WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 290 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 25.7 C -7.5 C Friday, December 18, 2020 | 03-09-2077 Bhairahawa Jumla Kathmandu-Delhi flights resume Oli keeps mum on without need for revoking ordinance, quarantine Passengers need negative leaving all confused virus test done less than 72 hours before departure. and guessing SANGAM PRASAIN KATHMANDU, DEC 17 A day after agreeing to withdraw the ordinance, Oli called Nepalis and Indians flying to each other’s countries are not required to and then cancelled the Constitutional Council meeting, stay in quarantine if they have tested negative for the coronavirus within later refusing to even discuss it in the Cabinet. the last 72 hours before departure, Nepal Airlines said on Thursday, as it TIKA R PRADHAN Padma Kumari Aryal told the Post. resumed services to New Delhi after a KATHMANDU, DEC 17 Many in the ruling Nepal nine-month break. Communist Party (NCP) say Oli has “People are confused about the “If you cannot convince them, confuse “his own style” of functioning. That’s quarantine requirement. Travellers them.” the reason the opponent faction is from both countries will not have to Prime Minister and Nepal demanding Oli’s resignation, accord- quarantine themselves if they have a Communist Party chair KP Sharma ing to them. valid negative RT-PCR [reverse tran- Oli seems to have not only been heavi- With the faction led by Dahal and scription-polymerase chain reaction] ly inspired by this saying, attributed Madhav Kumar Nepal upping the test report,” said Anil Ghimire, depu- to the 33rd American President Harry ante against Oli, the latter has been ty director of the national flag carri- S Truman, but also been implement- trying every trick in the book to hold er’s customer service department at ing it in earnest. on to power. Tribhuvan International Airport. A day after agreeing to withdraw The sudden issuance of ordinance According to the guidelines for the ordinance on the Constitutional on Tuesday was one of the measures international arrivals issued by the Council Act that stirred backlash Oli tried to put their opponents in Indian Ministry of Health and Family within his party and outside, Oli on check. But the move backfired, as Welfare, all travellers should submit a Thursday called a Council meeting for leaders from his own party as well as self-declaration form on the online 5pm. But within hours, after his meet- analysts and experts on constitutional portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) at ing with Pushpa Kamal Dahal, his fel- matters described it as something tan- least 72 hours before the scheduled low chair in the party, he called off the tamount to committing a fraud on the travel or physically after arrival at the Council meeting. constitution. respective health counters. RSS Questions were being asked as to The Dahal faction’s major gripe >> Continued on page 2 People cross the Tamor river using a makeshift bamboo bridge that connects wards 3 and 4 of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality in Taplejung. why Oli called the meeting at 5pm about Oli is he has refused to abide by when a Cabinet meeting was sched- party decisions. uled for 6pm which was expected to But by not taking any decision on take a decision on recommending to withdrawing the ordinance, Oli has the President the repealment of the once again defied the party order. ordinance. The Cabinet meeting did After Wednesday’s Standing As Oli finds strong opposition in his own party, take place late in the evening, but no Committee meeting, party spokesper- discussion was held on withdrawing son Narayan Kaji Shrestha told the ordinance. reporters that the committee meeting “Today’s Cabinet meeting did not had unanimously decided to withdraw Congress yet to realise it is the main opposition discuss anything regarding the ordi- the ordinance. nance,” Minister for Land Management >> Continued on page 2 The leadership’s failure is the reason behind Nepali Congress’ floundering in performing the role of an effective opposition in a democratic dispensation, leaders and analysts say. chief justice and the chair of the National Assembly are present. After Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota did not attend the council’s meeting on Tuesday morning and the quorum was not fulfilled, the prime minister said he was thinking of bringing a new ordinance to reduce the quorum to take the decision, according to Bishwo Prakash Sharma, the Nepali Congress spokesman. “Deuba then told the prime minis- ter that he should manage the dispute inside his party but the meeting of the council should not become hostage to your internal party conflict,” Sharma told the Post. There have been reports that there is a deal between Oli and Deuba over the sharing of seats in constitutional POST ILLUSTRATOIN commissions. The Congress has failed even to effectively