CASE FILED AGAIST PARAS SHAH (DEVELOPING STORY)

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: A convenient case was registered at Chitwan district against Paras Shah under a draconian public offence act Wednesday.
His remand was extended by three days.
Bangladeshi national who earlier charged Shah for attempted murder didn’t appear as summoned.
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IMPEACHMENT OF SUPREME COURT JUDGE RECOMMENDED

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: The impeachment of supreme court justice Rana Bahadur Bam by parliament was recommended Tuesday by the judicial council.
The council decided to dismiss Hetauda appellate court judge Tej Bahadur Karki.
Biratnagar appellate court judge Jari Bahadur Basnet has resigned.
The three were found to have delivered a faulty judgment while at the Patan appellate court in freeing three persons accused of abduction lightly.
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8-HOUR LOAD-SHEDDING FROM WEDNESDAY

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: As winter progresses, load-shedding was increased to 56 from 38.8 hours every week.
Nepal Electricity Authority justified its action saying water level had receded in rivers.
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HIMAL SHARMA TO LEAD MAOIST STUDENTS

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: As expected, Himal Sharma was elected Tuesday chairman of ANNISUR by 18th national convention of the Maoist student wing.
Bindaman Bista was elected general secretary.
Jagrit Rayamajhi, Ramesh Malla and Sharad Rasayali were elected vice-chairmen.
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TWO BANGLADESHIS, INDIAN ARESTED

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.; Two Bagladeshis and one India were arrested Sunday for attempting to fly out of the country with fake Nepali
passports.
Bangladeshis Faisal Ahmed and Ahmed Abu Shadid and Indiaan Sheikh Akbar were nabbed.
The foreigners were arrested amid widespread concern with
extensive tampering with Nepali passports as the country prepares to replace hand-written passports with machine readable passports (MRPs).
The tampering has heightened security concerns.
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CASE FILED AGAINST MAOIST FOR SHOT ATTACK ON SOOD

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: A delayed case has been filed at Solu district administration office against Maoist activist Raam Saangharsha
Thulung for hurling shoes at Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood
during dasain in the district.
Thulung is district secretary.
Maoists hurled shoes at the envoy for alleged anti-China activities
along the sensitive Nepal-Tibet border.
Government has hesitated to take action Maoists even after official
Indian government request.
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PM INAUGURATES SAARC TRADE FAIR

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Wednesday inaugurated the 10th SAARC trade fair at Bhrikuti Mandap Wednesday.
The fair will conclude Sunday.
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PM RELUCTANT TO TAKE UP ABUSES CASES

Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: If we focus on these issues only at such a critical transitional phase, the entire peace process may abruptly come to an end
Kathmandu, 15 Dec.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today feared that trying to unearth the past cases of human rights violations may lead to the derailment of the peace process, The Himalayan Times reports.

“This is not the right time to dig past cases of human rights violations out,” an official privy to a meeting between Prime Minister Nepal and envoys of European countries, Canada and Australia quoted the prime minister as telling the diplomats.

Ambassadors and head of the missions of Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Finland, the European Union, Canada and Australia today called on Prime Minister Nepal and discussed cases of human rights violations during the decade-long armed conflict as an annual review conference on world human rights situation is due in Geneva in January.

“If we focus on these issues only at such a critical transitional phase, the entire peace process may abruptly come to an end,” Prime Minister Nepal was quoted as saying.

The government is currently preparing its Universal Periodic Review Report on human rights situation to be submitted at the conference.

Prime Minister Nepal, however, maintained that the government was trying its best to promote and protect the rights of every individual.

According to the prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs, Rajan Bhattarai, the envoys stressed on establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission on the Disappeared at the earliest to address the human rights violations in the conflict and post-conflict phases and growing impunity.

Prime Minister Nepal told the envoys that Bills on setting up of the commissions were pending at the Statutory Committee of the Parliament and that he was in consultations with the stakeholders to get the Bills approved.

“We raised issues like strengthening National Human Rights Commission and growing impunity, among others,” said Danish Ambassador to Nepal Morten Jespersen who led the envoys in the meeting. “We are confident that progress would be made, and we will continue to support Nepal in addressing these issues in future.”

The official privy on condition of anonymity said the envoys also sought assurance from Prime Minister Nepal to define the torture an individual is subjected to in course of confession as a ‘criminal act’.
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MAOISTS MULL REVIVING PARALLEL STRUCTURES
Kathmandu. 15 Dec.: Under mounting internal pressure, the UCPN (Maoist) is considering revival of its old parallel structures at the local level. The party claims that such structures are necessary to fill the vacuum created due to the absence of the elected local bodies.

However, party insiders say the leadership is under intense pressure from the hard-line faction, which wants the party's huge and idle cadre base 'kept ready for revolt.'

The taskforce led by party General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa is discussing the issue. The taskforce was formed on Dec. 5 to prepare an action plan and a report for the party's organisational reshuffling.

The Maoist leaders say they are forming parallel structures to serve the people at the grassroots and address their problems. Politburo member Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma confirmed that the party is considering formation of such 'mechanism to serve the people at the grassroots.'

A taskforce member said that the upcoming Central Committee (CC) meeting would take final the decision about forming such structures. There is a debate inside the party whether such mechanism should be 'executive' or only symbolic. Central Committee member Khagaraj Bhatta said formation of such structures by a communist party is natural. The next CC meeting will approve this.

The formation of such body is seen as an appeasement to the Mohan Baidya-led hard-line faction, which had expressed dissatisfaction over the party's decision to scarp joint revolutionary council, a parallel government formed by the Maoists during the insurgency. “The latest move is aimed at sending a message to the hard-line faction that the party has not deviated from its goal of people's war,” said a leader close to Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai. Other Maoist leaders say such an initiative is to give business to the party's huge idle cadre base.

Formation of local bodies is a part of the hard-liner's programmes for people's revolt. The party's sixth plenum has decided to go for revolt if peace and constitution drafting processes are obstructed.

“If the party opts for a revolution after May 28, such mechanism would be a tool to displace the local government bodies,” said a leader.

Maoist leaders believe that such move will help strengthen the party's base. The Maoists had formed a parallel government during the insurgency under party leader Baburam Bhattarai but dissolved after the party entered the peaceful politics. The leaders say they are aware of the potential criticism their move could draw and that they would avoid calling them 'parallel government.' “We would call them joint front or something else,” said a Maoist leader.
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