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CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that his party has witnessed people's attraction throughout the country.

Welcoming to the new entrants to the party at Ramgopalpur in Mahottari, Chair Dahal claimed attraction to the party has increased due to the performance of the Maoist party-led government and its agenda.

"The Maoist party has been established as a force to fight for identity", he claimed, adding, "With its clear agenda on good governance, social justice and prosperity, the Maoist party has gained attraction among the people across the country".

He said that the country is now running on the agenda of the Maoists from a political point of view. Dahal also argued that the Maoist Center is better than other parties for its novelty in performance in the government.

"The Maoists have put forward all the agendas including political changes on the basis of people's war and people's movement, election to the Constituent Assembly, declaration of republic, constitution making, provision of federalism, proportional and inclusive representation through the constitution," he said.

A key point in the seven-point agreement signed by Nepal’s two largest political parties, Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, in early July is amendments to the Constitution. However, almost two months after forming a powerful coalition, no specific details have emerged about the proposed amendments.

Both domestic and international observers are eager to know what changes NC and UML intend to make to the 2015 Constitution. It’s also unclear whether the two parties are fully aligned on the amendments. Neither NC nor UML has begun internal discussions on the specifics of the amendment. The issue of constitutional amendment carries different meanings for various political groups. The CPN (Maoist Center), which was ousted from power, has accused NC and UML of attempting to roll back the constitution's progressive provisions.

Maoist leaders, including Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal, frequently claim that NC and UML want to weaken progressive elements of the Constitution. For royalist parties like Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), constitutional amendment means removing the constitutional monarchy and reestablishing Nepal as a Hindu state. On the other hand, for the Maoists, amendment is about granting more rights to marginalized communities. It is up to NC and UML to initiate discussions on potential changes, though recent remarks by senior leaders hint that one major focus could be the electoral system.

Senior leaders of both NC and UML argue that the current electoral system—combining first-past-the-post (FPTP) and proportional representation (PR)—contributes to political instability, as it makes it difficult for any one party to secure a majority. However, this proposal faces opposition from Maoist, Madhesi, and smaller parties, who see any changes to the electoral system as undermining the country’s inclusive political framework. Major parties are pushing for raising the electoral threshold to limit the number of smaller parties in Parliament, while small parties argue this is a move toward a two-party system.

Currently, only the parties securing a minimum of three percent in the House of Representatives and 1.5 percent in the provincial assembly of the total valid votes under the PR category are allocated PR seats. Parties that have seats both in FPTP and PR seats are eligible to become the national party.

In the 2022 national elections, only a few parties, including NC, UML, the Maoists, and newer parties like Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janamat Party, managed to cross the three percent vote threshold required to secure PR seats. Many smaller parties, such as CPN (Unified Socialist) led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, failed to meet the threshold and could not get the national party status.

There are also rumors that NC and UML want to remove secularism from the Constitution, but the parties have remained silent on the issue. Voices within NC are calling for the party to support the reinstatement of Nepal as a Hindu state through constitutional amendment. However, amending the Constitution is a complex issue. Once initiated, all political forces will likely push for their own agendas, making consensus difficult.

NC Chief Whip Shyam Ghimire emphasized the need for a common consensus among political parties. Madhes-based parties, like the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) led by Mahantha Thakur, are closely monitoring the constitutional amendment process. LSP has formed a three-member committee under Laxman Lal Karna to consult with other parties on constitutional changes that address Madhesi issues. The committee has been tasked with the responsibility of preparing a comprehensive report on the Madhes issues they want to address by amending the Constitution.

The ruling coalition has agreed to hold all-party discussions on constitutional amendments. In a meeting on Monday, ruling party leaders, including those from NC and UML, stressed the need to amend the constitution in a way that gains broad consensus among all political parties. According to leaders, top leaders of the ruling parties are of the view that the Constitution should be amended to make it more refined and universally acceptable. Besides NC and UML, the ruling coalition also consists of Janata Samajbadi Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party. 

