Govt. cancels passport contract with India, Maoists withdraw nationw0ode strike (BREAKING NEWS)

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 11 April: In a major blow and embarrassment for the 22-party UML-led government led of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, a cabinet meting Sunday cancelled a contract with an Indian government security printing press to issue machine readable passports (MRPs).
Government had already awarded the contract to India unilaterally without calling an international tender as suggested by two parliamentary committees.
Calling contracts are normal government practice to prevent irregularities.
The government move in as an embarrassment to it, PM Nepal and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala who publicly pushed the deal without calling a tender for the printing of passports.
A supreme court bench also issued an interim order not to execute the order until a final decision on a writ petition claiming the deal was illegal.
The cabinet also nordered the foreign ministry Sunday to call an international tender to print such passports as ordered by ICAO to fight terrorism while canceling the original deal with India.
Government’s ability to handle international matters has been seriously compromised.
MRPs had to replace hand-written passports by 1 April.
Maoists, meanwhile, claimed victory and withdrew a nation-wide one-day protest Monday against the passport deal.
Maoists staged a torchlight demonstration in the capital Sunday disrupting movement of people and vehicles.
Spokesman Dinanath Sharma said the government back-out was a ‘victory for patriotic forces’.
The cabinet also acted following an order of meeting of the UML standing committee and parliamentary party Sunday asking government to cancel the contract with India.
The meeting in which many top leaders demanded the resignation of PM Nepal was adjourned until Sunday.
A sizeable section in the party for the second day charged Nepal for failure to lead the government to end the peace process and draft a constitution by 28 May.
A section of UML is close to close to Maoists who may bring a vote on no –confidence against the government in the current winter session of parliament.
Maoists could topple the government by splitting UML
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Gagdish Prasad Pokkhrdel

Kathmandu, 11 April: Ailing Jagdish Prasad Pokhrel was re-appointed vice-chairman of National Planning Commission with Nepali Congress support Sunday.
The cabinet took a belated decision
UML earlier bagged the governorship of Nepal Rashtra Bank.
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