala, the founder of Maiti Nepal, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy Prasanna Srivastava also took part in the event.

Leaders of various political parties, representatives of social organizations and students of Maiti Nepal among others were present on the occasion.

Speaking in the program, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy Srivastava lauded the tireless efforts made by Maiti Nepal for the welfare of the women.

Mentioning that the Indian government in 2017 honored Koirala with the prestigious ‘Padma Shri’ award, he said that the Indian government has also appreciated the efforts made by her in this sector, according to the statement.

Highlighting the importance of special relations between India and Nepal, Chief Guest Asta Laxmi Shakya stressed on the need for collective efforts for the empowerment of women.

Addressing the program, Anuradha Koraiala informed about the initiatives being taken by Maiti Nepal. She also thanked the Indian Embassy for the continuous support.

In the program, Shakya and Srivastava honored Menuka Paudel and Ratna Kumari Sunuwar for their inspirational achievements.

Paudel of Kathmandu had become successful in collecting appreciation in Nepal and India through Indian Idol, singing reality show, 2023.

Similarly, Sunuwar, who came to limelight after passing grade 12 at the age of 80, proved that there is no age limit in studies.

On the occasion, the Indian Embassy presented books as gifts to the students of Maiti Nepal.

The Nepali government’s proposed bill on transitional justice contains important provisions, including for reparations, relating to the country’s civil war but still needs significant amendments, Human Rights Watch and Advocacy Forum-Nepal said in a report published today. Public debate and human rights activism have helped improve the bill, but the current version risks shielding those responsible for some serious crimes, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and denying some victims access to reparations.

The 50-page report, “Breaking Barriers to Justice: Nepal’s Long Struggle for Accountability, Truth and Reparations,” describes the decades-long struggle for justice by survivors and victims. Human Rights Watch and Advocacy Forum analyzed the proposed law and reviewed some emblematic cases that faced obstruction by the authorities. They also described obstacles to justice faced by survivors of sexual violence and relatives of victims who filed complaints in 62 cases of conflict-era extrajudicial killings with the assistance of Advocacy Forum. The bill requires amendments to meet victims’ needs as well as legal standards set by the Supreme Court and clearly established in international law.

“To deliver a durable and rights-respecting process without further delay, Nepal’s leaders should agree to amendments called for by victims and recommended by legal experts, then ask parliament to pass the bill into law,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This is a moment of opportunity to deliver the truth, justice, and reparations long sought by victims and help protect the rights of all Nepalis in the future.” It has been almost 18 years since the decade-long civil war in Nepal between Maoist insurgents and government forces ended with the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Conducting a transitional justice process remains the major outstanding commitment of the peace agreement. The war killed up to 17,000 people and left up to 3,288 others “disappeared.”

On his visit to Nepal in October 2023, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted that Nepal is closer than ever before to beginning a meaningful transitional justice process. In November, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was the leader of the Maoist insurgency, said: “The victims want the speedy advancement of this process. The government too shares the same aspiration.” However, there is a risk that the process will unravel again if the proposals to amend the transitional justice law currently before parliament fall short or if momentum is lost, the groups said.

Accountability for serious crimes under international law is essential to uphold victims’ rights and ensure sustainable peace. The UN special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence has identified five pillars of transitional justice: Truth, justice, reparations, memorialization, and guarantees of non-recurrence. The current bill provides for reparations and interim relief for some victims, including victims of torture and rape, who were left out of earlier relief packages. It guarantees the right of the families of victims of enforced disappearance to their relatives’ property. It also mandates the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to study the root causes and impact of the conflict and recommends institutional reforms.

Under the proposal, the TRC and Commission for Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) would be the sole bodies investigating alleged crimes committed during the conflict. Cases classified as “serious violations of human rights” could be referred to and prosecuted in a special court. The bill’s definition of “serious violations” includes rape, enforced disappearance, “cruel or inhuman torture,” and a definition of unlawful killing that remains to be finalized. However, the bill excludes numerous serious crimes under international law, including some acts of torture and other unlawful killings, creating a significant accountability gap, the groups said.

In a separate category, the bill defines “violations of human rights” other than those considered “serious” as “any acts against the domestic law, international human rights law or humanitarian law,” which cannot be referred to the special court. Because this category of crimes is excluded from prosecution, this language risks providing de facto amnesty to those responsible for some serious human rights violations and grave crimes under international law. Amnesty for serious crimes is contrary to Nepali and international law and standards and violates victims’ rights.

Importantly, the bill requires that both categories of violations (serious and not) are committed “in a targeted or planned manner against an unarmed individual or community.” This means that alleged perpetrators of crimes committed against combatants, or in a non-targeted or unplanned manner, are excluded from any possibility of criminal accountability. It also implies that the victims of these crimes are not eligible for consideration for other measures outlined in the bill, such as reparations.

The bill does not ensure the independent appointment of judges to the special court, nor does it provide for the financial independence of the transitional justice bodies. Many survivors of sexual violence, who have faced trauma and severe social stigma, were unable to register their cases when conflict-era human rights violations were being recorded by the government between 2016 and 2018. The currently proposed window of three months to register sexual violence cases is inadequate, the groups said.

Nepal previously adopted a transitional justice law in 2014, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 because it provided amnesty for perpetrators of serious crimes. The TRC and CIEPD were established by the 2014 law and have registered over 60,000 cases, but have failed to resolve a single one. There has been little or no progress in the 62 complaints of conflict-era extrajudicial killings that have been registered with the police with the support of Advocacy Forum, which are tracked in this report and a series of five previous reports since 2008. Victims of rights violations committed during the conflict have gone to the transitional justice commissions, to Nepali courts, to the United Nations, and to foreign jurisdictions seeking justice to no avail.

In numerous statements made during and after Secretary-General Guterres’s recent visit to Nepal, victims’ groups called for a process that includes all the different elements of transitional justice, including criminal accountability and reparations. It is widely recognized that a lack of accountability for conflict-era violations has led to a crisis of impunity in Nepal, the groups said. The police and security forces are rarely, if ever, investigated for deaths in custody allegedly resulting from torture or for killing protesters by using excessive force. Nor are politicians and officials held accountable for widespread corruption that undermines public services and violates economic and social rights.

Nepal’s international partners should follow the UN’s lead by only offering support for a process that meets Nepali and international legal standards, Human Rights Watch and Advocacy Forum said. 

They should also ensure that any donor support is delivered in a way that ensures best practices, including transparency and independence from the government, such as a funding structure under UN auspices. “If the transitional justice bill is passed without appropriate amendments, it risks hindering the search for justice,” said Bikash Basnet, director of Advocacy Forum. “If it is appropriately amended, it can be the basis for a meaningful, nationally-owned process that upholds the rights of victims and benefits all Nepalis by strengthening institutions and the rule of law.”

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 13.51 points to close at 2,030.55 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1.90 points to close at 360. 27points.

A total of 8,929,152-unit shares of 309 companies were traded for Rs 3. 19 billion.

Meanwhile, Peoples Hydropower Company Limited (PHCL) was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, NIC ASIA Growth Fund-2 (NICGF2) was the top loser as its price fell by 6.21 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 19 trillion.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed the commitment to probe and bring the micro-finance financial institutions that are carrying out works in contravention to the prevailing laws and directives issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank under the purview of action. 

Responding to the queries by lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, he said the extra fees stipulated by the micro-finances are being returned to the account holders concerned.

"The directive to return the service charge more than the stipulated amount and deposit that in the account of the borrower is being implemented. A separate desk has been set up at the Micro-finance Institutions Supervision Department to hear and address the complaints," PM Dahal reiterated.

He added that an agreement has been reached by holding talks between the government, industrialists- businessmen and farmers organizations concerned to pay within April 3 the dairy farmers their remaining dues as of January 14, 2024, and to continue the remaining regular payments. 

