WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 26 | 12 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 32.4 C 2.4 C Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | 03-12-2077 Nepalgunj Jumla C M Y K C M Y K WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 26 | 12 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 32.4 C 2.4 C Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | 03-12-2077 Nepalgunj Jumla POST PHOTO: ANGAD DHAKAL A boy rides a horse on a snow-covered pathway in Rara National Park, Mugu. The area, which is renowned for its scenic natural beauty and Rara Lake, has been seeing a steady rise in the number of visitors of late. Elusive alliance Health Ministry mulls inoculating people over 60 Nepal has an existing stock of 700,000 doses and delivery of another million doses is The spectre of split hovers above CPN-UML even as It’s one step forward, expected in days. As for the second dose, there will be no issues with supply, officials say. Oli and Nepal hold talks in a fence-mending attempt two steps back for ARJUN POUDEL or start immunising the vulnerable doses of vaccines–100,000 doses under KATHMANDU, MARCH 15 group. grant assistance from India; 1,000,000 “We have to decide whether to save doses of the 2,000,000 doses that the Congress, Maoist Centre The first round of the second phase of the existing doses for the second shots government has bought from the Covid-19 vaccination drive is going to or start administering the vaccine to Serum Institute of India; and 348,000 and Samajbadi Party end on Tuesday. With over 1,605,706 the vulnerable population among doses under the COVAX facility. number of people vaccinated as of whom the death rate is high,” said Dr During the first phase of the ANIL GIRI Monday evening, the existing stock of Roshan Pokhrel, chief specialist at the vaccination drive, between January 27 KATHMANDU, MARCH 15 vaccine doses with the government is Ministry of Health and Population. and March 4, 438,879 people were over 700,000. “Those who are at high risk will be vaccinated. Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair Officials now are discussing wheth- somehow protected if we could give These people have to take the sec- KP Sharma Oli appears to be set to er to save the existing doses for those them the first doses.” ond shots starting from April 20. remain in power, at least for now, as who have already taken the first shot Nepal so far has received 2,348,000 >> Continued on page 2 parties in the opposition, the Nepali Congress and the Janata Samajbadi Party, have failed to come up with clear strategies, just as the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) has yet to take a decision on withdrawing the support it had lent to Oli back in February 2018. Talks were ongoing that the three PHOTO COURTESY: SURYA THAPA’S TWITTER parties would come up with a concrete Both Oli and Nepal have refused to budge from their stances. plan by Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Parliament meeting. Tuesday’s House TIKA R PRADHAN Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist meeting, however, is likely to end with- KATHMANDU, MARCH 15 Centre), thereby forcing the Nepal out entering into any agenda, as it will group to return to the UML fold. end after passing a condolence motion After squabbling for months–even not Until then, Nepal, along with some on the death of Dinesh Chandra Yadav, hesitating to smear and mud-sling at other leaders from the UML, had sided a member of the Constituent Assembly. each other–CPN-UML chair and with Pushpa Kamal Dahal, attempting The UML has 120 members in the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and to unseat Oli. lower house, including those from the senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal Now Oli appears to be strong in the Madhav Kumar Nepal group in the on Monday came face to face. UML party, but his political fate is still party, and with the support of the Both were accompanied by a hand- uncertain, as Dahal has been making Maoist Centre, which won 53 seats, Oli ful of their loyal leaders. They talked, attempts to forge an alliance with the was elected prime minister in 2018. they refused to budge from their Nepali Congress and the Janata The two parties merged in May that stances and they decided to continue Samajbadi Party to oust him as the year to form the Nepal Communist to meet again. They have not fixed the prime minister. Party (NCP). But the Supreme Court date though. “Oli is feeling insecure. His move on March 7 scrapped the Nepal The meeting between the two of inducting