Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu on Thursday have given priority to a host of issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres.
The Supreme Court order on the operation of military court has received considerable attention along with the government planning to pass the National Medical Education Bill without addressing Dr Govinda KC’s demands.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories from the front pages of national broadsheets:
Important
SC rules its writ runs on military court
The Himalayan Times and Kantipur report that the Supreme Court has ruled that all the courts, including military courts, are under its jurisdiction and military courts’ jurisdiction is limited to offences listed in the Army Act. The decision was made by the single bench of Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana in a habeas corpus writ petition filed on behalf of armyman Krishna Bahadur Magar.
The SC rejected the petitioner’s argument, observing that the constitution had placed the Supreme Court above all the courts, including military court and the latter should obey its directives. It stated that unlike the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990, which had excluded the military court from the SC’s jurisdiction, the Interim Constitution of Nepal and the current constitution kept the military court under its ambit.
Prominent figures show solidarity with KC, but the government doesn’t want to hold talks
Republica and Nagarik report as the condition of Dr Govinda KC deteriorates by the day, solidarity with his crusade is welling up in different quarters. Demanding that the government hold talks with Dr KC for resolving the problem, various personalities including former chief justice Sushila Karki have underlined the need to recognise him as an indispensable figure of civil society who has been fighting continuously for quality health care and medical education.
On the other hand Annapurna Post reports that the ruling NCP isn’t planning to succumb to KC’s demand and are planning to pass the National Medical Education Bill as it is from the National Assembly on Thursday. Similarly, Naya Patrika reports that the government spokesperson Communication Minister Gokul Baskota says that the government sees no reason to hold talks with KC, who is on this 23rd day of his hunger strike.
CIAA says corruption rampant in local governments
The Kathmandu Post reports that a CIAA survey states that local governments including municipalities and rural municipalities are one of the most corrupt agencies in the country. The survey done by the CIAA states that citizens are being made to pay “additional charges” to receive services from the local units.
The anti-graft agency survey report titled “Study on Corruption and Good-Governance in Nepal-2075”, released on Monday, shows that municipalities and rural municipalities are the second most corrupt entities after land revenue offices. The survey was conducted in the second half of the fiscal year 2017-18 when elected representatives had already assumed office. As many as 2,566 complaints related to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration was registered with the CIAA in last fiscal year, according to the Commission’s Annual Report 2017-18.
Ignored
Building occupied by the Music Museum to be leased to Kathmandu University
The Kathmandu Post reports that the future of the country’s only folk museum is under threat after the building it was situated in was leased to Kathmandu University by the Guthi Sansthan. The university is planning to construct a new building in the area where the museum is located for its new music department, which is currently in Bhaktapur. The Guthi Sansthan and Kathmandu University have even got a building design approved by the Department of Archaeology.
Ram Prasad Kadel, the curator and founder of the museum, says that he is not happy with the arrangement, calling it “a conspiracy jointly plotted by the Guthi Sansthan and the university”. Kadel has filed a petition with the Kathmandu District Court, demanding that the deal between the Guthi and the university be dismissed and the contract that the museum committee had reached with the Guthi be maintained.
The Guthi Sansthan, however, claimed that it had the right to make decisions about its property.
SP’s responsibility snatched flowing disappearance of gold
Naya Patrika reports that chief of Dhading District Police Office, SP Dambar Bahadur BK has been released of his duties. BK has been accused of leaving the police red-faced after a mistake in which he claimed to have captured a man with four kg gold, which later turned out to be brass and copper. BK has been removed from his post as he showed carelessness because he didn’t even question the man. A month ago, BK and this team via a press conference had shared the news with the media.
Interesting
Ambassadors to be sworn in by the President
Kantipur reports that the President will now be swearing in all Nepali ambassadors before they leave for their workstations abroad. The decision was made during a meeting of the Council of Ministers after suggestions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the People’s Movement 2006, the ambassadors were sworn in by the Prime Minister.
Two judges suspended
Nepal Samacharpatra reports that district court judges Vishwa Mangal Atreya and Omkar Upadhyaya have been suspended. Accused of bad conduct, the judges have been suspended by the Judicial Council.
Atreya has been charged with making a biased decision in the case against Ram Shrestha, who was accused of Rs 5 billion fraud. Along with Atreya and Upadhyaya, five other judges – Nagendra Labh Karna, Umesh Kumar Singh, Umesh Raj Poudel, Thir Bahadur Karki and Saranga Subedi – have been called in by the Judicial Council and have been accused of being involved in in the 33.5 kg gold smuggling case.
