WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 314 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 26.2 C -3.5 C Monday, January 11, 2021 | 27-09-2077 Birendranagar Jumla Oli resorting to vituperation turns the conversation ugly and nasty The prime minister lately has launched acerbic attacks on his opponents and all those who criticise him, overstepping the bounds of propriety and decency, observers say. BINOD GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, JAN 10 Ever since the Nepal Communist Party has split, as an impact of the dissolution of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has emerged as something of a kvetch, constantly attacking those who oppose him. While addressing his cadres on POST FILE PHOTO January 2, Oli said he would offer KP Sharma Oli condolences to Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, who have the post of party chair. fallen out with him, if they were At a programme on January 2, Oli martyred. called Dahal and Nepal “rusted nuts As they haven’t achieved martyr- and bolts”. dom, it is not necessary to remember “After these rusted nuts and bolts them, said Oli. got removed, the car named Nepal After Oli’s December 20 House Communist Party has picked up POST PHOTO: BEEJU MAHARJAN dissolution move, Dahal and Nepal pace,” said Oli. Artists work on a 17-foot statue of the 13th century Nepali sculptor Araniko at the Naxal-based Fine Art Academy in Kathmandu. After installing the statue on the premises of the academy, they on December 22 declared their At the same programme, Oli brand- plan to make another one to put at Araniko Highway that connects Nepal with China. own Nepal Communist Party and ed Dahal and Nepal as “rotting fruits”, “ousted” Oli as chairman, much to his which the party has finally got rid of. chagrin. Oli, who emerged as a leader in the A few days back, Oli described UML party after a long struggle, is Madhav Nepal, who led the erstwhile known as a person who loves to make CPN-UML for 15 years and under tongue-in-cheek remarks. When it All eyes on Foreign Minister Gyawali’s Delhi whom he was a leader, as “an ordinary comes to criticising his opponents, his cadre” of Dahal. statements are acerbic, the directness He went on to say that he would of which oftentimes is shocking. But have given Nepal “the post of party he has been known as a leader with visit for Nepal to procure Covid-19 vaccines chair of the third ranking” after him such a style. and Dahal, if he couldn’t live without >> Continued on page 2 Government has placed all bets on vaccines being manufactured in India because of logistical issues but experts warn that other avenues must also be explored. ANIL GIRI & ARJUN POUDEL not allowed to talk to the media. Nepal’s Ambassador to New Delhi KATHMANDU, JAN 10 Nepal is looking to procure vaccines Nilamber Acharya has held two to inoculate 12 million in the first rounds of talks with senior officials With the coronavirus vaccine becom- phase and India is the preferred source, of the Pune-based Serum Institute of ing a “political commodity”, to use the according to Minister for Health and India and met senior officials of words of a minister, the government is Population Hridayesh Tripathi. Bharat Biotech in order to speed up hoping that there will be a break- “But we are also aware that the vac- the vaccine procurement, according to through in talks with India for Nepal cine has become a political commodi- officials. to procure vaccines before Foreign ty today,” Tripathi told the Post. “We Bharat Biotech is developing its Minister Pradeep Gyawali’s Delhi are making utmost efforts to procure own vaccine. visit later this week. the Covid-19 vaccine and are in touch “Both Indian firms have already “We think that we will get vaccines with several producers and countries assured us to provide the Covid-19 for about half a million people from but we have not reached a stage to sign vaccine, shared the price list, and clin- India as a goodwill gesture,” said an a deal with anyone yet.” ical and technical details,” said the official at the Prime Minister’s Office Talks with India are at an advanced official at the Prime Minister’s Office. familiar with the matter, who wished stage, according to Tripathi. “But the government has yet to reach to remain anonymous because he was Earlier the government had sent an agreement because it is looking for separate diplomatic notes to the a government-to-government deal countries that are producing which at this stage is not possible.” Covid-19 vaccines but it has According to an official at the given priority to the vaccine pro- Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, the duced in India because of rea- vaccine being manufactured by Serum sons like logistics, pricing and Institute of India is more affordable India’s assurance to facilitate than the one from Bharat Biotech. procurement. “It is now up to Kathmandu to take Serum Institute of India, the a decision as India will be rolling out world’s largest maker of vac- the Covid-19 vaccine from January cines, is producing Covishield, 16,” the official, who also did not wish developed by Oxford University to be named as things are just at the of the United Kingdom and preliminary stage, told the Post. drugs giant AstraZeneca. >> Continued on page 2 With upper house prorogued, two key aviation bills left in the lurch Experts say it may now take another four to five years to get Nepal removed from the European Union air safety list. ment on Sunday morning. With the lower house dissolved and midterm elections declared, there are concerns about political uncertainty in the country, which could mean a further delay in the endorsement of the two key pieces of legislation being shelved indefinitely. The civil aviation body had hoped that the upper house would pass the bills permitting the creation of two entities—service provider and regula- tor—even though the lower house had been dissolved. Aviation experts said that based on the current ‘fluid political situation’, RSS work to get Nepal removed from the The winter session of National Assembly was prorogued on Sunday. EU air safety list, better known as the EU blacklist, may take another four to SANGAM PRASAIN A prerequisite to getting Nepal back five years. KATHMANDU, JAN 10 in the good books is splitting the Civil The European Commission, the law- Aviation Authority of Nepal into two making body of the EU, had asked that Two crucial aviation bills that needed entities to facilitate stringent enforce- Nepal’s civil aviation body be frag- to be passed to get Nepal removed ment of safety measures. mented with a clear demarcation of from the European Union Air Safety President Bidya Devi Bhandari pro- its powers and responsibilities blacklist have been left in the lurch rogued the seventh session of the because its dual functions gave rise to after the National Assembly was pro- National Assembly on the recommen- a conflict of interest. rogued on Sunday. dation of the KP Sharma Oli govern- >> Continued on page 2 C M Y K MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Students study in roofless With upper house prorogued, two ... >> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 house for deliberation and approval. The two pieces “The issue of creating laws to split the civil avia- of legislation will become law after they are signed tion body is not in our hands. Lawmakers make the by the President. classrooms at this Salyan school laws,” said Rajan Pokhrel, director general of the The government has been working on the pro- Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal. posed legislation for the last 10 years, and it has A strong wind had blown away the roof of the school building some eight months ago. The current political situation following the dis- been held up by the bureaucracy at every step. solution of the lower house 20 had made things bad, While the European Union applauded the Nepal but Sunday’s development made them worse, government’s firm commitment to improve its air BIPLAB MAHARJAN according to officials at the civil aviation body. safety mechanism, the lawmaking body—the SALYAN, JAN 10 Pokhrel admitted that things are uncertain now. European Commission—has questioned the issu- The European Commission has continued its ban ance of air operator certificates to new Nepali car- Students of Bheri Basic School at Gara in on Nepali airlines for eight consecutive years riers without sufficient compliance with interna- Ward No. 11 of Bangadkupinde Municipality through an updated EU Air Safety List published on tional safety standards. have been compelled to study under the December 2. The ban on airlines from Nepal from flying to open sky in this cold weather due to a lack On December 5, 2013, the Commission had Europe for their failure to adhere to safety stand- of proper classrooms. imposed a blanket ban on all airlines from Nepal ards has entered its eighth year. Around eight months ago, a strong wind from flying into the EU. Nepal has yet to fulfil its On December 7, coinciding with International had blown away the roof of the school pledge to break up the civil aviation body into two Civil Aviation Day, the EU said that it was aware of building which was made up of galvanized entities in order to be delisted by the EC.