Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda being installed Monday

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 18 Aug: Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is being installed as Nepal’s prime minister Monday more that two years after emerging from the jungle and his hideout in India.
Ruling alliance partners CPN (Maoist), CPN-UML and MJF will sign a common minimum programme and a code of conduct before the installation.
Three parties agreed to protest and promote national unity and security; draft a constitution and restructure the state as well as push the peace process to its logical end.
The three parties will continue efforts to hammer out differences in power-sharing Monday; agreement in a complete government isn’t expected before the installation.
Prachanda is expected to take his oath of office in a coat and pant and not the national attire.
Sarad Yadav, Chairman of Janata Dal United is leading a four-member team to attend the swearing-in ceremony on behalf of the Indian government.
Other team members include: Shudindra Bhadauriya, KC Tyagi and Ananda Shworop Varma.
The delegation is inviting Prachanda to visit India on behalf of the government.
The delegation was briefed by Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon before departure for Nepal.
CPI (Marxist) politburo member Sitaram Yechuri, a frequent visitor to Nepal and closely linked with Maoists, is also visiting Nepal this week.
The CA elected Dahal Friday to head a majority communist government of Nepal for the first time.
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PM Prachanda attending the closing ceremony of Beijing Olympics

Kathmandu, 18 Aug: PM Prachanda is attending the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics at the invitation of the IOC, Rajdhani reports quoting Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara.
The council of ministers, which hasn’t been formed yet is taking a decision Monday, the newspaper said quoting Mahara..
Outgoing Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala intervened to stop President Dr Ram Baran Yadav from attending the opening ceremony.
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Former king penning memoir

Kathmandu, 18 Aug: Former King Gyanendra spends hit time at Nagarjung writing his memoirs, writes Tarun.
The book with five sections records his childhood as well as experiences at the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation of which he was patron,; the former king reminisces his kingship and life as a commoner.
A foreign publisher is publishing the book in English.
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Nepal’s ambassador in Denmark recipient of unannounced foreign fund [excerpts]

Kathmandu, 18 Aug:… what has come to light is that Nepal’s ambassador to Denmark was a beneficiary of such a fund [foreign] while he continues to serve the government of Nepal, newsfront reports.
Ambassador Vijay Kant Karna [Maoist appointee] and Deepak Tililsina obtained 140,408 pound sterling for ‘voter education for constituent assembly election’ project that was meant to cover 15 districts.
The beneficiaries of the project, as mentioned in Rights, Democracy and Inclusion Fund’s (RDIF) annual report 2007, were the ‘people of target districts and representatives of political parties,, student unions, professional and civil society organizations, and other potential facilitators’.
RDIF, jointly established by the government of Britain, Australia, Switzerland and Norway, apparently funded 20 projects during the year.
But ambassador Karna’s involvement in the project with the status shown as ‘responsible person’ has embarrassed the foreign ministry.
“This clearly against the ethics and code of conduct of a serving diplomat. He cannot take any fund from any donors without obtaining prior permission from the foreign ministry,” a senior official of the foreign ministry told newsfront.
… what gives circumstantial evidence of corruption besides violation of ethics is that ambassador Karna was mostly away in Denmark during the life of the project [July 2007 to June 2008], and apparently he chose not to notify the donors about his new job not allowing him to continue with the project.
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Koirala hunting for a suitable house

Kathmandu, 18 Aug: As climbing the stairs in Dr Shasank Koirala’s [ nephew of former premier] may not be possible for the octogenarian former PM, we will soon be shifting to a house nearby, a source in the Koirala family told newsfront.
Koirala is still the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) and by virtue of that, it could be him, and not Deuba ho may be the leader of the opposition in the house.
“Do not rule him out. He has not given up yet,” a central committee of the Congress said, adding,” Koirala may make his position clear on whether he wants to relinquish the CPP as well as the party leadership’s post at an appropriate time and forum, later.”
Koirala won’t give up his position as leader of the CPP, Sanghu reports.
Senior Congress sources said Koirala is the de facto leader of the party in the CA although Deuba file his nomination for prime minister in the assembly.
Congress is the main opposition is the CA and will be recognized as such.
The position of the leader of the opposition has been upgraded as he will be a member of the constitutional council.
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Mass resignations at Himalkhabarpatrika

Kathmandu, 18 Aug: Amid threats by Himalkhabarpatrika management to ‘shut down’ publications, all editorial staff and technicians have tendered their resignations, Sanghu reports.
They rejected offers of a golden handshake with voluntary retirement was taken.
The organization has 128 employees.
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No formal congratulatory messages for Prachanda

Kathmandu, 18 Aug: Except for a hasty congratulatory message from India, government chiefs of USA, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany and France haven’t sent PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda congratulatory messages so far, Tarun reports.
Messages of ambassadors aren’t considered formal.
China, though, has sent an official congratulatory message.
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