PM to be elected Friday

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: The prime minister will be elected Friday by the CA to break a political deadlock after four major parties failed to agree on a common candidate with differences over the control the defence ministry that will control Nepal Army.
Maoists, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML wanted control of the home and defence ministries.
Nominations will be filed Thursday to form an elected government to replace the government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala installed in office in April 2006 through street protests and foreign interference.
Parties will met Tuesday to plan their election strategies to form an electoral alliance; CPN-UML steering committee meets Tuesday.
As the Largest party ion the CA, Maoists couldn’t garner support of other parties for their common minimum programme.
The country has been without an elected government for more than four months after the 10 April assembly election.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala called for a broad democratic front to form a government without Maoists after discussions in New Delhi with Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Sonia Gandhi and Congress (I) President Sonia Gandhi.
The world was stunned when Maoists emerged as the largest party in the CA to disturb the applecart and plans of the world capitals which wanted and expected the Congress and CPN-UML to win elections to play a major role in republican Nepal.
“We won’t go to government with our hands tied in a wheel chair:
“The Indian ambassador then said make Koirala president and do the rest,” Baburam Bhattarai told a party meeting in Gorkha Monday, Maoist mouthpiece Janadisha reported in its Tuesday editions.
The newspaper said conspiracies are being hatche in New and Washington to stop Maoists from going to power.
CPN-UML Monday rejected a Congress request to it to lead a government without Maoists.
Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel made the offer to former general secretary Madhav Nepal.
“A national government must be formed under Maoists and everybody should help it. That was our request,” UML leader Bishnu Paudel told Rajdhani...
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Pradip Nepal cuts short Beijing stay

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: Leader of the Nepali contingent to the Beijing Olympics cut short his stay in the Chinese capital in the midst of the games amid controversy.
Nepal came under fire from his party CPN-UML and sections of society for accepting leadership of the contingent even after resigning as education minister in April following the party’s defeat in the assembly.
The education ministry heads the National Sports Council, Nepal’s apex sports authority.
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RBB earns record Rs 1,770m profit

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: Rashtriya Banijya Bank (RBB), Nepal’s largest wholly owned state bank, earned a record net Rs 1,770 million in Q4 of fiscal year 2007/08.
.The bank recorded a Rs 1,681m profit in the previous year corresponding quarter.
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Congress youth leader survives assassination attempt

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: Congress youth leader Lukesh Singh survived an assassination attempt in Kalaiya Monday.
The Bara chairman of Nepal Tarun Dal was attacked by an unknown group at his village in the district Monday, published reports said.
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Dress code for assembly members

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: The CA has fixed a compulsory dress code for all members—men and women.
They have to war a clean coloured coat. From 1 September.
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Praising ex-king and not meeting Left leaders was Koirala’s calculated move

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: His [PM Koirala’s] meeting with Sonia Gandhi [in New Delhi] lasted barely 15 minutes, newsfront reports.
Koirala also had a longish meeting with BJP leader LK Advani who did not conceal his annoyance over Hindu Nepal being declared a secular country.
He was as candid as before that the decision to remove monarchy ‘a factory of stability’, was taken under pressure from Maoists.
But Koirala made no attempt to elaborate on the issue since he had showered generous praise on the Hindu monarch during his address to SAARC summit in Colombo, for having gracefully exited after the constituent assembly declared Nepal a republic.
He deliberately avoided meeting any leaders from the left parties, especially the ones from CPM including Sitaram Yechury, a diehard supporter of Maoists.
It was also a message that he would be willing to cultivate a more anti-Maoist stance from now onwards.
Praising the ex-king in Colombo and meeting Advani in Delhi meant just that.
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Violence continue unabated in tarai

Kathmandu, 12 Aug: Violence continues unabated in the tarai.
Koili Muikhiya, 60, was shot dead while aleep at her home in Siraha overnight in a village.
The eastern region has been hit by a continuing transport strike Tuesday as well as entrepreneurs demanded security.
Several motor vehicles were smashed even as security was demanded.
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