Tharus launch violent protest

Kathmandu,, 7 Feb: Tharus, who consider themselves indigenous people of the terai and not Madeshis, Saturday launched a violent two-day protest in 24 district in the plains demanding delisting from the Madeshi community.
The government bracketed them in the Madeshi group.
Five vehicles were destroyed in Udaipur and five policemen were injured in clashed with demonstrators in Jhapa as the movement of vehicles.
Tharus demanded employment for people of terai and not Madeshis.
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One policeman killed in attack on Pyuthan police post

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: One policeman was killed overnight in an attack on a police post in the west Nepal district of Pyuthan overnight.
Nine missing policeman have cone into contact.
Attackers decamped with five guns and a communication set.
A massive search has been launched for the attackers in the district.
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Forum central committee meets in capital

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: A central committee meeting of Madesh Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) is on-going in the capital Saturday to discuss party and other issues including whether to continue in the Maoist led government.
Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta has been appointed co-chairman of the party and chief of parliamentary affairs.
Ramshaya Yadav, Ratneshwor Kayastha and Education Minister Renu Yadav have been appointed general secretary, secretary and treasurer respectively.
Bijaya Gachedhar, Deb Narayan Yadav and Ranju Varma have been appointed central committee members.
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Govt. has failed not accepting Nepal Army: Girija

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: Maoist-led government has failed and the law and order situation has been affected after failure to accept Nepal Army which is a national army, Girija Prasad Koirala said in Biratnagar Saturday.
Koirala charged Maoists have bracketed the PLA and the national army in the same group which he said is a mistake.
The national army is being disregarded, the main opposition leader charged.
He asked Maoists to chose between the state army and PLA.
Koirala said there’s no alternative to consensus to resolve the country’s crisis.
The former prime minister said he won’t be swayed by a ’lollypop’ to which he was entitled in form of government facilities.
“I won’t be swayed by it,” he told reporters..
An informal meeting of Nepali Congress central leaders Friday decided to launch a movement against rule by ordinance before Koirala flew for his hometown Biratnagar, Rajdhani reports.
Koirala instructed central leaders to hold discussions with other parties.
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Richard Boucher of Obama administration coming

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: Top US diplomat for South Asia and Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher arrives 12 February for a visit, Annapurna Post said quoting the foreign ministry.
He will be the first official of the Obama administration to visit strategic Nepal now ruled by a Maoist-led government after a 238-year-old monarchy was toppled through international conspiracy in collision with now opposition and ruling parties.
Boucher, a Bush nominee, continues in the State Department even after a changeover in Washington.
Bush administration put Maoists on the terrorist list even after being elected in April 2008.
Maoists killed two Nepali security guards of the US embassy during the people’s war and hit the US Cultural Center.
Peace Corps was withdrawn because of lack of security.
Boucher will hold discussions with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also chairman of Unified CPN (Maoist).
The Bush administration in the first term trained and equipped Royal Nepal Army to ‘search, fight and kill’ Maoists with a multi-million dollar military aid package
But in its second term Bush withdrew all support and Maoists who finally captured power in strategic Nepal located between India and China .
Washington, which didn’t have direct links with Maoists, has now maintained direct contacts with Maoists even as they are on its terrorist list.
Maoists are efforting to lift the tag on them.
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By-election for six constituencies 10 April

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: By-election in six constituencies by electronic voting will be held 10 April, exactly one year after elections for the constituent assembly.
Election will be held in a Dhanusha constituency from where President Dr Ram Baran Yadav was elected.
Yadab resigned from the assembly after his election as head of state.
Five legislators, including former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, were
elected from two constituencies.
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Maoist effort to retain in Unified CPN (Maoist) fails

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: Final effort by Prime Minister Prachanda and CP Gajural to keep politburo member Matrika Prasad Yadav in the party has failed, Annapurna Post reports.
Prachanda Thursday asked Yadav at a meeting not to leave the party for at least two years.
“I don’t believe you are revolutionary. Why should I continue in the party,” Annapurna Post quoted Yadav as saying.
Yadav returned recently after a China visit.
He met top officials in Beijing.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Inflation hits alarming 14.4 percent

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: Inflation has hit an arming 14.4 percent in the first six months of the current fiscal year.
“Inflation in the first six months of the current fiscal year has recorded an alarming 14.4 percent against 5.8 percent in the same period during the last fiscal year, central bank Nepal Rashtra Bank said.
Inflation of goods and services has shot up from 18.3 to 103 percent.
Last month inflation stood at 14.1 percent.
The Maoist-led government had pledged to limit inflation to seven percent.
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NEA launching pilot project to distribute CLF bulbs nationwide

Kathmandu, 7 Feb: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has decided to launch a nation-wide distribution programme to promote sale of CLF bulbs to save electricity amid a serious power shortage.
A ‘Buy one CLF get one free” pilot project is first being launched in 21 locations in the country, including Kathmandu Valley.
A national programme will be launched after evaluating the result of the pilot project.
NEA didn’t this week implement a programme to reduce daily load-shedding to 12 hours.
“Government was giving people false hopes,” a source at NEA who preferred anonymity said.
The nation is suffering a crippling daily 16-hour load-shedding schedule.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Prachanda is trying to impose tyranny through ordinances. It oppose it. Ruling the country through ordinances cannot be acceptable under any circumstances. Prachanda is only conspiring.”

(Girija Prasad Koirala, Annapurna Post, 7 Feb.)


“The donors are influencing the CA through NGOs. Most of the big parties have representatives of NGOs in the CA. They say there from NGOs and will work accordingly. Most of them are pro-American.”

(Bhaktapur communist leader Narayanman Bijukakchaya, The Himalayan Times, 7 Feb.)

“Federal rule isn’t the proper system for a country with multiple languages and ethnic groups.”

(Communist leader Chitra Bahadur KC, Kantipur, 7 Feb.)
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