Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Government decides to open embassy in Portugal, appoints envoy too

The government decides to establish a residential Nepali Embassy in Portugal.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held today took the decision to open a residential embassy in the Portugal, confirmed Minister for Communications and Information Rekha Sharma.

The meeting also decided to appoint Sanil Nepal as the first Nepali ambassador to Portugal, the government spokesperson added.

Though, some cabinet minister claimed that the government's decision to open Nepali Embassy in Portugal has come under Deuba's pressure, the government -- in the last week of October -- had struck a deal to establish a residential embassy in Portugal.

Currently, Nepal has 40 diplomatic missions abroad including 30 residential embassies, 3 permanent missions, and 7 consulates general, for which billions are spent annually from the state coffer. But the investment on these mission has been very nominal compared to the government spending. 

Diplomatic relations between Nepal and Portugal were established in September 1976. It is estimated that around 60,000 Nepalis are currently residing in this southern European country. 

According to the Constitution of Nepal-2015, the President appoints diplomats to their positions after their names are endorsed by the parliamentary hearing committee.

Though, opening a new embassy will incur a financial burden of billions of rupees annually, the government has not been able to lure investment and tourist with the help of these missions abroad. The embassy also has to play a role in strengthening bilateral ties while keeping in mind the interests of Nepal and the rights of Nepali migrant workers.

Though, economists and foreign experts are repeatedly suggesting that the number of embassies be reviewed, the government has been adding the foreign missions. The Prachanda-led government in its budget statement last May had said that it would review the number of embassies. 

Likewise, the cabinet today also passed the directives for operation of social media 2023 with some amendments.

Th meeting passed the directives presented by the legislation committee of the council of ministers with some changes, government spokesperson  Rekha Sharma added.

The Cabinet meeting has also passed the National Vocational and Skill Development Training Academy (Formation and Operation) Order 2023, and the National Vocational Training Center Development Committee (Formation) Order 2023.

Friday, September 8, 2023

‘बालेन’बाट गणतन्त्रलाई खतरा !

स्पष्टिकरणः यो लेख बालेनको समर्थनमा होइन । सर्भिस डेलिभरी गर्न नसक्ने तर लोकतन्त्रको ठेक्का लिने ठेकेदारहरुको समर्थनमा त झन् हुँदै होइन । अनि प्रश्न यो पनि होइन कि काठमाडौं महानगरका मेयर बालेन ठिक हुन् कि बेठिक । साथै, मौखिक वा अन्य कुनै पनि प्रकारका हिंसाको पनि यो लेखले समर्थन गर्दैन ।

सत्ता टिकाउन सर्वोच्च अदालतले सजाय किटिसकेको अपराधीलाई कानून नै बनाएर छुटाउने सरकारसँग बालेनलाई प्रश्न सोध्ने आँट त छैन नै । तर, प्रश्न के पनि होइन भने सरकार चोर हो कि होइन ?

सरकार चोर होइन । वैधानिक डाँका हो । राजनीतिशास्त्रको परिभाषाले त्यहि भन्छ । सरकारले कानून बनाएर नागरिकलाई लुट्छ भन्ने कुरा राजनीतिशास्त्रमा पढेकै हो, विश्वभर प्रचलित मान्यता पनि हो ।

त्यसैले प्रश्न के हो भने नेपाल भन्ने मुलुकका तथाकथित वुद्धिजीबि भनाउँदाहरु अबको १० वर्षमा नेपाललाई कहाँ पुगेको देख्न चाहन्छन् ?

अनि प्रश्न यो पनि हो कि १० वर्षे आन्तरिक द्धन्द्धका नायक प्रचण्डदेखि नडराएको लोकतन्त्र एउटा बालेनसँग किन डराउँछ ? महरापुत्र, पोखरेलपुत्र, पुनपुत्र लगायत यावत् क्रान्तीकारी पुत्रहरुसँग लोतन्त्रलाई खतरा छैन । तर, बालेनसँग किन लोकतन्त्रलाई खतरा छ ? के बालेनजस्त युवा विदेसिनु नै लोकतन्त्र जोगाउने एकमात्र उपाय हो ? बालेनहरुले नेपालमा राजनीति, उद्यम ब्यवासाय, पेशा गरेर आफनो जीवन बाँच्न नपाउने नै हो, त्यसो गरे लोकतन्त्र वास्तवमा नै खतरामा नै पर्ने हो त ?

