Major Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday have given the topmost priority to contemporary political issues. While speculations are rife that the Nepali Congress is trying hard to break the powerful left alliance, CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has clarified that he will not accept the Congress’ offer of premiership and his statement has received attention of reporters and editors today.
Important
Amid persuasions, Dahal says he won’t go on Congress side
The Kathmandu Post lead story for the day says the Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal are offering their support to the CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal if he is ready to contest for the premiership.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel has denied making any such offer to Dahal on behalf of his party, informs The Himalayan Times.
Dahal has also clarified that he will not become the PM with Congress support, reports Republica lead story. “The left alliance has been endorsed by the people and the rank and file. We cannot even think of deviating from this alliance,” he has been quoted in the report.
According to The Himalayan Times, Dahal said it would not be appropriate morally as well as politically to become the PM with Congress support while breaking away from the left alliance.
EC warns against pressure campaigns
Expressing concerns over protest programmes launched by sister organisations of the left alliance constituent parties, the Election Commission says it will announce final results of the proportional representation elections for the House of Representatives only after elections of the National Assembly are over.
The Commission in a six-point statement says it is surprised by ‘anarchic’ activities carried out by parties and their sister organisations against the dignity of the Commission, reports Gorkhapatra.
Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has clarified that the Commission is eager to announce the poll results at the earliest, but it has legal hurdles to do so, according to Nepal Samacharpatra.
The Himalayan Times informs that the left alliance leaders some days ago had gone to the Commission demanding immediate announcement of PR results.
Left alliance won’t fight for province chiefs
Annapurna Post says the left alliance has decided to be flexible with the government in negotiations for the appointment of province chiefs at seven provinces. The CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre have said they are not in the mood to fight for top positions.
The two parties say they will press the government to make appointments at the earliest, but they will not obstruct even if Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress party takes decisions unilaterally. In that case, the parties will ask the President to withdraw the appointments after forming the government and appointing new officials, the report claims.
Meanwhile, PM Deuba has called a meeting of five national parties to discuss the issues today, reports Naya Patrika.
Ignored
Transitional justice mechanisms to get one-year extension
The government is preparing to issue an ordinance so as to extend the term of two transitional justice mechanisms—Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons—after the term is finishing next month, according to Republica.
The report informs that the TRC and the CIEDP have received about 60,000 and 3,000 complaints respectively and most of the complaints are yet to be addressed.
41% graduates fail doctors’ licence test
Kantipur lead story for the day questions quality of medical education in the country and abroad as more than half of graduate students fail professional licence test almost every year. The report informs that just 41 per cent MBBS graduates from Nepali universities and institutions passed Nepal Medical Council’s licence test conducted recently. While 683 MBBS graduates took the test, only 403 were able to secure the licence they needed for medical practice.
Meanwhile, experts have called on stakeholders to improve the education system so as to produce qualified human resources, according to the report.
Interesting
Nepali farmers used 574,000 kg pesticides in one year
Nepali farmers used as much as 574,000 kg pesticides in the last fiscal year, Naya Patrika lead story for the day informs quoting officials at the Plant Protection Directorate under the Ministry of Agricultural Development.
The country spent Rs 694.85 million to purchase pesticides. Most of the pesticides have been used for vegetables, according to the chief of Directorate, Achyut Prasad Dhakal.
Meanwhile, nutritionist Dr Aruna Upreti says pesticides may cause various immediate and long-term problems to human health, informing around 355,000 people die in the world every year due to consumption of foods produced with excessive pesticides.
Govt prepares plan to connect every local unit to electricity transmission line
Karobar informs that the government has prepared a plan to connect all local units of the country to the electricity transmission line. It has been estimated that the project will cost Rs 200 billion whereas 694.2 megawatt energy will be produced.
The report prepared by a consulting company appointed by Nepal Electricity Authority, however, does not include local units which are already producing more than 500 megawatt power, the newspaper informs.
