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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal today said he has floated a proposal to cut expenditure burden and the number of ministries of provinces. So, ministries of some provinces have been cut down accordingly, he said during a meeting with a team of ministers, lawmakers and political leaders of Sudurpaschim Province led by its Chief Minister Rajendra Singh Rawal. The meeting was held at the PM's official residence in Baluwatar this morning. "Provinces themselves are autonomous. The constitution has clarified their work. The center cannot interfere with their authority and we do not do so either." Stating that he was well aware about people's complaints that administrative expenditure of provinces had increased, and their fiscal good governance could not maintain due to the large number of their structures, he stressed the need for making them impartial and economic. "In the meeting of the ruling coalition partners, I have put forward a proposal to make provinces efficient and maintain fiscal good governance. All leaders including CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli have agreed on it," he said. It was also decided to allow only 10 percent of the total number of lawmakers in the respective provincial assembly to become a minister, he said. Some provinces have slashed the number of their ministries accordingly, he said. "The act will keep fiscal good governance, and address people's complaints towards provinces." There should be competition among provinces at policy level and in the maximum mobilization of resources, he said. "We do have resources and potentialities in abundance. The trend of provinces being dependent on the center should be ended. For that, there should be competition among provinces to manage policy, good governance, and efficient management and for the mobilization and maximum utilization of local resources." The PM said he would soon embark on a field-inspection of the national pride projects and other big ones.  

Nepali Congress has decided to register candidacy for the post of President. A meeting of the office bearers and former office bearers held at party President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s residence in Dhumbarahi on Monday decided to file candidacy by seeking support from all the parties. Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said that the Nepali Congress will file candidacy for the post of President. “We will register our candidacy by seeking support from all the parties. Conspiracies are being hatched to not hold the election on March 13. We will not accept it,” he said. Similarly, the Nepali Congress has demanded that the election be held on time. According to the provision, the presidential election should be held on February 12.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Speaker Devraj Ghimire held a meeting in Baluwatar on Monday. During the meeting, they discussed contemporary political issues, according to a source. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat said that the duo discussed various issues like making the Parliament effective and overall Parliament activities. CPN-UML candidate Ghimire was elected to the post of the Speaker of the House of Representatives on January 19 with support of the ruling parties. Out of 268 lawmakers participated in the meeting, he emerged victorious by securing 167 votes. His closest contender Ishwori Neupane of the Nepali Congress garnered 100 votes. Ghimire was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Jhapa-2. He has resigned from the party after being elected as the Speaker.  

Nepali Congress and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party have registered applications at the Parliament Secretariat demanding a main opposition party. The Congress filed the application at the federal Parliament Secretariat demanding facilities that the main opposition party got while Nepal Workers and Peasants Party lawmaker Prem Suwal submitted the application to Speaker Devraj Ghimire. The Parliament Secretariat said that the decision will be taken as per the rules and regulations. In the application, Nepali Congress proclaimed itself a main opposition party. The Nepali Congress has 89 lawmakers in the Parliament. Among them, lawmaker Tek Bahadur Gurung is suspended. An official at the Parliament Secretariat said that the Nepali Congress filed the application demanding that it be provided with facilities that the main opposition party got. The debate on whether Nepali Congress should be considered as the ruling party or the opposition started surfacing after the party gave a vote of confidence to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on January 10. Experts have been saying that the Nepali Congress should not be considered as the opposition party. The Congress lawmakers presented themselves as the main opposition when they took part in the Parliament meeting. The Nepal Workers Peasants Party has also submitted an application to the Speaker demanding that the party be announced as the main opposition party. Out of 270 lawmakers present in the Parliament meeting on January 10, 268 gave a vote of confidence to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Maoist Center Chairman Dahal also got votes from the Nepali Congress, CPN (Unified Socialist) and Democratic Socialist Party which are not part of the ruling coalition. Nepal Workers Peasants Party lawmaker Prem Suwal and Rastriya Janamorcha Party Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC only voted against him.