Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala flying for India

Kathmandu, 10 Aug: Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala begins a five-day New Delhi visit Monday to prepare Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s first India visit from 18 August.
Nepal and India are inking three accords during the visit.
Memorandum of understanding on trade and transit up for renewal, bilateral investment protection and promotion and avoidance of double taxation are being signed.
Prime Minister Nepal has said he won’t sign what he called controversial agreements in India without taking parties into confidence.
Floods and inundation along the border, its demarcation and other issues will also be discussed.
Officials of the two countries Monday begin discussions of power exchange.
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Meet to discuss chairman of constitution drafting committee

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 10 Aug: Chairman of constituent assembly (CA) Subash Nemwang has convened a meeting of whips and whips of political parties to fix date for election of the chairman of the main constitution drafting committee.
The position is vacant after Madhav Kumar Nepal was appointed prime minister nearly three months ago.
Dr Baburam Bhattarai has claimed the chairmanship of behalf of UCMN (Maoist) pushing for an executive president.
There’s no agreement between major political parties on fundamentals delaying the constitution drafting process; only nine months remain for the deadline to be met,
The CA meeting has been adjourned indefinitely without an agenda.
Only four of 11 subject committees have completed their work so far.
Maoists have launched nation-wide street and parliamentary protests demanding correction of what they call unconstitutional action by a ceremonial president to retain sacked Army Chief Gen Rukmangun Katawal who has proceeded on leave prior to retirement one month later.
Maoists have warned the constitution can’t be drafted and the peace process will be further delayed without a debate on the presidential action in parliament—opposed by ruling and other parties.
Ruling parties have instead asked Maoists to impeach the president—impossible because Maoists don’t have a required majority in the legislature.
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Chatraman Singh Gurung has been appointed acting army chief.
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Diarrhea, cholera claims eight more lives

Kathmandu, 10 Aug: Diarrhea and cholera claimed eight more lives in Jajarkot, Dailekh, Accham and Rukum Sunday.
At least 199 persons have died in worst affected Jajarkot district in three months.
More than 300 persons have succumbed in the epidemic that has hit the mid and far-West districts
Government has come under fire for ineffective efforts to fight the epidemic.
Health Minister Umakant Chaudhari, criticized for flying to Germany during the epidemic, inspected villages on the mid-West districts Sunday.
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Maoist hot dead in India

Kathmandu, 10 Aug: Maoist activist Arun Kumar Nepali was shot dead Saturday in Sitimadi, Bihar.
Friends recovered his body near a river in the town.
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Ganesh Thapa re-elected ANFA president

Kathmandu, 10 Aug: Ganesh Thapa was unanimously re-elected president of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) for another four-year term Saturday.
ANFA rejected the candidacy of rival Gita Rana.
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Committee to study re-opening of closed resorts of Chitwan

Kathmandu, 10 Aug: A six-member sub-committee headed by Maoist lawmaker Narayan Prasad Sharma was formed Sunday by the public accounts committee (PAC) to give suggestions in 15 days on ways to re-open seven resorts closed down by government inside the Chitwan National Park.
A 15-year lease of the seven resorts inside the park expired 15 July.
The park attracts thousands of tourists every year for safaris.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Hundreds of youth are being recruited in the police force unnecessarily to suppress the Madeshis. As Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have lost people’s support in the eastern terai, they caused split in the MJF to improve their status.”

(MJF Chairman Upendra Yadav, The Himalayan Times, 10 Aug.)

“The US has already entered into India and China and therefore Nepal could be the place from where the world war could begin as the second world war had begun from a small country.”

(Hishila Yami, The Himalayan Times, 10 Aug.)

“… first election for parliament under the new constitution has to be conducted and a democratic republic has to be institutionalized. Then only will his [Girija’s] leadership in Nepali political history will ensured.”

(B.P.Bhurtel, Annapurna Post, 10 Aug.)

“It would be disastrous to build states on the basis of caste or language. Young democracy is in danger because everyone has ethnic agendas.”

(Girija Prasad Koirala, The Kathmandu Post, 10 Aug.)
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