UML Chief Whip Mahesh Bartaula said that at Monday’s meeting, the parties agreed that there should be comprehensive discussions to amend the constitution. Opposition parties, especially the Maoist Center, have been accusing the NC and UML of trying to revert to the 1990 constitution through constitutional amendments. NC Chief Whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire said that the parties in the ruling coalition will push for maximum consensus from parties and stakeholders for the constitutional amendment. 

A two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly is needed to amend the Constitution. This means the ruling coalition needs to secure the support of at least 184 lawmakers in the 275-members House of Representatives. NC and UML have a combined 167 lawmakers. UML lawmaker Top Bahadur Rayamajhi is suspended, while Speaker Devraj Ghimire, who is from UML, can only vote in case of a tie. This means NC and UML need the support of 18 more lawmakers.

They plan to seek support from parties like Rastriya Prajatantra Party (14),  Janamat Party (6), Janata Samajbadi Party (5), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (4) and Nagarik Unmukti Party (4), among others. Although the coalition looks comfortable in the lower house, the equation is not so favorable in the National Assembly. The UML-NC coalition needs the support of at least 40 members in the 59-members upper house. CPN (Maoist Center) is the largest party in the National Assembly with 17 seats, while NC and UML have 16 and 10 seats, respectively.  NC and UML need the support of 14 other lawmakers for any amendment to the constitution to pass through the upper house. Likewise, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba also called for unity among ruling parties.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has often been criticized for focusing on petty corruption while overlooking larger cases. However, data from the past year suggests that public officials involved in major corruption have not been exempt from the constitutional anti-graft body’s scrutiny.

High-ranking officials, including former ministers and sitting chief secretaries, have been caught in CIAA’s investigations, showing that those abusing their positions for corruption are being held accountable, regardless of their status.

The CIAA has filed cases against officials ranging from the Chief Secretary, who holds the highest administrative position in the country, to former chief ministers and ministers. The CIAA has filed cases in the Special Court regarding the wide-body aircraft procurement scandal, Melamchi corruption, Madhesh Province's bicycle procurement, and irregularities in Nepal Telecom's MDMS procurement.

Similarly, the CIAA has investigated and filed cases on major irregularities in provincial governments as well as irregularities at the local units. These cases range from corruption in construction of Bharat Lake in Sarlahi to irregularities in stone and gravel contracts in Godavari. 

In the previous fiscal year, the CIAA filed 201 cases in the Special Court. This includes 58 cases related to gaining illegal profit while loss to the state, 48 cases of bribery, 34 cases of fake educational certificates, 34 cases of damage to public property, 13 cases of revenue leakage, 11 cases of accumulation of illegal assets and three miscellaneous cases.

Here we outline major cases registered by the CIAA in the Special Court in fiscal year 2023/24.

Corruption in excise sticker printing

• Case filed: 23 June 2024
• Accused: Baikuntha Aryal (former Secretary of Communications Ministry and former Chief Secretary), Ritesh Kumar Shakya (former Director General of Inland Revenue Department and current Joint Secretary at Finance Ministry), Bikal Poudel (former Executive Director of Security Printing Center), and 11 others including companies
• Amount: Rs 386,717,640 

Irregularities in Bharat Lake construction  

• Case filed: 12 June 2024
• Accused: Bharat Kumar Thapa (suspended Mayor of Bagmati Municipality, Sarlahi), Lila Kumari Muktan (Deputy Mayor), Bimal Kumar Pokharel (former Chief Administrative Officer), and 3 others. Charged with damaging public property, preparing false reports and documents
• Amount: Rs 302,934,897

Corruption in Godavari Municipality’s stone mining contract

• Case filed: 4 June 2024  
• Accused: Gajendra Maharjan (former Mayor of Godavari Municipality, Lalitpur), Muna Adhikari (former Deputy Mayor), and 7 others including a company
• Charged with revenue leakage
• Amount: Rs 1.04bn
• Status: Acquitted by Special Court, but CIAA has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court

Accumulation of illegal assets

• Case filed: 4 June 2024
• Accused: Bikal Poudel, former Executive Director of Security Printing Center, allegedly received commissions from domestic and foreign supplier companies for materials supplied to Telecom. CIAA claims he deposited funds in United Overseas Bank in Singapore and Bank of America in the United States
• Amount: Rs 630m 

