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How Oli's Actions Put Heads of Two Houses at Odds

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How Oli's Actions Put Heads of Two Houses at Odds WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 336 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 21.8 C -5.5 C Tuesday, February 02, 2021 | 20-10-2077 Dipayal Jumla How Oli’s actions put heads of two houses at odds Speaker and National Assembly chairman spar over Constitutional Council’s December 15 recommendations, in a brazen display of their partisan allegiance. TIKA R PRADHAN Partisan politics has reached the KATHMANDU, FEB 1 legislature now, which is not a good sign for parliamentary democracy, A day after Speaker Agni Sapkota sent which is already under attack from back recommendations made by the Oli, they say. Constitutional Council, National “Both the factions of Nepal Assembly chair Ganesh Timilsina on Communist Party are constantly Monday reacted to the move, saying attacking the constitution,” said that the Speaker had no authority to Daman Nath Dhungana, a former do so without consulting him. Speaker. The chiefs of Nepal’s bicameral leg- “This is just part of a series of con- islature are clearly at odds. stitutional violations the Nepal Observers say Prime Minister KP Communist Party has been involved Sharma Oli, by dissolving the House in. Now the two factions are in a bid to of Representatives, has by now destroy the constitution both ways— dragged all key institutions of the in conduct and compliance.” country into controversy—the execu- The Constitutional Council led by tive which he heads, the legislature Oli had made recommendations to that elected him to the post and the appoint office bearers at 11 constitu- judiciary, which is considered an inde- tional bodies on December 15, the day pendent institution. he had issued an ordinance on the Oli’s December 20 House dissolu- Constitutional Council Act (Functions, tion move had an immediate impact Duties and Procedures) 2010 to amend on his Nepal Communist Party, which two provisions on convening the has split into two—with one faction Council meeting and taking decisions. led by him and the other jointly by The ordinance was approved by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav President Bidya Devi Bhandari almost POST PHOTO: ANGAD DHAKAL Kumar Nepal. immediately that day. Military armoured vehicles roll along the Ring Road in Kathmandu on Monday night as part of what Nepal Army calls its regular exercise. Sapkota, a long-time ally of Dahal The amended provisions meant Oli since the ‘people’s war’ days, is had effectively made the presence of believed to have acted at the behest Speaker and leader of the main oppo- of Dahal. Many say Timilsina’s sition unnecessary for convening the reaction to Speaker’s Sunday meeting and taking decisions. move was expected as he owes his alle- The Council, headed by Oli, has Myanmar military seizes power, detains Suu Kyi giance to Oli. five members—chief justice, According to analysts, both, howev- Speaker, National Assembly chair, er, seem to have failed to play non-par- deputy Speaker and leader of the tisan roles that the constitution main opposition. The coup derails years of efforts to establish democracy in Myanmar where neighbouring China has a powerful influence. requires of them. >> Continued on page 2 EDITORIAL | PG 4 It is a shocking reversal of all democratic reforms that made an election possible in Myanmar after decades of military rule. Nepal’s response on page 2 Summarising a meeting of the new junta, the military said Min Aung Hlaing had pledged to practice a “gen- uine discipline-flourishing multi-par- ty democratic system”. He promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the win- AP/RSS ning party, it said, without giving a In this May 6, 2016 file photo, Aung San Suu Kyi (left) Myanmar’s foreign minister, walks with timeframe. senior General Min Aung Hlaing (right) Myanmar military’s commander-in-chief, in Naypyitaw. Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other NLD leaders were “taken” in the REUTERS on people to protest against the military early hours of the morning, NLD NAYPYITAW, FEB 1 takeover, quoting comments it said had spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by been written in anticipation of a coup. phone. Reuters was subsequently una- Myanmar’s military seized power on The coup derails years of Western- ble to contact him. Monday in a coup against the demo- backed efforts to establish democracy A video posted to Facebook by one cratically elected government of in Myanmar, also known as Burma, MP appeared to show the arrest of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, where neighbouring China has a pow- regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han. In the who was detained along with other erful influence. video, her husband pleads with men leaders of her National League for The generals