PM, PRESIDENT CONSULTATIONS

Kathmandu, 13 Dec.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and President Dr.Ram Baran Yadav held political discussions Monday morning one day after Maoists asked the head of state to convene a special session of parliament to elect a prime minister and amend parliamentary rules to start a new process for the election of a government chief.
They reviewed the latest political session, election of
PM, special session of parliament and other issues.
The premier told the president he’s ready to convene a parliament session, Bishnu Rijal, an aide of the Nepal said.
Nepal told the president the demand for a special session has created new problem, Rijal quoted the government chief as saying.
Meanwhile, lawyers advised Nepal Monday to convene a parliament session.
Lawyers gave the suggestion to the premier who invited them for consultations.
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STUDENTS DISRUPT MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES


Kathmandu, 13 Dec.: Students demanding the government revoke a decision to hike prices of POL products Monday disrupted the movement of vehicles on highways in terai.
RPP-Nepal continued its protests with corner meetings in three
districts on the Valley.
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BJP LEADER COMING TO MEET FORMER KING

Kathmandu, 13 Dec.: An official meeting has been scheduled between Rajnath Singh, former Chief of BJP, India’s main opposition, Tarun reports.,
He’s coming to Kathmandu in the ext few days with an official
mission to declare the country a Hindu state.
He’s also meeting leaders of main political parties.
But top priority has been given to the meeting with the former king.
He’ll be the first foreign leader to officially meet Gyaenendra—
hence the importance of the meet which will open the avenue for other foreigners to meet the then king officially and openly.
He’ll then be recognized like other political party leaders and will be established as a power center.
It’s been reported he met Congress (I) President Sonia Gandhi, who is more powerful than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his recent
India visit.
The meeting took place 23 November at her own residence in the
presence of other Congress (I) leaders. The meeting was denied by the Indian side.
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PARAS SAYS HE FIRED IN AIR, SAYS HE, FAMILY AND COUNTRY WERE INSULTED

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 13 Dec,: Former Crown Prince denied in a statement be fired at the daughter of Sujata Koirala and her Bangladeshi son-in-law in Chitwan Sunday night.
“I, along with some members of my family, after concluding
programmes in Dhading and Sarlahi” arrived in Chitwan where the group stayed, according to a statement issued Monday morning by Paras.
The statement was printed in Monday’s editions of Nagarik.
“… at the resort’s restaurant, during dinner, when other guests
were also there, a Bangladeshi and another Indian national came and started picking up a conversation with me.
“They started making emotional and false comments about my old role and the institution that I represented.
“I couldn’t stop their provocations even while attempting to pacify
them to the best of my ability during the conversation.
‘I went out of the restaurant and stayed quietly for a long time. They
because very aggressive even as they were pacified by persons accompanying them.
“They became very aggressive and used very mean words
against my family and Nepal.
“About 30 minutes after I went out of the restaurant and when
my family all other guests, I couldn’t tolerate the insult against me lland country and in a fit of rage I fired one round in the air from the pistol with me..
“I want to inform all Nepali brothers and sisters the facts that no person or
physical structure of Tiger Tops was targeted,” