Dear Readers,
The issue of constitutional amendment has resurfaced once again. The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has called for the formation of a commission led by a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to recommend constitutional amendments.
Earlier, Ashim Shah, chief advisor to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, submitted a report on constitutional amendments that has not yet been made public. The Shah-led committee consulted political parties across the entire spectrum. The NC maintains that fundamental values must remain intact while amending the constitution.
Amid internal rifts, the Nepali Congress has formed a committee to organize its 15th general convention. Party President Gagan Thapa will lead the committee. Thapa had pledged to reach out to the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction to bridge the divide, but substantial progress has yet to be made.
In a clear sign of a deteriorating business climate, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) commitments declined in the first month of the current fiscal year. The private sector asserts that arbitrary arrests of business owners have damaged Nepal’s investment climate, as authorities continue to arrest bankers and business executives on charges of financial misconduct.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal has warned Sher Bahadur Deuba not to exceed the boundaries set by the 2015 Constitution. Dahal’s statement comes two days after Deuba declared himself a Hindu, following a national convention that endorsed a document stating the party would attempt to establish Sanatan Dharma as the country's main identity.
Dahal is the first senior leader to comment on Deuba’s statement, while the NC has yet to respond. Over the past few years, major political parties' commitment to secularism has wavered—a clear indication that they may be under geopolitical pressure to restore a Hindu state. NC leaders suggest that even Party President Gagan Thapa could support this agenda.
Dahal has instructed his party leaders and cadres to prepare for street protests. However, his statements are often taken lightly, as he frequently makes similar calls. He added that domestic and external reactionary forces are conspiring to dismantle the constitution—a claim that cannot be entirely ruled out.
The CPN-UML is undergoing a quiet storm as senior leaders work to remove KP Sharma Oli from party leadership. Top figures are holding continuous consultations about convening a special general convention to enforce a leadership change, though Oli has reacted fiercely to these moves.
Two investigation committees formed to probe incidents in Sunsari and Siraha concluded that there was no external infiltration into the protests, dispelling earlier rumors. The reports confirmed that the deaths of four young men were caused by bullets fired by the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force. Meanwhile, the government has formed a talk team to engage with representatives of Durga Prasai, who is staging protests demanding the restoration of a Hindu state and the monarchy.
The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) index fell by 19.34 points to close at 2,622.48 points on Tuesday. Similarly, the Sensitive Index dropped by 2.55 points to close at 461.09 points. A total of 15,196,982 shares from 347 companies were traded, amounting to Rs 1.52 billion. Representatives from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are currently in Kathmandu to discuss market developments with authorities.
All is not well in the judiciary. Senior-most judges have been systematically sidelined, affecting overall motivation. Although the government appointed a relatively junior candidate as Chief Justice, the judiciary continues to deliver verdicts unfavorable to the government. Meanwhile, the Nepal Bar Association has drawn the Chief Justice's attention to the need for clear criteria when selecting judges for the Constitutional Bench.
Finally, an investigation revealed that medical certificates submitted by several foreign doctors working across various medical and dental colleges, health science academies, and hospitals are fraudulent. The Nepal Medical Council has formed a panel to investigate the matter thoroughly.
— Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Editor
