NEPALI POLITICS

The Himalayan Times 26 January 2024 Balen vs businessmen Kathmandu’s Mayor Balendra Shah is now a popular name, who now has been listed as one of the 2023 TIME100 Next emerging leaders shaping the world. The renowned magazine’s this year’s list has included Balen along with other rising leaders in health, climate, business, sports, the arts, who are engineering new solutions to society’s most pressing problems. His remarkable achievements in just one year have set a new benchmark for good governance and urban development. His untiring dedication, visionary leadership, and focus on infrastructure and public services seem to be gradually transforming the Kathmandu cityscape. His first priority, among others, was to solve the problem of pedestrian pavement encroachment and haphazard parking of two and four wheelers in the main city areas. Balen has to and will have to drive his agenda without support from the political parties and their leaders who, at all levels, have close

The Himalayan Times 19 January 2024 MWSP: source of corruption? The Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) was constructed with the objective of resolving the drinking water shortage in the Kathmandu Valley in a sustainable manner. Although, its concept paper was prepared during the Panchayat period, it got started in 1998 following the restoration of multi-party democracy in the country when NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai made a commitment and promised to bring Melamchi water to the Kathmandu Valley. Accordingly, the project started with funding by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japanese International Aid Agency (JICA) under the management of the Melamchi Water Supply Development Board (MWSDB). The project was to be have been completed by 2006. Melamchi water was first distributed in Kathmandu in March 2021. However, water distribution was stopped after the flood and landslides at the project site causing major damages during the 2021 monsoon. Although the initial

  The Himalayan Times 5 January 2024 Nation in trouble Looking closely at the on-going insensible and irresponsible political activities of major political parties , they have completely failed to meet the expectations of the people who desired to see their nation as a flourishing democratic nation with peace, prosperity and stable and strong government. In the last 15 years, following the announcement of the nation as a federal democratic republic in 2008, and particularly after the promulgation of the constitution under a new political structure, the nation seems to be falling into disorder, showing all the characteristics of a failed or failing state. Rampant corruption, increasing impunity, extreme poverty, weak governance, lack of access to basic services and an unstable political situation are some of the primary features of a failing state. It seems that the corruption, seen as an accepted national norm , has gripped every level of government and state institutions. Co