counter the regime’s wrong moves, analysts say. According to Nepali Congress lead- ers, during the Tuesday morning ANIL GIRI In other words, despite sitting on meeting of the Constitutional Council, KATHMANDU, DEC 17 the other side of the aisle in Deuba recommended the name of Parliament for three years, the Nepali former Nepal Police Additional When the KP Sharma Oli-led govern- Congress has failed to play the role of Inspector General Jay Bahadur Chand ment decided to introduce an ordi- the main opposition. for a commissioner of the Commission nance concerning the Constitutional It was the police manhandling of for Investigation for Abuse of Council on Tuesday, one question senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel in Authority and Ganesh Karki, a former that arose was whether the leader Tanahun on December 2 and his sub- joint-secretary, for an election com- of the main opposition, Sher sequent detention for three hours that missioner. Bahadur Deuba, was aware of what spurred the grand old party to protest Another meeting of the Council was coming. across the country on December 14, was scheduled for Tuesday evening Apparently, he was, according to despite the fear that the rallies could which Deuba did not attend. two senior Nepali Congress leaders. spread the coronavirus. Deuba refused to attend the meeting “The ordinance came with Deuba’s Even after Oli’s worst misadventure only after strong opposition to the backing and in the interest of Oli,” to go against the fundamental spirit of ordinance from various quarters said a senior Nepali Congress leader the constitution of a system of checks including his own party, according to on condition of anonymity. “As soon and balances to weaken the political party insiders. as the ordinance was issued, we found system and institutions, Deuba was “It seems our party’s leadership has out the truth about the role of our reluctant to oppose Oli, leaders of his failed to realise that we are on the party president: that Deuba was fully own party claimed. opposition bench and we need to stand aware of it.” “Instead, he quietly backed the ordi- up against the anti-democratic move This was corroborated by another nance,” said one NC central working of the Oli government,” senior Nepali senior leader. committee member. Congress leader Dr Shekhar Koirala The Nepali Congress has not stood According to two knowledgeable told the Post. up to the Oli government despite its sources, the first draft of the In the last three years, the main failure in governance as exemplified Constitutional Council ordinance was opposition has hit the streets only by its inability to fight the spread of forwarded to the Office of the three times, disrupted only a few the Covid-19 pandemic and corruption President last Thursday in which it House proceedings and has failed scandals. was explicitly mentioned that the to hold regular meetings of the “There are several other decisions leader of the opposition party would party’s parliamentary committee, made by the Oli government in the have to participate in the Council’s Central Working Committee and the past where the opposition party has meeting and that the Council’s recom- shadow government led by party pres- remained largely silent,” said a mendations would be based on a ident Deuba. Congress Central Working Committee majority vote. This failure of the Nepali Congress member. “This time, when this ordi- But when the text of the ordinance has helped Oli create a conducive nance episode was exposed, we could was made public, there was no environment to destroy the political not play the role of a constructive mention of the mandatory participa- system by bringing controversial ordi- opposition.” tion of the leader of the opposition nances one after another, and to limit party. the scope of civil liberties, party lead- As per new provisions, intro- ers and political commentators said. duced through an ordinance on Despite failing to deliver services to Tuesday, the meeting does not the people, the administration has not require the presence of either been held to account. the Speaker or the leader of the “It is true that in these three years, opposition and the presence of a we failed to play the role of the opposi- simple majority of the existing tion party on the streets and in the members of the council is suffi- House. We do not hold party meetings cient quorum. regularly. We are weak because Oli As the post deputy Speaker is and Deuba have some tacit under- vacant, even in the absence of standing,” said Koirala. “We could not the two, the council would be deliver as a powerful opposition.” able to make the decision if the >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL Rights groups say Miklajung teacher murder premeditated Two weeks on, police have yet to arrest the members of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal who abducted and murdered Rajendra Kumar Shrestha.