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President Ram Chandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had a meeting at Sheetal Niwas on Sunday.

During the meeting held this afternoon, they discussed contemporary political issues of the country, the President’s private secretariat said.

Dr Chiranjeevi Nepal, an economic advisor to President Ram Chandra Paudel, resigned on Sunday.

Issuing a press statement today, spokesperson at the Office of the President, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, said that the President has accepted the resignation of Nepal.

President Paudel thanked Nepal for his service during his tenure.

Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel at the President House in Sheetal Niwas today.

On the occasion, President Paudel said Nepal is very much concerned about protecting the Himalayas and sources of water to save the earth and urged the carbon-emitting developed nations to become sensitive for the climate change impacts reduction, the President's press advisor Kiran Poharel quoted the President as saying.

Stating that Nepal and Japan have close cultural ties since the dissemination of the teachings of Gautam Buddha, the Light of Asia, President Paudel said Nepal and Japan have enjoyed trouble-free relations and Nepal has always realized a higher level of goodwill from Japan. 

Saying that Japan was an important and trustworthy partner for Nepal's socioeconomic development, the President expressed confidence that the areas of cooperation and assistance between Nepal and Japan would further expand.

Likewise, the President said that they should give priority to expanding people-to-people relations and viewed that more Japanese tourists would come to visit Nepal due to the religious and cultural proximity between the two countries and also due to Nepal's natural beauties.

On the occasion, Japanese Minister Kamikawa shared that Japan is also worried about the impacts of climate change and all should collaborate to protect the Himalayas of Nepal and other countries.

She added that a massive revolution was imperative in the technology for the use of alternative energy.

Furthermore, the Japanese minister shared that Japan would extend every possible support to Nepal realizing that Nepal's development and stability was needed for this region.

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya submitted the 'Report on the By-election to the Member of House of Representatives and the Province Assembly, 2081 BS', along with the election results to President Ram Chandra Paudel on Thursday.

Chief Election Commissioner Thapaliya presented to the President the By-election, 2081 BS Report in accordance with the Clause 62 of the House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2074 BS, states a communiqué issued by spokesperson at the Office of the President, Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai.

President Ram Chandra Paduel has given approval for mobilizing Nepal Army (NA) in the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Province Assembly (PA) by-elections scheduled to take place on April 27.

The Council of the Ministers on April 22 recommended the President to endorse the deployment of the NA to hold the by-elections in a free, impartial and reliable atmosphere, based on the recommendations of the National Security Council meeting held earlier the same day.

The President granted permission for the mobilization of the NA in the by-elections in accordance with Article 66 (2) of the Constitution.

President Ram Chandra Paudel hosted a state banquet in honor of the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is in Kathmandu for a two-day state visit.

On the occasion, different cultural performances were performed.

In the banquet, First Lady Sabita Paudel, Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal were present.

Chief Justice, Deputy Prime Ministers, former prime ministers, ministers, lawmakers, industrialists and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Earlier today, President Paudel and Emir of the State of Qatar held bilateral talks at the Office of the President in Sheetal Niwas.

Likewise, two countries' delegations are scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on Wednesday.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has requested Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to help release Nepali student Bipin Joshi, who has gone missing since the attack by Hamas in Israel.

President Paudel made this request during a bilateral meeting held with the Qatari Emir at the President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas earlier this afternoon.

At the cordial invitation of President Paudel, Emir Al Thani of Qatar arrived here this afternoon on a two-day state visit to Nepal.

On the occasion, President Paudel said that Bipin's release was a matter of interest and concern and urged the Emir of Qatar to take initiative for his release, according to Kiran Pokharel, the President's Press Advisor.

In response, the Emir of Qatar said that he had taken some initiative on the matter in the past and that he would take further initiatives in this regard.

Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student in Israel, remains missing following the attack in Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has urged Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to deepen cooperation between Nepal and Qatar on issues of common interests like saving the earth from climate change impacts, protecting the Himalayas, preserving the sources of water, and maintaining environmental balance.

President Paudel said so at a meeting with the Qatari Emir Al Thani at the Office of the President in Sheetal Niwas earlier today.

