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Murari Sharma: Millennium Challenge Corporation Money

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has proposed an agreement under which the American government would provide 550 million US dollars to Nepal for its development activities. The agreement has generated a fierce debate in Kathmandu. Even the ruling party leaders have clashed over it publicly.  

For decades, developed countries and relatively better-off developing countries have assisted…

Murari Sharma: London Embassy, Indecision, and Potential Loss

On and off has come up the issue of selling the embassy building in London, but it has not been sold yet. Nor the Nepal government has decided not to sell it. As we know, the Nepalis living in the United Kingdom, and some living in Nepal too, have opposed this idea. The government has remained in a state of indecision, which is detrimental to Nepal’s long-term interest. 

Based on my experience of…

Murari Sharma: Fact-Free, Post-Truth Politics

Politicians have often lied, some more than others. Without accountability for it, Lying has gone mainstream in modern politics around the world.     

However, erosion of trust  in politics witnessed now has never been higher. Relatively speaking, there was a time when truth and facts mattered in politics though not as much as in other sectors and politicians were held to account for what they…

Murari Sharma: Politics and Crimes

When he was arrested for violence against a woman that he was allegedly trying to rape, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the ousted Speaker of the lower house of parliament, intimidated the victim and witnesses to change their deposition.

His Maoist party, now merged with the UML, another communist party, has protected many suspected murderers, including Agni Sapkota and Bal Krishna Dhungel. Allegedly,…

What is the common strand behind the continued Kalapani border dispute and the lack of economic take-off in Nepal?

For the answer, view Jana Morcha leader Chitra Bahadur KC’s pertinent interview that has been given to an aggressive talk show host on television. The talk show host asked why KC did not merge his party with the ruling communist party and why he opposed federalism for the sake of the…

Non-aligned Movement leaders have returned home from their 18th summit in Baku (25-26 October 2019) after adopting the Baku Declaration that reiterates the Movement’s usual commitments to the United Nations, human rights, South-South cooperation, and peaceful resolution of differences among the member states. Though always far from effective, the Movement is now on life support, after it became…

Murari Sharma: Xi’s Nepal Visit is Thick in form and Thin in Substance

After his India visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an overnight trip to Nepal on October 12 and 13 2019, on his way home. To welcome him with pomp, Nepal opened its wallet and heart generously. Xi has done his bit to please his hosts. While the visit has been rich, a success, in form, it has been quite thin in substance.     

Xi visited Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart,…

Murari Sharma: New Cold War?

Four weeks ago, I wrote that the world has once again become a dangerous place, so dangerous that it could trigger major conflicts across the world. The situation has gone bad to worse over the last few weeks. In several places, red signs have been flashing furiously. Are we standing on the verge of a new global conflict or its regional manifestations?

By design or default, political leaders set…

Murari Sharma: A Brexit Prime Minister II

A few weeks back, I had written that the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson could very well be another Brexit prime minister. Now it appears that he is headed in that direction slowly and surely. Unless he removes his red lines or the EU compromises on its, Johnson could well be the third prime ministerial victim of Brexit from the Tories.

Before him, David Cameron left the post because he…