PM says he won’t resign

Kathmandu, 2 April: Beleaguered Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal rejected calls from Maoists and sections from his own UML party to resign and pave the way for the formation of a nationality government.
He took a firm stand with reporters at his official residence Friday.
He charged Maoists for spreading resignation rumours.
“It is the work of the apposition and effort to boost the psychology of workers,” Nepal said.
He ruled out presidential or military rule .
“It’s impossible. People are conscious, Nepal told reporters.
He rejected a proposal to voluntarily send back Maoist combatants from camps with a golden handshake of Rs 2 million or with some land.
Maoists floated the proposal at a meeting of a technical committee of special integration committee headed by the prime minister.
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HLPM meet inconclusive

Kathmandu, 2 April: A meeting of the high-level political mechanism (HLPM) that meting for the third session Friday following the death of Girija Prasad Koirala its coordinator was inconclusive.
Friday’s meeting is being chaired by the UML amid Maoist and Nepali demands they should head the mechanism
Maoists chaired the first meeting while Congress presided over the second round of talks.
UML has suggested the chairman should rotate between the three parties.
The mechanism couldn’t agree on issues raised at the body.
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Lobbying to extend UNMIN mandate

Kathmandu, 2 April: Samuel Tamrat, Director Asia-Pacific Division of UN Department of Political Affairs, held discussions with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Thursday on the future UNMIN whose mandate ends 15 May.
Government is dissatisfied with its role with Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari charging it was a Maoist ‘tail’; UN-government relations have soured most recently over UN refusal to directly provide government with a fresh headcount of combatants in 28 cantonments and camps to distribute government allowances.
Government said the headcount is needed after fears nearly 40 percent of 19,000 combatants may have deserted.
The role of the UNMIN in the camps now is limited only to overseeing Maoist weapons in containers whose keys are with the fighters.
Ruling parties have charged the UN agency isn’t in its mediation role favoring Maoists; but Maoists are pushing for its mandate extension arguing the UN should stay in Nepal until the peace process is concluded.
Tamrat, who was deputy of Ian Martin who was special representative of the secretary-general and chief of UNMIN when it first arrived in Nepal years ago.
Tamrat accompanied UN Deputy Secretary-general for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe who three weeks ago in an undiplomatic remark threatened the world body would withdraw from Nepal after the current UNMIN mandate ends blaming political parties for hurdles in the peace process.
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Recruitment for technicians in Nepal Army cleared

Kathmandu, 2 April: Defence ministry has cleared the recruitment of technical personnel in Nepal Army.
’I cleared the recruitment of technical manpower in the army before leaving for Beijing on an official visit,” Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari said Thursday.
“Recruitment in the infantry will also start soon,” she said.
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Chinese team coming

Kathmandu, 2 April: A high-level Chinese team is arriving within 10 days to study possibilities of helping the military hospital, Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari, who just returned from China,” said.
“They showed interest in helping the military sector,” she told Nagarik.” They have extensive plans for help in the health sector.”
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CPN-United to merge with Maoists

Kathmandu, 2 April: CPU-United (Nabaraj Subedi Group) is to merge with UCPN (Maoist) Saturday.
Maoist Spokesman Dinanath Sharma made the announcement Thursday.
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Tariff Board rejects NEA suggestion

Kathmandu, 2 April: The tariff board has rejected a proposal of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to increase electricity charges.
The board said the procedures of NEA were incomplete.
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British envoy lobbies for UNMIN, OHCHR-Nepal as well

By Bhola B Rana


Kathmandu, 2 April: Jack McConnell, special ministerial representative of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, lobbied for UNMIN and OHCNR-Nepal, during his three-day visit that concluded Friday.
Government leaders are dissatisfied with their working demanding OHCHR develop an exit strategy.
The lobbying came as a visiting UN official threatened three weeks the UN security council may not end a mandate when it ends.
The UN is just a front of donors funding the work of the world body in Nepal.
‘Dr McConnell further emphasized how Nepal should make good use of international support, in particular through UNMIN and OHCHR, during this still fragile transitional period,” the British embassy said in a departure statement.
The mandates of UNMIN and OHCHR-Nepal end 15May and 9 June respectively.
McConnell arrived in Nepal as government is considering sending back the UN bodies and when the peace process and constitution drafting have hit a roadblock.
He called for the resolving the future of 19,000 former Maoist combatants without saying how and urged extending immediately the 28 May deadline for promulgating a constitution of the target can’t be met.
“It is clear that further efforts are now needed to resolve the future of former combatants and to write the constitution on time. If 28 May is an unrealistic deadline, then thoughts should be given to extending it sooner rather than later,” he said in a departure statement.

He delivered personal letters of Brown to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Chairman Prachanda.
Dr McConnell urged the government to seek common ground at this crucial juncture in the peace process, the embassy said
Dr McConnell said, “At this historic moment it is crucial that the Government of Nepal can be flexible enough to resolve differences with other parties, so that the new democratic constitution can be delivered to the people, and concrete progress made on driving forward other aspects of the peace agreement. Without progress on peace, development will be delayed.”.

In a subsequent meeting with leader of the main opposition party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Dr McConnell again stressed the need for all sides to demonstrate their seriousness about the peace process, by showing good faith, and fully engaging on plans for rehabilitation and integration of the former combatants, and supporting democratic norms and freedoms in the new Constitution. He also called for an end to political violence.

During his visit Dr McConnell also met with Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Rakam Chemjong with whom he discussed the priority Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Disappearance Commission bills.

He assured more development assistance if the peace process is concluded.
“So if the peace process can be concluded, I am certain that more development will follow.”
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Great Britain raises visa fees

Kathmandu, 2 April: Great Britain effective 6 April has decided to hike visa fees by at least 2.5 percent, the British embassy said.
The temporary suspension of Tier 4 student visa continues.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Instead of strengthening democracy by uniting, political parties are involved in anarchic activities as people get distrustful. A wave seen in favour of the king isn’t a good omen for a republic.”

(Congress leader Khum Bahadur Khadka, Nagarik, 2 April)
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