Indrajaatra 2009

Controversies from Day1

Nepal's first Vice President, Mr Paramananda Jha was caught up in controversies since Day 1 of his office, for not taking his oath in Nepali language, the official language of the country and not wearing the official dress for men--daura suruwal. While the dress issue did not bother him that much, the oath certainly did, with the Supreme Court asking him to take it again, in Nepali or be prepared to leave the job.

Well as of August 28, he is adamant on not re-taking the oath. It's only a matter of days now to see what Republic Nepal's history has got in its store for its first Vice President.

'Let the Maoists sit in opposition’

photo by: Prerana Marasini

In an exclusive interview to The Hindu on the eve of his first official visit to India as Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Madhav Kumar Nepal spoke at length about the problems the peace process is facing. Read the interview

Nine-month gestation—election to resignation

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' who became Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal's First Prime Minister resigned just a day before a videotape in which he had revealed plans of staging coup and capturing power was released. While announcing his resignation he said he could not accept President's move to reinstate the Army Chief he had sacked, and could not either lower his head before the 'foreign gods'.

In the picture above: Two happy supporters of the Republican Nepal; Prachanda defeats Sher Bahadur Deuba and becomes Prime Minister of Nepal; he sacks Army Chief, UML pulls out of the government, the President decides to keep the Army Chief, and then the PM resigns; former Supreme Commander of PLA Prachanda at the 8th PLA Day in Haattikhor; while working as the PM, the Maoist Chairman in the House reiterated many times his commitment to return seized properties; an Indian writer wrote a biography of the rebel leader; the clip of the videotape in which he tells his cadres the party's plan of staging coup and capturing power, admitting that the PLA's number had been increased five times by the party; then he clarifies about it at a press conference…