Renewed PLA recruitment triggers political crisis

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 4 March: A drive Tuesday by Maoist PLA to recruit hundreds of fighters has triggered a grave political crisis.
Altogether 19,000 plus fighters are already in 28 cantonments and satellite camps under UN watch to be integrated and resettled amid a dispute whether they should be wholly integrated in Nepal Army.
The process has started an expansion drive of a rebel army that is being disintegrated.
UNMIN Chief Karin Langren met Prime Minister Prachanda Tuesday and asked him to immediately stop recruitment into PLA.
UNMIN said the recruitment violates the 12-point peace agreement between Maoists and seven political parties as did the Nepal Army recruitment of 2,800 soldiers to fill in vacancies.
Prachanda assured main opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala at a meeting Tuesday the recruitment would stop; Koirala objected to the threatened recruitment by PLA Chief Nanda Kishore Pun Pasang.
Prachanda called on Koirala one day after the threatened resumption of recruitment.
“…how can this combatant commander [Pun] talk about additional recruitment when the army integration special committee [AISC] is talking of rehabilitation and integration of ex-combatants,” Dr Ram Saharan Mahat asked.
Mahat represents Nepali Congress in the committee from which CPN-UML member Bhim Rawal resigned Tuesday; Home Minister Bamdeb Gautam is the other member representing UML in the committee which has eight members from four parties.
Prachanda heads the committee representing three coalition parties and the main opposition Nepali Congress.
Prachanda has said publicly the former combatants under UNMIN watch are under the committee whose directives, he said, must be followed.
Pun claimed he started the recruitment drive without consulting government led by Maoists.
“I heard PLA chief issued a statement. Government hasn’t started the recruitment,: Maoist Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal said in Therathum Tuesday.
Pun and Maoist ministers are trying to give the impression the PLA’s decision was unilateral.
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Girija prepares to go to India

Kathmandu, 4 March: Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala is preparing to visit India, Janaastha reports.
The date hasn’t been finalized.
Koirala is going to India only after dates
for ‘personal visits’ of India by Jhalanath Khanal and Madhav Kumar Nepal at around the same time are fixed.
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Govt. decides to ban medals and decorations

Kathmandu, 4March : Government has decided to debar persons from wearing medals and decorations conferred by former kings, Janaastha reports.
They have to be returned to government.
Government is issuing a notice for their return.
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Sri Lanka foreign minister condemns attack on cricket team

Kathmandu, 4 March: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama Tuesday condemned the terrorist attack on his country’s cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan.
He expressed solidarity with Pakistan as he flew there from Nepal where visiting President Mahinda Rajapaksa cut short an official visit.
The president couldn’t pay a scheduled visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of The Buddha Wednesday.
“It’s a sad day for cricket. We condemn all forms of violence and particularly when the violence is targeted at a sporting team.
‘We have expressed our solidarity to the government of Pakistan at this critical juncture. We pay our condolences to the death of the security personnel,” the foreign minister said.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Bahrain Air to begin Nepal flights

Kathmandu, 4 March: Bahrain Air will begin thrice weekly flights between Bahrain and Kathmandu from 17 March using Airbus A320 or A319.
Flights will be operated Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.
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Fuel prices slashed again

Kathmandu, 4 March: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has again slashed fuel prices from Tuesday.
Kerosene and diesel prices were slashed Rs2.50 and will now cost Rs 55 per liter.
Aviation fuel price was lowered to Rs 70 from Rs 80 per liter for domestic flights; the price was decreased to $750 per kiloliter from $900 for international flights.
But petrol and gas prices were unchanged.
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Nepali rupee slips against dollar

Kathmandu, 4 March: The Nepali rupee slipped to a record low against the dollar Wednesday.
Nepal Rashtra Bank fixed Wednesday’s selling rate at Rs 83.40 to the greenback.
The Indian rupee fell against the dollar with a fall in the Asian stock market; the Nepali rupee is pegged to the Indian rupee.
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WFP worried with long dry winter

Kathmandu, 4 March: UN World Food Programme (WFP) said predicted poor harvest of wheat and barley is worrisome posing a high risk of increased food insecurity from April.
‘Increased food insecurity will be particularly critical from June onwards as Nepal moves into its traditional lean season,” WFP said.
Poor harvest has been predicted following a long dry winter.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Congress couldn’t be successful even while running the government for a long time. Maoists got an opportunity to lead government after constituent assembly elections; it hasn’t delivered as per the wishes of the people. Only the CPN-UML can now lead the government.”

(Jhalanath Khanal, Annapurna Post, 4 March)
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