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From the Kathmandu Press: Thursday, November 30, 2017

File image: Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

Major Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu on Thursday have highlighted various issues related to provincial and federal parliamentary elections. Security concerns have received significant priority following the death of a temporary policeman in a blast in Dang and another blast that injured a Nepali Congress. Likewise, the bus accident in Trishuli River yesterday has also been prominently featured on the front pages today.

Important

Govt taking wrong decisions to pocket votes

PM Sher Bahadur Deuba speaks with journalists at the Tribhuvan International Airport, on Sunday, August 27, 2017.

As the country will hold the second phase of polls next week, the government has been accused of taking ‘long-term’ decisions which might be wrong for the country in the long run–in a bid to pocket more votes for ruling parties, comments Republica.

So as to woo votes, the government is not only taking new decisions, but also rolling back significant decisions made by previous governments, the report  says. The report further lists out such decisions including giving permanent status to around 15,000 temporary teachers, appointment of over 1,400 lecturers on contract at Tribhuvan University, giving approval for the issue of identity cards to over 336,000 households living in extreme poverty and distributing Rs 25,000 each to flood-hit families.

Meanwhile, Republica‘s sister publication Nagarik, in its lead story for the day, says the government recently distributed as much as Rs 160 million to cadres of ruling parties in the name of ‘financial assistance’ in past three months, claiming it was against the election code of conduct.

The assistance is being released via the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is headed by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba himself, according to the report.

‘Match-fixing’: UML silently supporting Sitaula, Sharma in Jhapa

L-R: Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Rajendra Lingden

Kantipur reports in its lead story that the CPN-UML is silently supporting two Nepali Congress leaders in the upcoming polls in Jhapa district.

The UML, which has formed an alliance with the CPN-Maoist Centre across the country, to fight against its arch-rival Nepali Congress in the upcoming polls, has expressed its soft corner for Congress leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, the report filed from the eastern Terai district reads, therefore the two Congress leaders recently chose to shun a prorgramme attended by the party’s top leaders including President Sher Bahadur Deuba and second-in-command Ramm Chandra Paudel.

UML has not fielded its candidates against Sitaula and Sharma. In Sitaula’s constituency, the UML has decided to support Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s Rajendra Lingden whereas in Sharma’s constituency Maoist leader Ram Karki is contesting as the joint candidate of UML and Maoist Centre. But, UML leaders including party Chairman KP Sharma Oli, who is contesting from Jhapa-5, have agreed to silently support Sitaula and Sharma for their victory, speculations are rife in the district.

Ignored

Decision to purchase fast track DPR from Indian company ‘illegal’

File: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal lays foundation stone for the Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track, in Nijgadh of Bara, on Sunday, May 28, 2017.

Naya Patrika says the government’s decision to purchase the detailed project report prepared by an Indian company for the construction of Kathmandu-Terai fast track was illegal. Attributing to legal practitioners, the report claims the decision was against a Supreme Court order, which had told the government to scrap the agreement made with the company for the construction and construct the fast track on its own.

Following the order, the government had assigned Nepali Army for the construction, but had decided to buy the already-prepared DPR.

Leftist alliance likely to lose many PR votes

Rajdhani predicts that the leftist alliance, comprising CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre, is likely to lose proportional representation votes meant for it, thanks to confusion in voters about how to vote for the alliance.

The report claims many voters were confused while casting PR votes for the alliance-constituent parties during the first phase of elections held on Sunday.

The UML and Maoist Centre have formed alliance for first-past-the-post polls, but not for the PR system. But the parties did not educate their voters about it rightly so that more votes are likely to turn invalid, according to the report.

DFID apologises for staffer’s poll boycott call

The British government’s bilateral cooperation agency, Department for International Development (DFID), has apologised after one of its senior staff was found campaigning for boycotting upcoming elections, reports Republica.

Earlier, it was found that DFID Senior Governance Advisor Rakesh Mishra had denounced the constitution and elections on his Facebook posts. Mishra, however, deactivated his Facebook after the controversy.

Petroleum smuggling from Nepal to India on the rise

Taking advantage from ever-rising difference between prices of petroleum products in Nepal and India, smugglers have expedited illegal cross-border trade of the products, The Himalayan Times reports.

Quoting Nepal Oil Corporation’s acting deputy managing director Sushil Bhattarai, the report says the smuggling can pose a big challenge to the Corporation in maintaining effective fuel supply across the country.

Interesting

Sanjaya Sah soliciting votes for Nidhi from jail

File: Sanjaya Sah

Former lawmaker Sanjay Kumar Sah, a suspect of multiple criminal cases including an explosion in Janakpur and murder of media entrepreneur Arun Singhaniya, is soliciting votes for Nepali Congress candidate in Dhanusha-3, Bimalendra Nidhi, from judicial custody, reports Annapurna Post.

Nidhi is contesting against Rastriya Janata Party Nepal’s Rajendra Mahato. It is interesting to note that Sah was elected to the 2013 Constituent Assembly as a candidate of Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party.

Birgunj on the way to digitisation

Nepal’s youngest metropolis, Birgunj in Parsa district, is on its way to become a ‘digital city’, reports Karobar, adding the metropolitan city’s new mayor Bijaya Sarawagi has taken initiatives to digitise vital registration processes, education and health services and economic transactions in the city. As the first step, facilities in the city including public places, hospitals, roads, bus stations and academic institutions are being marked on the Google Map.

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