Major broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu on Tuesday have given priority to news that the Kamal Thapa-led RPP has agreed to join the ruling coalition. The daylight shooting of a prominent builder in Kathmandu on Monday and its fallout has also received considerable attention.
Important
Thapa agrees to join ruling coalition
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is in the mood to fire ministers from the Maoist Centre party, which has entered into an electoral alliance with the main opposition UML. But he seems to have only a few options to retain a majority in the House if the Maoist party is to be ousted from power. The Kathmandu Post, in its lead story for the day, says the Kamal Thapa-led Rastriaya Prajatantra Party has decided to extend support to the Deuba government. The paper says that Thapa has demanded the Ministry of Home Affairs, currently held by the Maoist Centre. The paper also reports that the RPP and NC are negotiating a deal that will see the RPP join the government and two parties form an electoral alliance. Similarly, Republica says Deuba is thinking of relieving the Maoist ministers of their job if they do not step down voluntarily. Kantipur says it would not be easy for the Prime Minister to reshuffle his Cabinet. The paper says that the ruling coalition will have a simple majority in Parliament if the RJP, Forum-Nepal. RPP, RPP-Prajatantrik and Forum Loktantrik back the Prime Minister.
Govt preparing to postpone elections?
Naya Patrika reports that Finance Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, in his capacity as the Prime Minister’s messenger, met President Bidya Devi Bhandari to propose that the first round of elections scheduled of November 26 be postponed. The paper reports that the minister told the President that as political parties are busy forging alliances, they need more time to select their candidates. However, the President is learnt to have shot down the proposal.
Builder shot dead in daylight in Kathmandu
Almost all newspapers have reports on the daylight shooting incident in Kathmandu on Monday which claimed the life of builder Sharad Kumar Gauchan. Naya Patrika says that days before the incident, police were warned by arrestees in a different shooting case that their group was planning to target people in Kathmandu. The paper says that police suspect the involvement of gangs led by Manoj Pun and Ramesh Bahun. The Kathmandu Post say three persons have been arrested with bullets and pistols following the incident. Republica quotes a doctor involved in Gauchan’s treatment to say that sharp-shooters may have been involved in crime. The Himalayan Times says contractors are going on strike demanding that the Guchan’s murderers be brought to book.
Ignored
Dead bodies being brought to Kathmandu in absence of autopsy services
Annpurna Post reports that the kin of people found dead in mysterious circumstances across the country have no option but to send the body to Kathmandu for an autopsy. The service is only available in the Kathmandu valley, Dharan and Pokhara.
Interesting
Real estate sector slows down in Kathmandu
Arthik Abhiyan reports that the number of land transactions in Kathmandu has gone down in the past few months following the successful completion of the local elections. It says that during July last year, the government had collected Rs 740 million in registration charges, but the figure this year fell to Rs 660 million.
