Beijing Announces Vaccine Aid Amid Kathmandu's Hectic Diplomatic Push
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WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 98 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 35.8 C 10.0 C Thursday, May 27, 2021 | 13-02-2078 Nepalgunj Jumla Beijing announces vaccine aid amid Kathmandu’s hectic diplomatic push Announcement follows President Bhandari’s requests to her Indian and Chinese counterparts. Respite for Nepal as the country battles virus and political crises. ANIL GIRI opments in Nepal. Five days after KATHMANDU, MAY 26 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved the House of Representatives, Amid no let-up in coronavirus cases, for the second time in the last Nepal’s vaccine needs have just five months, New Delhi said it had grown. Lately, the government, taken note and that it viewed them according to officials, has been as internal matters of Nepal to be trying every possible measure to dealt [with] by Nepal under its own acquire vaccines—from anywhere, at domestic framework and democratic any cost. processes. And on Wednesday came a sudden Immediately after, some Nepali pol- announcement from the north. China iticians—Deputy Prime Minister said that it would provide 1 million Ishwar Pokhrel, National Assembly doses of vaccine to Nepal under grant chair Ganesh Timilsina, former prime assistance. minister and Maoist Centre chair “During today’s phone conversation Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali with Nepali President Bidya Devi Congress’ Narayan Khadka, Janata Bhandari, Chinese President Xi Samajbadi Party chair Upendra Yadav, Jinping announced that China will Rastriya Prajatantra Party chair POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI provide 1 million doses of Pashupati Sumsher Rana and Nepal Butter lamps are lit on the occasion of 2565th Buddha Jayanti at Swayambhunath in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Covid-19 vaccines to Nepal under Majdoor Kisan Party chair Narayan grant assistance,” Chinese Man Bijukchhe participated in a vir- Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi tual meeting with leaders of the announced on Twitter. Communist Party of China. There was an uncanny coinci- The Chinese delegation was led dence though. by Song Tao, head of the International INSIDE Bending constitutional Wednesday saw at least Department of the Chinese four high-profile diplomatic Communist Party. events, and initiatives in Discussions revolved around Covid- Absence of contact tracing Kathmandu, New Delhi and 19 related assistance, including get- spells trouble for Lumbini provisions for government Beijing. ting vaccines from China as early as The day began with India’s possible. BUTWAL: A 31-year-old woman from reaction to recent political devel- >> Continued on page 2 Tilottama Municipality-6 in formation, the KP Oli way Rupandehi district suffered from fever and cold on May 9. Her polymer- ase chain reaction (PCR) test con- Constitution drafters failed to foresee that prime minister firmed Covid-19 infection and she was isolated at home. Her family mem- elected under 76 (1) would dissolve the House after three bers, however, did not feel the need to get tested since none of them had years at the helm, as that article clearly ensures full term. been showing symptoms of Covid-19. They continued to move around the marketplaces and mingled with peo- ple in the neighbourhood. A few days later, some of them started showing symptoms of Covid-19. When they got tested, their results came back posi- tive. Around a dozen people from five houses in the community have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last two weeks. A man from Butwal-11 tested positive for Covid-19 on May 6. The 28-year-old government employee says he caught the virus at his work- place. “I immediately informed the local unit. I also requested the sub-metropolis to conduct a PCR test of those who had come in my con- tact,” he said. (Details on Pg 2) Decision to close groceries triggers panic buying KATHMANDU: When Kabita Sigdel learnt on Tuesday evening about the POST FILE PHOTO government decision to extend the Oli has exhausted all the clauses of government formation under the constitution. prohibitory orders in Kathmandu Valley with more restrictions and big BINOD GHIMIRE Most of the constitutions from the fines, she hurriedly jotted down a list KATHMANDU, MAY 26 democratic countries envision three of essentials she needed to stock up types of government—majority, coali- on for a week. On Wednesday morn- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lately tion and minority. ing, she left her flat at Kupondole at has made some experts on constitu- Article 76 (1), Article 76 (2) and 7:30 for shopping and it was already tional affairs go silent—a case in point Article 76 (3) of Nepal’s constitution 9am when she was back. But she is Subas Nembang—and others take were, according to experts, hence writ- couldn’t buy all the items on the list. pains to explain what the provisions ten accordingly. “I had to stand in queue for nearly an of the Nepal constitution actually Oli was first appointed prime minis- hour to buy the daily essentials and mean. ter in February 2018 under Article 76 another half an hour for green vege- The provision at hand now is Article (2), to lead a coalition government as tables,” said Sigdel, 37, who lives in a 76, which deals with the process of his party, the CPN-UML, which had six-member family that includes her forming a government. There are four won 121 seats in the lower house in the husband, two children, and parents- provisions in the constitution for the 2017 elections, had the backing of the in-law. “This morning, all the grocery appointment of prime minister, and so Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist shops were crowded. I had 10 items far, three have been exhausted. And on Centre), which had won 53 seats. on the list, but when my turn came, all three occasions, Oli was appointed. Three months later, the UML and the shop had already run out of sun- The fourth provision has not come the Maoist Centre merged to form the flower oil and red pulse,” said Sigdel. into play. Just before it could be imple- Nepal Communist party (NCP), and She returned after the shopkeeper mented, Oli, after seeing little pros- the unified party hence commanded assured that oil and pulse would be pect of returning to the helm, dis- 174 seats in the House, close to two- available on Thursday. (Details on Pg 3) solved the House of Representatives thirds. altogether, in a move constitutional Oli thus became prime minister experts say is unconstitutional, illegit- under Article 76 (1), leading a majori- Vaccine inequality in India lets imate and immoral. ty government. It looked like Nepal’s many fall through gaps Questions are now being asked political stability dream had been whether Nepal’s constitution envi- achieved. Oli was set to govern for the NEW DELHI: As the coronavirus tears sioned the same person as prime min- full five-year term, something that had through India, night watchman Sagar ister under all four provisions. not happened in Nepal in over two and Kumar thinks constantly about get- Experts, unless they are Oli’s close a half decades. ting vaccines for himself and his fam- aides, say “No.” But Oli’s decision to prematurely ily of five amid critical shortages of According to those who were part dissolve the House on December 20 shots in the country. But even if he of the constitution writing process, suddenly set in motion a chain of knew how to get one, it wouldn’t be given a vicious cycle of instability events, raising the spectre of political easy. The main way is to register Nepal had gone through, drafters were instability which the drafters had through a government website. But it extremely careful to write provisions dreaded the most while writing the is in English—a language the 25-year- which would ensure political stability. charter. old Kumar and nearly 90 percent of “That’s how Article 76 (5) was writ- Oli’s December 20 decision on Indians can’t speak, read or write— ten,” said Chandra Kant Gyawali, a March 7 culminated in the invalida- and his family has a single smart- senior advocate who specialises in tion of the Nepal Communist Party phone, with spotty internet service. constitutional law. “Oli, however, mis- (NCP). And even though his state of Uttar used the provisions, as he was bent on After he failed the trust vote on Pradesh gives free shots to those dissolving the House.” March 10, he was once again appoint- under 45, there is no vaccination site Article 76 (5) is the last of the provi- ed prime minister under Article 76 (3) in his village, with the nearest hospi- sions in the constitution for the forma- to lead a minority government. tal an hour away. (Details on Pg 6) tion of a government. >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Beijing announces vaccine aid amid ... >> Continued from page 1 and vaccines. Many say as the government failed Absence of contact tracing Almost around the same time, the What India had started as its “vac- to activate its diplomatic channels to Office of the President said President cine maitri”, providing jabs to its acquire medical supplies and vac- Bidya Devi Bhandari wrote to her neighbours, soon became an albatross cines, countries that are friends of Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind, around its neck, with the Narendra Nepal and those who see strategic sig- requesting the latter to take initiatives Modi government coming under fire. nificance in Nepal have been doing spells trouble for Lumbini to ensure vaccine supplies from India.