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From the Kathmandu Press: Thursday, April 19, 2018

Major Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday have paid topmost attention to contemporary political issues. Most of the newspapers have carried lead stories about Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali’s engagement in Chinese capital of Beijing as he is currently on an official trip there. Likewise, reports about delayed unification of CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre have also been prioritised.

Few other sociocultural and economic issues have also made it to the front page of Kathmandu broadsheets today.

Important

China stresses trilateral cooperation

As Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and other leaders of the northern neighbour during his official trip to Beijing, the Chinese government stressed trilateral cooperation involving Nepal, India and China, according to newspaper reports. Wang, while addressing a joint press conference with Gyawali yesterday, also spoke of cooperation between two giant neighbours for development of Nepal, according to Kantipur lead story filed from Beijing.

Karobar says Wang told reporters that the three countries already made an agreement to build a trans-Himalayan connectivity network and it could be a trilateral economic corridor.

Rajdhani, on the other hand, claims Nepal and China have agreed to prepare the detailed project report for proposed Kathmandu-Lumbini railway line. Meanwhile, they have also agreed to set up a system to effectively deliver China-aided projects in Nepal, according to The Kathmandu Post.

New deadline for UML-Maoist merger is mid-May

As the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre have failed to materialise their unification plan by April 22 as they announced earlier, leaders of the two parties have begun mulling over the new deadline, report various news stories.

In this context, Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal claimed on Wednesday that the unification would be done by mid-May, according to The Kathmandu Post. The Himalayan Times, on the other hand, quoting Maoist Centre leader Agni Sapkota, that the unification announcement may take place on May 5, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Karl Marx.

Meanwhile, Dahal has stressed the need of serious talks to conclude the unification process, according to Republica.

Ignored

Deuba preparing to appoint officials

File: Nepali Congress party office

More than two years after his election as the party President, Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing to give the full shape to the party’s Central Working Committee by appointing officials including Vice-President, General Secretary and Joint General Secretary, according to Nepal Samacharpatra.

The party statute has it that the officials should be appointed within two months from the general convention.

The report claims that Bimalendra Nidhi, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Prakash Sharan Mahat will get the positions respectively though Gopal Man Shrestha has also laid his claim on the vice-presidency.

Supreme Court for ambassador appointment on the basis of qualification and conduct

File image: Supreme Court of Nepal

The Supreme Court recently published the full text of an order issued in the name of government to appoint ambassadors on the basis of their qualification and conduct, but not on the basis of political connections, according to Kantipur.

The order responded to a writ filed around three years ago, the report says, adding the petitioners had claimed that the culture of political power sharing has tainted the image of nation.

NRA stresses transparency in reconstruction grant

National Reconstruction Authority office

Raising questions over transparency in the foreign aid funds meant for post-earthquake reconstruction here, the National Reconstruction Authority has stated that foreign agencies cannot spend their money through INGOs and NGOs handpicked by them, reports Republica.

The report quotes ‘senior officials at NRA’ to say that donors including Norwegian Aid, USAID, Swiss Aid and DfID have been carrying out various reconstruction projects on their own through their favoured INGOs without following the government budgetary system.

Nepal-India energy meeting ends on positive note

Energy officials of Nepal and India held a meeting in New Delhi on Monday and Tuesday to discuss issues regarding cross-country energy trade, Abhiyan says, adding the meeting ended positively.

The meeting concluded with seven agreements and decisions, the report says quoting Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, spokesperson of Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

Nanda Prasad Adhikari’s body is left unattended for 43 months

Nepal Samacharpatra lead story for the day says the body of Nanda Prasad Adhikari, who had died while staging a fast-unto-death demanding action against murderers of his son Krishna Prasad, is lying unattended at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital for last 43 months.

His demand has not yet been made, hence his wife Ganga Maya is still on the fast, the report says, adding the family has refused to claim the body and perform final rituals till the government considers the demand.

Interesting

New law to promote domestic products

Minister for Industry Matrika Yadav

The government is preparing to draft and implement a new law to promote domestic products and discourage unprecedented import of foreign products, reports Abhiyan.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies is preparing to introduce safeguards, anti-dumping and counter-delivering on imported goods for the same, according to the report.

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