President meets Girija amid brewing crisis

Kathmandu, 8 March: Amid a brewing political crisis, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav held political discussions with ailing Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala Monday.
The meeting lasted for 20 minutes.
The country is heading towards a political crisis amid fears that a constitution to institutionalize a republic may not be promulgated by the 28 May deadline.
Leaders of 10n ruling parties, including Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, held discussions Sunday at Baluwatar.
Maoist threat to launch a popular revolt also came up for discussions.
Yadav wished Koirala speedy recovery.
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YCL to launch national youth campaign

Kathmandu, 8 March: Maoist YCL said Monday it will launch a national youth campaign to press peace the promulgation in time.
This was made public after the YCL central committee meet Sunday,
UCPN (Maoist) is the country’s biggest political party and is taking the lead.
But other parties charge Maoists aren’t interested in promulgating a constitution.
Such charges are being traded by major political players.
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Further details of Maoist threat to launch popular revolt

Kathmandu, 8 March: Further details of Maoist threat of a popular revolt published in Monday’s editions of Rajdhani.
“The party has pushed constitution drafting and army integration simultaneously with the purpose of group integration in the army.
“Because the international community will raise hackles if we seek the top post with integration, we are considering taking the second position along with other important positions,
“The party is moving at a snail’s pace because the army will come under control after integration,” Prachanda told the combatants.
He asked combatants to be patient as 10,000 former fighters will be integrated.
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PM Nepal offers vehicle facilities for25 parties in parliament

Kathmandu, 8 March: The government has taken a special decision to provide motor vehicles to leaders of 25 political parties even as the tenure of the constituent assembly ends in 81 days, Nagarik reports.
The move was to satisfy even with a party with one lawmaker in the assembly.
The government has earlier put on hold the decision of the previous government [of Prachanda].
A letter was sent Sunday by the council of ministers to provide vehicles to leaders of seven political parties.
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AIG protests kidnapper

Kathmandu, 8 March: It has come to light trader Hari Agrawal kidnapped another trader Sanjaya Surekha with the protection of a senior police officer, Kantipur reports.
An inquiry team of the police even went to India.
Investigations found Agrawal was involved and AIG Kalayan Kumar Timilshina was involved.
Surekha was abducted from the capital 18 Jesth.
Fifteen days later, 200,000 dollars was delivered in Dubai via a bank in Hong Kong.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“… why blame the police force when the rot that you see in there and elsewhere has its genesis in the decades of meddling by the parties in power with these institutions. From Royal Nepal Airlines to Shaja, from the bureaucracy to the educational institutions, the parties had a field day appointing and promoting their cadres. And if it were not for the stand taken by the army, we would be having a new commander-in-chief every time there was a change of government. Instead of making the police force a scapegoat, it would be more prudent to question the political parties and their leaders and those foreign powers that back them in serving their vested interest.”

(B Pun, The Rising Nepal, 8 March)
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