Corruption in software and equipment procurement for security printing press   

• Case filed: 13 May 2024
• Accused: Bikal Poudel (former Executive Director of Security Printing Center), Saphal Shrestha (former Director of National Information Technology Center), four others and a company
• Amount: Rs 407,557,740 

Corruption by furnishing false information 

• Case filed: 22 April 2024
• Accused: Bikala Poudel (suspended former Executive Director of Security Printing Center)
• Case: Poudel allegedly obtained foreign permanent residency in violation of Article 291 of the Constitution, and failed to self-declare this information while holding public office

Corruption through registration of forest land in individual’s names  

• Case filed: 19 May 2024  
• Accused: Mohan Snehi Rasaili (former Chief of Kailali Land Revenue Office), Man Bahadur Chand (former Chief of Kailali Survey Office) and six others
• Case: 15 bighas of land designated as forest in Narayanpur-8, Kailali, were illegally registered in individuals’ names by forging documents

Corruption in tea development corporation

• Case filed: 11 May 2024
• Accused: Sanjay Bilotia (former Senior Accountant at Nepal Tea Development Corporation Limited, Birtamod, Jhapa) and 3 others  
• Case: Misappropriation of funds by inflating electricity bills paid to Nepal Electricity Authority
• Amount: Rs 3,252,368 

Corruption case against suspended Nepal Telecom MD Sunil Poudel

• Case filed: 22 April 2024
• Accused: Sunil Poudel (suspended Managing Director of Nepal Telecom, former Executive Director of National Information Technology Center)
• Amount: Rs 37,546,324.57

Accumulation of illegal assets

• Case filed: 11 April 2024
• Accused: Bharat Kumar Thapa (Mayor of Bagmati Municipality, Sarlahi)
• Amount: 53,353,189.66

Corruption in procurement of wide-body aircraft for NAC

• Case filed: 5 April 2024
• Accused: Jeevan Bahadur Shahi (former Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, current Karnali Province Assembly member), Sugat Ratna Kansakar (former General Manager of Nepal Airlines Corporation), and 30 others
• Case: Irregularities in procurement of two A330-200 aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation
• Amount: Rs 1,471,085,482.85 

Corruption in health equipment procurement

• Case filed: 1 April 2024
• Accused: Chandra Dev Mehta (former Director of Health Directorate, Dhankuta), accountant, engineer, and three others, along with Hospitech Enterprise Pvt Ltd
• Case: Irregularities in tender for Covid-19 center equipment at Koshi Hospital, Morang
• Amount: Rs 28,966,050 

Corruption in MDMS procurement

• Case filed: 29 March 2024
• Accused: Digambar Jha (former Chairperson of Nepal Telecommunications Authority), Ananda Raj Khanal (Director/Senior Director), Min Prasad Aryal (Deputy Director/Director), Binod Chandra Shrestha (Assistant Director/Deputy Director), 15 others and 2 companies
• Case: Irregularities in procurement of Mobile Device Management System (MDMS) and consulting services by Nepal Telecommunications Authority
• Amount: Rs 919,830,882 

Corruption in Biratnagar Customs 

• Case filed: 27 March 2024
• Accused: Tara Prasad Sapkota (former Chief Customs Officer, Biratnagar Customs Office), Navakul Sharma (Customs Officer), 2 others and Dev International Pvt Ltd
• Case: Deleting import declaration records from the system to evade revenue
• Amount: Rs 8,455,605 

Registration of government land as private property

• Case filed: 26 Feb 2024
• Accused: Bishnu Kumar Neupane (former Chief Survey Officer, Survey Office, Chandragadhi, Jhapa) and 171 others
• Case: Illegally registering 29 bighas 17 kattha 4 dhur of public land in the names of different individuals 
• Amount: Rs 346,654,849.65

Registration of government land as private property

• Case filed: 26 Feb 2024  
• Accused: Ram Dev Mandal Dhanuk (former Survey Officer, Survey Office, Chandragadhi, Jhapa) and 186 others
• Case: Illegally registering 28 bighas 17 kattha 13 dhur of public land in the names of different individuals through self-declared land registration process
• Amount: Rs 416,219,801.75

