WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 12 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 33.7 C -1.2 C Tuesday, March 02, 2021 | 18-11-2077 Bhairahawa Jumla House braces for Nepal Communist Party factional infighting Half of the party still is ruling the country and the other half is acting as the ‘opposition’ trying to unseat Oli, raising risks of confrontation when the House convenes. TIKA R PRADHAN Parliament officials say it’s up to KATHMANDU, MARCH 1 the Nepal Communist Party lawmak- ers how they sit when the House meet- Three years ago, the Nepal Communist ing commences. Party ruled the roost, enjoying nearly “For us, all of them belong to the a two-thirds majority in Parliament. ruling Nepal Communist Party,” said When the Parliament meeting con- Gopalnath Yogi, secretary of the venes after a tumultuous period of House of Representatives. eight months on March 7, half of it Ever since the Supreme Court over- will be the “ruling” party and the turned the House dissolution deci- other half the “opposition”. sion, the Dahal-Nepal faction has been The infighting in the Nepal demanding Oli’s resignation on moral Communist Party initially prompted grounds. But Oli has refused to budge Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to sud- and challenged Dahal and Nepal to denly prorogue the budget session on oust him through a no-confidence July 2 last year. And five months later motion. he dissolved Parliament, saying his A day after making a similar chal- opponents in the party did not allow lenge, Oli on Monday said in Pokhara POST PHOTO: ANISH REGMI him to work. that if they had guts they should come A worker prepares a frame used to make Nepali paper at a factory in Bhaktapur on Monday. Nepali paper is a artisan paper made from Daphne But the Supreme Court on up with a no-confidence motion. bholua, a flowering shrub, locally known as Lokta. February 23 overturned Oli’s “They can remove me by tabling a move and ordered authorities to no-confidence motion but are trying to summon the House meeting. throw me out forcibly,” he said. “They President Bidya Devi Bhandari said they have a majority in the on Monday called the House meet- Central Committee but where have ing for March 7, Sunday. they proven that? That is not a major- Nepali Congress mulls over at least four The Nepal Communist Party, ity.” however, has split now, at least The Dahal-Nepal faction had on politically. Around 90 lawmakers December 20, the day the House was of the total 173 are said to be unconstitutionally dissolved, filed a options amid rising political uncertainty with Dahal and Nepal and the no-confidence motion against Oli. rest–83–with Oli. >> Continued on page 2 Leaders say a deal with Oli cannot be ruled out provided that he agrees to play along, either to let the party lead the government or create a situation for an early election. ANIL GIRI The second possibility the Congress KATHMANDU, MARCH 1 party is looking at is a decision by the Election Commission on the Nepal As the House of Representative is set Communist Party (NCP) legitimacy to convene its meeting on Sunday, the dispute. The Dahal-Nepal faction has Nepali Congress has been a busy staked claim to the party, the sun elec- party. Insiders say the Congress is tion symbol and the party flag, saying keeping a close eye on how things a majority of 441 Central Committee unfold in the Nepal Communist Party, members are with it. which has been split into two political- “If the Election Commission settles ly, just as it is also working on four that dispute, it will be easy for us to possible options. the Supreme Court delivers a verdict make a move,” said a senior Congress According to multiple Congress in favour of Kattel, the Nepal leader. “But the Election Commission leaders the Post spoke to, the Congress Communist Party (NCP) under Oli does not seem to be in a hurry to settle will first see the Supreme Court’s deci- and Dahal will see an automatic split,” that dispute.” sion on Thursday on a case on Nepal said Bishow Prakash Sharma, The Congress party’s third and Communist Party name, which was Congress spokesperson. “Politics will fourth options will begin if the filed by Rishiram Kattel in May 2018. be straightforward after that.” Supreme Court quashes Kattel’s case Kattel has claimed that since the Sharma’s belief emanates from the or Election Commission remains deci- Nepal Communist Party name was general assumption that if the Nepal sive, according to leaders. In that case, registered in his name in 2013, the Communist Party is given to Kattel, there will be real exercise, they say. Nepal Communist Party (NCP), with the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) The Nepali Congress has