तपाईंहरुले खाडीमा गएका युवा बाकसमा घर फर्कँदा उसको बाबुको अनुहार देख्नु भएको छ । उसका बच्चाबच्चीको अनुहार देख्नु भएको छ । बाँचुन्जेल त उसले रेमिट्यान्स पठायो, परिवार पाल्यो । तर, मरेपछि उसको परिवारको अवस्था के छ, कसैले गएर हेर्नु भएको छ ।

२०६२/६३ सम्मका प्रचण्ड आज लोकतन्त्रवादीकै भाषामा चरम पुँजीवादको पनि निकृष्ट मानिएको आसेपासे पुँजीवादको जालोमा एकपछि अर्को गर्दै फस्दै गए । त्यसैले लोकतन्त्रवादीहरू फुलेल छन्, कुम जोडेर बसेका छन्, अझ बेला-बेलामा बचाऊ पनि गर्छन् । आजको दिनसम्म आइपुग्दा लोकतन्त्रवादीले प्रचण्डबाट डराउन पर्दैन । किनकि, प्रचण्ड र लोकतन्त्रवादी अब ‘पार्टनर इन क्राइम’ हुन् ।

चुनाव जित्न पैसा चाहिन्छ र पैसा नहुँदा पार्टी पनि जोगिन्न भन्ने प्रचण्ड लाइन सर्बेसर्बा हुन एक दशकमात्र लाग्यो । भलै त्यो सिक्न एमालेलाई दुई दशक लागेको थियो । प्रचण्डले एक दशकमै अग्रगामी फड्को मारेर, कांग्रेस र एमाललेको हाराहारीमा आफनो दललाई पुर्याए । त्यसैले लोकतन्त्रवादी प्रचण्डको अग्रगमनसँग डराउँदैन । तर, एउटा बालेनसँग डराउँछ ।

२०४५ सालअघि दाँया हातका मुठ्ठिभरको मुलुक थियो । २०४६ पछि बाँया हाते मुठ्ठिभरका लागि त स्वर्गै हो, नेपाल। त्यसैले एउटा बालेन लोकतन्त्रका लागि खतरा भयो ।

हाम्रो पुस्ता गगन थापा, यागेश भट्टराई अनि रामकुमारी झाँक्रीलगायतले बालेको टायरको धुँवा खाएर हुर्किएको हो । आजको दिनमा बालेनलाई चोर औंला देखाउँदै गर्दा के भुल्नु हुन्न भने गगन, योगेश र रामकुमारीले पनि चोर सरकार भनेरै रत्नपार्कदेखि बागबजारसम्मका पर्खाल भत्काएका हुन् । रेलिङ भाँचेकै हुन् । माओवादीको त के कुरा, ५००० जना मारेको जिम्मा प्रचण्डले खुलेआम लिएकै छन् ।

त्यसैले बालेन ठिक भनेर बचाऊ गर्न खोजेको होइन, गर्नै पर्दैन । गगन, योगेश र रामकुमारीहरुले दुई दशकमा जे राजनीति गरे वा जसरी राजनीति गर्न सिके बालेन त्यो बाटोमा भर्खर पाइला सार्दैछन् मात्र भन्न खोजेको हो । हिँजो गगनले जे गर्थे आज बालेनले गरिरहेका छन्, हिँजो गगनले जे गर्थे आज सुमनाहरुले गरिरहेका छन्, हिँजो गगनले जे गरे आज स्वर्णिम वाग्लेहरुले गरिरहेका छन् ।

त्यसोभए किन उनीहरुबाट लोकतन्त्रलाई खतरा भयो त ?

हिँजो तत्कालीन सत्ताको विरोधमा नागरिकलाई सचेत बनाउन त्यो आन्दोलन आवश्यक थियो भने आज पनि सत्ताकै विरोधमा नागरिकलाई ब्यूँझाउनु पर्ने अवस्था छैन भन्ने ग्यारेन्टी गर्न सक्ने महापुरुषले एकपटक छातीमा हात राखेर, वीपी, मदन वा आफ्ना आदर्श कसलाई मान्नुहुन्छ सम्झनुहोस्, उत्तर तयार छ ।

अझ, तर्कै गर्ने हो भने, बालेनको ठाउँमा नेपाली कांग्रेस वा नेकपा एमाले वा समाजवादी वा माओवादीको नेताले सिंहदरबारमा आगो लगाउने कुरा गरेका भए के हुन्थ्यो ? वाहवाही हुन्थ्यो, टिकटकमा हजारौं लाइक अनि कमेन्ट हुन्थे । क्रान्तीकारी मानिन्थ्यो। अझ रमाइलो त प्रधानमन्त्री प्रचण्ड आफैं विप्लवको काँधमा बन्दुक राखेर त्यहि गर्दैछन् । प्रधानमन्त्री प्रचण्ड किन पनि भने पुष्पकमल हुनै सकेनन् उनी ।

