PM Prachanda, Girija meet later Sunday; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 9 Nov: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will hold discussions with NC President Girija Prasad Koirala later Sunday as differences between the two largest parties in the constituent assembly (CA) mount threatening the peace process.
Doubts and concern are being expressed whether a constitution can be drafted in the remaining 14 months allotted timeframe.
In a fresh attack on Maoists, Koirala charged Saturday,” the constitution drafting process is in the shadow’ with
Maoist insistence on the integration of the PLA with the Nepal Army.
Maoists, Koirala and the Congress have charged, are attempting to derail democracy as a hard-line faction in the CPN (Maoist) push and debate a people’s republic.
Congress has refused to join a government committee with three ruling coalition partners as its members charging the main opposition was being sidelined on the issue of integration of rebel and state armies.
Congress has demanded its dissolution demanding equal representation with Maoists who have two members in the committee; only one seat has been allotted for Congress in the committee.
CPN (Maoist) adopted a conciliatory stance
Saturday when Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai told the CA the composition of the integration could be restructured to accommodate other parties.
Government, Dr Bhattarai said, is ready for a committee restructure on the ‘basis of consensus’ by including other parties.
Saying it’s a ‘major party’, Terai Madesh Loktanrik Party (TMLP) has also demanded inclusion on the integration committee.
Amid a fluid political situation, Indian Foreign
Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrives 24 November.
Indian emissaries are regular visitors during times of political crisis.
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Another six-month extension sought for UNMIN

Kathmandu, 9 Nov: UNMIN Chief Ian Martin reported to the UN security council Friday the presence of the world body in Nepal to help the peace process may be needed for another six months.
“…UNMIN’s presence, which had been already significantly downsized, might be required for a maximum of six months,” Martin told the council.
“Even under the most optimistic assumptions, that process [PLA integration and rehabilitation] could not be expected to end by January.”
UNMIN mandate ends 23 January 2009.
According to Martin, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda told visiting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon UN presence was required beyond January 2009 for PLA integration and rehabilitation.
Main opposition Nepali Congress
has criticized UNMIN for its role in implementing the peace process.
Party President Girija Prasad Koirala criticized UNMIN activities with visiting Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this month.
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Home minister restricts IGP responsibilities

Kathmandu, 9 Nov: Hone Minister Bamdeb Gautam has in a written instruction told UGP Hem Bahadur Gurung not to issue directives without approval of the home ministry, Kantipur reports.
Gurung retires in three months.
According to a source such a directive was issued so that present decisions may not affect Gurung’s successor.
The directive says permission should be taken for
all decisions except matters relating ration and fuel.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Issuing whips will constrain the CA from writing a constitution for the people. If it [constitution] is written on the basis of majority and minority of CA members, it will not be the people’s constitution at all.”

(Vice-President Parmananda Jha, The Kathmandu Post, 9 Nov.)

‘Those who threaten to impeach me should first should be clear whether they have violated the constitution or not. I can’t under why I’m only attacked; nobody utters a word when the president speaks.”
Vice_President Parmanandha Jha, Rajdhani, 9 Nov.)

“Especially, UNMIN Chief Ian Martin; he’s a leftist; because he is a communist, he forgot the UN and he sought to help communists. Because Maoists represent communists, he felt his responsibility was to help Maoists and started working accordingly.”

(Congress central committee member Gobinda Raj Joshi, Nepal newsmagazine, 9 Nov.)