already NCP within brackets, given to KP that was given to Oli and Dahal would made it public that a united Nepal Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal go back to its pre-merger state when Communist Party (NCP) does not in May 2018 was illegal. Oli had the CPN-UML and Dahal had benefit it. “This is an interesting case, and if CPN (Maoist Centre). >> Continued on page 2 Outbound postal service has stopped for a year now. No one knows when it will resume With Thai Airways bankrupt, there are legal complications to terminate existing contract with it. Services to India resumed only in February after having halted since March last year. flights into the country in March last year meant that no letters or packages came in or went out from the country. While they started coming when international flights resumed in September, outbound posts could not. “Our agreement was with Thai Airways so when everything came to a halt we were unable to continue our outbound service,” said Pradyumna Prasad Upadhyay, chief postmaster at the General Post Office. Despite the resumption of flight services, people like Tamang have con- tinued to be denied postal services since Thai Airways announced bank- ruptcy. “Shouldn’t the government have sought a better solution by now,” asked the tour guide from Budhanilkantha. According to Aabha Shrestha POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA Karna, the director-general at the Officials say establishing another agreement for outbound postal service is not easy. Postal Services Department, estab- lishing another agreement for the out- SRIZU BAJRACHARYA was not taking outbound letters and bound postal service is not as easy as KATHMANDU, MARCH 1 parcels except to India. one assumes even though they realise “I was surprised that such an they are losing out on opportunities About three weeks ago Harka Tamang important service was not functioning and people’s trust. went to the General Post Office at well,” said the 50-year-old German- “We also need to look into connect- Dillibazar to send a package to a friend speaking tour guide. “Their reason ing flights, ground entries and tran- in Germany. was their carrier, Thai Airways, was sits of airways to make such agree- However, to his disappointment, not doing international flights.” ments,” said Karna. Tamang was told that the post office The suspension of international >> Continued on page 3 C M Y K TUESDAY, MARCH 02, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Nepali Congress mulls over at least four ... Government committee puts >> Continued from page 1 NCP. This provides Nepali Congress reached with Oli, the Congress will “We want to see a split, politically two easy options–either lead the gov- not support Oli, thereby creating a and legally, in the Nepal Communist ernment immediately with the sup- situation where he has to dissolve the Party,” a leader close to port of Oli or take turns to lead the House and declare elections to be held Phewa Lake’s area at 5.76 sqkm Congress president Sher Bahadur government for two years until elec- within six months. Deuba told the Post on condition of tions take place in 2022. “There is no hurry for us to lead the anonymity. As per the Political Party Act-2017, government,” said a Congress leader. A 1957 Nepal-India survey had reported the lake’s area at 10.36 sqkm. Once the Nepal Communist Party 40 percent of Central Committee But whether Deuba alone can reach (NCP) splits legally into two led by Oli members and 40 percent of deals on such crucial matters is a and Dahal and Nepal, the Congress Parliamentary Party members are question. A significant section of lead- party will have an upper hand and the required to break away from a party ers in the Nepali Congress is trying to luxury to support whichever faction it and register a new one. stop Deuba from siding with Oli wants to by assessing its possible Oli currently lacks the numbers. because of the latter’s unconstitution- political gains. Back in April he had introduced an al moves as well as some regressive As of now, both Oli as well as Dahal- ordinance by changing the law, steps against the system. Nepal factions have reached out to making it easier for splitting the party However, the Congress party is not Deuba, seeking the Congress party’s and registering a new one. He, howev- keen to join hands with the Dahal- support. er, had to withdraw it after severe Nepal faction either. “The actual fight will begin in the backlash. Congress leaders say it would be a House, but we are in a state of confu- “If Oli dares to bring the bill seek- very tough decision when it comes to sion as we are following all possible ing to amend the Political Party Act, choosing between Oli and Dahal.