Major English and Nepali broadsheet newspapers published from Kathmandu on Friday have prioritised political issues over others as the country is heading towards elections of federal House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly. On the other hand, the government has also begun preparing legal grounds for elections of the National Assembly as well as of the President and Vice-President. Just on Thursday, the government has registered a bill related to elections of the President and Vice-President and almost all newspapers have given prominence to the event.
Likewise, the local level elections in Province 2 are just three days away and parties are at the final stage of wooing voters. Their activities have also been prioritised well.
Important
New President to be elected within one month of new Parliament’s formation
The government on Thursday registered a bill related to elections of the President and Vice-President, specifying weight of votes from members of the electoral college. The bill also proposes specific qualifications for candidates and determines timeline for the elections.
Gorkhapatra anchor story says the country will get the new President within one month of formation of both houses (House of Representatives and National Assembly). The country will hold House of Representatives elections on November 26 and December 7, whereas the process to elect the National Assembly will begin after that. The National Assembly should have been elected before January 21, 2018 as per the constitution, according to Republica anchor story. The bill authorises Election Commission to fix the dates for elections of President and Vice-President.
Meanwhile, the bill even allows people convicted of murder and organised crime as well to contest the polls, reports Nepal Samacharpatra anchor story. Such convicts can contest for top jobs after six years of completion of their sentences.
Province 2 polls: Silence period begins tonight
Political parties have just one day today to run election campaigns ahead of the voting to elect local level representatives in eight districts of Province 2 as the Election Commission imposes a ban on electioneering from the midnight today.
Therefore, top leaders of all major political parties are in these districts to fuel campaigning, according to Kantipur. It reports that Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba is scheduled to address party programmes in Birgunj and Kalaiya today. Likewise, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli will address party functions in Jitpur Simara and Bardibas. CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal will be in various places of Rautahat, Sarlahi and Parsa districts.
Meanwhile, the Commission has warned the candidates that their candidacy may be cancelled if they are found engaged in promotional campaigns after the commencement of silence period, reports Rajdhani. Soliciting votes via social media is also banned during the two days of silence period (Saturday and Sunday) and the day of voting (Monday), according to Naya Patrika.
Ignored
Government claims its first 100 days were chock-full of achievements
The coalition government under the leadership of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba completed its first 100 days on Thursday. While the government has been criticised for its jumbo size recently, it has claimed that the 100 days were chock-full of achievements, reports Gorkhapatra lead story.
The government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communications Mohan Bahadur Basnet organsied a press conference in Kathmandu yesterday and unveiled the progress report.
Basnet said the government had decided eight priorities at the first Cabinet meeting three months ago and it was successful to implement them. The priorities were constitution implementation and transition management, conducting second phase of local level elections on stipulated date, holding provincial and federal elections before January 21, 2018, expediting post-earthquake reconstruction works, assuring peace and security, heading towards economic prosperity, ensuring smooth supply of daily necessities and conclusion of peace process, the report informs, adding the Minister claimed that the government was heading towards implementing all of them.
Civil aviation authorities of Nepal and France join hands for safety
Civil aviation authorities of Nepal and France have launched a partnership for aviation safety, reports Abhiyan anchor story. The two authorities signed an agreement on Thursday.
The report informs that the two countries had signed an agreement in 1997 to start technical cooperation in civil aviation sector.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal says France now will help CAAN improve its aviation safety supervision capacity. Three technicians will be sent to Nepal for this job, according to the report.
Speaking at the signing ceremony yesterday, CAAN Director General Sanjiv Gautam said his organisation would try to address concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Authority and the European Union while implementing the partnership.
Interesting
Smuggling of banned Indian banknotes into Nepal increasing
The smuggling of banned Indian banknotes of Rs 1,000 and 500 denominations into Nepal has increased of late, according to a news report published in Annapurna Post.
Though Indian nationals were allowed to exchange their notes for 50 days after Indian PM Narendra Modi announced the ban in November last year, the smuggling has still continued with a hope that the notes could be handed over to Nepali traders, informs Devi Prasad Thapaliya, Information Officer at Inland Revenue Department.
Meanwhile, the report informs that Nepal Rastra Bank’s repeated bids to exchange banned banknotes, which have been remained in Nepal even after the ban, have failed.
