Nobody injured in bombing in capital

Kathmandu, 6 July: Nobody was injured in a bomb blast Tuesday evening in front of the Birendra International Convention Centre—the seat of parliament and the constituent assembly.
There was a loud blast after two persons on a motorcycle hurled the bomb, eyewitnesses said.
A pamphlet recovered at the site mentioned Dynamic Youth Front protesting the extension of the constituent assembly by one year until 28 May 2011.
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Three parties agree to proclaim constitution

Kathmandu, 6 July: Maoists, Nepali Congress (NC) and UML Tuesday agreed to promulgate a constitution to institutionalize by 13 April 2011.
NC Chief Whip Laxman Ghimere said this after a meeting pf three parties in the presence of Chairman Subash Nemwang.
Nemwang described the outcome of the tripartite meet as a ‘positive result’ and said there was ‘nearly an agreement’.
He said the schedule to draft a constitution will be finalized after discussions with all parties in the constituent assembly which also acts as parliament.
Parties took on a responsibility to promulgate a constitution by 28 May 2011 after a basic law couldn’t be promulgated by the two-year elected tenure that ended 28 May 2010.
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Parties won’t meet deadline to assemble consensus govt.

Kathmandu, 6 July: Nepali Congress (NC) and UML Tuesday decided to ask Prsident Dr Ram Baran Yadav to extend his week-long deadline to assemble a consensus government.
The parties are unlikely to meet the deadline that ends tomorrow [Wednesday].
Most UML members at a meeting of the party central committee Tuesday suggested UML should lead the next government as the president was a Nepali Congress activist and Maoists are still have their army, according to Gokarna Bista.
Maoists held discussions with RPP and RJP and sought their support for formation of a Maoist-led government Tuesday.
The centrist parties told Maoists to seek the confidence of NC and UML to form a consensus government.
Such a government is unlikely.
A meeting of NC office bearers and top leaders in town decided the party won’t accept a government headed by Maoists, party sources said; they added the party will make maximum effort to assemble a consensus government.
Three Madesh parties said Tuesday following a collective meet Maoists, who haven’t implemented past commitments, can’ from a consensus; they said a consensus government can’t be formed by sidelining Madesh parties.
“Sad to say resignation of Madhav Nepal has put the country even in more difficulty,” Government Spokesman and Communications Minister Shanker Pokhrel told a group of journalists in the city Tuesday..
He said both consensus and majority governments were difficult to form.
“A constitution won’t be formed even if 25 parties form a government. Fundamental political differences remain” Pokhrel said adding a basic law won’t be promulgated until the differences persist.
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Police shoot dead three abductors

Kathmandu, 6 July: Police shot dead three abductors at Fatthepur forest in Banke in an encounter and freed five persons who were kidnapped Sunday.
The identity of kidnapers wasn’t known.
The abductors were holed up in the forest with the hostages.
Two abductors, Indian nationals, were arrested and paraded before the public.
Police said the abductions were planned and executed from India.
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Prices of POL products hiked

Kathmandu, 6 July: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) board Tuesday hiked the prices of kerosene, diesel and petrol with immediate effect and one day after a Rs 800 million loan from the finance ministry.
Kerosene and diesel prices were hiked Rs 2.50 per liter while petrol prices were upped Rs 3 per liter.
Petrol will cost Rs 85 per liter while a liter of kerosene and diesel will cost Rs 65.50.
Price of LPG hasn’t been hiked.
NOC, the oil importing monopoly, created an artificial shortage in the market for days to increase price.
Drivers of cars and motorcycles had to wait for hours at gas stations to fill their tanks.
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French company awarded

Kathmandu, 6 July: French company Oberthru was awarded a contract Tuesday to print machine readable passports (MRPs) by the foreign ministry.
Four companied had put in tenders; three other companies were from United Kingdom, Singapore and Indonesia.
France’s lowest bid to print a MRP at $ 3.59 per passport was accepted.
Government first awarded a contract to an Indian government security press to print MRPs but rescinded the decision under heavy criticism in May.
India didn’t participate in an international tender called by the foreign ministry.
ICAO has asked government to stop issuing hand-written passports and replace them with MRPs by 1 April 2010 to help fight terrorism; government couldn’t meet the deadline.
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21 VDC secretaries resign in Kalikot

Kathmandu, 6 July: In latest resignations tendered by VDC secretaries, 21 of 30 secretaries resigned in remote Kalikot district Tuesday following threats from an underground group.
They’ve decided to close down offices as well as law and order situation deteriorates with government unable to provide security to its employees.
Officials act as VDC secretaries in the absence of elected local officials.
There are 4,000 VDCs nation-wide.
Secretaries from the terai to hills have been resigning en masse.
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Angry Bhutanese refugees padlock donor offices

Kathmandu, 6 July: Hundreds of thousands of angry Bhutanese refugees padlocked offices of donors at all seven refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts demanding full restoration of dole like food and oil.
‘Give us our share” they said.
Rations were cut three months ago.
UNHCR administers the camps.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“If the parties opt to go for majority government reviving the existing coalition government we won’t wait any nolger, We would go to the people.”

(Maoist Vice-chairman Narayan Kazi Shrestha, The Himalayan Times, 6 July)

“…it has become routine for contractors to pay the musclemen of different parties ‘service money’ for having the privilege to take part in bidding process. Similarly transfer and appointment of officials of both the government and public corporations is up for unofficial bidding and there are increasing indications that the highest bidder gets the job.”

(RJP Vice-chairman Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani, Republica, 6 July)
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