Another summit between NC, Maoists inconclusive; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 22 May: Another summit of leaders of the NC and Maoists Saturday at the residence of NC Acting President Sushil Koirala was inconclusive Saturday with only six days remaining to promulgate a constitution to institutionalize an already declared republic.
A constitutional and political crisis will be triggered with the failure of government and parties to announce a basis law within the 28 May deadline.
Maoist Vice-chairman Narayankazi Shrestha said after the failed talks to break a prolonged deadlock the main opposition asked for a ‘public commitment’ for a joint national government and return to consensus politics.
‘Why should conditions should be set by Maoists? Isn’t the constituent assembly (CA) their responsibility?” NC Vice-chairman Ram Chandra Paudel asked.
They discussed a six-point agenda on which there was no agreement.
Three parties have been blaming each other for the failure to promulgate a basic law.
The three parties continued inter and intra-party talks Saturday as time runs out.
NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuda said agreement on a package and not the resignation of the premier was a solution to break the impasse.
UCPN (Maoist) central committee continued discussions for the second consecutive day Saturday whether the CA tenure should be extended after 28 May.
Standing committee members presented their views Friday.
Chairman Prachanda presented a seven-page political report for adoption.
He suggested the CA tenure could be extended with commitments to complete the peace process, draft a constitution, federalism and secularism,
‘Forces against secularism and federalism and consolidating themselves. To stop this, the CA tenure can be extended with pre-conditions to complete the peace process and draft a constitution and not the status quo,” the party chief said.
After adopting a common position, 14 small parties Saturday presented a memorandum to three biggest parties to come to an agreement to end the deadlock.
Smaller parties are exerting pressing on the bigger parties to come to a consensus.
PM NEPAL
After years of wasted time and money, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal revealed Friday he agreed to a CA drafting a constitution only to please Maoists.
Interestingly, he pushed the CA concept even when he was UML chief as well; the revelation also comes as a time when parties have filed to promulgate a constitution within the two-year mandate given by the people.
Maoist standing committee met Saturday at Gokarna to discuss the Nepal commeut.
‘This [CA] is their [Maoist] brainchild. First, I’m not in favour of the CA. I’m person who believes it’s alright if it will be good to please Maoists. I had proposed the constitution can be drafted by another process, ot by the constituent assembly.
‘I accept the CA even to satisfy Maoists,” Nepal told reporters after meeting visiting Norwegian Internal Development Minister Erik Solheim Friday.
“After 28 May, the country will enter a dark tunnel. The entry to the tunnel is visible bet not the outlet,” Chairman Subash Nemwang said.
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Appa Sherpa climbs Everest for 20th time

Kathmandu, 22 May: Appa Sherpa improved his personal world by scaling the 8848 meters high Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, for the 20th time Saturday.
He stood atop the peak at 8.34 in the morning.


Five killed, three injured in Udaipur taxi crash

Kathmandu, 22 May: Five persons died and three were wounded, including women, in a taxi crash overnight at Shahi danda in Udaipur.
A student leader was among those killed.
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Dr Bhaktaman Shrestha still missing

Kathmandu, 22 May: There’s still no trade of Dr Bhaktaman Shrestha, Executive Director of BP Koirala Memorial Hospital in Bharatpur, Chitwan, four days after he west missing.
He is missing from Bharatpur since Tuesday.
His brief case was found Saturday at Ghoptebhir in Citwan by a police squad trying to trace the missing doctor whose car was earlier recovered in Pokhara.
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Campaign to control polio

Kathmandu, 22 May: Polio drops were administered in all 75 districts Saturday to children under five years to prevent the disease from surfacing.
Nepal has been declared polio-free.
The first phase was launched 10 April.
WHO, USAID and UNICEF are assisting the Rs 276 million campaign.
Altogether 79,814 volunteers administered the drops at 38,902 booths.
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Terai group surrenders

Kathmandu, 22 May: Two weeks after initiating talks with government, leaders of Akhil Terai Mukti Morcha (Bibek Group) surrendered with their arms and ammunition before Peace Minister Rakam Chemjung in Parsa Friday.
The group’s leader Bibek Chandhary was among those who surrendered.
The group started talks with government two weeks ago.
Four 12-bore guns, 13 handmade pistols, a pistol, four socket bombs, 30 kg explosives and ammunition were handed over to authorities.
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Four Tibetans arrested

Kathmandu, 22 May: Four Tibetan women were arrested Friday at Tatopani for illegal entry into Nepal at Tatopani on the border
They have been handed over to the Immigration Office at Kodari.
China has pressed Nepal reinforce border patrolling to prevent illegal crossings across the border.
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One injured in shooting in Balaju

Kathmandu, 22 May: Police shot and injured Shiba Dhakal, 21, a suspected arms dealer in retaliatory firing at Balaju Friday.
Cases of firings and arrests of people with weapons have been increasing in the capital amid increasing crime.
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Nepal, Lesotho establish diplomatic relations

Kathmandu, 22 May: Nepal and the kingdom of Lesotho in Africa have established diplomatic relations.
Ambassadors of the two countries signed a document at Lesotho’s embassy in Cairo 17 May.
Nepal now has diplomatic relations with 131 countries.
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Resettlement of Bhutanese refugees continues

Kathmandu, 22 May: Nearly 4,550 Bhutanese refugees from camps in east Nepal have been resettled in the last four months, said the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Altogether 3,830 refugees were accepted by the USA, 374 by Australia, 239 by Canada, 108 by New Zealand, seven by Netherlands and two by Denmark.
Great Britain is the latest country that has agreed to resettle Bhutanese refigees of Nepali ethnicity forcibly evicted in the last 20 years in an ethnic cleansing effort by the Buddhist nation.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

Kathmandu, 22 May: The South Korean won was listed by the Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB) Friday.
Friday’s exchange rate was Rs 6.28 for 100 wons.
NRB said the listing will facilitate Korean tourists and Nepalis visiting South Korea.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“…. Nepal’s main problem is the groupism of political party leaders; there’s no quality to identify many available possibilities for resolution with shortage of minimum insight to resolve the problem.”

(Independent UML leader Modnath Prashit, Annapurna Post, 22 May)
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