CHINESE TEAM MEETS PM

Kathmandu, 12 Sept.: On the second day of a six-day Nepal visit, Chinese delegation led by He Yong, Secretary of the central committee of the Communist Party of China held discussions with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The team will hold separate meetings with UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and President Dr Ram Baran Yadav Sunday.
In separate plenary meetings with Maoist and NC leaders
immediately after arrival on a six=day visit Saturday, He said China respects Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and won’t interfere in internal affairs.
The delegation drew the attention of Maoist and NC leaders to anti-China activities in Nepal.Maoist
Chairman Prachanda was invited to visit China.
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SUSHIL KOIRALA TO ANNOUNCE PANEL SUNDAY

Kathmandu, 12 Sept.: NC Acting President Sushil Koirala is announcinf his panel of office bearers of the party at a news conference later Sunday.
Prakash Man Singh and Padma Narayan Chandhary are general secretary and treasurer respectivly.
The announcement was delayed because Sujata Koirala also announced her candidacy for general secretary.
She has now agreed to contest for central committee and the 12th general convention in the capital from 17 to 21 August.
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NO GOVT., MAOIST MEET ON UMNMIN FUTURE

Kathmandu, 12 Sept. A scheduled meeting between government and Maoists on UNMIN’s future didn’t take place Saturday.
Maoist Vice-chairman Narayan Kazi Shrestha said government diddn;t set aside time for the meeting.
UNMIN’s tenure ends Tuesday 15 September.
Government has suggested extending tenure by four months taking Nepal Army off the watch of the UN political arm in Nepal while Maoists, in a separate letter, suggested the tenure should be extended for another six months without changing the mandate which also puts Maoist PLA under UNMIN watch.
Following different perceptions, government presented Maoists a six-point proposal to send a joint letter to UN security council to extend the mandate,
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GYANENDRA SPEAK

Kathmandu, 12 Sept.: Comments of former King Gyanera during his Biratnagar visit Saturday as reported in Annaourna Post.
“ Is there any reason to pursue religion?
“I am on a tour for religion. Can’t I have faith and belief in religion?.” He told reporters after arriving in the town from the capital Saturday.
“I’ve come to find out the feelings of people.
‘There’s no need for me to speak on this [politics]. I’ll not speak. There are many who speak on this. Make them speak.”
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TRADE, COMMMERCE, ECONOMY

Kathmandu, 1 Sept.: Nepse gained 5.82 points Thursday at the end of five-day trading last week.
The index closed at 414. 543 points after opening at 408.60 points Sunday.
Altogether 453,660 shares were traded in 4,676 transactions for Rs 182.19 million.
Index of commercial banks and insurance companies went up 14.42 and 6.79 percent respectively.
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TASK FORCE TO WORK OUT CONSENSUS

Kathmandum , 12 Sept.: A meeting between Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and leaders of 11 fringe parties today formed a five-member taskforce to forge consensus among the parties before the eighth round of prime ministerial elections scheduled for September 26., The Himayalan Times reports.
“We have decided to draft a document based on the papers presented by various parties, including the United Democratic Madhesi Front and fringe parties before the next run-off,” said Chandra Dev Joshi, leader of CPN –United, after the meeting.

The three major parties, UDMF and fringe parties have already made their documents public separately. They contain many common agendas regarding the peace process and constitution drafting process. “We decided to focus on forging consensus through a common paper before the next election for prime minister, keeping the election as second priority,” Joshi said.

He said the taskforce includes Krishna Prasad Sitaula from Nepali Congress, Pradip Gyawali or Bharat Mohan Adhikary from CPN-UML, Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani from Rastriya Janashakti Party and Sunil Manandhar from CPN–United. One member will be picked from Madhes-based parties tomorrow.The task force will begin work in a few days and holds talks with UCPN-M, he added.

The meeting had dwelt on two agendas —term and mandate of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the ongoing political deadlock. “The Maoists have been allowed to do whatever they want with the help of UNMIN and have been feeding their cadres from the government treasury,” Biswendra Paswan of Dalit Janajati Party quoted the prime minister.

Joshi said the parties had expressed serious concern about the separate letters sent by the government and the Maoists to the UN Security Council. “We have urged the government not to spoil relations with the UN by sending a unilateral letter,” he said, adding that the prime minister had told the parties that the government was holding talks with the Maoists on sending a common letter to the UN.
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Bijukchhe blames India for deadlock
KATHMANDU, SEP 11 -
President of the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (NWPP) Narayan Man Bijukchhe on Saturday blamed India for the delay in the government formation and the row over the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

Bijukchhe, who is no friend of the Maoists, also claimed that the tape containing alleged converstion between Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara and a ‘Chinese agent’ was doctored.

He accused India of engineering the audiotape. “It was all India’s plan to not let a Maoist government take shape in Nepal,” Bijukchhe said.

Speaking at a programme organised to release a book, “Bhaktapur Kanda ka Sansmaran” in Bhaktapur on Saturday, Bijukchhe alleged that India had threatened Madhes-based leaders, including Chairman of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L) Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, and asked them not to vote for the UCPN (Maoist), during a meeting in a “star” hotel (last week before the sixth round of prime ministerial elections), between the Madhesi leaders and representatives of the Indian embassy. Gachhadar couldn’t be reached immediately for comments.

However, other Madhesi leaders have termed the allegation as “baseless” and said that India hasn’t asked them not to vote for the Maoists. “The Maoists so far have failed to fulfill our demands,” said a Madhesi leader.

Bijukchhe said the recent activities of India has proved that the key of government formation in Nepal is in India’s hand.

“We have spent over Rs. 220 million to make you leaders, so you cannot betray us now by voting for the Maoist,” he quoted Indian officials as telling the Madhes-based leaders.

He claimed such a direction from India forced the MJF-L and other Madhes-based parties to abstain from voting in the prime ministerial elections.

Commenting on the role of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), he said it is “nothing but a quarrel between India and America.”

He said India is trying to play in Nepal’s internal matters and that America is backing the UNMIN.





FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH

• India engineered the audiotape scandal

The southern neighbour asked Madhesh leaders not to vote for Maoists

•Key of govt formation is in India’s hand

•UNMIN row is a quarrel between India and the US
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