Jhalanath Khanal dismisses Maoist threats

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 3 Aug: One day after Maoist Chairman Prachanda threatened to launch a third popular revolt, Chairman Jhalanath Khanal of the ruling party CPN-UML dismissed the threat in Biratnagar Monday.
“Nobody will be cowed by Maoist threats. Such threats will continue to come. This won’t be the last either,” Khanal said in Biratnagar.
A national government will be formed under CPN-UML, party chairman of Khanal said opposing a national government under Maoists.
Maoists have adopted an aggressive posture after an extended three-week central committee meeting this week that approved future strategy after the ouster of the Maoist-led Prachanda government by majority in parliament.
A demand to address concerns in one month expires in another three days.
Prachanda said the issues of civilian supremacy and the president’s intervention to retain dismissed Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal must be addressed by parliament-opposed by main ruling parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.
“People have the right to revolt if a peaceful movement in parliament and outside is suppressed by opponents of democracy and anti-nationals. It will be the third people’s movement.
Prachanda also called for a ‘national government’ led by Maoists ousting the incumbent government led by CPN-UML.
Prachanda also down-played the significance of a proposed high-level political mechanism led by Girija Prasad Koirala of ruling and opposition parties to end a political impasse that is delaying the peace process and drafting of a constitution.
“Our commitment to the panel is not for running government, We are an opposition party,” Prachanda said.
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Maoists sending to sent public awareness campaign teams to mid-West

Kathmandu, 3 Aug: Maoists are sending public awareness teams Monday to the mid-West districts to help control a cholera epidemic that has claimed more than 300 lives in three months.
Teams will distribute relief material work and help contain the epidemic.
Nine more persons died Sunday in Rukum, Dailekh and Dandeldhura, district health officials said.
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Vice-president Jha summoned by supreme court

Kathmandu, 3 Aug: A supreme court single bench Sunday summoned Vice-President Parmananda Jha to the apex court on 11 August for holding the office without taking an oath of office and secrecy in Nepali.
The court earlier ruled the oath he took one year earlier in Hindi was unconstitutional.
The court ruled Nepali is the only official language at government offices.
The bench also sought a written explanation from defendants—the president, prime minister, the vice-president, constituent assembly secretariat, the prime minister’s office and the cabinet to attend the hearing.
The bench also asked the defendants to furnish a written reply in 15 days why the vice-president wasn’t abiding by a 24 July order.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Tourist arrivals up in July

Kathmandu, 3 Aug: Tourist arrivals jumped 10 percent July compared to the same month the previous year, Nepal Tourism Board said.
Altogether 23,266 arrivals were recorded the previous month.
Arrivals from India and China jumped five and 16 percent respectively.
Arrivals from USA and Europe also shot up.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“I don’t see any role for OHCHR is Nepal when thelarger and credioble UNMIN is already here. Why feed two foreign institutions with similar mandate?”

(Robin Paudel, The Kathmandu Post, 3 Aug.)
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