The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) dissolved the task force formed to finalize the party’s unification process. There are voices of disgruntlement with the government’s performance within the party itself. Jibaram Bhandari and Ishwar Khanal of Khabarhub caught up with Narayan Kaji Shrestha, spokesperson of the ruling NCP at the office of Khabarhub at Durbar Marg to get an overall view of the party and the government. Excerpts:

The task force formed to finalize the party’s unification process has been dissolved. There are disgruntled voices within the party. What’s the real scenario?

It is evident that the task force entrusted to finalize the structural unification of the party took a long time. Moreover, the party itself is entangled with several problems. However, the need of the hour is to finalize the task at any cost. There will be no looking behind. The party secretariat will now work on it taking it to a logical end.

Is it a failure on the part of the leadership?

In fact, the task force was entrusted with the task of finalizing the structural unification within three months. However, it failed to do so in nine months. This has given a negative message to the general people. There are lapses for sure.

You said there are problems within the party. What is the way out?

The issue was raised seriously in Friday’s meeting of the party secretariat. As a way out, the chairmen duo now need to prepare a report on the organizational structure and present it to the secretariat within a week. This is what has been discussed.

The government has completed its first year in office. What is your analysis?

People had high expectations from the government. Undeniably, it failed to meet the people’s expectations in the last one year regardless of its efforts. It is high time the government reviewed its functioning and move ahead accordingly. Firstly, the government should prioritize anti-corruption campaign and good governance without which the dream of prosperity cannot be achieved. Moreover, it should also emphasize on development activities to give a direct feel of prosperity to the people. My concern is people should feel and see the change. It is, however, too early to be critical since the government has four more years to prove itself.

Is the party thinking about cabinet reshuffle?

I am not quite sure about it since the issue has not been discussed in the party as of now. Frankly speaking, I am not informed if the prime minister has discussed the issue with other leaders.

The government has been engaged in futile and trivial issues such as the Venezuela issue rather than prioritizing on major programs? What is your observation?

Let me be very clear that foreign intervention will not be acceptable at any cost. This will only lead to complications and unfortunate circumstances. I believe that unnecessary foreign meddling will directly affect the Nepali people. In fact, what we believe is that no country should intervene in a sovereign country’s internal affairs. We want to have a smooth relation with all our friendly countries, including the United States. Let’s not blow up the issue. The government is serious in maintaining law and order.

The government and the parliament have failed to perform effectively to address people’s aspirations. Why?

The government got occupied in formulating the laws and implementing the federal set up, which is something totally new to the country. It also focused on introducing the social security fund, among other ambitious programs. These are some positive aspects. However, the government has failed to control corruption in the country. Moreover, we need to change our mindset of running the country by remittance and customs revenue.

There have been several instances that the government has receded from its agreements made with different sectors. Why?

The government should not shy away from the agreements made with political parties and other sectors. Such an intention will defame politics. Implementation of agreements is vital.

Citizen Bill has been tabled at the parliament amid disgruntled voices that the Bill would be a threat to Nepal’s sovereignty. What will be the repercussion if the parliament endorsed the Bill?

In fact, the issue has been discussed seriously in the party secretariat. The party will soon hold dialogue with all political forces, members of the civil society and other stakeholders and will come up with a solution through consensus. We are serious about it.

The government today presented a bill on Information Technology. Is it going to impose restriction on social media?

Social media should not be controlled. It has to be monitored. It would be a grave mistake if the government tried to control social media. The government might have taken the step to simply monitor social media.

KATHMANDU:  Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota said the Information Technology Bill is not prompted by any prejudices against anybody or any political parties.

Answering the questions raised by lawmakers over the IT bill at the parliament today, Minister Baskota clarified that the bill has no other motives than to regulate the IT sector.

“The IT bill does not intend to take revenge on any individuals or parties but to regulate digital information and curb cyber crime, said Minister Baskota.

Lower House of Representatives passed a proposal on the Information Technology Bill for a discussion on Friday.

Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties had expressed their views on the IT bill.

