KATHMANDU, May 27: Senior leaders of the major three political parties have held discussions on ways to make the functioning of the federal parliament effective.

KATHMANDU, May 14: The three major political parties have decided to advance the transitional justice bill by forming a sub-committee under the thematic committee of the House of Representatives.

KATHMANDU, May 9: Top leaders of the three major political parties have held discussions on the issues including the bill related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

KATHMANDU, April 24: A meeting of three major political parties is underway at the Prime Minister's office in Singha Durbar.

The ‘Nice Guy’ Strategy

April 11, 2023 09:00 am

Political parties and independent candidates go a long mile to make their campaigns successful. Their motive and actions are parallel to please the mass and achieve victory. Many parties use various types of strategies to make their vision a reality. While it is undoubtedly true that not all strategies can come to a joyous conclusion.

KATHMANDU, March 31: Top leaders of various seven political parties in parliament have expressed commitment to pass the Citizenship Bill through parliament as soon as possible.

KATHMANDU, March 6: Nine political parties represented in the House of Representatives (HoR) have pledged to complete the rest of the transitional justice work without delay.

KATHMANDU, March 6: Nine political parties represented in the House of Representatives have pledged to complete the rest of the transitional justice work without delay. A meeting of the nine parties held at the Prime Minister's Residence in Baluwatar on Sunday evening decided to present the bills necessary to give justice to the victims of the conflict and their families to become a law according to the court's decision in this session of Parliament.

Despite the political parties coming to a consensus on their respective presidential candidates and registering their candidacies, there is a palpable lack of enthusiasm and interest surrounding these candidates. They have failed to inspire a sense of hope or excitement in the people, and their names are not associated with any particular sense of love or respect beyond their immediate party factions.

KATHMANDU, Feb 19: Former King Gyanendra Shah has asked political parties for cooperation.

Changing Political Landscape of Nepal

February 18, 2023 09:00 am

The emergence of new political parties in Nepal has created a platform for a new political discourse. Their significance in today’s politics has become a highly debatable subject. Though this is not the first time in history that new political forces emerged prior to the elections and got a tremendous support from voters, their sustainability has always been doubtful. There is a long history of formation and dissolution of political parties in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Feb 8: Parliamentarians put forth several demands ranging from mandatory routine presence of top leaders of the political parties in the parliamentary committees meetings and increment in the number of thematic committees in the parliament.

Expectations from the New Government

December 27, 2022 09:00 am

The new government is expected to establish the rule of law and end impunity. To do that, the major political parties, especially those in the government, must instruct their workers and leaders at the local level to create an environment that allows the various organs of the state to exercise their duties and rights freely.

KATHMANDU, Dec 16: Major political parties have been blamed for not being positive about the issue of representation of persons with disabilities in parliament. The results of the recently-concluded elections to the House of the Representatives (HoR) and provincial assemblies (PA) have indicated this.

A well-organized party is essential to orient and manage the cadres. All this requires resources. Why couldn’t old parties/leaders deliver? Can the new ones without a track record in power, whom people have believed for what they have said, better demonstrate wisdom, integrity, and ability to lead and mobilize all the essentials better than those whom they have lambasted for failing?

Gross Misuse of PR System

December 12, 2022 08:05 am

The PR system was especially adopted to ensure the representation of the marginalized and ‘backward’ castes, class, gender and communities in the political mainstream. However, it is sad and unfortunate to notice that the PR system has been put to a deliberate and gross misuse by the political parties – big or small. As a result, in the name of ensuring the access of the ‘backward’ people to the political mainstream, politicians’ family members and friends, businessmen, and middlemen have been ‘elected’ to the House of Representatives (HoR) and the seven provincial assemblies

KATHMANDU, Dec 8: The Election Commission (EC) has distributed the seats proportionally for the provincial assembly and House of Representative elections held on November 20.

Will the young guns ever replace the old guards?

KATHMANDU, Nov 18: It has been found that major political parties stand together in their manifestos on the issues related to climate change and environment. The political parties have given top priority to these issues in their election manifesto stating that Nepal is a country at high risk in view of view of the impact of climate change.

The proclamation of election manifestos has become a ritualistic event that is never scrutinized after the political parties form the government, although this time the general public and the election analysts have aggressively been attacking the aims and agendas presented in the election manifestos of the political parties.

KATHMANDU, Nov 13: Major political parties have yet made lofty promises purportedly to address the country’s major economic problems before the general public in their manifestos for the upcoming November 20 elections.

KATHMANDU, Nov 11: The Election Commission (EC) has made a six-point decision providing for the political parties to publish and disseminate their election publicity materials for the purpose of the upcoming elections.

KARNALI, Nov 6: With just two weeks left for the election to the members of the House of Representatives and Province Assembly, political parties have intensified their campaign focused in the villages.