The Emir of the State of Qatar arrived in Kathmandu this afternoon on a two-day state visit to Nepal at the invitation of President Paudel.

"The common challenge of today's world is saving the earth from climate change; protecting our Himalayas; preserving the source of water and maintaining the environmental balance. Cooperation of all is imperative in these areas. This is an issue of human existence. I think mostly the developing countries should be more serious in such issues,” President's press advisor Kiran Pokharel quoted President Paudel as saying.

The President also said that the conflict in the Middle East has 'made us worried', Pokharel said. 

Likewise, President Paudel praised the role played by Qatar for peace building and wished for the end to the war and restoration of peace in the Middle East.

On the occasion, the Emir of the State of Qatar Al Thani said the entire world is suffering from climate change impacts, and good results will come and a good environment will be created if all abided by the international agreements on climate change.

He also expressed the confidence that his visit would be fruitful to explore new areas of cooperation by further deepening Nepal-Qatar relations.

Furthermore, the Emir of Qatar praised and expressed appreciation to Nepali migrant workers stating that they have huge contributions to the development of Qatar.

The Emir of Qatar Al Thani viewed that new possibilities could be explored for investments in water resources, agriculture, tourism and other sectors in Nepal.

On the occasion, President Paudel also expressed the confidence that the agreement and memorandum of understanding to be reached on Wednesday would unleash new potentials for investment in the areas such as water resource, agriculture and tourism in Nepal.

Noting that Nepal and Qatar have ever enjoyed cordial bilateral relations, President Paudel clarified that the relations between Nepal and Qatar are bound by the sense of friendship, mutual respect, trust and good will.

There has been a tradition of exchange of high-level visits between the two countries in a regular way which he claimed had played a spectacular role in expanding the bilateral relations.

The historical visit has taken the Nepal-Qatar relations to a new height, he further said.

Noting that Nepal has moved towards the journey of economic development and prosperity now with the agendas of political transformation reaching to a conclusion of late, he expressed his belief that there would be continuous support from Qatar to Nepal's efforts towards attaining development and prosperity.

President Paudel further expressed his optimism that the bilateral cooperation and collaboration would be further deepened in coming days in the context when there are arrays of potential for partnership in trade, tourism and investment areas.

Qatar has been a prime and attractive destination of foreign employment for Nepali workers and Nepali workforce has also substantially contributed in the making of modern Qatar, he recalled.

Expressing happiness over the sustainable development and prosperity of Qatar under the visionary leadership of the Emir, President Paudel lauded his far-reaching thinking and unswerving commitment to make Qatar a highly-developed nation.

On the occasion, the visiting dignitary also signed the visitors' book placed at the Office of the President.

The government has decided to recommend President Ram Chandra Paudel to prorogue the current session of the Parliament.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that a decision has been made to recommend the President to end the current session of the Parliament from Sunday midnight.

Earlier, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli had held a discussion on ending the Parliament session.

Ruling party leaders said that the government has decided to end the current session due to the main opposition Nepali Congress’s obstruction in the Parliament.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has relieved the province chiefs of three provinces of their positions.

The President relieved Hari Shankar Mishra, Chief of Madhes Province, Prithviman Gurung, Chief of Gandaki Province, and Devraj Joshi, Chief of Sudurpaschim Province, of their posts in accordance with Article 165 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal and on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on March 11, the Office of the President stated in a statement issued today.

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel on Friday.

In the meeting held at the Office of the President, Sheetal Niwas, the two exchanged views on contemporary issues, according to the President's Secretariat. The term of NA Chair Timilsina is ending on March 3.

President Ram Chandra Paudel attended the Basanta Panchami ceremony and listened to the recitation of religious scriptures celebrating Goddess Saraswati at Nasal Chowk of Hanumandhoka today.

The basanta shravan is organized every year on Saraswati puja. Saraswati is the Goddess of knowledge and learning.

President Paudel also received tika and prasad on the occasion.

Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, and high -evel dignitaries also attended the ceremony.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also the Chair of the National Security Council, called on President Ramchandra Paudel today to present the Council's annual report.

