WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 50 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 37.9 C 3.2 C Friday, April 09, 2021 | 27-12-2077 Nepalgunj Jumla Deuba’s intriguing dilemma and his credibility chasm The onus of taking political process forward is upon the Congress chief. But given the dynamics in his party, and his relations with Oli and other parties, he is hesitating. ANIL GIRI with yet another issue—the party’s KATHMANDU, APRIL 8 14th general convention. Legally, the party must hold the Nepali Congress President Sher general convention by the middle of Bahadur Deuba is on the horns of a September and Deuba wants to lead dilemma. the party again. The Communist Party of Nepal Deuba is caught between whether (Maoist Centre) is offering him the to take the government leadership post of prime prime minister should or focus on general convention which he agree to form an alliance, along could earn him party presidency once with the Janata Samajbadi again. Party, so as to unseat Despite the government’s House Prime Minister KP dissolution move having been over- Sharma Oli. For a turned by the Supreme Court, Oli four-time prime min- has refused to step down, and ister, the offer is many say Deuba, as the lead- tempting. But there is er of the opposition, should a catch. have been at the forefront Deuba is unsure to press for the prime about the Janata minister’s resignation. Samajbadi Party, According to observ- which is a divided ers and experts, Deuba house. For Deuba to has conspicuously become prime failed to perform his POST PHOTO: ANISH REGMI minister, he duty as the leader of the A woman beats seeds out of her mustard harvest at Khokana in Lalitpur on Thursday. needs the sup- opposition, as he could port of 49 Maoist not stand firmly against lawmakers and Oli’s unconstitutional and almost all of the 32 undemocratic move of dis- Janata Samajbadi solving the House. More lawmakers. importantly, at a time INSIDE An election of journalists The Nepali Congress when Oli has been attack- has 61 seats in the ing the constitution and lower house. parliamentary democracy, Three parties meet Insiders in the Deuba has not been able to today for talks on new under the shadow of Congress party say speak up, they say. government formation Deuba, however, is faced >> Continued on page 2 KATHMANDU: Soon after the Supreme political parties Court on February 23 overturned Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s deci- sion to dissolve the House of Almost all candidates have backing of parties, leaving little Representatives, the main opposition Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist space for independent ones to lead, which many say could Party (Maoist Centre), and Janata Samajbadi Party have been in formal affect independence of Federation of Nepali Journalists. and informal talks to unseat Oli. But as the way forward has been an issue of contention, concrete talks between the three parties are yet to take place. Technically, the CPN-UML govern- ment still has the support of the Maoist Centre. In February 2018, the Maoist Centre had lent its support to the UML to form the government. The two parties subsequently merged in May 2018 to form Nepal Communist Party (NCP). But the Supreme Court on March 7 invalidat- ed their merger, once again reviving the UML and the Maoist Centre. The Maoist Centre, despite its bad blood with Prime Minister Oli, has not yet withdrawn its support to the govern- ment. (Details on Pg 3) POST PHOTO: ANGAD DHAKAL India suffers vaccine Journalists voted on Wednesday to elect a new leadership of their umbrella organisation. shortages as virus surges TIKA R PRADHAN NEW DELHI: More than 700 million The Janata Samajbadi Party cur- KATHMANDU, APRIL 8 people across India were facing coro- rently is in negotiations with Oli to navirus vaccine shortages on clinch a power-sharing deal. The Thursday, local media reported, as The triennial jamboree of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party lately has infection numbers hit yet another Federation of Nepali Journalists stood by Oli on issues like dissolving daily record. Case numbers had eased concluded on Wednesday, with media- the House and holding early polls. in India but a second wave of the persons from across the country In Nepal, journalists have been his- virus has since returned with a under the umbrella organisation of torically aligned to political parties vengeance, with more than 126,000 Nepali journalists voting to elect a which have their own “journalist new infections recorded in the past 24 new leadership. Though it was not an organisations”. hours, a new record. Several regions anomaly, this time around, it became Nepal Press Union is close to the have tightened curbs on activity hugely apparent that the Federation