China is showing its deep pockets and diplomatic overreach in Nepal. Days before last month’s elections, a Chinese delegation led by Vice-Minister Li Qun arrived in Kathmandu despite the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s caretaker government informing Beijing that Kathmandu was pr
570 All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s Turn to China by Amish Raj Mulmi. Westland. Pages 320. Rs799
Book Title: All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s Turn to China
Author: Amish Raj Mulmi
Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta (Retd)
Nepal, the small Himalayan nation wedged between two giant neighbours, China and India, has for more than a century sought to create sovereign space to act independently of India. Since 2015, stars got so re-aligned that Nepal decided to turn to China when two major Communist parties aligned and merged to form the Nepal Communist Party. It swept the polls with a two-thirds majority in the Lower House, simple majority in the Upper House, governments in six of seven provinces and victories in 80 per cent of local elections. Prime Minister KP Oli capitalised on such a breathtaking electoral success and political stability with his brand of ultra-nationalism following India’s clumsy reactions to Nepal’s non-inclusive Constitution of 2015, backed by China’s behind-the
Northlines
The Supreme Court’s scathing judgment notwithstanding, Nepal’s PM KP Oli has prorogued the House a second time
After the Supreme Court of Nepal on February 23 overturned Prime Minister (PM) KP Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament, he prorogued the House session on Monday afternoon.
A two-year power struggle between Oli and his bête noire, revolutionary leader Prachanda, has ended in a climactic anti-climax with Oli providentially keeping his chair. Witness the events in the last six months: Oli dumped the Prachanda-Madhav Nepal group, ditched the Chinese by refusing to step down as the PM, dissolved Parliament, ordered elections and reinstated himself as the PM not caretaker of a revived Government, insisting that it was business as usual. Except that the quality of governance had declined further through rule by ordinances, boosted by the party faithful President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.