त्यसैले नेपाललाई अन्तर्राष्ट्रियस्तरमै मानव तस्कर तथा सुन तस्करको स्वर्गको रुपमा स्थापित गराउन दिनरात मिहेनत गर्ने उत्तराधिकारीहरुबाट पनि लोकतन्त्रलाई खतरा छैन । तर, एउटा बालेनबाट लोकतन्त्रमा खतरा छ ।

तपाईंले मुलुक कति बनाउनु भो, कति आफू बन्नु भो ? आफ्नालाई कति बनाउनु भो ? लेखाजोखा गर्नु पर्छ, गर्नै बाँकी छ, अब ढिलो गर्नुहुन्न । तर, त्यसको हिसाब गर्न एउटा होइन ५० वटा बालेन चाहिन्छ ।

लोकतन्त्रका नाममा शिक्षा ध्वस्त बनाउँदा हामी चुप छौं । स्वास्थ्य ध्वस्त बनाउँदा हामी चुप छौं । अर्थतन्त्र ध्वस्त बनाउँदा अनि राज्यका संयन्त्रलाई कठपुतली बनाउँदा पनि हामी चुप छौं । लोकतन्त्रको सुन्दरता हेर्न नेपाल जाउँ भन्ने ‘स्लोगन’ राखेर एकपटक फेरि नेपाल भ्रमण वर्ष पो मनाउने हो कि भन्ने पनि लाग्दो हो, सत्ताको चास्नीमा रमाउन पाएकालाई ।

आज १२ पास गरेका हाम्रा छोराछोरीहरु आफ्ना बा-आमाको काखमा आफ्नो भविष्य नदेखेर ह्वारह्वार्ती विदेसिँदै छन्, त्यसले पनि लोतन्त्रको भविष्य खतरामा पर्दैन । किनकि, नेताका उत्तराधिकारीहरु त छँदै छन् नि सुनौलो नेपाल बनाउन ।

सत्ता निकटका परिवारका, उनका आसोपासे अनि कार्यकर्ताको अनुहार अनि जीवनशैली हेर्नु भएको छ ? कस्तो चम्किलो छ, मानौं बलिउडमा नायक-नायिका हुन् । करोडौंका गाडी छन्, शान सौकत छ, आन्दोलनको लाभांश पाएकै छन् । तिनबाट झन् लोकतन्त्रलाई खतरा हुने कुरै भएन ।

तर, यहि मुलुकमा छाक टार्न अनि आफनो बालबच्चालाई पाल्न असमर्थ भएर बाध्यतावश युवाहरु खाडीको ५० डिग्रीमा मुटु फुटाउन गएका कारण ती अनुहार चम्किलो भएका हुन् । खाडीमा गएका युवाले रेमिट्यान्स पठाइदिन्छन्, सरकारलाई गाडीमा डिजेल हाल्न मिहेनत गर्नु परेको छैन । आसोपासेलाई भत्ता बाँड्न पनि पुग्छ । आसेपासे र कार्यकर्तालाई सर-सपट गर्न पनि पुग्छ अनि आउन्न त अनुहारमा चमक । उनीहरुको अनुहारमा चमक आएपछि लोकतन्त्रको भविष्य त्यसै सुरक्षित हुन्छ।

विदेशी भूमिमा हाड घोटेर नेपाली युवाले हरेक महिना १ खर्ब रेमिट्यान्स पठाउन थालेका कारण पछिल्ला महिनाहरुमा अर्थतन्त्रमा केहि सहजता देखिएको छ । बढ्दो रेमिट्यान्सका कारण बाह्य अर्थतन्त्रमा क्रमिक सुधार देखिए पनि आन्तरिक अर्थतन्त्रलाई चलायमान हुन सकेको छैन । निर्माण व्यवसायीले काम गरेको पैसा नपाएर आन्दोलित छन् । तर, लोकतन्त्र सुरक्षित छ।

तपाईंहरुले खाडीमा गएका युवा बाकसमा घर फर्कँदा उसको बाबुको अनुहार देख्नु भएको छ । उसका बच्चाबच्चीको अनुहार देख्नु भएको छ । बाँचुन्जेल त उसले रेमिट्यान्स पठायो, परिवार पाल्यो । तर, मरेपछि उसको परिवारको अवस्था के छ, कसैले गएर हेर्नु भएको छ ।

फेरि पनि भ्रममा नपर्नुहोस्, ऊ मुलुक बनाउन खाडी गएको होइन । आफ्नो र आफ्नो परिवारको पेट पाल्न खाडी गएको हो । तर, तपाईंले त मुलुक बनाउने ठेक्का लिन्छु भनेर आन्दोलन भन्दै हजारौं नागरिकको अकाल मृत्यूको कारण बनेको आन्तरिक द्धन्द्ध हुँदै चुनाव जितेर आउनु भएको हो नि । कति चाँडै विर्सेको हजुर, ख्वामित ।

