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Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Felicity Volk, had a farewell meeting with CPN (Maoist Center) Chair and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday.

In the meeting at Dahal's residence in Khumaltar today, Ambassador Volk congratulated Nepal on the completion of the remaining works of the peace process as well as transitional justice, according to Dahal's private secretariat.

Ambassador Volk said that the dignity of Nepal in the international arena has increased due to this initiative.

Former Prime Minister Dahal praised Ambassador Volk's role in strengthening Nepal-Australia relations and wished her success in her further diplomatic career.

A barely two percent population growth in the country and a huge outmigration of the country’s youth has sections of the Nepali society deeply worried.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli shared this worry at the concluding session of the Nepal Youth Summit 2024 while acknowledging, at least partially, that a not-so-conducive environment for jobs was also to blame for the exodus.

Nepal’s population growth rate is quite low, he said, offering the youth an idea for a ‘beautiful future’: Get married in your 20s and procreate without delay. Otherwise, Nepal may become a country of senior citizens with the youths leaving the country in large numbers citing a lack of job opportunities.

If one were to read Nepal’s Marriage Registration Act, the minimum legal age for marriage in Nepal is 20 years for girls and boys. However, they can marry at 18 years with parental consent.

The onus is on our young people to think about this alarming scenario (a low population growth and a high rate of youth out migration), he said, striking a chord with sections of the Nepali society that often express concerns about the youth exodus and a low population growth rate in a country with a population of around 29m.

The country has problems, but it is not the sole reason behind this exodus, he said in reference to a grim reality in which senior citizens, women and children have been left to fend for themselves.

“There is also a wave and a youthful desire to go abroad,” he said. 

A large number of youths have gone abroad and there’s a need to stop this outflow, PM Oli said at a time when successive governments have drawn flak for their failure to create a conducive environment for employment and retain the youths within the country, and reap the demographic dividend amid talk of Nepal’s graduation to a developing country status from the club of least developed countries. 

The government is making plans to promote entrepreneurship, PM Oli sought to assure, adding that his administration was thinking of bringing about a wave of development by introducing micro-entrepreneurship programs that provide jobs to a significant number of youths. 

Twenty percent of the national population lives below the poverty line, he said, stressing the need to reduce poverty by two percent each year for 10 consecutive years. 

Will these concerns be followed by some concrete action, making way for a great future every Nepali has been dreaming about, which goes well beyond marriage at a certain age? Who knows it better than the PM himself? 

The Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress has been postponed until next week to allow time for addressing several contentious issues within the party. While there is broad consensus regarding the formation of a new coalition with the CPN-UML, a range of internal disputes continues to polarize the party’s rival factions.

For an extended period, a power struggle has persisted among the factions led by Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, senior leader Shekhar Koirala, and General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa. With Deuba ineligible to seek another term as party president, both Thapa and Koirala are vying for the leadership role. Simultaneously, both leaders are intent on preventing Deuba from assuming the prime ministership again, fearing he may leverage state power to influence the party convention in favor of his preferred successor.

Diverging opinions on the potential electoral alliance further complicate matters within the party. General Secretaries Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma advocate for a clear policy stipulating that the party should not engage in any pre-poll alliances. However, as the largest party, the NC faces significant challenges in contesting elections alone, particularly if the communist parties remain united. Consequently, Party President Deuba opposes making this stance an official party position.

Thapa’s political document was an instrumental factor in the collapse of the NC-Maoist coalition in March when former prime minister and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal aligned with the UML after the NC signaled its reluctance to form a pre-poll alliance. This maneuver left Dahal isolated, having lost the support of both the NC and UML. Reports suggest that the NC and UML have agreed not to pursue an electoral alliance with the Maoists, though this information remains unverified. The NC's experience in 2017, when it suffered a humiliating defeat after the UML and Maoists joined forces, led to a subsequent alliance with the Maoists that preserved its position as the largest political party. However, there is growing dissatisfaction within the party ranks, who argue that such alliances erode the party’s base, with many members unwilling to support the Maoists.

Deuba maintains that the party should not entirely close the door on potential alliances with other parties. This issue was prominently discussed during the party’s Mahasamiti meeting in February, yet no consensus was reached. Another contentious issue within the NC is Sharma’s proposed exit policy, which includes term limits for the president (one term), prime minister (two terms), ministers (three terms), and lawmakers (four terms). This proposal has met with strong opposition within the party, particularly from senior leaders who view it as a direct challenge to their influence.

Foreign Minister and Central Working Committee member Arzu Rana Deuba has publicly opposed the proposed term limits for the prime minister, arguing that such restrictions would be detrimental to the party's leadership structure. Within the NC, there are calls for the government to justify its alliance with the UML through its performance, with some CWC members advocating for the continuation of investigations into corruption scandals by the new government.

Another significant issue dividing the party is the upcoming general convention. Senior leader Shekhar Koirala has urged the party leadership to restore order within the party and ensure that the general convention proceeds as scheduled in Dec 2025. Speaking at a meeting, Koirala pressed President Deuba to commit to the scheduled convention and advocated for constitutional amendments to strengthen democracy and federalism. He also proposed reforms to the party structure, including amendments to the party statute to empower provincial committees, with the central leadership providing regulation while provinces implement programs. Koirala warned against postponing the general convention, cautioning that such a move could lead to dire consequences for both the NC and the broader democratic process.

Koirala expressed deep concern over the current political instability in South Asia, warning that Nepal could become a battleground for international political interests. Citing recent developments in Bangladesh, Koirala emphasized the need for a strong ethical foundation in politics to prevent similar instability in Nepal. He highlighted the growing public disillusionment with political leaders and institutions, urging the party to take these sentiments seriously.

“I have long advocated for a government formed by the two largest parties to end the protracted political instability in the country. The primary task of the current coalition government should be to initiate the process of constitutional amendment,” Koirala said. He stressed that these amendments must genuinely reflect the will of the Nepali people, ensuring that the constitution is a truly representative document. However, Koirala criticized the current government’s formation, particularly in terms of ministerial appointments at both the federal and provincial levels. “It is perplexing why parties consistently fail to prioritize good governance despite their promises,” he remarked.

Koirala also pointed out that, eight years after the promulgation of the Constitution, provinces have yet to fully exercise their constitutional rights. He called for immediate measures to strengthen fiscal and administrative federalism, urging the two major parties to use their collective strength in government to empower the provinces effectively. “If Nepali Congress ministers in the current government fail to earn public trust and confidence, the party risks facing an unforeseen decline,” he warned. 

Koirala also called for a renewal of the party’s values and principles, better governance from those in power, and unity among party members. He expressed concern about the rising tide of populism in politics, noting that even the Nepali Congress has not been immune to this trend. Koirala cautioned against allowing social media and populist tendencies to dictate the party’s direction, urging members and leaders to return to the party’s core principles and ideologies.

British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s office in Singha Durbar on Tuesday.

On the occasion, they discussed matters of mutual relations and interest between the two countries, according to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

PM Oli said that the government has kept development, increased participation of youths in policy-making and meeting the sustainable development goals in priority while strengthening Nepal's federalism and democracy.

The Prime Minister asserted that the government is working to fulfill the national aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'. He added that the government is committed to fulfill the expectation of the people towards it, as the government is formed in collaboration of two large parties.

The British Ambassador expressed happiness for finalizing the legal topics related to transitional justice based on political agreement. He assured of continued assistance of the UK government in Nepal's development, good governance and federalism strengthening, among others.

He also expressed commitment to assist the Nepali traders in exporting their goods to the UK.