Upon receiving the report, President Paudel expressed hope that the Council would consistently act with caution in promoting the interests of nationality, sovereignty, independence, integrity, and national security.

During the meeting, the President spoke of the need of enhancing the nation's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and autonomy.

He also stressed the need for promoting cultural, religious, linguistic, and communal harmony, social tolerance and unity, and strengthening the national social security system. Furthermore, he underscored the effective implementation of the national security policy.

President Paudel commended the Council for presenting the report with a strategic outlook concerning nationality, sovereignty, integrity, and security.

According to Article 266(3) of the Constitution, the Council is mandated to submit its annual report to the President.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Purna Bahadur Khadka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat were present on the occasion.

Ambassador of Australia to Nepal, Felicity Volk, paid a courtesy call on President Ram Chandra Paudel at the Rastrapati Bhawan, Shital Niwas today.

On the occasion, discussions were held on bilateral relations between Nepal and Australia and on matters of mutual interest and concern, the Office of the President said.

President Paudel expressed the confidence that Australia's cooperation for the social and economic development of Nepal-like land-locked countries will further increase in the coming days, not only in its capacity of the prosperous economy of South-East Asia and Pacific region, but as it also has importance presence in the global economic forum.

The government on Tuesday requested President Ram Chandra Paudel to call a session of the Federal Parliament on Feb 5, three months after the prorogation of the annual session of the parliament (Nov 2).

Per a constitutional provision, the President shall call a session of the parliament on the recommendation of the government.

Earlier, the parties had differences on whether to call the session after UML’s Madhya Pahadi Yatra Campaign (Mid-hills Journey) or after National Assembly elections (slated for Jan 25), leaving the government in a fix over the House session. 

If Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s promises on the government’s policies and programs and budget are anything to go by, the House session should already have convened, paving the way for pre-budget discussions on policies and programs in the parliament in mid-February.

On May 29 last year, Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat had announced in the House of Representatives that the principles and priorities of the budget-related Bill will be discussed in the parliament in mid-February, 2024.

For holding pre-budget discussions in the parliament, necessary laws should be drafted soon (mid-February to mid-March).

In addition, the government has been expressing commitment to introducing laws necessary for implementing the Constitution, which will be easier said than done. NA has found, in the course of a study, that the federal government must introduce 39 laws immediately for implementing the constitution.

It should be noted that provincial governments have been demanding what they call the ‘readjustment of the police force’ in line with the charter. Stakeholders with varying interests in Federal Civil Act and Education Act have also been piling pressure on the federal government to address their concerns.   

Citing the government’s promise to convene discussions on the budget in mid-February after introducing necessary laws, leaders of different political parties have been taking the government to task over delays in convening the parliament session.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire and Chair of the National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina have again requested President Ram Chandra Paudel to appoint general secretary of the Federal Parliament, stating that the absence of the office-holder for more than a month has been affecting the functioning of the parliament. 

The constitutional position has been lying vacant since Bharatraj Gautam tendered his resignation on Nov 10 last year.

Speaker Ghimire and NA Chair have tried to draw the president’s attention toward the matter through discussions with the latter’s legal advisor Baburam Kunwar.

Ghimire and Timilsina have recommended the appointment of Padma Prasad Pandey, secretary at the parliament, as the new general secretary.

Speaker Ghimire, after consultations with thematic committee chairs of the Parliament, told mediapersons: “I have already recommended the appointment of the general secretary and hope it will happen soon.” 

However, the Office of the President has not started the appointment process. The office has been arguing that it cannot initiate the appointment process as it is yet to accept Gautam’s resignation as HoR general secretary. 

President Paudel has also been facing charges of showing undue interest in the appointment.

Paudel, after consultations with Ghimire and NA chair Timilsina, had appointed Pandey as acting general secretary of the parliament on Nov 13 pending further arrangements.

But this appointment has not been without its share of controversies as Pandey faces charges of obtaining multiple citizenships. After receiving a complaint regarding the same, the parliamentary Public Affairs and Good Governance Committee has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to probe the matter and get it the facts.