Parliament approves budget Wednesday

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Parliament Wednesday will approve the annual budget 2009/10.
Appropriations bill was approved by majority vote in parliament where only two Maoist lawmakers were present Tuesday.
Presence of the main opposition is required to pass the budget.
The bill which apportions budget of government ministries was approved after five-month obstruction of proceedings by Maoist who lifted it for three days until Wednesday.
Maoists said they will resume obstruction Thursday until their demand for what they call correction of an unconstitutional decision of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to retain sacked Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal.
Maoists have pushed three demands, including the installation of a national unity government and the formation of a mechanism to complement a peace accord and draft a constitution.
Government can now spend budgetary allocations in the annual 2009/10 budget.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Tuesday held political consultations with Bhaktapur communist ladder Narayanman Bijukakchaya.
Nepal said government is ready to discuss Moist demands without dragging the president into controversy.
Ruling parties oppose Maoist demand arguing a constitutional president can do no wrong.
The ceremonial president who acts on the advice of the executive prime minister, acted at the request of 18 political parties.
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Prachanda US top diplomat meet

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Prachanda held political discussions with US Acting Ambassador Randy Berry who called on the Maoist chairman at his residence Tuesday,
US has direct contacts with Maoists even though they are on Washington’s terrorist list.
They discussed Maoist anti-protests, the peace process and delayed drafting of the constitution, party sources said.
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Tibet delegation meets PM Nepal

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Visiting 10-member Tibetan delegation led by Hao Peng, Wednesday morning called on Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and held discussions.
The delegations will continue political discussions with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala Wednesday.
The delegation began consultations with Nepali leaders Tuesday by first meeting Chairman Prachanda immediately for a goodwill visit after arrival Tuesday.
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Sacrifices continue in Gadimai

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Animal and bird sacrifices continues for the second and last day Wednesday at Gadimai temple in Bara.
More than 15,000 animals were sacrificed at the temple Tuesday despite calls to end the practice.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees from home and India offer worship every five years.
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Govt. under fire from party

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: The government led by the CPN-UML has come under fire from the party whose Chairman Jhanalanat Khanal this week criticized it for rightist trends and not implementing own declared programme.
Khanal said this in his political report to the politburo which will discuss the criticism Thursday after debate of the budget concludes in parliament Wednesday.
Without suggesting who should lead the government, Khanal hinted government should change.
The demand suits Maoists who have demanded a national unity government.
‘All parties should make some concessions for national consensus, including our own party,” Khanal suggested.
“Government hasn’t been able to make progress to forge agreement between parties. Government in the first point of its own declared common minimum programme called for this to implement the peace process and draft a constitution,” the chairman said in a stinging criticism of the government led by former party General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal..
Khanal called for end to ‘political polarization’ without which ‘ nobody can escape from the quagmire of crisis’, Khanal added and accused the government for being rightist.
“After the fall of the Moist-led government and the formation of a new government, the polarization process between Maoist and non-Maoist parties has deepened and without our desire our party o some extend has gone rightist, ‘the chairman charged in his report.
Khanal said this as a strong wing in the party demands closer ties with Maoists and PM Nepal opposed a call for a Maoist demand for a national government’ Nepal instead asked Maoists to join the present government.
The polarization, he concluded, won’t help the peace process and the process to draft a new constitution.
KP Sharma Oli, a firm critic of Maoists, said the report was not the party’s but Khanal’s personal view.
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Nine Nepali women commit suicide in Lebanon

Kathmandu, 25 Nov: Nine Nepali women domestic helpers have committed suicide in Lebanon so far, Kantipur reports/
Two women committed suicide in Kartik [early Nov.], according to Dipendra Uprety who represents the county in Lebanon.
Suicides occur after exploitation by employers.
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