Expressing his views on the bill, Nepal Communist Party Lawmaker, Nawaraj Silwal said the IT bill in question is timely and suitable in the context of the 21st century and added that the bill has been introduced to regulate social networking sites.

However, Nepali Congress lawmaker, Pushpa Bhusal has accused the government of bringing the bill to stymie the individual freedom guaranteed by the government.

Following the deliberation, the majority of the lawmakers passed the motion for discussion on the bill.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 11 am (February 26).

KATHMANDU: A meeting of the Nepal Communist Party Secretariat today decided to dissolve the task force formed to suggest on party unification.

The meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar decided to entrust the party secretariat to complete the remaining task of the party unification.

The decision will, however, be endorsed by the party’s standing committee, party spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha informed.

The meeting also appreciated the efforts of the task force for its endeavor that it made so far. The members of the task force had urged the leadership seeking an extension of their tenure for a week. Party Chairman and Prime Minister KP Oli, however, was against the idea.

KATHMANDU: Lawmaker of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Uttar Kumar Oli has passed away on Friday.

Oli succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Lalitpur-based Mediciti Hospital at 1 am today, NCP Central Committee member Bishnu Rijal told Khabarhub.

Oli, who had been elected to the Provincial Assembly of Province 5 from Dang 3 (B), through proportional representation system, was critically injured in Lamahi road accident on February 7.

According to Rijal, Oli’s body will be kept at NCP central party office at Dhumbarahi for condolence and will later be transported to home district Dang for final rites.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

He had been brought to Kathmandu after preliminary treatment at Kohalpur Hospital, Banke.

Oli was popular leader

Metmani Chaudhary, a lawmaker of the House of Representatives, said Dang lost a decent leader.  Talking to Khabarhub, Chaudhary said that Oli had won everybody’s hearts in a short span of time.

He was a creative leader and was liked by all age groups including children, youth and elders, added Chaudhary.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress, the main opposition party, has urged the government to immediately take necessary initiatives with the Australian government for rescuing more than 1,000 Nepali students. It is reported that the students, who went to Australia for higher studies, are now in an adverse situation after they realized that they have been enrolled at a college without necessary legal registration and affiliation.

Bishwa Prakash Sharma, spokesperson of the party in a press note today said that the party’s central office has directed the Nepali liaison committee in Australia to collect additional information about the students who are stranded in Australia and to carry out the required coordination in that regard.

“Thousands of Nepali students are pursuing higher studies in Australia and we are indebted to Australia for this. However, an educational institution there has been learnt to have admitted thousands of Nepali students without proper legal registration and affiliation, making their future uncertain,” the statement said.

The Nepali Congress has also drawn the attention of the Government of Nepal to take necessary action by collecting the required details of the educational consultancy sending the students to an unregistered college.

KATHMANDU: Police arrested cadres of Bibeksheel Sajha Party when they demonstrating in front of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) headquarters in Kathmandu this morning.

The police arrested them when they were demonstrating in front of the CIAA headquarters at Tangal to pressurize the anti-graft body to arrest the ‘big fishes’ rather than nabbing ‘small fishes’.

They demanded that the CIAA investigated into major corruption cases such as the wide-body procurement issue.

According to the party, police arrested more than 30 leaders and cadres during the protest. They have been kept at the Metropolitan Police Circle at Kamalpokhari.

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that prosperity is possible through unity among the Nepali people.

Addressing a provincial assembly meeting of Sudurpashchim Province on Wednesday, Prime Minister Oli said that the government is focusing on the infrastructures development and good governance, calling for cooperation from all the people.

He further said that the constitution, which was promulgated through the Constituent Assembly, has a forward-looking norms and values.

Central, provincial and 753 local governments have been in operation after successful holding of the three-tier elections, said Oli.

Prime Minister had left for Sudurpashchim Province to inaugurate Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Syaule 132-33-121 KV substation in Amargadhi Municipality in Dadeldhura on Tuesday.

AMARGADHI: Prime Minister KP Oli on Tuesday said the Pashchim Seti Hydropower Project will be constructed during his premiership.

