Nepali Congress Dhangadi bombed, destroyed

Kathmandu, 14 Feb: Nepali Congress Dhangadi district office at Hasanpur was bombed and destroyed overnight.
The ground floor of the building constructed only one month ago was damaged.
Nobody has claimed responsibility.
Meanwhile, Peace Minister Jarardhan Sharma Prabhakar inspected the bombed regional UN office in Nepalgunj Saturday.
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Sher Bahadur Deuba supports; army chief lashes out at UN

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 14 Feb: Sher Bahadur Deuba Saturday supported the Chief of the Army Staff Gen Rukmamgud Katawal who Friday asked a parliamentary committee not to dray Nepal Army into a controversy.
The request was ‘natural’, the former prime minister said.
Katawal made a spirited and aggressive defence of the committee.
Congress and CPN-UML have come in open support of the state army after denigrading it during the successful April 2006 movement against the royal regime.The
Army stands in between the complete Maoist takeover of the country even as the Congress and CPN-UML helped Maoists to join the political mainstream.
Unified CPN (Maoist) has displaced the two parties to become the largest political party in Nepal.
Maoists are aggressively challenging the state army into which they seek total integration amid opposition of other major political parties.
Gen Katawal implicitly hit out at the UN whose UNMIN office in Nepal has said army violated a 12-point peace accord signed in New Delhi between seven parties and Maoists in 2006 by recruiting 2.800 personnel to fill in vacancies.
The UN itself has said the document is vague.
It has linked PLA integration into Nepal Army with undefined ‘democratization ‘ of the state army.
What is democratization anyway?
Is Nepal to accept an unilateral interpretation of a UN official like Ian Martin?
“It’s been a long time since we worked with the UN. We also know very well how the UN system works. Let’s not talk much here; something else will happen tomorrow,” the general told a parliamentary committee.
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Maoist secretariat to meet

Kathmandu, 14 Feb: Top policymaking body of Unified CPN (Maoist) secretariat meets later Saturday to discuss a fluid political situation.
The party will discuss defections in the party led by former minister Matrika Prasad as well, party spokesman Dinanath Sharma said.
The party top leaders have threatened to launch street agitation if toppled by parliament through a majority vote.
“The PM warns of revolt from his official residence in Baluwatar if he could not form majority. What kind of democracy is it,” Congress Vice-President Ram Chandra Paudel asked.
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Team members of committees to collect public opinion sought

Kathmandu, 14 Feb: Team members of 40 teams visiting 75districts to collect public opinion for a constitution was finalized by CA Chairman Subasm Nemwang.
He has sought security for the teams from the government to visit disturbed areas, especially in the south along Nepal-India border.
The teams return from districts 23 March to submit reports five days later.
Fourteen parliamentary committees have received requests for jobs and regular water and electricity supply while suggestions were sought from the public on a proposed constitution.
Even Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal of the constitution drafting committee said he didn’t know his responsibility.
The country is facing acute water and power shortage.


MEDIA GOOGLE

“Only those who meet standards are recruited into the army just like sherpas are chosen over cheetris and bahuns while climbing Himalayan peaks.”

(Chief of the Army Staff Gen Rukmangud Katawal, Rajdhani, 14 Feb.)

“Federalism can make and even destroy the nation. Federalism is a double-edged sword; this should be a tool for unity.”

(Girija Prasad Koirala, Kantipur, 14 Feb.)
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