Maoist Centre leaders Communist Party (NCP) and revived arch-rivals came all of a sudden–amid into the Central Committee without the UML and the Maoist Centre, chang- talks of a split in the UML and about informing us and trying to validate it ing the entire equation in the House. the formation of a coalition govern- shows how insecure he is now,” said Unless the Maoist Centre withdraws ment by the Nepali Congress, Maoist Ghanashyam Bhusal, a Standing its support, Oli does not need to seek Centre and Janata Samajbadi Party. Committee member from the Nepal even a vote of confidence. During the meeting, according to group who was present at Monday’s Though Congress, Maoist and party leaders, Oli wanted the Nepal meeting. “The more a person Samajbadi leaders have been holding group to cancel its national gathering becomes autocratic, the more inse- talks over the past week to forge a pos- of March 17-18 and the latter wanted cure they feel.” sible alliance to oust Oli and form a the party chair to withdraw the March Monday’s meeting came a day after coalition government, they have yet to 12 decisions of amending the party the Nepal group, in response to Oli’s arrive at a conclusion. statute, inducting 23 Maoist Centre March 12 decisions, issued a state- In order to discuss the future politi- members into the Central Committee ment, accusing Oli of failing to cal course, the Samajbadi Party has and relieving leaders close to Nepal of maintain even the fundamental deco- called a meeting of its 51-member their responsibilities. rum of a general member of a com- office-bearers on Thursday, while the “Oli was not ready to withdraw his munist party. Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre unilateral decisions made on March As many as 11 leaders from the are holding meetings on Tuesday. 12,” said Bhim Rawal, a Standing Nepal group alleged that Oli was try- “We have suggested to party Committee member of the Nepal ing to end the communist movement. President Sher Bahadur Deuba that group. “We are ready to reconcile if The Nepal faction on Sunday also he try to forge consensus with the Oli withdraws the March 12 decisions. approached the Election Commission, Maoist Centre and Samajbadi Party Or else, we will go ahead with our asking it not to validate his March 12 on all contested issues, including decisions.” decisions. addressing Samajbadi leaders’ But another Standing Committee Irked at Oli’s “unilateral” decisions demands and tabling a no-confidence member, who is close to Oli, said that of March 12, the Nepal group has motion against Oli,” said Bishwa the party chair wanted Nepal to make started forming its own parallel com- Prakash Sharma, spokesperson for a self-realisation that the latter had mittees. The ongoing conflict in the the Congress party. made a mistake. UML has raised the spectre of a split. The Samajbadi Party, which has “Oli told Nepal that the latter did Just as Nepal and other leaders have been approached by Oli as well for everything possible to ruin his politi- put a brave face on their return to the support, wants its lawmaker Resham cal career,” the Standing Committee UML fold, Oli is increasingly con- Chaudhary freed from jail, cases member told the Post requesting ano- cerned that a party split could make against its members and cadres with- nymity. “Nepal turned aggressive. Oli his position as prime minister untena- drawn and a commitment that its was of the view that it was because of ble. Courting the Nepal camp is likely long-standing demand of constitution- the [March 7] court decision, he got a to serve him best as with 120 seats of al amendments is addressed. new lease of life.” an intact UML in the Parliament could The Maoist Centre, which has been On March 7, the Supreme Court help him retain power if he can secure driven into a corner with no clear scrapped the Nepal Communist Party the support of the Janata Samajbadi roadmap for it in sight, appears ready (NCP) and revived the UML and the Party, which has 34 lawmakers (two to offer the post of the prime minister suspended). to Deuba, as it will ensure Oli’s ouster. Subas Nembang, a close confi- The Maoist Centre which was dante of Oli, described Monday’s expected to come up with a decision meeting as “positive”. on Monday decided to halt its ongoing “All the leaders were in favour Central Committee meeting after two of utilising the opportunity days of discussions. given by the court to unify the Though it looked an easy game for party,” Nembang, also a Standing the Congress, Maoist Centre and Committee member, told the Samajbadi Party, multiple leaders the Post.