तपाईंले मुलुक कति बनाउनु भो, कति आफू बन्नु भो ? आफ्नालाई कति बनाउनु भो ? लेखाजोखा गर्नु पर्छ, गर्नै बाँकी छ, अब ढिलो गर्नुहुन्न । तर, त्यसको हिसाब गर्न एउटा होइन ५० वटा बालेन चाहिन्छ ।

याद राख्नुहोस्, अबको १० वर्षपछि नेपालमा ५०-५५ कटेका वा १२ कक्षा पढ्नेभन्दा कम उमेरका नागरिकमात्र हुनेछन् । त्यतिबेला तपाईंको लोकतन्त्र कसले बचाइदिन्छ ? दन्त्यकथामा झैं कुनै एउटा राजकुमार आएर यो मुलुकलाई जादुको छडीले चलायमान बनाउला भन्ने भ्रममा हुन त पाइन्छ । तर, त्यसो हुँदैन ।

गत आर्थिक वर्षको सुरुवातमा मुलुकमा रुवाबासी चल्यो । अर्थतन्त्र सुस्तायो, आयात नियन्त्रण गर्नु पर्ने बाध्यकारी अवस्था आयो, किन थाहा छ, किनकि नेपाली युवाले पठाउने रेमिट्यान्स ह्वात्तै घट्यो । रेमिट्यान्स नेपालीको हातमा छैन । रोजगारदाता मुलुकको आर्थिक, सामाजिक एवं राजनीतिक अवस्थामा भर पर्दछ ।

त्यसैले गत आर्थिक वर्षको सुरुवाती महिनाहरुमा रेमिट्यान्स आय घट्यो ।

आयात प्रतिस्थापन र आत्मनिर्भर अर्थतन्त्रका ठुल्ठुला भाषणले गरेको ध्वनी प्रदुषणको असर कम नहुँदै अत्यावश्यकभन्दा अन्य वस्तुको आयात धान्नै नसक्ने अवस्थामा पुगेपछि सरकार अनि राष्ट्र बैंकले कडिकडाउ गर्नु पर्यो । तर, लोकतन्त्र खतरामा परेन । किनकि, यो मुलुक गरिबका लागि होइन नि चमेली । २०४५ सालअघि दाँया हातका मुठ्ठिभरको मुलुक थियो। २०४६ पछि बाँया हाते मुठ्ठिभरका लागि त स्वर्गै हो, नेपाल। त्यसैले एउटा बालेन लोकतन्त्रका लागि खतरा भयो ।

बालेन एउटा प्रतिनिधि आवाजमात्र हो, कृपया आफ्ना छोराछोरीसँग एकपटक बस्नुस्, उनीहरुका कुरा सुन्नुस् । अनि सोध्नुस्, उनीहरु के भन्छन् ? नेपालमा उनीहरु आफ्नो भविष्य देख्छन् ?

गत आर्थिक वर्षमा २ लाख १० हजार २१७ विद्यार्थी विदेश पढ्न गएछन् । एक दशकको हिसाब निकाल्ने हो भने करिब साढे ५ लाख विद्यार्थी विदेश पढ्न गएछन् । नेपालमा स्नातक तथा स्नातकोत्तरमा तहमा पढ्ने विद्यार्थी घटेको घट्यै छन्, विश्व विद्यालयहरु खाली हुँदैछन् । कोहि पनि नेपालमा पढ्न चाहाँदैनन्, त्यसैले बालेन लोकतन्त्रका लागि खतरा हो ।

आज धेरैका छोराछोरी नेपालमा छैनन्, जो छन् ती पनि उड्न तयार छन् । यो व्यक्तिगत स्वतन्त्रता र मानव अधिकारको विषय पनि हो । अझ तपाईं आफैं पनि ५ वा १० वर्षपछि वा रिटायरमेन्टपछि उतै हानिने सोचमा हुनुहुन्छ होला । त्यसैले आजकाल त घुसको लेनदेन पनि विदेशमा नै हुन्छ भन्ने जगजाहेर नै छ ।

तर, याद राख्नुहोस्, अबको १० वर्षपछि नेपालमा ५०-५५ कटेका वा १२ कक्षा पढ्नेभन्दा कम उमेरका नागरिकमात्र हुनेछन् । त्यतिबेला तपाईंको लोकतन्त्र कसले बचाइदिन्छ ? दन्त्यकथामा झैं कुनै एउटा राजकुमार आएर यो मुलुकलाई जादुको छडीले चलायमान बनाउला भन्ने भ्रममा हुन त पाइन्छ । तर, त्यसो हुँदैन । यो २१औं शताब्दी हो, महोदय ।

गणतन्त्रमाथि खतरा छ भने गणतन्त्रबादीबाटै छ । बालेनबाट होइन । संघीयतामाथि खतरा छ भने, संघीयताबादीबाटै छ । बालेनबाट होइन ।

