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Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden said the bill to amend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2071 BS was not in favor of victims. At a press conference organized at Taplejung headquarters, Fungling, today, he said the bill has only addressed the issues of key sides of the conflict. The bill is an attempt to free the rebel side only, he said, it has relegated the conflict survivors to the back-burner. "The conflict had not only involved the rebel side and state side. General public who did not associate themselves with either side were the most affected victims. But they had come across the biggest loss and damage", Lingden added. However, the present bill has not inserted any measures to dispense justice to the most-affected people, he commented. On another note, RPP Chair Lingden ruled out the need of three tiers of the governments in the name of federalism. If the local level is empowered and province scrapped, it would reduce financial burden and also bail the country out of economic crisis, he asserted.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba have reached CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s residence in Balkot on Monday. They have reached Balkot to discuss the TRC bill among other contemporary political issues with Oli. PM Dahal, who is also the Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Center), has reached Balkot for the first time after he left the alliance led by the UML. Though the three senior leaders had held meetings for two times at the initiatives of Speaker Ghimire earlier, they could not reach a conclusion. Though the leaders had agreed to make the TRC among other bills justifiable and widely acceptable, they are yet to decide on the issues and procedures. The whips of three political parties have also reached Balkot to take part in the meeting. Breaking the then five-party alliance, Dahal was appointed as the prime minister on December 25 by forging an alliance with the UML. The alliance with the UML broke down after the Maoist Center decided to support the Nepali Congress in the presidential election. Later, the UML recalled the ministers and withdrew the support extended to the Dahal-led government. Now, the UML is playing the role of main opposition in the Parliament. After the main opposition opposed the government’s proposal to fast-tracking the transitional justice bill, the government has not moved the bill ahead.  

President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash (NP) Saud amidst a special ceremony at the Office of the President in Sheetal Niwas today. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had appointed Saud, a Nepali Congress leader and member of the House of Representatives, today. Vice-President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina were present in the program. Minister Saud also today took charge of his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singha Durbar. The Nepali Congress central committee member Saud has already served as the Minister for Irrigation in 2070 BS and as the Minister of State for Education and Sports in 2057 BS. He was elected to the House of Representatives from Kanchanpur-2 in 2056 BS and 2070 BS. He was also elected to the House of Representatives from the same constituency in the election held on November 20, 2022. Saud joined the Nepal Students Union (NSU), the student wing of the Nepali Congress, in 2036 BS and forayed into politics. He was elected the vice-president of NSU in 2043 BS and went on to become the central president in 2048 BS. He was born to father Khadga Singh Saud and mother Kushilya Devi on August 9, 1962 in Dadeldhura. His permanent address is Shuklaphanta Municipality-6, Kanchanpur district in Sudurpaschim province. He has visited India, the United States of America, Australia, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, the Philippines, South Korea, Egypt, Japan, Singapore, Qatar, Thailand, among other countries.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the decision on the appointment of the chief justice will be made soon. He said so during a meeting with the officer bearers of Nepal Bar Association. Nepal Bar Association office bearers, former office bearers, various Bar chairperson of the Valley and office bearers were present in the meeting. On the occasion, Prime Minister Dahal lauded the role played by the Bar to protect democracy and constitution and to bring reforms in the justice system. During the meeting, the Bar office bearers drew the attention of the Prime Minister to appoint the chief justice by summoning a meeting of the Constitutional Council immediately. In reply, Prime Minister Dahal expressed his commitment to take an initiative to make a necessary decision on the issue. Earlier, the Bar had drawn the attention of the Prime Minister to take a decision on the chief justice within 10 days.