Corruption in Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project

• Case filed: 19 Feb 2024
• Accused: Dr Sanjay Sharma (former Secretary of Water Supply Ministry and former Board Chairman of Melamchi Water Supply Development Committee), Bhim Prasad Upadhyay, Gajendra Kumar Thakur, Executive Director of the committee, and 11 others including consultants and construction companies
• Case: Payment made for work not done, failure to deduct rental charges for equipment used by previous contractor, failure to adjust overpayments in subsequent bills
• Amount: Rs 6.73bn 

Land embezzlement in Tikapur Urban Development Committee  

• Case filed: 7 Feb 2024
• Accused: Netra Prasad Joshi (former Chairman of Tikapur Urban Development Committee, Kailali), Lalit Tamrakar, Dhiraj Regmi and 246 others
• Case: Illegal transfer of 600 kattha of public land to individuals through fake receipts and collusion of committee officials

Making illegal gains by causing loss to state

• Case filed: 2 Nov 2023
• Accused: Baikuntha Adhikari (former Secretary of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry, Lumbini Province) and three others
• Case: Supply of substandard agricultural equipment to farmers through cooperatives under mechanization program
• Amount: Rs 13,160,000 

Misuse of grants provided for snake farming

• Case filed: 4 Oct 2023
• Accused: Bijay Kumar (former Minister of Economic Affairs and Planning, Province 2), Prem Kumar Shrestha (former Secretary), Man Bahadur Khadka (former Mayor of Lalbandi Municipality, Sarlahi), and four others including an organization
• Case: Irregularities in establishment and operation of Anti-venom Production and Research Center Nepal (APRCN) in collaboration with Jhalanath Khanal Health Science Academy
• Amount: Rs 179,833,000 

Irregularities in national payment gateway procurement 

• Case filed: 28 Sept 2023
• Accused: Sanjay Sharma (former Secretary of Science and Technology Ministry and former Chairman of National Information Technology Center), Pranita Upadhyay (former Executive Director of National Information Technology Center), and seven others
• Case: Misuse of government property and funds in procurement of National Payment Gateway system that has remained unused for past six years
• Amount: Rs 232,758,077 

Irregularities in procurement of Jalahari for Pashupatinath Temple 

• Case filed: 27 Sept 2023
• Accused: Pradeep Dhakal (former Member Secretary of Pashupati Area Development Trust), Milan Kumar Thapa (current Member Secretary and former Treasurer) and one other
• Amount: Rs 11,701,781.85 
• Status: Acquitted

Corruption in Triyuga Municipality

• Case filed: 23 Sept 2023
• Accused: Baldev Chaudhary (former Mayor of Triyuga Municipality, Udayapur) and three others  
• Case: Revenue leakage in contracts for extraction and sale of stone, gravel and sand in FY 2021/22
• Amount: Rs 8,135,382.16 

Corruption in Bhimdatta Municipality 

• Case filed: 26 Aug 2023
• Accused: Surendra Bahadur Bista (former Mayor of Bhimdatta Municipality, Kanchanpur), Hari Datta Joshi (former Acting Chief Administrative Officer), eight others and Bhawani Construction Pvt Ltd
• Case: Illegal discounts given on revenue from natural resources (river-based materials) contracts in FY 2019/20
• Amount: Rs 13,497,453 

Corruption in Navarajpur Rural Municipality 

• Case filed: 11 June 2024
• Accused: Bishwa Mohan Prasad Yadav (former Chairperson of Navrajpur Rural Municipality, Siraha), Shobha Kumari Yadav (Deputy Chairperson), Chief Administrative Officer, and 11 others
• Case: Misappropriation of funds allocated for completing unfinished work at Ramjanaki Dalit Basic School in Majhaura from Province 2 government’s MP grant

Corruption in Karjanha Municipality

• Case filed: 28 March 2024
• Accused: Ganga Paswan (former Mayor of Karjanha Municipality, Siraha), Jagadish Mandal (former Acting Chief Administrative Officer), three others and a company
• Case: Irregularities in contract for administrative building construction in FY 2021/22.