विश्व बैंकको प्रतिवेदन पढेर जनसांख्यिक लाभको सपनामा दङ्ग हुनुहुन्छ भने बिउँझनुहोस् । काम गर्ने उमेरका युवाको जनसंख्या टन्नै छ भन्ने तथ्यांक घोकेर बस्नु भएको छ भने थाहा पाउनुहोस्, नेपालको जनसांख्यिक लाभ अब खाडी र मलेसियापछि युरोप, अमेरिका, अष्ट्रेलिया, जापानलगायतका विश्वका विकसित मुलुकले उठाउँदैछन् ।

२०७८ को जनगणनाअनुसार १६-४० वर्ष उमेर समूहका युवाको जनसंख्या ४२.५६ प्रतिशत अर्थात् १ करोड २४ लाख १२ हजार १७३ रहेको छ । युवाको संख्या उल्लेख्य हुनु कुनै पनि मुलुकको विकासका लागि राम्रो सूचकांक हो । तर, नेपालमा कुनै पनि सरकारले युवा जनशक्तिको सही परिचालन गरेर लाभ लिन सकेन सकेको छैन ।

२०६८ को जनगणनामा भन्दा युवाको जनसंख्या कम हुनु तथा प्रजनन् दर घट्न थाल्नुले पनि नेपालले जनसांख्यिक लाभ लिने समय छोटिँदैछ भन्ने बुझिन्छ । २०७८ को जनगणनाअनुसार ५ वर्षभन्दा कम उमेरको जनसंख्या १.३३ प्रतिशत विन्दुले कम हुँदा ६० वर्षभन्दा माथिको उमेर समूहको जनसंख्या २.०८ प्रतिशत विन्दुले बढेको छ । नयाँ जन्मिने भन्दा बुढ्यौली उमेरमा जानेको अनुपात बढ्दै गएका कारण नेपालमा आश्रित जनसंख्या बढ्दै छ अनि क्रमश जनसांख्यिक लाभ लिनसक्ने सुविधाजनक अवस्था मुलुकले गुमाउँदै छ ।

जनगणनाले एक दशकअघि नेपालको जनसंख्या वृद्धिदर १.३५ प्रतिशत रहेकोमा हाल त्यो ०.९३ मा झरेको स्पष्ट पारेको छ । २०६८ मा भन्दा जनसंख्या वृद्धिदर एक दशकमा झन्डै ३१ प्रतिशतले घट्नु, त्यसमाथि पनि श्रम गर्ने उमेरका युवा जनसंख्याको वृद्धिदर खुम्चनुले नेपालको विकासका लागि जनसांख्यिक लाभको अवसर घट्दै गइरहेको प्रमाण हो ।

तर, हाम्रो सरकारलाई युवा जनशक्ति घाँडो भएको छ, आन्दोलन गर्लान् भन्ने पीर छ । त्यसैले सकेसम्म नेपालमा रोजगारी सिर्जना गर्न चाहन्न । नेपालमा आजसम्म कुनै बहादुर प्रधानमन्त्री वा अर्थमन्त्री निस्केनन्, जसले गर्वका साथ मैले यति दीर्घकालीन तथा सम्मानजनक रोजगारी सिर्जना गरे भनेर दावी गरोस् ।

जुन मुलुकमा राजनीति नै सबैभन्दा ठुलो पेशा तथा व्यवसाय छ, त्यो मुलुकमा आर्थिक गतिविधिमा संकुचन आउनु अनौठो होइन। युवा जनशक्ति पलायन, पुँजीको अभाव अनि प्राकृतिक स्रोतमा पंचायतकालमा झैं केहि टाठाबाठाको एकाधिकार, अनि लोकतन्त्र के ले जोगाउँछ, चमेली ?

डा. रामशरण महत, महेश आचार्यलाई अनि गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालालाई जति गाली गरेपनि सरकारको नीतिकै कारण कल कारखान बढेको, रोजगारी सिर्जना भएको २०४८ देखि २०५२ सम्ममात्र हो । त्यहि नीतिले १० वर्षे आन्तरिक द्धन्द्धमा पनि नेपालको अर्थतन्त्र जोगियो । त्यहि नीतिको लाभांस पाएर नै आज उदार अर्थतन्त्रको विरोधमा कफिसपमा बसेर ट्वीट गर्ने अवसर प्राप्त भएको छ ।

त्यसमाथि नेपाल सरकार आफ्नो युवा जनशक्ति खाडी, मलेसिया नभए जहाँ भएपनि जाउन भन्छ, नेपाल नबसुन् भन्छ । राज्य संयन्त्र आफैं लागेर अर्कै मुलुकको नागरिक बनाएर युवा तस्करी गरेको मुद्दा भर्खर सुरु भएको छ ।

