RPP Central Work Execution Committee meeting today

The meeting of the Central Work Execution Committee of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is being held today.

The Committee's meeting will be held at 9 am at the party's central office, Dhumbarahi, according to party spokesperson Mohan Kumar Shrestha.

The meeting continues today from yesterday where members of the committee are continuing to express their views on various agenda presented by party Chairman Rajendra Lingden for discussion.

Sparks fly after collapse of Maoist-NC ruling coalition

In the Parliament session on Thursday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal presented a list of factors that led him to break the alliance with the Nepali Congress, giving continuity to the blame-game between the Congress and the CPN (Maoist Center). According to Dahal, though cadres of his party, the CPN (Maoist Center), fully supported NC candidates in elections, the level of support from NC toward Maoist candidates was far less. 

Our candidate from Koshi province got defeated in National Assembly elections as NC betrayed, he said. Another reason, according to PM Dahal, is the outcome of a recent Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, which censored the pre-poll alliance. He also questioned NC’s commitment to the Constitution, pointing that some NC leaders had spoken in favor of a Hindu state during the Mahasamiti meeting. 

Dahal objected to what he called a ‘negative portrayal’ of the Maoist insurgency in NC’s official documents and insufficient support from the ruling coalition partner for a smooth functioning of the government under his leadership. On its part, NC has accused Dahal of unilaterally breaking the ruling alliance without citing any substantial reason. 

Sharing decisions taken at the NC’s parliamentary party meeting on Thursday, Nepali Congress chief whip Ramesh Lekhak accused the Maoist Center of breaking the ruling coalition, though the Congress had always remained committed to it. 

Lekhak recalled that Congress had formed alliances with various parties for the protection of the constitution and consolidation of democracy, and contested elections accordingly, hinting at the possibility of such alliance in the coming days. 

The meeting held under NC president and parliamentary party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba discussed the evolving political scenario and decided to withdraw support given to Maoist Chair Dahal during the formation of the erstwhile government. 

Speaking in the Parliament, Lekhak said Dahal was betraying political parties repeatedly, in a pointer to stressed relations between the erstwhile coalition partners after the formation of a new ruling dispensation.

Change of guard won’t affect ties with Nepal: India

India has refrained from commenting on the recent political developments in Nepal, describing them as ‘internal matters’ of Nepal, and reaching out to senior members of a nascent Cabinet on a hectic day.

At  a meeting with Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun, India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said India’s position on Nepal remains unchanged. The change in the coalition is an internal matter of Nepal, so it does not affect India’s views and position on Nepal, he said.  

Ambassador Srivastava also paid a courtesy call on newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, congratulating the latter and extending best wishes to him.

During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPM Shrestha and Ambassador Srivastava discussed various topics of bilateral and mutual interest, said spokesperson for the ministry, Amrit Bahadur Rai. The topics included ways to strengthen bilateral ties and timely completion of development projects underway in Nepal with Indian assistance. 

I changed political equation to make government effective: PM

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has made it clear that he changed the power equation even by taking risks in order to make the government's works effective.

The PM said so while putting his views on the latest political developments and in reply to the queries of lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

On the occasion, Dahal said he had declared before this in the House that he would not remain in his post if he failed to prove his capability or to bring positive change and raise hope in the country, but he did not get support from some factions in the erstwhile ruling coalition for his commitment.

"I had been telling time and again that I was not satisfied with the government's pace of work. I had two alternatives – either to protect my post by running an average and ad-hoc government or to work for nation building as per my political resolve even by risking the post. I chose the second option," the PM said.

He maintained that although his step might seem reflective of uncertainty and unreliable to some, it was in the interest of the country and the people. The PM added that this would be proven from the government's works and their result in the coming days.

"It is not that as a government we did not achieve notable results in various sectors. However, I wanted speed and dynamism. I was and am not in a state of confining myself in the cage of self-praise for the average results, he said, adding, "Colleagues (in the erstwhile ruling coalition) loved me as a person, but did not do me justice as a Prime Minister highly aspiring for change, good governance and prosperity."