My Republica

Ashok Dahal

Ashok Dahal has been covering political and parliamentary affairs for Republica since 2013. He has worked for different media houses—print, television and radio.
asokdahal@gmail.com

NCP MPs divided along UML-Maoist fault line on disputed bills, issues

Published On: June 13, 2019 06:30 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, June 13: A year after unification between the two communist allies-- CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center)— and formation of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), lawmakers of the ruling NCP are sharply divided along UML and Maoist lines over disputed bills and key issues of national importance.

SAC tells govt, PSC to scrap vacancies

Published On: June 11, 2019 06:30 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, June 11: The State Affairs Committee (SAC) of the parliament on Monday directed the government and the Public Service Commission (PSC) to scrap the recently-announced vacancies for civil servants at various local units on Monday.

MPs register amendments before reading disputed ad-related bill

Published On: June 9, 2019 07:00 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, June 9: In a rare occurrence in parliamentary practice, lawmakers have registered amendment proposals to a disputed advertisement-related bill without getting updated on the already revised provisions of the bill.

House may take months to scrub PM's un-parliamentary language

Published On: May 17, 2019 06:00 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, May 17: Although Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara issued a ruling last week to remove some 'un-parliamentary words' spoken during heated exchanges between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and opposition lawmakers who were raising some critical questions in parliament last week, it will likely take a few months to decide which specific words to remove.

Bill on Nepal Media: New law seeks up to Rs 10m fine, 15 yrs jail for erring media persons

Published On: May 12, 2019 07:35 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, May 12: While the media fraternity and civil society are worrying about one piece of legislation after another being drafted with even harsher provisions concerning the media , the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has formulated yet another bill, proposing confiscation of media equipment and slapping fines of up to Rs 10 million and 15 years in jail for media persons found publishing offensive content.

Govt drafts bill with harsher provisions on media, journos

Published On: May 10, 2019 06:30 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, May 10: The government has pushed new legislation with harsher provisions to further tighten control on media, including a provision of up to Rs 1 million penalty for publishing content in violation of the media code of ethics.

FSFN, Naya Shakti to merge as Samajbadi Party Nepal

Published On: May 5, 2019 07:16 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, May 5: Leaders of the Naya Shakti Party (NSP) led by former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai and Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) led by Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Upendra Yadav have agreed to merge the two parties to form a new party, Samajbadi Party Nepal.

Prez draws flak over ‘my government’

Published On: May 4, 2019 07:17 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMAMDU, May 4: President Bidya Bhandari’s choice of the phrase ‘mero sarkar’ (my government) while unveiling the government policy and program in parliament on Friday has met with criticism ‘for using words like the monarchs’.

NHRC protests amendment bill curtailing its authority

Published On: April 21, 2019 06:30 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, April 21: Officials at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have protested against the government's push to curtail the authority of the human rights watchdog body through an amendment of the law.

Govt brings bill to coordinate federal tiers

Published On: April 20, 2019 05:25 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, April 20: The government is introducing a new law to coordinate the provincial and local units with the federal level while exercising concurrent powers, and to settle disputes between the three tiers of government under the federal structure.

Headless for 3 years, men lead women's commission

Published On: March 31, 2019 06:30 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 31: The Constitutional Council, which is headed by the prime minister, picked the new head of the Election Commission on Monday just a day after the outgoing chief election commissioner retired from the post.

Five parliament staff adjusted in new federal setup ‘without their knowledge'

Published On: March 28, 2019 08:07 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 28: Five senior staffers at the parliament secretariat have been adjusted at the provincial level ‘without their knowledge’. The adjustment of the staff took place breaching the due process, reportedly in the interest of top office bearers of the federal parliament.

House panel’s report on Chhaupadi deaths without reaching incident site

Published On: March 24, 2019 08:00 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 24: A parliamentary committee has been found to be preparing a field report on Chhaupadi deaths without any of its members visiting the incident site in the district of Bajura despite spending two days in the district headquarters, Martadi.

Debate on citizenship bill drags on

Published On: March 23, 2019 09:55 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 23: The issue of citizenship, which was one of the major bones of contention during constitution drafting in 2015, has resurfaced as a hard nut to crack.

Bill proposes sack of university chiefs through senate majority, draws flak

Published On: March 21, 2019 07:25 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 21: A provision in a bill that proposes removing top officials of universities through a majority on the university senate concerned has drawn flak. The bill has already been registered in parliament.

Govt sends police adjustment bill to parliament

Published On: March 14, 2019 06:00 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 14: The government has proposed allowing the provinces to fill vacancies among provincial police only after the adjustment of Nepal Police to the provinces under the adjustment bill.

Way cleared for Ansari at Muslim Commission

Published On: March 10, 2019 06:00 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 10: The way has been cleared for the appointment of Samim Miya Ansari as chairperson of the National Muslim Commission even without confirmation of his nomination by the Parliamentary Hearings Committee (PHC).

CK Raut renounces secessionist drive, inks 11-point deal with govt

Published On: March 9, 2019 05:56 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 8: Secessionist campaigner CK Raut has renounced the movement he has been leading, striking an 11-point agreement with the government on Friday.

Ansari likely to head Muslim Commission without hearings nod

Published On: March 6, 2019 06:00 AM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, Mar 6: Samim Miya Ansari, who was nominated by the Constitutional Council as chairperson of the National Muslim Commission, is likely to be appointed to the post even though the Parliamentary Hearings Committee (PHC) on Tuesday failed to endorse him.

Hearing committee ends inconclusively over Ansari's fake citizenship row

Published On: March 5, 2019 03:07 PM NPT By: Ashok Dahal

KATHMANDU, March 5: A meeting of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) on Tuesday ended inconclusively after it failed to make a concrete decision on the fate of proposed commissioner for Muslim Commission, Samim Miya Ansari.