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From the Kathmandu Press: Thursday, December 21, 2017

The debate over election system for the National Assembly continues to be the most highlighted issue in major Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday. The fire erupted at an LPG bottling plant in Parsa and the fresh calculation of Nepal’s poverty according to multidimensional poverty index also received significant attention.

Important

Oli, Dahal intensify lobbying against ordinance

L-R: KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Left alliance top leaders—CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal—have intensified their lobbying against the National Assembly ordinance that the government has submitted to President for enactment.

Naya Patrika says the two leaders met President Bidya Devi Bhandari yesterday asking her to withdraw the ordinance as it in anti-constitutional. Bhandari, in response, told the leaders to forge a political consensus first.

The two leaders also held a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav on Wednesday and urged him to announce final results of House of Representatives and provincial assembly elections, according to Rajdhani, The Kathmandu Post and The Himalayan Times. In response, Yadav said the Commission would make the results public following due procedures set by the constitution and related laws, according to the papers.

Meanwhile, speaking at a function yesterday, Oli said the ordinance was introduced with a bid to favour a particular party; therefore it should not be enacted, according to Gorkhapatra.

Nepal Police launches fresh probe into Silwal forgery case

File image: DIG Nawaraj Silwal

Nepal Police on Wednesday began a fresh investigation into reported forgery committed by then DIG Nawaraj Silwal while submitting his performance appraisal reports to the Supreme Court. Silwal, now, has been elected a lawmaker from Laitpur-1 representing CPN-UML.

Nagarik says the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu has registered a complaint demanding investigation into the forgery following a verdict from Supreme Court and a letter from Nepal Police Headquarters. The complaint, however, does not specify any name. The report quotes MPR spokesperson Ram Datta Joshi to say police now launch the investigation and they will arrest the suspect after some times.

Nepal Samacharpatra reports that Attorney General Basanta Ram Bhandari has also directed the national police organisation to begin the probe against Silwal. Following the directive, the complaint was filed, according to the report.

PR seat distribution for provincial assemblies today

Gorkhapatra reports that the Election Commission is announcing which parties won how many seats in seven provincial assemblies in recent elections under the proportional representation system.

Though the Commission completed counting of votes around a week ago, it has not formally announced which party won how many seats in which provinces. Now, the details will be made public today as the Office of Proportional Representation Election Officer verified all the results and they will be submitted to the Commission for announcement today, according to the report.

There are total 220 provincial seats under the PR voting including 37 in Province 1, 43 in Province 2, 44 in Province 3, 24 in Province 4, 35 in Province 5, 16 in Province 6 and 21 in Province 7.

Ignored

Disgruntled Maoist leaders working against unity

File image: Maoist leader Gopal Kiranti

While the CPN-Maoist Centre has already decided to finalise the modality of its unification with CPN-UML before the formation of new government, some leaders within the party have intensified campaigning against the unification, Nepal Samarchapatra lead story informs.

The leaders against the unification include Gopal Kiranti and Pushpa Bhakta Dulal ‘Aahuti’. Earlier, Kiranti had warned of ‘restructuring the party’, but had withdrawn his threat after Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s request.

Meanwhile, Dulal says unifying the parties will be a hasty decision as a strong communist party can be formed on the basis of specific philosophy, ideology, policy and culture.

Left alliance wooing Forum-Nepal

File image: Upendra Yadav

The left alliance of CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre has initiated talks with Upendra Yadav-led Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal in order to bring the party to the government, reports Republica. Though the alliance is under no compulsion to woo fringe parties like the Forum for government, the UML, which is likely to lead the coalition government, has initiated talks with the party “to widen the leftist coalition and give a positive message to Madheshi constituencies, which remain highly skeptical of the left alliance,” the report says, adding, “The move will also avert possible crisis that the smaller parties might pose to the government in future.”

Interesting

PR candidates curious about their possibility of selection

File: Election Commission

Candidates included in proportional representation lists of various parties have been frequently visiting the Election Commission with inquiries about their likelihood of election, reports Nagarik in its anchor story. The report says nine persons had visited the Commission yesterday to ask about their possibility of becoming lawmakers. An official has told the paper that most of those visiting the Commission are men and those at the bottom of candidacy lists and are unlikely to be elected.

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