Nepali Congress, Press Chautari is while Maharashtra, the current epi- has come hugely under the shadow of close to the CPN-UML, Press centre of India’s epidemic and home politics. A majority of candidates had Sangathan is affiliated to the Maoist to megacity Mumbai, is set to enter a their clear alignments with political Centre and Pragatishil Patrakar lockdown at the weekend. Prime parties—just a handful of journalists Sangh to Rastriya Janamorcha. Minister Narendra Modi received his filed their nominations as “independ- This time, there was an alliance second shot on Thursday, tweeting ent” candidates. between the Congress, the Maoist that vaccines are “among the few Observers, including those who Centre, Nepal-Khanal faction of the ways we have to defeat the virus”. He have led the Federation in the past, UML and Rastriya Janamorcha. urged others to follow his lead by get- say excessive politicisation and domi- And candidates were fielded nation of political parties in the jour- accordingly. ting vaccinated. (Details on Pg 6) nalists’ election is a cause for concern. Some aspirants, however, came “A worrisome trend is emerging,” under intense pressure. Rajesh Mishra Bringing art and said Bhanubhakta Acharya, a was one among them. researcher at the University of Ottawa “We have come to such a pass that science together on Digital Transformation and journalists have to knock the doors of LALITPUR: When she was a young Innovation, who regularly writes on party leaders to secure their candida- school-going girl, one afternoon, issues relating to the Nepali media. cy,” said Mishra, an aspirant for the when she had returned home after “The Federation seems to be in the post of general secretary. giving her science exam, Neera Joshi complete grip of political parties.” Since the Congress’ Press Union Pradhan was asked by her father This time, the candidates were and Maoist Centre’s Press Sangathan what questions were there in the divided along two different panels— had formed an alliance, the posts of exam to check how she did. One of one aligned to the Nepali Congress, Federation president and general sec- the questions she recalls was to write the Communist Party of Nepal retary were divided between them. the uses of flowers. Her father (Maoist Centre), the Madhav Nepal- Bipul Pokhrel was fielded for the frowned and asked, “So, what did you Jhala Nath Khanal faction of the CPN- post of Federation chairperson, mak- write?” To which Joshi remembers UML and Rastriya Janamorcha and ing way for the Press Sangathan to naively replying, “I wrote we use it the other coming together under the field its candidate, Roshan Puri, for for puja to worship gods.” Joshi now KP Sharma Oli faction of the UML, the post of general secretary. laughs at her innocence at the the Janata Samajbadi Party and For candidates like Mishra, there Siddhartha Art Gallery, against the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. was no space. backdrop of her artwork. Ask her The alignments were a clear reflec- He could not fight the election as an that same question today, Joshi will tion of Nepal’s national political land- independent candidate amid intense in turn ask you which flowers and scape at present. pressure from political party honchos, what details do you want. Joshi today The Congress and the Maoist Party he said. understands flowers in a much differ- are in a bid to forge an alliance against “There is no room left for independ- ent way than most would, beyond Oli and the Nepal-Khanal faction has ent candidates,” said Mishra. their outward beauty. (Details on Pg 8) its own battle to fight against Oli. >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K FRIDAY, APRIL 09, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Province 2 districts vulnerable to Covid-19 Deuba’s intriguing dilemma and his resurgence but preparedness sorely lacking credibility chasm Border crossings in Parsa and Bara districts have been witnessing a rise in the number of people returning from India lately. >> Continued from page 1 SHANKAR ACHARYA IN PARSA According to the District unused,” said Rajeshraj Yadav, “It’s true that Nepali Congress does not have sufficient & LAXMI SAH IN BARA Health Office in Bara, 19 individu- mayor of Kalaiya Sub Metropolis.. numbers in the Parliament to be a decisive force and it is not APRIL 8 als tested positive in the last three According to him, technical sure about the possible coalition partners, as it has its own days, prompting local govern- employees, who were appointed to bitter experience with the Maoist Centre and the Janata All eight districts in Province 2 ments to reintroduce tracing, test- operate the machine, have also Samajbadi Party is divided,” said Krishna Khanal, a profes- share borders with India but ing and treatment of Covid-19 been released.