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The government has decided to appoint Toyam Raya as the secretary of the Ministry of Finance. A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to appoint Raya, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, as the secretary of the Ministry of Finance. Similarly, the meeting has also decided to appoint Ram Prasad Ghimire as the revenue secretary. Earlier, he was in the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).  

The by-election of the National Assembly will be held on February 8. A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made the decision to this effect. Khimlal Bhattarai’s post has been lying vacant after he tendered his resignation from the upper house of the federal parliament. He was elected from Lumbini Province. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had held a discussion with the Election Commission for the by-election of the National Assembly.    

The Office of the Bagmati Province Chief on Thursday called on parties representing in the Province Assembly to form a government. Province Chief Yadav Chandra Sharma has given the deadline of 4 pm on January 9 to the parties to form the government formation and to appoint the Chief Minister with the support of two or more parties representing in the Province Assembly. Province Chief Sharma has called on the parties to form the government as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution. As no parties had a clear majority to appoint the Chief Minister according to Article 168 (1) of the Constitution, the Province Chief called on the parties representing in the Province Assembly to stake claim to appoint the Chief Minister with support of two or more than two parties as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution. The Bagmati Province has 110 members. Of which, Nepali Congress has 37, UML 27, CPN (Maoist Center) 21, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 13, CPN (Unified Socialist) 7 and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party 3 and Hamro Party has 2 members.    

Kathmandu:  For the first time after the Nepali Congress-led five-party ruling coalition fell like a house of cards despite garnering a majority in November 20 federal and provincial elections, the party organized a press conference in Kathmandu, on Wednesday. Helming the conference was none other than party Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat. While whodunit over the collapse of the erstwhile coalition continues, Mahat tried to wash his party’s hands of the debacle. Instead, he accused CPN (Maoist Center) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal of betrayal that caused the collapse of the NC-led ruling alliance and made way for a new ruling alliance.   The NC did not get enough time to hold talks with Maoist Chair ‘Prachanda’ for giving continuity to the pre-poll alliance under the latter’s leadership, Mahat maintained. While talks on continuing with the erstwhile coalition were underway, Prachanda joined forces with the CPN-UML at the last minute, he noted and objected to the move. Mahat had an answer for those wondering as to what his party was doing after the debacle. “We are assessing the impact of this switching of sides,” he said.  The leader hastened to add that NC was not trying to cobble together a coalition for returning to power. Further, the NC leader said: The current coalition consists of monarchists and anti-monarchists, federalists and anti-federalists, glued together for positions of power. This coalition may come crumbling under its own weight, Mahat forecasted. Talking about his party’s future plans, Mahat offered a glimmer of hope, saying: The Congress will play the role of a strong opposition.  Easier said than done, but here’s hoping that the party will walk the talk. After all, hope springs eternal even during a grim winter like this, doesn’t it?