Govt decides to recommend President Paudel to prorogue House session from Sunday midnight

The government has decided to recommend President Ram Chandra Paudel to prorogue the current session of the Parliament.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that a decision has been made to recommend the President to end the current session of the Parliament from Sunday midnight.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli had held a discussion on ending the Parliament session.

Ruling party leaders said that the government has decided to end the current session due to the main opposition Nepali Congress’s obstruction in the Parliament.

 

PM calls for connecting Nepalis across the world by means of language and culture

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called upon the Nepali speakers and the people of Nepali origin residing in various countries of the world to invest the skills, knowledge and capital they have earned for Nepal.

PM Dahal made this call in a meeting with a delegation of the Association of Nepali Origin (ANO) at his official residence in Baluwatar today.

Stating that although of different nationalities, the campaign of linking all the Nepali-speaking and Nepali-origin people throughout the world is positive, he urged bringing the Nepali speakers throughout the world together through this campaign, as the mother or the fatherland is the same.

The PM said the ANO's campaign of connecting the Nepalis spread across the globe by means of language and culture is positive, pledging the necessary support on behalf of the government for the success of the campaign.

A gathering, on March 19, of Nepali speaking people from various countries around the world held in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, constituted the ANO with the goal of uniting the Nepali race and preserving the Nepali language and culture.

Thanking the ANO for running the campaign of connecting the Nepali speakers by means of art and culture, Prime Minister Dahal expressed his best wishes for a new campaign.

ANO President Dilliram Adhikari expressed gratitude to the government for the cooperation and best wishes received so far from the government, and expected the same in the days to come. "We will take ahead this campaign as the ambassador of the Nepali language, art and culture throughout the world. At the same time, the campaign will further contribute to the nation's development, preserving and publicizing the 'Nepaliness', connecting the future generation to Nepal," he asserted.

The organization will likewise encourage the Nepali investors living abroad to put investment in Nepal's education, health and other sectors and to carry out social works in the country where their ancestors' identity is linked.

The ANO delegation consisted of its vice-president Sushil Kumar Panta, general-secretary Chudamani Bhattarai among other office-bearers.

The Bangkok gathering representing the Nepali origin social campaigners from 27 countries of the world was transformed into the ANO's First Convention and a 54-member working committee was formed under Dilli Adhikari, a Nepali origin social worker born in Bhutan and currently living in the USA.

 

Nagarik Unmukti Party takes action against lawmaker Ghanshyam Chaudhary also

A day before the formation of the provincial government, Nagarik Unmukti Party took action against one of its Province Assembly members.

The party, which has been dragged into controversy after the change in the ruling coalition, suspended Sudurpaschim Province Assembly member Ghanshyam Chaudhary.

Earlier, the party had also suspended Province Assembly member Indira Giri for violating the party directions.

Chaudhary and Giri were appointed as the ministers in the Kamal Bahadur Shah-led government.

Writing a letter to Sudurpaschim Province Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari, Unmukti Party Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha informed that Province Assembly member Chaudhary has been suspended for three months.

In the letter, it has been mentioned that the party suspended Chaudhary for three months after he did not attend the important meeting despite calling for several times and the explanation furnished by him was also not satisfactory.

In the 53-member Sudurpaschim Province, the province Chief has given time till April 13 to the political parties to form the government after Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah resigned from his post on April 4.

 

Debate on electoral system

During the constitution drafting process from 2008 to 2015, the electoral system emerged as a key contentious issue among major political parties and stakeholders. Various electoral systems practiced in different countries were proposed. Ultimately they compromised on a mixed electoral system combining first past the post (FPTP) and proportional representation voting system. The aim was to address demands for inclusion and proportional representation across society. Since the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015, which solidified this mixed model, two elections for the three-tier government have been held, with parties preparing for the next elections in 2027, pending any unforeseen circumstances.

Ever since the country adopted a new constitution in 2015, no single party has secured a majority to govern the country independently. Although there was a single-party majority following the merger of CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN-UML, it was not a result of the election. With no possibility of single-party majority, parties have turned to coalition governments, resulting in frequent and unpredictable changes. Many, both within and outside active politics, attribute this political instability to the current electoral system, suggesting that Nepal cannot achieve stability unless changes are made.

Senior Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has been a vocal advocate for changing the electoral system, proposing that the House of Representatives (lower house), consisting of 275 members, be elected solely through the FPTP model to ensure a single-party majority and political stability. However, his own party, NC, has not officially discussed changing the electoral system. Koirala argues that the root cause of the current political crisis lies in the electoral system itself.

Despite Koirala’s proposal, cross-party political leaders and experts argue that changing the electoral system, which is closely linked to inclusion, a fundamental aspect of the constitution, is nearly impossible. The proportional representation system has ensured the representation of marginalized communities in the legislative process, although political parties have been criticized for appointing their family members. Santosh Pariyar, chief whip of Rastriya Swatantra Party, vehemently opposes changing the current electoral system, considering it a violation of the constitution and a threat to the rights of marginalized communities.

Deepak Bhatta, a CPN-UML leader, contends that once a system is adopted, it should be allowed to function for at least 15-20 years before considering changes. He criticizes the shifting political agendas of leaders and emphasizes the need for stability in governance. However, past experiences have shown that even single-party majority governments have failed to complete their terms due to intra-party disputes, casting doubt on the correlation between electoral systems and political stability.

While major political parties such as Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Center) have yet to officially discuss constitutional amendments, there are various viewpoints within each party. The issue of electoral system change must be carefully considered, as it requires consensus among major political parties, including those representing Madhes. Until political parties address systemic issues and work towards genuine consensus, achieving political stability will remain a distant goal, with electoral system changes alone unlikely to suffice.