The Nepal Weekly 
January 2, 2024The year 2023 starts with a tragedy for Nepal as Yeti Airlines aircraft that took off from Kathmandu in the morning of January 15 crashes in the Seti Gorge of Pokhara with 72 people on board including five Indian nationals and ten nationals from third country, all of whom were declared dead.
The year also featured power tussle and bargaining among Nepal’s key political players in a bid to gain political stability with just concluded Parliamentary election that elevated third largest party CPN-Maoist Centre to power with the backing of Nepali Congress placing Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” to the post of Prime Minister, who secured vote of trust from the House of Representatives on January 10.
February:
Nepal – India relations got renewed giving a bust to the bilateral relations with the exchange of high level visits between the two neighbours. Prime Minister Prachanda meets Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra at Baluwatar on February 13 during which matters relating to cooperation on energy, trade, commerce, connectivity, culture, agriculture and education featured.
March:
The Parliament on March 9 elects Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Poudel as the third president of the country after the erstwhile Hindu kingdom turns into a democratic, secular republican state in 2008 through a peaceful revolution.
April
Rastriya Swotantra Party, led by Ravi Lamichhane grabs two out of three seats of House of Representatives during the by-elections held on April 23. Ravi Lamichhane, president of the RSP and prominent economist Swornim Wagle both have won the elections held in Chitawan – 2 and Tanhun – 1 constituencies with a huge margin giving a blow to the ruling alliance. Lamichhane has secured 54,276 votes against his nearest rival Jit Narayan Shrestha (Nepali Congress) who secured 11,251 votes. Wagle has secured 34,919 votes, against his nearest rival Govinda Bhattarai (NC), who received 20,122 votes.
May:
The year brings both success and tragedy to the mountaineering sector as nearly 500 people standing on the top of the world with 11 climbers sacrificing their lives. Veteran mountaineer of Nepal Kami Rita Sherpa sets a new world record of climbing the Everest for 28 times. He reached the summit twice in this season, May 17 and 23, 2023.
The government, on May 24 took action against at least 30 people including influential political leaders and top bureaucrats on charges of taking bribe in the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal. Former Deputy Prime Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and former Home Minister Balkrishna Khand were among those who were imprisoned for sending Nepalese to Bhutan faking citizenship certificates.
Prime Minister Prachanda accompanying Foreign Minister N.P. Saud paid a four day official visit to India, his first foreign trip after assuming the top executive post for the third term starting from May 31. During the visit the two Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and Prachanda discussed about further strengthening cooperative relations existing in diverse areas of Nepal- India relations and also exchanged views.
June:
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the anti-graft body, has taken control of the Pashupatinath Temple on June 25 to investigate into the newly installed gold ornaments weighing around 100 kg inside the main temple where Shiva Linga is located. The newly built gold ornament called Jalhari was installed as the support to the Shiva Linga inside the temple during Maha Shivaratri festival last year. However, after questions were raised in the Parliament regarding missing of 10 kg of gold from the Shiva Linga, the anti-graft body initiated investigate into the matter. The Pashupati Area Development Authority had claimed that it had bought 103 kg of gold to make the Jalahari but 10 kg was missing from the ornament.
July:
Nepalese Foreign Minister NP Saud and India’s Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar held meeting in the sideline of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) in Bangkok on July 17, during which both the leaders agreed to work closely to implement the agenda of cooperation set out by the leaderships of the two countries.
September:
Prime Minister Prachanda, accompanied by Foreign Minister N.P. Saud payd commenced official visit to CHina on September 23. Prachanda held bilateral talks with President of China Xi Jinping at Hangzhou province, and the discussion mainly focused on matters relating to bilateral interest and mutual cooperation.
China and Nepal on Sept. 25 signed 12 agreements, including seven MoUs, to enhance bilateral cooperation in sectors including trade, road connectivity, and information technology after Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Prachanda held wide-ranging talks in Beijing.
The agreements include an MoU for Cooperation between the National Planning Commission of Nepal and China’s National Development and Reform Commission; an MoU on enhancing digital economy co-operation; an MoU related to cooperation on green and low-carbon development; and an MoU on cooperation in the field of agriculture, livestock and fisheries.
October:
In October, Nepal government evacuated 257 stranded Nepali students residing in Israel under learn and earn scheme as Hamas group of Palestine launched attack in Gaza area. Ten Nepalese were killed and one (Bipin Joshi) is still missing after the Hamas attack.
November
At least 154 Nepalese were killed when a 6.4 Magnitude earthquake hit Jajarkot district district in Western on November 3 leaving hundreds others injured. Following the earthquake that shook western and central Nepal, India joined other countries including USA and China to provide relief materials for the affected people. Meanwhile, 31 Nepalese earthquake survivors, mostly elderly persons, died in Jajarkot and Rukum due to severe cold weeks after the earthquake hit the Western Nepal.
December:
The implementation of ‘Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact Programme’, a 500 million dollar US government funded project, has officially commenced on August 30. Its a joint investment programme of Nepal Government and Millennium Challenge Corporation, USA aimed at constructing 400 KV transmission lines and upgradation of different road network in Nepal. At a special programme organised at Finance Ministry Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and MCC Vice President of Compact Operations Cameron Alford exchanged the letter related to ‘Entry into Force’ (EIF). Two persons were killed in police brutality on Dec. 29 as hundreds of youths aspiring for foreign jobs staged demonstration in Gwarko area of Lalitpur district demanding all the applicants should be allowed to sit for Employment Permit System EPS) test. The agitating youths also torched a vehicle belonging to Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala. Those who are deprived of sitting in tests for joining South Korean job has staged demonstrations in front of EPS S. Korea Section in Gwarko demanding that all those who had applied be allowed to sit in the test of manufacturing sector in S. Korea. Soon after the killing of the two youths the Patan High Court issued an Interim Order asking the government to allow all those applying for the Korean jobs to sit in the EPS exams.