KATHMANDU, Nov 4: Like in the previous elections, the major political parties have shown an ambitious railway dream to the people in the upcoming House of Representative and provincial assembly elections. It seems that the infrastructure plan including railways mentioned by the parties in their manifestos cannot be sustained by the current size of Nepal's economy.

ARGHAKHANCHI, Nov 2: Three political parties have announced to boycott the elections in Arghakhanchi. The three parties have announced that they will boycott the elections under their "Let's disobey and boycott the election" campaign.

Addressing democratic deficit

October 20, 2022 17:17 pm

The elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and provincial assemblies are just a month away now. Major political parties have forged electoral alliances or have agreed to support each other in the elections to secure victory as they expedite election campaigns across the country.

KATHMANDU, Oct 13: The Election Commission (EC) has requested not to conduct opinion polls about political parties and candidates.

KATHMANDU, Sept 13: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has urged the political leaders not to construe the issue of election code of conduct in a different perspective based on the parties' opposition or ruling status. Political parties' understanding and implementation of election code of conduct should be the same, Thapaliya added.

KATHMANDU, August 24: Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen) has directed teachers and employees to renounce their political party affiliation. Mayor Shah in a public notice directed all teachers and employees under the KMC to give up their party affiliation immediately.

KATHMANDU, August 1: The Election Commission (EC) has instructed the government and local units to take action against government employees, professors, teachers or employees who are members of political parties. On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Commission, Shaligram Sharma Poudel said that action will be taken against the incumbent employees who are members of various political parties.

KATHMANDU, July 8: A growing rift has been reported between mayors who won from independent candidacy and ward chairpersons who won the elections  on tickets from political parties. Independent mayors are heard clashing with representatives of political parties every day.

KATHMANDU, June 22: Many people have started announcing their candidacies even when the date for the election to the House of Representatives hasn’t been confirmed. The wave of announcing candidacy in Kathmandu and various other districts has started along with the government's preparations to announce the election date by mid-July.

NUWAKOT, May  21: Jag Bahadur Gurung of the CPN (Maoist Center) has been elected as the mayor of Belkotgadhi Municipality, Likewise, Shiva Prasad Dahal of the Nepali Congress (NC) has been elected as the deputy mayor.

KATHMANDU, May 20: Political parties associated with the five-party ruling coalition have won the elections to more than two-thirds local government.

KATHMANDU, May 13: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that the major political parties have been found violating the election code of conduct for the local level elections during the silence period.

KATHMANDU, May 7: With preparations for the May 13 local level election coming to a final phase, the Election Commission (EC) has tightened its screw against the breach of poll code of conduct.

The Election Commission (EC) has urged all the stakeholders concerned including the leaders of the political parties not to make confusing statements regarding the election.

KATHMANDU, April 9: The election code of conduct enforced by the Election Commission (EC) has come to effect across the country since April 8.

KATHMANDU, April 5: The leaders of various political parties got engaged in a heated argument in a meeting called by the Election Commission (EC) to discuss local level elections.

KATHMANDU, March 31: CPN (Unified Socialist) leader Jhala Nath Khanal has said that it is the responsibility of the political parties to protect the constitution of the country.

JHAPA, March 22: Thirty-six political parties including the Mangol National Organisation have been registered at the District Election Office, Jhapa, to contest in the upcoming local level elections.

KATHMANDU, March 22: After the Election Commission (EC) decided to provide election symbols, 58 political parties have submitted the details of their district level organization structures (district committees).

TANAHUN, March 7: Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML have asked the government to ensure relief to the families affected by a huge fire that broke out in Damauli of Tanahun district on Sunday afternoon.

KATHMANDU, March 4: The term of as many as 20 lawmakers of the National Assembly who were nominated to their respective positions in 2017 is set to end today.

GALKOT, Feb 21: With the preparation for civic polls gaining momentum, the political parties have focused their engagement at local level.

KATHMANDU, Feb 17: The top leaders of three major political parties held discussions at Singha Durbar before the meeting of the ruling alliance.

Intraparty Democracy at Stake in Nepal

January 27, 2022 06:30 am

This escalating ideological crisis within the political parties, lack of vision and clear action plan, disregard to the democratic norms in the selection of party leadership, sidelining the issues of inclusion as envisioned by the Constitution of Nepal, leaves ample grounds for suspicion on the ability and intention of political parties to institutionalize the nascent republican system of governance in Nepal.

KATHMANDU, Nov 9: The agitating Nepal Bar Association (NBA) has demanded the resignation of the Chief Justice and urged the Prime Minister and political parties to take appropriate steps.

Dreaming of a Government of Technocrats

September 12, 2021 06:45 am

Even if such a move won’t go far, it is a gamble worth taking because it would give a strong message to the entire nation: at times of crisis, when the leadership of political parties falls short, then other options can be made available.

EC scraps 41 political parties

August 4, 2021 08:43 am

KATHMANDU, August 4: The Election Commission (EC) has scrapped registration of 41 political parties.