SC VERDICT ON PRESIDENTIAL ACTION THURSDAY

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: A bench of the supreme will give its delayed verdict on the legality of a presidential action to retain Army Chief Gen. Rukmangud Katawal who was sacked by the Maoist government led by Chairman Prachanda s during a brief nine-month rule in 2009.
President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, a ceremonial head of state, intervened and retained Katawal who has since retired.
The president acted 13 September 2009 on the recommendation of 18 political parties and brought a rift between his and Maoists; Prime Minister Prachanda resigned without facing parliament where the present ruling coalition was challenging the controversial dismissal.
The presidential has been challenged in court as an illegal; action of a ceremonial head of state.
Premier Prachanda sacked Katawal and the president was only notified.
nnnn

SUSHIL KOIRALA IMPROVING

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: NC President Sushil Koirala is improving and responding to treatment after being hospitalized Wednesday for treatment.
He’s suffering pneumonia, said a Koirala aide.
He has been advised five day rest.
Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar visited Koirala at hospital.
Nnnn

NC VOTE COCUNTING CONTINUES

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: Counting of votes for 23 seats reserved in the NC central committee began Thursday morning.
The seats are reserved for women, Daalits, Madeshi, indigenous nationalities and Muslims.
Altogether 158 candidates contested.
Election committee has called candidates to discuss how to count votes for remaining 35 seats from zones in the central committee.
nnnn


NINE NEPALIS KILLED IN KASHMIR

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: Nine Nepali labourers were killed Wednesday after a passenger vehicle they were traveling in fell into a 300-feet-deep gorge, in Indian controlled Kashmir police, according to a Xinjua report from Srinagar.
The accident took place at Ganiwan-Kangan in Ganderbal district 52 km north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian controlled Kashmir.
Nnnn

UN OFFICIAL ARRIVES OCT.

Kathmandu, 22 Sept. UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe arrives October amid signs relations between government and Maoists have thawed over the integration and resettlement of 19,000 PLA commandants in the next four months.
Pascoe arrives as UNIMN prepares to leave after its last tenure was extended until 15 January 2011.
The Nepal visit will be his second in 2010.
He was embroiled in a controversy then for undiplomatic remarks—blaming political parties while giving a clean chit to UN for the stumbled peace process.
Nnnn

BHOJRAJ POKHREL APPOINTED TO UN PANEL

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: Bhojraj Pokhrel, former chief election commissioner and home secretary, has been appointed member of a UN panel monitoring a referendum in south Sudan and Abyei, UN News Center said.
Pokhrel was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
He lead a team that conducted Nepal’s first constituent assembly elections in 2008.
Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa heads the panel and former Portuguese Foreign Minister Antinio Monteiro is a member.
Separate referenda 9 January 2011 will decide whether Abyei in north Sudan will join an independent south Sudan which will also decide whether to secede or remain a part of united Sudan.
nnnn

SEVEN ARRESTED WITH FAKE RS 4.09M INDIAN CURRENCY NOTES

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: In a big haul of fake currency notes, seven persons, two Indians and five Nepalis, were arrested Wednesday with Rs 4.09 million Indian currency notes of Rs 1,000 denomination as they were coming out of Tribhuvan International Airport.
They arrived from Pakistan via Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight.
The notes were recovered in a bag carried by Tek Bhadur Karki from Palpa. Nnnn

MEDIA GOOGLE

“As I was one of those who started a signature campaign against the incumbent government demanding a national consensus government, they [PM Nepal, Home Minister Bhim Rawal and KP Sharma Oli] took revenge on me.”

(Sacked UML leader Dol Bahadur Karki, The Kathmandu Post, 22 Sept.)

‘Politically, it may not be right to conceive the return of monarchy in Nepal, but nobody can say people won’t look towards monarchy as an alternative force if the country isn’t managed properly.”

(Senior journalist Kishore Nepal, Nagarik, 22 Sept.)

‘UNMIN’s displeasure towards the peace process moving ahead. A UN diplomat must not talk like that. Such a comment puts UN’s credibility at stake.”

(Reaction of Rajan Bhattarai, PM’s foreign affairs advisor on UNMIN chief’s description of an agreement between government chief and Prachanda on PLA integration as ‘gentleman’s agreement’, The Himalayan Times, 22 Sept.)


TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

HOTEL BOOKINGS UP 20%

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: With most of the leading hotels operating at full occupancy, tourism entrepreneurs are optimistic about the upcoming tourist season, Republica reports.
Not only are the hotels full with tourists, they are also receiving emphatic booking for the coming season.
Booking of hotel rooms for the coming season has increased by about 20 percent compared to last year said Madhav Om Shrestha, executive director of Hotel Association of Nepal.
“Hotels have reported us their booking figures and it shows an average growth of 20percet,” Shrestha added.
Nepal tourist season generally begins in September and runs till March or April.
Rajan Sakya , chief executive officer of Kathmandu Guest House informed Republica that they have almost 100 percent reservation for the entire season.
“Though the off season was not that good for Thamel-based hoteliers, we are very encouraged by with the booking,” Sakya added.
Five-star hotels in the capital are also expecting better business this season.
Karuna Manandhar, public relations executive at Radisson Hotel Kathmandu said they have more that 90 percent reservation for this month.
Nnnn

YETI GROUP BUYS 49% STAKE IN GOKARNA GOLD RESORT

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: Yeti Group, owners of Yeti Airlines, has bought a 49 percent stat in Gokarna Golf Resort from a Singapore group managing the resort, Kantipur reports.
The group bought the stake with a Rs 760 million investment.
“We’re taking over management from 1 October,” said Managing Director Ang Tshering Sherpa.
He revealed without giving details talks are ongoing to acquire remaining 51 present stake.
Management will be handed over to foreigners.
Nnnn

ONLY PRESIDENT CAN SAVE UML LAWMAKER DHUNGEL

Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: Fearing arrest, convicted Unified CPN-Maoist Constituent Assembly member Balkrishna Dhungel did not attend the Supreme Court to file review petition against his conviction on a murder charge, Ananta Raj Luitel reports in The Himalayan Times..

“If he attends the apex court, he might face arrest and languish in jail, therefore, he did not attend to file a review petition at the apex court,” Ram Narayan Bidari, Dhungel’s lawyer, told The Himalayan Times.

“I advised him not to attend the apex court until President Dr Ram Baran Yadav gives a suspension order against execution of the verdict,” added Bidari.



Dhungel has two options — first, attend the apex court with a review petition; and second, seek presidential pardon. If he chooses the first option he might face arrest when execution of the apex court verdict begins.

As per existing legal provision, a person cannot file review petition through a legal representative.

That is why Dhungel’s physical presence at the Supreme Court may lead to arrest because the Okhaldhunga District Court has already issued arrest warrant in his name.

Apprehensive about arrest, Dhungel’s defence team has changed its strategy. It will file review petition only after a presidential move suspends his sentence. They have advised that he request the government to either grant pardon or suspend execution of the verdict by invoking Article 151 of the Interim Constitution through the President.

“Dhungel cannot enjoy the facility of appointing a legal representative to work on his behalf to file the review petition. He must attend the court,” Shreekanta Paudel, Spokesperson, said the apex court.

The apex court had forwarded the text of its January 3 verdict on September 5 to Okhaldhunga court for prompt execution of the verdict that slapped a 20-year jail term on Dhungel and ordered confiscation of his property for killing Ujjan Shrestha in 1998.

Dhungel had also served a six-year sentence when he was primarily convicted by the Okhaldhunga Court, but was released after Rajbiraj Appeal Court gave him a clean chit.

But when the government challenged the Rajbiraj Appeal Court verdict in the SC, the apex court overturned the appellate court verdict and slapped a life term upholding the Okhaldhunga district court verdict.

Despite this, some loyal UCPN-Maoist lawyers advised the party to seek privilege from the government in order to suspend the sentence as the case was supposed to be withdrawn from the court.

Stating that a presidential move granting pardon or suspending the verdict would be misuse of power, human rights lawyer Govinda Sharma Bandi ruled out pardon for Dhungel through presidential power.

“Since he has already served a few years in jail as per the district court verdict and as the government’s attempt to withdraw the case as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was rejected, it will not be possible to grant pardon as the nature of the case does not qualify for pardon,” added Bandi.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Wednesday told a group of human rights activists he was not in favour of granting pardon to murder convict UCPN-Maoist CA member Balkrishana Dunghel.
“I am not in favour of granting him pardon but the government is facing pressure from political parties,” Gobinda Sharma Bandi quoted the prime minister.
Nnnn

PSOs SHIELDING TARAI BIG SHOTS
Kathmandu, 22 Sept.: In the wake of increasing threats from various underground outfits inTarai districts, a new security measure has been adopted n five districts of the Narayani zone, The Kathmandu Post reports from Parsa.
A total of 57 Personal Security Officers (PSOs) have been kept in a ready-to-be deployed position in Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Makwanpur and Chitwan districts to provide security to the needy people.

Lawmakers, judges, local development officers, representatives of various political parties, businessmen and ministers, among others, are entitled to PSOs.
Birgunj-based Zonal Police Office Chief Gopal Bhandari said the PSOs will swing into action once security committees of the respective districts find the need of security.
The people in need of security should furnish evidence of threats, certifying that their life is at risk, to the respective committees if they want PSOs.
However, one can avail of the service without following the due process in an emergency.
Initially, PSOs will be deployed for a month and their mandate can be renewed if necessary.
Birgunj advisor of Hindu Youth Association Jyoti Prasad Kalwar has been enjoying PSO service following the murder of Association’s central chairman Kashi Tiwari in June.
A businessman who is under PSO cover said,” I need security as my family is getting death threats.”
nnnn