The PM informed that the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) Executive Committee has already implemented the directive related to the leasing of land at Ramgram of Kapilvastu, which was issued by the House of Representatives, Public Account Committee.

He also stated that the draft of the law for forming a second order regulatory body for the regulation of financial cooperative institutions is in final stages of making.

No-objection Certificate mandatory for traveling to Russia

Meanwhile, the PM said the Russian government has already been informed that recruitment of Nepali citizens in the Russian Army is illegal, and that 'No-objection Certificate' has been made mandatory for those traveling to Russia.

Responding to the lawmakers' questions in the HoR, he made it clear that diplomatic efforts have been stepped up asking Russia not to recruit the Nepali citizens in the Russian Army and to send those already recruited to Nepal.

The Prime Minister also informed the House that talks are on with the officials of the countries concerned in connection with repatriation of the bodies of Nepali citizens recruited in the Russian Army and killed in the conflict, providing compensation to the families of those killed and the injured ones, and bringing home the Nepali citizens held hostage by the Ukrainian Army.

"Lately the Russian government has agreed to provide, through the Consular Service Department, the compensation and insurance amount to the victims' families, depositing the amount in the bank account of the Nepali Embassy. The No-objection Certificate has been made mandatory to those Nepali citizens if they have to travel to Russia. However, it does not apply in the case of those studying in higher education on scholarship and those doing business and professions there," the PM explained.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava has paid a courtesy call on the newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha today.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they discussed various topics of bilateral and mutual interests, said Ministry spokesperson Amrit Bahadur Rai.

He added that during the meeting DPM and Minister Shrestha and the Indian ambassador talked on further strengthening the ties between the two countries and timely completion of development projects being run in Nepal with the assistance of India, among other topics.

On the occasion, Ambassador Srivastava congratulated and extended best wishes to Deputy Prime Minister Shrestha.

The newly appointed Finance Minister Barshaman Pun faces an uphill task of bringing the country’s economy back on track. Over the past year, despite the positive growth in some indicators such as remittances and tourism, there hasn’t been any substantial growth. Pun, who is not a new face in the Finance Ministry, made his name as a pragmatist when he last led the ministry. 

Born in 1971 in mid-western district Rolpa, Pun has held various ministerial positions after his party, CPN (Maoist Center), joined mainstream politics after signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006. As a key interlocutor of the peace and constitution drafting process, he played a pivotal role in Nepal’s peace and constitution drafting process. In the first Constituent Assembly(CA) elections in 2008, he was elected from Lalitpur-1. In 2011, he was appointed the finance minister in the Baburam Bhattarai-led coalition government. Initially Bhattarai faced criticism for bringing in an inexperienced figure to lead the Finance Ministry, but Pun proved the critics wrong by successfully leading the ministry for more than 18 months, although he didn’t get the opportunity to plan and endorse the budget. 

As a finance minister, Pun took a series of measures to systematize the foreign direct investment and diversify Nepal’s loan policy. He introduced 18 national pride projects and took measures to expand the roads in Kathmandu. In this period, Pun also built a working relationship with various national and international stakeholders and economists. 

Pun’s second ministerial stint was with the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. Under his leadership, the ministry unveiled a white-paper on Nepal’s energy sector and prepared a long-term vision. He also signed an agreement with Bangladesh for power trade, which has now been materialized. 

Pun’s track record as a minister has been impeccable, but this time he is joining the Cabinet at a critical moment. He has entered the office just as the Finance Ministry is preparing the annual budget, something which he could not do during his previous tenure. 

Pun also has the challenge of increasing revenue, controlling expenditure, and directing public expenditure toward priority projects that support growth. He must also resist the temptation to invest in populist programs.  

The budget should aim to maintain a balance between government income and expenditure to alleviate mounting pressure on public finances. Moreover, it should strive to achieve high economic growth and job creation, and bring policies and programs to create demand in the market to give a new impetus to the economy.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 1,500 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 125, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 123, 500 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 124, 400 per tola. It was traded at Rs 122, 900 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has increased by Rs 30 and is being traded at Rs 1,470 per tola today.