Irregularities in Samsi Rural Municipality 

• Case filed: 11 March 2024
• Accused: Shesh Farooq (former Chairperson of Samsi Rural Municipality, Mahottari), Mohibul Ansari (former Acting Chief Administrative Officer), and eight others
• Case: Irregularities in road construction projects in Samsi-6, including improper use of contract engineers for estimation and evaluation

Irregularities in Shahidnagar Municipality

• Case filed: 4 March 2024
• Accused: Uday Kumar Yadav (former Mayor of Shahidnagar Municipality, Dhanusha), Shila Devi Kapar (Deputy Mayor), Shatrughna Yadav (Chief Administrative Officer) and six others
• Case: Procurement of substandard sanitary pads in FY 2020/21 without following public procurement laws

Irregularities in Jaleshwar Municipality

• Case filed: 10 May 2024
• Accused: Suresh Sah Sonar (Mayor of Jaleshwar Municipality, Mahottari), Raushan Khatun (Deputy Mayor), Mitra Lal Dhakal (former Chief Administrative Officer) and nine others
• Case: Substandard work in road construction in Jaleshwar-1

Two months after the formation of the new government under the coalition of CPN-UML and Nepali Congress, a cross-party committee has been set up to create a common program. The committee members are Bishnu Rimal and Pradeep Kumar Gyawali from the UML and Prakash Sharan Mahat and Gagan Kumar Thapa from the NC.

This decision to draft a common minimum program comes after extensive talks between Prime Minister and UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. The current coalition is also supported by four fringe parties, Janata Samajbadi Party, Loktantrik Samajbadi, Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janamat Party, the latter of which has not joined the Cabinet. Both UML and NC leaders acknowledge that a common policy should have been developed shortly after the power-sharing agreement was signed. Now, even after two months, it appears that there has been little meaningful dialogue about the coalition’s priorities.

The only official agreement between the UML and NC so far is a brief seven-point document signed by Oli and Deuba on July 1 midnight. According to NC leader Mahat, the core elements of the coalition’s program focus on good governance, economic development, and constitutional amendments, but little progress has been made. Despite earlier promises to advance constitutional amendments, there have been no discussions on this issue.

Without a unified policy document, differences between the parties are becoming more visible. For instance, Prime Minister Oli and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba differ on foreign policy. Rana has stated that Nepal will only implement China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after thorough consultations, a stance she has communicated to Beijing. Oli and Deuba are also not on the same page on matters relating to India. If the coalition fails to establish common positions on major foreign policy issues, it could lead to tensions. Similar divisions have emerged within key ministries, such as Home Affairs led by the NC and Finance led by the UML.

Over the past two months, no significant disputes have arisen between the NC and UML, but the absence of a common minimum program has left ministers unable to effectively carry out their duties. Last week, NC President Deuba publicly stated that there are no fundamental differences between the two parties on key national issues. He acknowledged that while they remain political competitors, any disputes will be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.

In another recent development, both parties have agreed not to form an electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Center) in the upcoming elections, which has fostered a sense of trust within the coalition. However, Oli and his supporters claim that both internal and external forces are already conspiring to remove him from power. Leaders from both parties recognize that managing potential conflicts between them will be a major challenge. A few days back, speaking at a party meeting, Oli expressed frustration that the NC is not fully defending the government, and some fear that anti-Deuba factions within the NC may not support the coalition.

Notably, NC General Secretaries Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, and senior leader Shekhar Koirala have openly criticized the government for its failure to improve public services and address corruption scandals. They have also launched efforts within the NC to prevent Deuba from becoming Prime Minister again. There are fears that internal dynamics of NC could pose a threat to the sustainability of the current government.

During a recent NC Central Working Committee meeting, Sharma urged Deuba to refrain from seeking the prime ministership, but Deuba dismissed the suggestion. The UML is closely monitoring these developments within the NC. In recent months, the government has struggled to operate effectively, and this slow pace has caused frustration within both the NC and UML. Despite ambitious agendas, many ministers are finding it difficult to deliver results, while the main opposition, the Maoist Center, is threatening to hit the streets against the government.