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Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the main opposition leader, CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli, had a meeting on Friday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar. They discussed two important issues: the upcoming visit of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Nepal and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Bill.

Guterres is scheduled to visit Nepal on Oct 29 and will address a joint meeting of the Federal Parliament on Oct 31. Prime Minister Dahal aims to pass the transitional justice bill before Guterres’ arrival, but this requires the support of the main opposition. 

While there is agreement on most aspects of the bill, the major point of contention is the provision granting immunity to individuals accused of murder, considering murder as a human rights violation. The government is attempting to address issues related to murder through reconciliation. They plan to reclassify murder as a human rights violation rather than a serious crime, which has the support of the Congress and Maoists in the ruling coalition. However, UML has not accepted this change.

UML whip Mahesh Bartaula says they are open to reaching an agreement on the bill before the UN Secretary-General’s visit, but he accuses the government of creating tension instead of cooperation. “Prime Minister Dahal’s decision to grant a holiday on People’s War Day contributes to this tension,” he says.

A sub-committee under the Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee has prepared a report on amending the ‘Bill to amend the Commission for Investigation of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Act’ through consensus over the past month and a half. Bartaula, a member of the sub-committee, says most issues have been resolved, except for the topic of reconciliation in cases of serious incidents like murder.

UML’s stance is to not use reconciliation to absolve individuals of murder except in cases of double confrontations. They argue that such cases should be prosecuted. 

The issue of child soldiers during the armed conflict is another concern. While an agreement refers to these children as “connected parties of the conflict”, UML believes this issue is being unnecessarily prolonged for political reasons and calls for additional discussions.

Chair of the Human Rights Committee and CPN (Maoist Center) leader Bimala Subedi expressed optimism that the bill will move forward, emphasizing the need for consensus to resolve this sensitive issue. She highlighted the importance of political-level consensus, as it’s a long-standing matter. 

Four issues remain to be discussed within the committee, and Subedi believes that a positive environment for resolution is now present, especially following the meeting between the Prime Minister and the main opposition leader. 

Prime Minister Dahal had previously attempted to pass this bill in time he went to the United Nations General Assembly—to no avail.

Kathmandu: The Nepal government has considered the release of two hostages in Gaza as a positive development. In a press statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its appreciation for the release of the two hostages in Gaza and commended the diplomatic efforts made by Qatar and other parties involved in securing their release.

Furthermore, the Ministry stated that Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student who has been missing since the day of the Israeli attack on Oct 7, remains unaccounted for. The Ministry has called for the safety of Joshi and other missing civilians.

Kathmandu: Nepali Congress (NC) is hosting its greetings exchange and tea reception at the party central office, Sanepa, Lalitpur, on Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. 

NC central member Ramhari Khatiwada informed that the party is hosting the tea reception on the occasion of the Dashain, Tihar, Nepal Sambat and Chhath festivals tomorrow. 

Khatiwada, also the President of House of Representatives (HoR)’s State Advisory and Good Governance Committee, said, “The tea reception BP Koirala initiated in the then time realizing the need of political dialogue and meeting is still relevant and can contribute to keep political harmony and unity in the country.”

The tea reception program of the party’s Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur district committees will be held at the party central office, Sanepa, while the concerned districts’ committees will organize the same in respective districts. 

NC leader Arjunnarsingh KC highlighted the relevance of the tea reception culture that was initiated by BP Koirala to maintain harmony among all sides on the occasion of the festivals, including Bada Dashain in the context when the national and international context was turning complex after his repatriation. 

NC has invited chiefs of all political parties, ministers, lawmakers, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions in Nepal and distinguished personalities representing different sections of society at the tea reception programme. 

NC has started hosting the tea reception since 1978 following BP’s return to home with a policy of national unity and reconciliation in Dec 1977. BP continued the tradition up to 1981. Then Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala continued the cultural legacy of tea reception. Incumbent President Sher Bahadur Deuba is perpetuating the tradition. 

NC has been hosting the tea reception every year around the Dashain festival.

Kathmandu: Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud is scheduled to hold high-level talks during his official visit to the United States of America. He will depart from Kathmandu on Sunday, Oct 29.

In a press statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that during the visit, Saud will have a bilateral meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in Washington, DC on Oct 30. 

The Foreign Minister will also hold meetings with Samantha Power, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Alice P Albright, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and other high-level officials of the US Government.

He will also meet with Congressman Mike Carey, the Nepal Caucus Co-chair in the US Congress.

The Foreign Minister’s other engagements include a talk program at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), interactions with the Nepali-American business community, meetings with the IT advisory network, and interactions with representatives of the Non-Resident Nepali Association and Nepali-American professionals, said the ministry.

The Nepali delegation includes Ambassador of Nepal to the United States of America, Sridhar Khatri, and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Nepal in Washington, DC, as well as the presidents of FNCCI and the American Chamber of Commerce in Nepal.

Saud will return to Kathmandu on Nov 5.