Inaugurating the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Syaule 132-33-121 KV substation in Amargadhi Municipality-1 Dudhkande, Prime Minister Oli said the government was committed to addressing the electricity problem, unemployment, road infrastructure, and education, in the province.

PM Oli also stated that the government would construct bridges over various rivers in Dadeldhura district.

The terrorist attack by the Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed Pulwama in India’s Jammu and Kashmir has heightened a sense of regional terrorism in South Asia.

On the 14th February, the militant group launched a suicide attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convey killing over 40 security personnel.

Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) apparatus is still providing shelter to the anti-American Taliban group even as it had joined US-led allies on the war against terrorism.

What might be the Indian punitive action against Pakistan over the terror attack in Kashmir is still a matter of speculation. However, Pakistani-backed terrorism threat in the South Asian region is getting serious. Pakistani intelligence establishment still uses terrorism as its tool. Pakistan is a safe haven to terrorist outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed Lashkar-e Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, among others.

Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) apparatus is still providing shelter to the anti-American Taliban group even as it had joined US-led allies on the war against terrorism.

It should not be forgotten that the ISI had used Haqqani Network to launch vicious attacks on the U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan as well as in the US Embassy in Kabul.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which has suffered from Pakistani-based terrorist outfits, has been cracking down on the ISI-backed terror groups, including Harkat-ul Jihad Islami in its territory.

What is even more worrying is that Pakistan uses the third-country ground for their hostile acts against its neighboring countries.

Pakistan has been using its proxy terrorist outfits against neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, India or even Iran. Pakistani intelligence facilitates the entry of Maldivian nationals in Afghanistan who are trained to become Jihadists in Afghanistan.

In fact, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) faces an uncertain future with one of its members Pakistan, pampering various terrorist outfits.

What is even more worrying is that Pakistan uses the third-country ground for their hostile acts against its neighboring countries.

Defeating terrorism is not possible without a decisive action against Pakistan. One option would be a direct counterterrorism target on the Pakistani soil. But these need to be more than the U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan and Abbottabad raid that had killed al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden.

The question now is how Nepal engages with Pakistan and how it can play a key role in contributing to the security of neighboring India and the SARRC region.

We cannot afford to damage our relations with India at the cost of Pakistan. Nepal should remain alert on Pakistan’s activities and it should bolster counterterrorism cooperation with India, regional nations and the United States.

It is an open secret that Pakistan for long has been active in Nepal especially on the Indian border area. It has often come to fore how Pakistan used Nepal to transport fake Indian currency to India.

Prime Minister KP Oli telephoned Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and condemned Thursday’s terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. In a tweet, PM Oli stated he also conveyed ‘our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims’.

Pakistan’s ties with radical extremists remain a threat to Nepal as well. Pakistan should be held accountable for its terrorist tactics throughout the region. Nepal also should take a firm stand in forcing Pakistan in not harboring terrorist groups and protecting them or sponsoring terrorist activities against India or other countries.

Pakistan is reported to have inclined to operate from Nepal in launching terrorist acts against India. That is why it wants to maintain close diplomatic ties with Nepal. After two decades of Benazir Bhutto’s diplomatic visit to Nepal in 1994, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaquan visited Nepal on March 5, 2018.

Prime Minister KP Oli telephoned Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and condemned Thursday’s terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. In a tweet, PM Oli stated he also conveyed ‘our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims’.

However, a mere expression of condolences at the hour of crisis is not enough. Nepal needs to take concrete action in cooperation with India to force Pakistan in renouncing terrorist activities.

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N) submitted a 22-point memorandum to Prime Minister KP Oli today demanding reinstating Nepal as a Hindu state.

Party Chairman Kamal Thapa handed over the memorandum to Prime Minister Oli at the PM’s official residence Baluwatar on Tuesday seeking removal of the provision of secularism enshrined in the Constitution.

The party has also demanded action against secessionist forces and to safeguard the territorial integrity.

Likewise, the party has also demanded curbing corruption, and control of the price hike.

Meanwhile, PM Oli stressed on the role of all parties to head the country towards development and prosperity.