तर, विकसित मुलुकलाई आफ्नो अर्थतन्त्रलाई विस्तार गर्न काम गर्ने उमेरका जनशक्ति चाहिएको छ । नपत्याए एकपटक लोकतन्त्रको मायावी सपनाबाट वास्तविकताको सडकमा ओर्लिएर हिँड्नु होस् त । पुतलीसडक, कुमारीपाटी अनि काठमाडौंमात्र नभएर मुलुकका विभिन्न सहर अनि सहरउन्मुख बजारमा विदेश पठाउने कन्सल्टेन्सिले भरिभराउ छन् । केहि कलेजले त आफैंले आइइएलटिएस र टोफेलका कक्षा पढाउन थालिसके । अब जापानीज र कोरियन कक्षा पनि सुरु गरे भने आश्चार्य मान्नु पर्दैन ।

जुन मुलुकमा राजनीति नै सबैभन्दा ठुलो पेशा तथा व्यवसाय छ, त्यो मुलुकमा आर्थिक गतिविधिमा संकुचन आउनु अनौठो होइन। युवा जनशक्ति पलायन, पुँजीको अभाव अनि प्राकृतिक स्रोतमा पंचायतकालमा झैं केहि टाठाबाठाको एकाधिकार, अनि लोकतन्त्र के ले जोगाउँछ, चमेली ?

अर्थतन्त्र पञ्चायतकालमाझैं लाइसेन्सराजतिर फर्कंदै छ । अर्थतन्त्र प्रतिगामी बाटोमा अनि राजनीति प्रणाली चाहिँ प्रगतीशिल कसरी हुन्छ ?

त्यसैले गणतन्त्रमाथि खतरा छ भने गणतन्त्रबादीबाटै छ । बालेनबाट होइन । संघीयतामाथि खतरा छ भने, संघीयताबादीबाटै छ । बालेनबाट होइन ।

मध्यबानेश्वरमा आत्मदाह गर्ने इलामका युवा उद्यमी प्रेमप्रसाद आचार्य सम्झनु हुन्छ नि, हुनत बिर्सिसक्नु भयो होला । कहाँ फुर्सद छ, नागरिकका बारेमा सोच्ने ? त्यहि प्रेमप्रसाद आचार्य, बालेन, अनि अस्ती त्यो कान्ति बाल अस्पतालमा पालो कुर्दा कुर्दै मृत्युवरण गर्ने ५ वर्षिया छोरी पो हुन् त वास्तवमा लोकतन्त्रका खतरा ।
गणतन्त्रविरुद्धका षड्यन्त्रकारी अनि संघीयता विरोधी!!! (https://clickmandu.com/2023/09/264784.html)

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Indira Rana Magar elected House of Representatives deputy speaker

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Indira Rana Magar has has been elected new deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR).

The ruling coalition – that includes CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist Centre and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) besides the RSP – candidate Rana Magar has been elected deputy speaker with 166 votes today. She has defeated Mukta Kumari Yadav of Nepali Congress (NC). Out of 275 members of the House of Representatives, 264 participated in the election. One needs to secure the support of 138 members in the 275-strong lower house to be elected. As many as 97 lawmakers stood against Magar, while Prem Suwal of the Majdoor Kishan Party stood neutral.

Magar and Yadav filed their candidacy for the position of deputy speaker in the House of Representatives yesterday. NC’s Yadav was supported by the CPN-Unified Socialist and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Nepal besides the NC.

Newly elected Speaker Debraj Ghimire first presented Rana's candidacy in the assembly for decision. During the division of votes, as the majority of MPs were in favor of Rana, the candidacy of Congress MP Muktakumari, who was her rival, did not have to be presented for decision.

The 52-year-old Rana Magar, who is from Jhapa, became an HoR member from RSP through the proportional representation (PR) electoral system. 

Actively involved in social work and child rights before entering politics, she is the founding chairperson of Prisoners Assistance Nepal, a non-profit organisation that looks after children whose parents are in prison.

A resident of Salbadi from Arjundhara-11 in Jhapa, Rana Magar, has two schools and 10 childcare centres under her guardianship. In the centres, as many as 2,000 children of inmates from Jhapa to Palpa district are getting care and education at her initiative.

Born to father Pratap Ranamagar and mother Manmaya Ranamagar as the youngest child in 2027 BS, she began taking care of the inmates’ children by renting two rooms in Kathmandu 22 years ago.

Rana Magar is also listed on BBC 100 Women. In 2005, Rana Magar also got the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship, and the ‘Asia People’s Service’ award in 2009. She has received Asia 21 Young Leader Public Service Award in 2009 and World Children’s Honourary Award in 2014 for her social work. She was featured in BBC’s 100 Women List in 2017.

