Another three-party attempt to end deadlock

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: A six-member task force formed Monday three big parties began discussions Tuesday to suggest another political package to end a prolonged end six-month deadlock pushing the country into a national crisis.
The task force has to submit a recommendation by Wednesday to end impasse.
The suggestions of two previous teams haven’t been accepted.
The last Maoist package for the formation of a national government under its leadership and the establishment of a mechanism to hasten the process of drafting a constitution and implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement have been rejected.
Ruling parties have asked Maoists to join the present government which they will be national.
Arjun Narsingh KC and Krishna Prasad Shitaula from Nepali Congress, Bharat Mohan Adhikari and Home Minister Bhim Rawal from UML and Maoaists Narayan Kazi Shrestha and Deb Gurung are in the team.
Meanwhile, a Nepali Congress team led by chief whip Laxman Ghimere briefed the President Dr Ram Baran Yadav Monday on a possible crisis with a growing rift between major parties.
“The constitution should be drafted in time. I am very serious and concerned with the delay,” Gobinda Raj Joshi quoted the president as saying.
The team asked the ceremonial president to caution parties and leaders.
‘The president’s action has set a wrong precedent in the republic by curtailing civilian supremacy in its first year,” Dr Baburam Bhattarai said.
Chairman Subash Nemwang Monday asked leaders of two main ruling parties and the main opposition Maoists to forge a consensus on major topics to be incorporated in the constitution as differences persist,
Chairman Prachanda and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal participated in discussions at the chairman’s office.
The meeting was held before the three-party summit.
The deadline to promulgate the constitution is 28 May 2010.
The 15 December deadline for 11 subject committees to suggest articles to be incorporated in the proposed constitution may again be rescheduled for the eight time.
Only eight committees have submitted their recommendations on which there was no unanimity.
nnnn

Temporary base camp in Kailali

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Amid threats to recapture government Dubejhari forest in Kailali in the mid-West Armed Police Force and Nepal Police Monday established a joint temporary base camp there of 400 personnel.
Police forcibly evicted more than 5,000 squatters destroying and torching more than 1,500 hutments Saturday.
Five persons, including a policemen, were killed.
Government accused Maoists for incitement to capture forest against the spirit of the comprehensive peace treaty.
Maoists charged the government for the killings demanding an investigation and compensation for those killed.
Normal life has been disturbed for the fourth consecutive day in Kalalai for the fourth consecutive day Tuesday as local Maoists protested the eviction.
nnnn

Indian shot dead in Birgunj

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Police overnight shot dead an Indian dacoit in Birgunj,
He was in a group that came from across the border.
The gang raided a trader’s house in south terai.
Nnnn

Maoist seize own party lawmakers house

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Maoists seized the house of own party lawmaker Binod Paradi in Butwal in the west, reports from the town said.
A team led by central member Bamdeb Chetri seized the house and established the office of Abadhi Madesh state committee.
Nnnn

Wild elephants kill four in Dhanusha

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Wild elephants overnight killed eight persons at a village in Dhanusha, including a woman.
The elephants entered the terai district from Sindhuli where two were killed.
Two others were killed in neighbouring Udaipur.
Nnnn

Body of abducted student found

Kathmandu, 8 Dec; The body of an abducted campus student of the capital was found in Banke Bardiya Monday near a river.
Raju Dhital, 22, was abducted and killed in the district two weeks ago.
Dhital was abducted for ransom.
Meanwhile, Lalitpur district court Monday sentenced two persons to 11 and 14 year jail terms for abducting a child and demanding ransom.
nnnn

President visiting India on maiden foreign trip

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Come February, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav will embark on his first foreign trip—to India after assuming the high office, The Kathmandu Post reports.
During a visit to Nepal on November 2008 India’s Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee had extended to Dr Yadav India President Pratibha Debisingh Patil’s invitation to visit India.
Asked who will assume the president’s duties in the absence on an active president, president’s press advisor Rajendra Dahal said some alternative would be worked out.
nnnn

Maoists finalize plans to get child soldiers out of camps with UNMIN help

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Maoists have finalized plans for rehabilitation of disqualified combatants, including child soldiers, jointly with UNMIN, Rajdhani reports.
Maoists have rejected a government scheme for rehabilitation and claim UNMIN has agreed to its plan to get 4,000 combatants out of camps for rehabilitation.
But experts say UNMIN shouldn’t accept the new Maoist plan against the spirit of the comprehensive peace treaty and without government cooperation.
“We’ll soon bring the disqualified combatants out of camps with the management of United Nations and government,” Maoist PLA Deputy Commander Chandra Prakash Khanal told Rajdhani
“UN and donors will manage it. We’ll decide on timeframe,” Khanal said.
nnnn


SPORTS

Nepal out of SAFF games

Kathmandu, 8 Dec: Nepal is out of the 8th SAAF Games after losing to India 1-0 in a Group A league match in Dhaka Monday.
Nepal plays its last match with Afghanistan Wednesday.
Nepal has one point with a draw against defending champion Maldives in its opening match; India has six points with two wins.
nnnn

MEDIA GOOGLE

“I’m being made a sacrificial lamb.”

(Named source quoting the president who let met Congress leaders Tuesday. Maoist mouthpiece Janadisha, 8 Dec.)

“Political parties need to acknowledge that this [federalism] is a contentious issue even at the level of the ordinary public. [51.9 percent of people polled by Interdisciplinary Analysts found they didn’t know, hear, understood or rejected the concept] ”

(Sudhindra Sharma, The Kathmandu Post, 8 Dec.)
nnnn