Multiple political, socio-cultural and economic issues have been highlighted in the front page of Nepali and English newspapers published from Kathmandu today. The left alliance’s request to the Election Commission for announcing proportional representation poll results, preparations to appoint province chiefs and fix the date for National Assembly elections, delay in the purported unification between CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre among others have received significant attention in the front page today.
The government has increased the price of petroleum products yesterday and it has also been covered in the front page by many newspapers today.
Important
Province chiefs to be appointed before National Assembly poll announcement
The government is preparing to appoint chiefs in seven provinces before announcing the date for National Assembly elections as the chiefs have to administer the oath of office and secrecy to provincial lawmakers who will vote for the upper House, Rajdhani lead story for the day informs.
The report says the chiefs will be appointed before the deadline given by the Commission to register parties for the National Assembly polls and the date will be announced after that.
Meanwhile, Annapurna Post says the appointments will be made within next one week as preparations for them have reached the final stage. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was in the mood to appoint province chiefs yesterday, but he could not do so thanks to lack of political consensus, according to the report.
Govt hikes petroleum price hike
Almost all newspapers have given the front-page space to the decision of Nepal Oil Corporation to increase the price of petroleum products on the basis of change in price in the international market. According to the government-run fuel distributor’s decision, a cylinder of cooking gas now costs Rs 1,375, which is Rs 25 more than its previous price. The price of diesel, petrol and kerosene has gone up by Re 1 per litre, the Corporation’s spokesperson Birendra Goit has been quoted in a report in Karobar. Domestic aviation fuel has become dearer by Rs 3 per litre while the price for international flights has gone up by $50 per kilolitre.
The report claims the Corporation still bears the loss of Rs 264 million per month despite the hike in prices.
Unified communist party will have new name, leadership and principle
Nagarik lead story for the day says the new party to be formed after the unification between CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre will have new name, leadership and principle. Discussions are underway between leaders of the parties over new names including Nepal Communist Party whereas the UML’s ‘people’s multiparty democracy’ and Maoist Centre’s ‘Maoism’ will be replaced by a new principle as its ideology, the report says.
Meanwhile, UML leader Ghanashyam Bhusal has proposed that the new principle should focus on the journey towards socialism through development of national economy.
On the other hand, Nepali Congress and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal are determined to break the left alliance, reports Annapurna Post. The parties have launched fresh initiatives to woo Maoist Centre leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal so that he would break the ties with the UML, according to the report.
Six parties urged to correct PR lawmakers’ list
The Election Commission has concluded that the lists of proportional representation lawmakers selected by six political parties for provincial assembly berths were erroneous and has urged the parties to correct them, according to various newspaper reports.
The Kathmandu Post says Nepali Congress, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Mancha failed to honour provisions of the Directive on PR Elections to Provincial Assemblies while picking candidates from their closed lists.
According to the Commission’s spokesperson Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, the parties will be informed on Tuesday where they went wrong and be given three days to make corrections, reports Nepal Samacharpatra.
Ignored
400 disappeared persons declared dead without probe
Annapurna Post and The Himalayan Times report that the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons has categorised around 400 persons, earlier assumed to be disappeared, as ‘killed’ and forwarded applications for the probe into their cases to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Expressing concerns over the decision, the Conflict Victims Common Platform, an organisation of kin of people affected by the decade-long war, has filed a complaint at the CIEDP, the THT report says, adding the decision was made without any investigation. The organisation’s chair Suman Adhikari has demanded that the CIEDP clarify kin of the victims about who killed those persons under what circumstances if it is certain about their murder.
Nearly half Nepali drug manufacturers operating illegally
Whereas there are 55 drug manufacturers are operating in the country, 25 of them have been found operating illegally, reports Republica, adding the government body responsible to regulate the industry, the Department of Drug Administration, has failed to take any action against them.
The recent finding is attributed to a study conducted by Nepal Health Research Council. The Council’s study has concluded that 25 companies have not followed the World Health Organisation Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO GMP).
It was also found that nine substandard drugs were supplied by the government and the private sector to various government-run health facilities including seven produced domestically, the report adds.
Interesting
Nepal to produce more power than its need during monsoon
Karobar says Nepali is likely to produce more electricity than its actual need during the monsoon season from this year. The country, however, will face the shortage of power for winter for next five years, according to the report.
Nepal Electricity Authority had imported electricity from India during the monsoon season too last year. However, the Authority’s recent estimates show that Nepal will be able to produce 441 megawatt more power than the need this year.