made their move in military garb standing outside the Democracy (NLD) party in early hours before parliament had been due gate. A young child can be seen cling- morning raids. to sit for the first time since the NLD’s ing to his chest and wailing. The army said it had carried out the landslide win in a November 8 elec- Troops and riot police stood by in detentions in response to “election tion viewed as a referendum on Suu Yangon where residents rushed to fraud”, handing power to military Kyi’s fledgling democratic rule. markets to stock up on supplies and chief General Min Aung Hlaing and Phone and internet connections in others lined up at ATMs to withdraw imposing a state of emergency for one the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main cash. Banks then suspended services year, according to a statement on a commercial centre Yangon were dis- due to poor internet connections but military-owned television station. rupted and state television went off air said they would reopen from Tuesday. Suu Kyi’s party said she had called after the NLD leaders were detained. >> Continued on page 6 Government plans for new petroleum law and deregulating the oil business Several attempts in the last decade failed despite the sector being governed by an old law. KRISHANA PRASAIN net profit of Rs7.5 billion on oil mechanism helped improve its finan- KATHMANDU, FEB 1 imports. It paid Rs63.85 billion in cial health. Brent crude fell to $27.67 a taxes alone to the government. barrel in January 2016—the lowest Nepal’s biggest import item in terms The corporation’s profit has been since 2003. of value is petroleum products. gradually increasing since 2014 when In 2015-16, the company announced In 2018-19 the country imported the automatic pricing mechanism it had finally become debt-free after 14 petroleum products worth Rs216 bil- was introduced as per which the years. Its debt had swollen to Rs36.87 lion, up from Rs53.30 billion in 2009-10. price of petroleum products in the billion in January 2015. The sole importer and distributor country goes up or down based on The corporation paid off all the of the commodity is the state-owned international prices rather than the loans in one and a half years, thanks Nepal Oil Corporation. In the fiscal government fixing the prices as was to falling oil prices in the internation- year 2018-19, the corporation made a the system earlier. al market and the new pricing Since then lines at petrol sta- mechanism. tions that were a common sight, At the height of the scarcity of as imports would be curtailed to petroleum products in the country, the lessen losses, have disappeared. government had mulled deregulating Nepal Oil Corporation was the oil market to allow the private once a chronic loss maker. The sector to import and distribute it. corporation’s financial position In 2010 too the Commerce Ministry started to weaken in the had even tabled a new bill in fiscal year 2002-03 when world Parliament, but it was sent back for petroleum prices went into an further homework and consultations. upward spiral. And with the frequent changes Oil prices peaked at $147 per in government, the law never became barrel in 2007. Falling prices in a priority. 2014 and the automatic price >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Bagmati’s Speaker accused of US envoy trusts court to sort out House row ANIL GIRI Amid the conspicuous silence main- sometimes these processes take some KATHMANDU, FEB 1 tained by the international communi- time to play,” he said. ty on Nepal’s political situation, US The US diplomat also said his coun- delaying no-confidence motion International community has Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry try has no view or position regarding remained largely silent over Nepal’s said on Monday that America’s the rift in the Nepal Communist Party. political crisis precipitated by Prime engagement in Nepal “consistently He reiterated that political divi- Speaker postpones meeting called to discuss the no-trust motion against chief minister. Minister KP Sharma Oli’s move of has been in support of democracy”. sions and conflicts were part of the dissolving the House of But he did not make any comment democratic process. SUBASH BIDARI writing a motion of no-confidence decision to postpone the assembly Representatives on December 20 last on the matter of House dissolution, “Obviously, that has now played out MAKWANPUR, FEB 1 against the chief minister. The motion meeting. year. saying the case was under court’s con- into the democratic and constitutional will be endorsed if it is approved by “The frequent postponement of the While India, Nepal’s closest neigh- sideration. processes. That also has to work its The Speaker of the Bagmati Provincial majority members in the provincial assembly meeting without any valid bour, has “noted” the incident calling Ambassador Berry was talking to a way through.
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