The third largest party in the ruling coalition RSP got the post of deputy speaker and the largest CPN-UML the speaker according to the agreement of the coalition. CPN-UML lawmaker Dev Raj Ghimire was elected speaker on Thursday defeating Ishwari Neupane of NC.

The Constitution makes it mandatory to elect a Speaker and a deputy Speaker within 15 days of the House’s first meeting.

According to the Article 91 (2) of the Statute, either the Speaker or the deputy Speaker must be a woman and from different parties, preferably form government and opposition. However, the ruling alliance has divided Speaker and deputy Speaker among themselves.

Rana, after being elected, claimed to work on strengthen the federalism, though her party openly has criticized the federalism, and asked to scrap the Province as according to them Province has become liability.

The deputy Speaker, according to her, is inspired by renowned litterateur Parijat, who was her guide and guardian, when Rana Magar moved to Kathmandu for study. She did her schooling by getting enrolled at Grade 5 at the age of 12 in a local Maharanigunj Primary School, Arjundhara, according to her elder brother Jagat Ranamagar.

She holds a MA degree in Sociology and has a daughter.

According to the Parliamentary Secretariat, except the single party Panchayat Rule of 30 years, Rana Magar is the 12th deputy Speaker and seventh women deputy Speaker in the parliamentary history of Nepal. The first deputy Speaker was Mahendra Narayan Nidhi of NC (March 31, 1960), who could enjoy his tenure till December 15, 1960 as then King Mahendra dissolved the House and arrested the democratically elected government led by NC president BP Koirala.

After the democratic movement of 1990 that reestablished the multiparty democracy, Mahanta Thakur – then NC now Loktantrik Samaajbadi Party – became the deputy Speaker on June 23, 1991 to December 17, 1994. From December 18, 1994 Ram Bilas Yadav from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) became deputy Speaker till October 13, 1997.

The first women deputy Speaker of the House was Lila Shrestha Subbha from CPN-UML. Due to intra-party feud in CPN-UML, her party asked her to resign and she resigned on October 10, 1998. 

Bhoj Raj Joshi from the CPN-ML – a splinter party of CPN-UML – became deputy Speaker of the House on October 14, 1998, after the resignation of Lila Shrestha Subba. Joshi – now CPN-UML leader – remained deputy Speaker till March 23, 1999.

The second women deputy Speaker of the House Chitralekha Yadav was elected deputy Speaker of the House on June 29, 1999. He is the longest serving deputy Speaker of the House due to political upheaval. She remained deputy Speaker till January 17, 2007. During her tenure as the deputy Speaker, the country witnessed direct rule of the King Gyanendra.

But after the CPN-Maoist – now Maoist-Centre – came to main stream politics, they won majority in the House and the House saw Purna Kumari Subedi was elected the deputy Speaker on November 28, 2008. Her tenure was till November 19, 2013. After Subedi of CPN-Maoist, Onsari Gharti, of the same party, became deputy Speaker of the House on February 26, 2014. Her tenure remained till October 14, 2015. Later Gharti also became the Speaker of the House.

From October 15, 2015, Ganga Prasad Yadav of RPP became the deputy Speaker of the House till October 15, 2017. Then Dr Shiva Maya Tumbahamfe of unified CPN (CPN) remained deputy Speaker till January 20, 2020. From July 15, 2022, Puspa Bhusal of NC became deputy Speaker till September 17, 2022.

On January 20, 2023, today, Indira Rana Magar of RSP elected deputy Speaker of the House. RSP – the fourth largest party in the House – according to power sharing agreement among the ruling alliance, was planning to field lawmaker Sovita Gautam, who has defeated the former Speaker of the House Onsari Gharti in Kathmandu-2, but all of a sudden proposed Rana Magar, who has become HR member under Proportional representation (PR) electoral system – at the last moment.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Election Commission announces final results of federal and provincial polls

Election Commission today published the final results of the parliamentary elections – under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) systems – held on November 20.

Organising a press meet here today, the Commission informed that it will submit the final results to the President Bidya Devi Bhandari tomorrow. 

According to the rule, the commission has to submit the election results report, under both FPTP and Proportional Representation, of the House of Representatives to the President and the Provincial Assembly members’ results to the respective provincial heads within seven days of the announcement. The process of government formation as per Article 76 of the Constitution of Nepal will begin after the report is submitted to the President.

Likewise, The commission will send the report of the results of the provincial election to the provincial heads of the provinces on Saturday. After the President and heads of the province get the results, the final list of elected members will be published in the Nepal Gazette. 

