Security council extends UNMIN mandate

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 23 July: UN security council Tuesday extended for the fourth time the UNMIN mandate until 23 January 2010.
The mandate ends Thursday 23 July.
A formal announcement is being made Thursday.
The mandate was extended unanimously by the 15 member council even as Secretary General Ban Ki-moon predicted a constitution my not be drafted within the May 2010 deadline.
“There is near unanimity that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to meet the prescribed timeframe of May 2010 for the promulgation of a new constitution,” Ban reported to the council.
Failure to meet a the deadline will create a constitutional and political crisis.
The transition has entered its fourth year after a 238-year monarchy was toppled and a republic installed.
Maoists, elected the largest political party in the April 2008 constituent assembly elections, are attempting to impose a communist system opposed by other major parties.
Other political parties, stunned by the election result, delayed the installation of an elected government; a Maoist-led government was installed only after an interim constitution was amended abandoning consensus politics.
A provision was introduced to install a government through majority and topple it through a vote in parliament.
The Maoist-led Prachanda government was toppled in nine months.
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Maoists oppose govt. attempt to import arms from India

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 23 July: Maoist Chairman Prachanda opposed government initiative to import arms from India as the peace process has faltered.
Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari, currently visiting India, requested suspended military supplies be resumed.
Officials of Nepal and India are meeting later this year to discuss the formal request.
“If Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari makes a deal with India to resume arms supplies while the peace process is still on, it will effectively imply that the peace process has come to an end.
“This could lead to bloodshed in the country and the current government will be responsible for untoward incidents that could follow,” The Kathmandu Post reports.
A Congress minister revealed government may soon import weapons.
“Arms and weapons can be imported considering the need of the country, and of course, the security situation,” Energy Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat said.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Kathmandu, 23 July: A special general meeting of Bank of Kathmandu (BoK) Wednesday elected a new board of directors.
Govinda Regmi, Bishni Banjade, Narendra Basnet and Dr Hem Subedi were elected from public shareholders while Rameshnath Dhungfel, Bijaya Krishna Shrestha and Satya Narayan Manandhar were unanimously elected from promoters.
Nepal Rashtra bank which had intervened 19 May following a dispute between promoters is handing over management of the bank to the new board Thursday.
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Congress central committee adjourned until Monday

Kathmandu, 23 July: Congress central committee met briefly Thursday and adjourned until Monday.
The meeting discussed a federal state structure, amendment to party statute and date for a general convention to elect a president.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Democracy will be weakened with the entrenchment of extreme leftists.”

(PM Nepal, Annapurna Post, 23 July)
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