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Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey is taking a vote of confidence today.

According to the Province Assembly Secretariat, CM Pandey is taking a vote of confidence at a meeting of the Province Assembly scheduled for 3 pm.

Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Pandey, who was appointed the Chief Minister on May 29, is taking a vote of confidence in accordance with the constitutional arrangement.

Pandey, who was appointed as the Chief Minister as per Article 168 (3) of the Constitution, needs the support of 31 Province Assembly members to secure the vote of confidence.

In the 60-member Province Assembly, there are 27 members from NC, 22 from CPN-UML, seven from CPN (Maoist Center), two from Rastriya Prajatantra Party and one independent.

The UN Panel of Experts, the enforcement organization of the UN sanctions on the DPRK, ended its term of duty on 30 April. It is due to a veto cast by Russia, one of the P5 members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), on the term extension of the panel.

The experts panel has been in operation since 2009 in accordance with the UNSC resolution to set up a special body for keeping Pyongyang under sanctions. One of the main missions of the panel was to pressure the DPRK to stop the development of all nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Before the official end of its duties, the panel released a ‘final report’ that the DPRK violated UN sanctions 112 times in the last 12 months. Among them, the report introduced a DPRK national named Nam Chol Ung, who is responsible for running underground businesses abroad.

According to the report, Nam Chol Ung is an officer of the Central Spy Agency, named Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), one of the main intelligence agencies in the DPRK, with a key position as the chief of RGB stations in China and Southeast Asia.

DPRK nationals are not allowed to work abroad due to concerns of the international community that those revenues generated by North Korean overseas workers will be directly sent to the country’s regime. This means that the revenue will never fall into the hands of the DPRK citizens.

Nam Chol Ung used fake documents to engage in trade. The objective was to smuggle goods and raw materials into the DPRK, especially fuel and raw materials required for the regime’s weapons development programs. Also, he has smuggled a variety of luxury goods to support the luxurious lifestyle of the Kim family and the ruling class in the DPRK, contrary to the harsh living conditions of the populace, which still suffer from poverty. The report also mentioned that Nam Chol Ung smuggled oil through one company from Thailand in May 2023.

All of Nam Chol Ung’s underground businesses are illegal both at home and abroad, and there is a high risk of arrest at any time. However, he is willing to do such sanctions violating activities because of the Kim family’s reward of allowing him to live an elite lifestyle in the DPRK society.

The RGB is a highly important agency among several intelligence agencies in the DPRK. The RGB conducts underground businesses as a ‘key engine’ to maintain the power of the current supreme leader Kim Jong Un and his family. There is also ‘evidence linkage’ that the RGB is related to the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, in Malaysia in 2017.

Some of the content in the final report provides more information about the RGB’s business operations abroad. All business operations that Nam Chol Ung has conducted overseas are clearly illegal in accordance with UNSC resolution 2270. Nam Chol Ung has carried out his underground businesses in many countries of Southeast Asia, one of which is Thailand.

In order to evade UNSC sanctions and inspections by other government agencies, Nam Chol Ung has run offices in Thailand and Laos. These offices were usually registered in the name of a third country national.

The report does not specifically focus on Nam Chol Ung, but explains the RGB’s methods of conducting underground businesses abroad by deploying RGB agents like Nam Chol Ung. Therefore, the UN Panel of Experts recommended designating Nam Chol Ung and North Korea’s Lazarus Group for sanctions.

Nam Chol Ung has already left Thailand. However when the panel discloses information about Nam and other affiliated individuals’ illegal activities carried out in many countries around the world, this report should serve as a case study and send a serious warning to the relevant authorities of each country about whether to allow Nam Chol Ung to enter the country and how the international community should take action against him.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is on an official visit to India, held a meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Sunday evening.

In the meeting held at New Delhi, Prime Minister Dahal congratulated Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, for taking charge of the country's executive head for the third consecutive time and expressed confidence that the relations between Nepal and India would reach a new height during his tenure.

On the occasion, they discussed various issues of bilateral interest and mutual relations between Nepal and India. Matters related to the implementation of agreements and understandings signed between the two countries in the past were also discussed. 

PM Dahal attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi on Sunday evening.

The Prime Minister had left Kathmandu for New Delhi on Sunday.

He is accompanied by his daughter Ganga Dahal, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Padam Giri, Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal and other high-ranking government officials.

Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to return home this evening.

Narendra Modi was sworn in for his third consecutive term as India’s prime minister on Sunday. The ceremony, held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, was  attended by leaders from neighboring countries, highlighting strong regional ties. 

Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives’ President Mohammad Muizu, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Seychelles’ Vice-President Amhed Afif, and Mauritius’ President Prithvirajsing Roopun were among the attendees.

Modi, who began inviting his neighboring counterparts when he was elected the prime minister for the time in 2014, has continued with the tradition for his third-term as well, apparently signaling that he will stick to ‘Neighborhood First’ policy. Under Modi’s stewardship, this policy continues to evolve, focusing on mature, nuanced, and practical responses to regional issues. 

A prime example is India's measured approach to anti-India rhetoric from Maldives President Mohammad Muizu, who attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. Enhanced development and economic partnerships with neighboring countries have also marked this period, achieving greater regional connectivity, infrastructure improvements, and stronger development cooperation. Now, all South Asian countries are seeking an enhanced economic and development partnership with India avoiding geopolitical and other issues. 

Except with Bhutan, India's relationship with neighboring countries witnessed many highs and lows during Modi’s first two terms as India’s prime minister. With Nepal, significant progress has been made in cultural, economic, and development spheres despite past disputes like the economic blockade and the map row, which still cast a shadow over the relationship. Trust between India and Nepal is yet to return to the high levels seen in 2014.

India’s relations with Pakistan remain strained, affecting regional cooperation and the functionality of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Ties with the Maldives are also fraught, with little signs of improvement. As a regional leader aiming for global influence, India is expected to play a proactive role in mending ties with its smaller neighbors and addressing their concerns. 

Over the past few years, India has projected itself as a leader and voice of the Global South or more importantly South Asia. As a strong prime minister, Modi and his government could have played a vital role to resolve the issues with the South Asian countries. In his third tenure, Modi leads a coalition government. It might not be easy for him to take decisions without the consent of ruling partners.

Nitish Kumar, chief minister of Bihar and his Janata Dal (United), the second-biggest ally, will also have a greater say when it comes to Modi government’s Nepal policy. Though India’s external policy is under the control of the Union government, of late, states are having greater influence on those countries which share borders with them. 

A significant concern for India is the growing Chinese influence in the region. While India seeks to reduce this influence, its neighbors are increasingly looking to China for assistance and investments. As Modi looks ahead to lead India for the historic third consecutive term, smaller neighbors like Nepal will be keenly watching India’s ties with China, because they believe improved India-China relationship will make it easier for them to deal with both countries. 

But foreign affairs experts say the India-China relationship, strained by border disputes, is unlikely to improve soon, impacting India’s relations with its smaller neighbors. Modi’s third term presents a long list of tasks to strengthen ties with neighboring countries, essential for regional connectivity, collaboration, and stability. The Nepal-India relationship, in particular, is expected to sail smoothly without major hurdles.