Rs 650 million British assistance announced

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Visiting British Minister for International Development Mike Foster Tuesday announced a Rs 650 million British assistance for Kosi flood victims and bridge construction in Sankhuwasabha, an announcement said.
Foster said displaced needed urgent help after an inspection of flood devastated areas and British-run projects in the east..
The minister arrived Monday to pledge help for the peace process and continued aid.
Flood victims rejected a Rs 50,000 offer of conditional assistance help for each family if the 40,000 displaced families left temporary camps for their homes with the onset of winter.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee will inspect the flood damage before returning home Wednesday at the end of a three-day official visit.
India has offered assistance to repair the damage caused by the flood—the worst in recent memory.
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Without consensus, CA vice-chairman election on Friday

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Party candidates will file nominations Wednesday for election of vice-chairman of constituent assembly (CA)
Nobody file nominations for a consensus candidate Tuesday.
Election will be held Friday.
Aspirant parties rejected Terai Madesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP), the fifth largest party in the CA, rejected a claim for the vice-chairmanship of the assembly that also acts as parliament.
TMLP said it was entitled to the position because Nepali Congress, MJF, CPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML candidates had been respectively elected president, vice-president, prime minister and CA chairman.
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President Yadav receives Indian invite

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Nepal’s first president Dr Ram Baran Yadav Tuesday received an official invitation to pay an official India visit, the president’s office said.
The invitation from the Indian president was delivered to the president by visiting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
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Officials demand action against Youth Force

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Officials threatened to close office in Dhangadi Wednesday and demanded action against CPN-UML Youth Force activists who mistreated and abused a DFO in the far west town Tuesday.
Youth Force activists, including local leader Ganga Hamal, overpowered DFO Mohan Bahadur Khadka and abused him in office.
Officials stopped work immediately demanding security and have threatened to go abstain from work Wednesday.
Maoist YCL and Youth Force have been taking law into their own hands—the work of police and administration- to enforce what they thins and believe is acceptable behaviour.
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Bhutanese protest

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: During the Nepal visit of Indian foreign minister, Bhutanese refugees Tuesday staged a symbolic sit-in at Mechi bridge on the Jhapa-West Bengal border and refugee camps in Jhapa demanding creation of an environment to return home.
Nearly 108,000 refugees were forcibly uprooted and expelled from their homes mainly in southern Bhutan by former King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk with Indian unconcern.
The Bhutanese refugees were transported to east Nepal through West Bengal.
Five hundred refugees faxed a message with their signatures to Mukherjee at the Indian embassy demanding they be allowed to return home.
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Girija complains against Maoists with Pranab Mukherjee

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala told visiting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee Tuesday Maoists were endangering democracy during a hour-long meeting.
Mukherjee met Koirala at his residence following a 30-minute sweeping discussion on national issues, including the tottering peace process, with Prime Minister Prachanda.
Dr Baburam Bhattarai assisted Prachanda; Foreign Minister Upendra Yadhav wasn’t present at the meeting.
Daughter Sujata briefed reporters on the details of her father’s discussions with Mukherjee.
Koirala told Mukherjee Maoists had broken consensus politics endangering the peace process.
He complained Maoists had broken a consensus between seven political parties repeating a theme adopted during a national awareness campaign.
India and Girija engineered the Maoist entry into the political mainstream in April 2005 by bringing the rebels out of the jungle and safe havens in India where the communists spent 11 years launching a people’s war.
But Girija assured the visitor Nepali Congress will cooperate to complete dranting a constitution within the remaining 18-month deadline.
Mukherjee told Koirala Indian was ready to help in the implementing the peace process.
Mukherjee told Prachanda parties, including Maoists and Nepali Congress should take the peace process to the logical conclusion by implementing a 12-point Delhi accord signed by Maoists and seven parliamentary parties.
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Maoists refer republic issue to general convention

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: CPN (Maoist) central committee Tuesday decided to ‘continue the principled discussion’ on a type of republic to be adopted at a meeting of the party general convention to be held sometime in June 2009.
For the second time the central committee Tuesday couldn’t decide whether to adopt Prime Minister Prachanda’s proposal for a transitional republic or Mohan Baidya Kiran’s hard-line demand for an immediate people’s republic through revolt.
Prachanda will present to the national meet Wednesday an amalgamated common proposal taking ‘good points’ of four suggestions for adoption for unity.
The options were discussed in group meetings and the opening session of the national meet that began Friday.
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