THREE PARTY SUMMIT IN CHOVAR

Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Fifteen top leaders of the Big Three-Maoists, NC and UML- left by a luxury bus Friday morning for Hattiban Resort in Chovar where they’ll be huddled for two days to iron out differences to end an impasse over government formation and annual budget presentation.
Chairman Prachanda said five leaders from each from three parties left by bus from the home ministry.
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FRIDAY IN KUKKUR PUJA

Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: The dog was worshiped Friday morning on the second day of tihar.
Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth, will be worshipped in the evening.
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PM CONCERNED

Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Friday said he’s concerned the country was heading towards crisis because of political instability.
He said this at a public meeting in Mahankalchaur in the city outskirts
The said it will be difficult to avert the crisis without a consensus between parties.

Nepal said that the remaining tasks related to the peace process should be completed at the earliest.
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TASK FORCE TENURE EXTENDED

Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: The tenure of the Prachanda-led task force to push the drafting of a constitution was extended by 27 political parties in the constituent assembly until 11 December for the second time.
The parties commended the work of the force so far.
The term of the seven-member body ended Thursday.
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ANOTHER DENGUE DEATH

Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: One more person died of dengue at a hospital in Bhairahawa Thursday.
An epidemic has broken out in Chitwan and Butwal.
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SWISS SPEAKER HOLDS DISCUSSIONS WITH PRACHANDA

Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Visiting speaker of the Swiss national assembly Pascale Bruderer Wyss held discussions before Chairman Prachanda drove for Chovar for discussions with NC and UML leaders Friday morning.
She has elicited interest in the delayed peace process and constitution drafting.
Wyss has urged parties to be flexible for a breakthrough.
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TASK FORCE CONSENSUS ON CITIZENSHIP
Kathmandu, 6 Nov.: The seven-member high level taskforce today[ Thursday] resolved the Nepali citizenship certificate issue to be incorporated in the constitution, The Himalayan Times reports.

The taskforce reached understanding on contentious issues of the report of the Committee on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. According to the understanding, a “naturalized citizen” shall not hold highest public positions either through election or nomination.

A naturalized citizen, according to the agreement, shall not hold the positions of president, vice president, prime minister, chiefs of the judiciary and legislature, chiefs of all security wings — Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, Nepal Police and National Investigation Department — and governor and deputy governor to be appointed by the federal government to each of the provinces. These positions will be held only by Nepali nationals who are citizens by descent.

The taskforce also agreed to issue “Non-Resident Nepali Citizenship Certificate” to NRNs, but without “political rights,” said Ramesh Lekhak, a member of the team of experts assisting the high level taskforce.

He, however, said an NRN shall enjoy “social, cultural and economic rights”. This provision shall however not be applicable to an NRN, who is a domicile of the SAARC region.

Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party had expressed reservation on issuing the NRN citizenship certificate, arguing that it would invite foreign influence in the country’s politics. The party, however, agreed after the Speaker reminded that other developing countries also had a similar provision and its aim was to attract NRN investment inside the country.

The taskforce agreed that the State may issue a Nepali citizenship certificate to a foreign national if he/she has been continuously living in the country for 15 years. But it is the State’s discretionary right, Lekhak said. A foreign national married to a Nepali woman and permanently living in the country has to wait for 15 years for “naturalized Nepali citizenship certificate”. This provision is being introduced for the first time.

But a foreign woman married to a Nepali citizen can obtain citizenship once she legally proves in the country’s court of law that she has relinquished her original nationality.

The taskforce, on Wednesday, had agreed on single citizenship certificate to be issued by the federal government and to be managed by local bodies as specified by the country’s law.

The taskforce has yet to resolve issues of fundamental rights and fundamental duties of citizens as well as the State’s directive principles.
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INDIA PROTESTS NAXAL TRAINING IN NEPAL
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: India has lodged a strong protest with the government of Nepal over “organised training’ of Indian Maoists in different Maoist camps” in Nepal.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood relayed the concern in a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala on Oct. 27, said informed sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), The Kathmandu Post reports.

Sood handed over a strong protest letter over “the training” that, he claimed, took place in the last two months. Indian authorities have claimed more than 200 Indian Maoists got a week-long training with their Nepali peers in Nawalparasi, Dang, Makawanpur, Udaypur and other Tarai districts. Indian Maoists from different Naxalite areas got ideological and warfare training, sources claimed. Indian mainstream media had also published reports about the rumoured training in Nepal but that was later denounced by the UCPN (Maoist).

“ Sood’s letter categorically mentioned the facts, figures and dates that the Indian Maoists received from their Nepali comrades which was a serious breach of security, helping to edify the Indian Maoist movement. The Indian side also strongly asked to take stern action against the Maoist leaders who trained the Indian Maoists,” a knowledgeable source told the Post.

Earlier, a similar strong protest was lodged by the Indian side at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the shoe-hurling at the envoy in Solukhumbu. The Indian side sought strong action against Maoist leader Gopal Kirati who led the protest in Salleri. India has prominently taken up the training issue with Government of Nepal saying that the series started from Saina Maina camps and later extended to other Maoist camps.

After establishing that Indian Maoists received training in Nepal, the Indian side has taken up the issue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MoFA).

Officials at the Ministry of Home confirmed that MoFA has transmitted the Indian concern over the training received by Indian Maoists. “No decision as to what to do has been taken so far,” said a MoFA official.

The Indian side also raised the issue of security of Indian officials posted in Birgunj. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu unofficially conveyed that the Indian Acting Consulate General of India posted in Birgunj, Sashi Kumar, received a threatening call from an unidentified group in the first week of Oct. It was brought to the notice of the local security agencies of Birgunj who tried in vain to trace what exactly happened, sources added.
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MAOIST CONCEPT ON NEPAL, INDIA,CHINA FOR PROSPERITY; KARKI
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Senior UCPN (Maoist) leader Ram Karki on Thursday said that a tripartite strategic ties between Nepal-China-India proposed by his party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal would boost economic prosperity of the country, The Kathmandu Post reports.

Dahal had recently told the press that he going to New Delhi to hold talks with Indian leaders regarding such a tripartite strategic ties. “As soon as we complete our plenum at Gorkha, Chairman Dahal will visit Delhi to improve our party’s ties with India. Without maintaining good relations with the neighbouring countries we alone cannot make a progress,” he said at Reporters’ Club.

He said that India and Nepali Maoists have been at loggerheads, to some extent, since the Maoist party emerged as the largest party in the Constituent Assembly which India had never thought. “That is why we need to clear the misunderstanding with India,” he said.

“What our party chairman tried to conveyed is that Nepal should take benefit out from the world’s economic giants—India and China — and to this regard they should also come together,” he said.

However, Nepali Congress leader Narayan Khadka said that India may not heed the Dahal’s tripartite alliance call as the proposal does not represent the state’s voice as well as clearly lacks national consensus. “How can India deal with a party chairman over the self-baked proposal?” he asked. “It will not sell in India. He alone can not bring any paradigm shift in Nepal’s foreign policy.”

CPN-UML leader Krishna Gopal Shrestha also sang Khadka’s tunes. “His proposal comes at a time when Maoist relations with India went down to an all-time low. It is quite surprising that how the proposal was originated.” said Shrestha.

Former Nepali Ambassador Shambu Ram Shimkhada also, however, said that the proposal should be hailed if it helps improve better ties with India and China.

“The proposal would do good if it can serve the positive outputs to Nepal’s relations with India and China. It would not be good to interpret our foreign relations in a party’s line which needs broad national consensus to drive such a imperative policy,” said Shimkhada.
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