Nepal Highlights

CPN (UML) has decided to file the nomination of chairman Jhala Nath Khanal for the post of Prime Minister for election slated for February 3. A Central Committee (CC) meeting at the party headquarters in Balkhu decided to forward chairman Khanal for the top executive post. The party has also decided to strive for consensus to form a national unity government till the last moment. At today's CC meeting, senior leader KP Oli had proposed to nominate Khanal as the prime ministerial candidate and another senior leader and the caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had seconded the proposal.

Nepali Congress (NC) president Sushil Koirala has nominated nine persons for the post of Central Working Committee (CWC) members Monday evening in a bid to thwart Sher Bahadur Deuba camp's pressure to forward Deuba as the party's prime ministerial candidate. President Koirala nominated new CWC members, most of them loyal to him, to have a comfortable majority in the CWC if a situation of voting comes to decide the next prime ministerial candidate. Those nominated include Bhim Bahadur Tamang, defeated in the race for president in the general convention, Bimalendra Nidhi and Narhari Acharya, defeated in the race for general secretary and Padhma Narayan Chaudhary, defeated in the race for treasurer. Likewise, president Koirala has nominated Krishna Tamrakar, Dil Bahadur Gharti, Pharmullah Mansoor, Gopal Raj Pahadi and Leela Koirala as CWC members. The nominations need to be approved by elected CWC. NC president Koirala made the nominations even as his previous proposal to

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the Nepalese mission in Cairo to close down if required, Monday. The ministry directed the mission to close down if required after various missions including those of India, China and USA started closing and diplomats started returning to the home countries following unrest in the north-African country. According to first secretary at the Nepalese mission in Cairo, Tirtha Raj Aryal, the situation is very scary as the police deployed for the security of the embassy have not shown up since Saturday and internet and means of means of communication have been cut. There are over 400 Nepalis in Egypt with 200 domestic workers, 150 garment workers and 50 students.