The commission also reported that a total of 825 people were elected – some 275 to the House of Representatives and 550 to the seven provincial assemblies. “Some 184 men (66.90 per cent) and 91 women (33.10 per cent) have been elected to the House of Representatives and 350 men (63.64 per cent) and 200 women (36.36 per cent) to the seven provincial assemblies,” Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said, adding that some 86 political parties had been registered for the election for the House of Representatives. “Of them, 61 participated in FPTP voting and 47 participated in PR voting.

Likewise, altogether 17,988,570 were eligible to vote in the election. “Of them, some 11,047,034 (61.41 per cent) exercised their voting rights.” the commission reported, adding that about 5.06 per cent of votes were declared invalid. “A total of 4,285 candidates, or 76.4 per cent of the total candidates, lost their election deposits after failing to get the minimum votes required.”

According to the commission, candidates securing less than 10 per cent of the total votes-cast lose their election deposit. The parties lose their election deposit, if they fail to win any seat under the PR system. “Of the 47 political parties submitting the closed list of candidates for the PR system in the House of Representatives, some 40 parties lost their deposits as they failed to get least 3 per cent of the total valid votes.”

“The deposits of some 1,961 including 1,772 male candidates for the House of Representatives and 2,086 male and 237 female candidates for the Provincial Assembly have been forfeited,” Thapaliya informed, adding that only seven parties could become the national parties.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Mahat brings ‘Trails, Tremors and Hope’

Former finance minister and Nepali Congress (NC) stalwart Dr Ram Sharan Mahat launched his new book ‘Trails, Tremors and Hope: The Political Economy of Contemporary Nepal’ today.
The book – jointly launched by former president Dr Ram Baran Yadav and former foreign minister Bhekh Bahadur Thapa – deals with various ups and downs Nepal went through regime changes, promulgation of new constitutions, 2015-earthquakes, armed insurgency and peace process. "It is the second one after ‘In Defence of Democracy’," Mahat said addressing the ceremony.
“The first chapter of the book deals with ideological underpinnings, especially socialist philosophy adopted by the Constitution,” he said, remembering the Nepali Congress founder BP Koirala and his vision for socialism. “Likewise, the book also discusses Maoist insurgency followed by peace process and management of Maoist combatants, and issues formation of constitution.”
The book also discusses about Nepal’s foreign relation, especially geopolitics, and how the concept of Nepal being a ‘yam between two boulders’ is changing in the current times.
Describing about the book, Mahat said that the book also talks about 'competitive populism' that is increasing in recent years is fatal for the governance. “The book also dwells on Nepal’s hydropower potential, its present status, problems and prospects,” he said, adding that remittance and its impact on the lives of people, and need for rapid economic growth by attracting foreign direct investment are also discussed in the book. “The book raises concerns about financial sustainability of local governments.”
Apart from geo-politics and economy, the book also touches upon the issue of climate change and how Nepal has been affected by carbon emissions by two big fast industrialising neighbours China and India. After discussing about trails and tremors in Nepali polity and economy, Mahat talks about hopes in the last chapter of the book.
Speaking about the book and the writer Dr Mahat, former vice chair of the National Planning Commission (NPC) Dr Swornim Wagle said the most important chapter of the book is ‘Hope’. Mahat ends the book with hope, he said, lauding the book’s key message that is ‘no compromise with liberal democratic order.’
Wagle also compared the book with Mahat’s persona. “Performance evaluation, high moral and discipline are the key elements of Dr Mahat’s persona and so preaches the book,” he said, adding that the slowdown of economic reforms and indifference by incumbent government can also be read in the book.
“After going through the book, Dr Mahat seems to be becoming more flexible towards the liberal values,” said former finance minister Surendra Pandey, speaking about the book. He also blamed the author for failing to express his opinion on many issues like secularism and citizenship. “The book also fails to discuss the issue of land reforms as without land reforms no country in the world has been developed.”

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Nepal slips two places in World Press Freedom Index



Nepal has slipped two places to 120th position in the World Press Freedom Index-2014 – compared to the lats year – according to the Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday.
Nepal was ranked at the 118th in 2013.
The report stated that the Indian sub-continent is the Asian region with the biggest rise in violence for journalists. "The most disturbing development is the increasingly targeted nature of the violence," it said, adding that the Maoist party activists were more aggressive towards journalists, who criticised their leaders, especially in the run-up to constituent assembly elections in November last year.
A record number of eight journalists and one media worker were killed, in Nepal's immediate neighborhood, in India last year.
"Half of these deaths were premeditated reprisals," it said, adding that the
number was double in 2012 death toll and more than the death toll in Pakistan, long the world’s deadliest country for media personnel. "Criminal organisations, security forces, demonstrators and armed groups all pose a threat to India’s journalists. The violence and the resulting self-censorship are encouraged by the lack of effective investigations by local authorities, who are often quick to abandon them, and inaction on the part of the federal authorities."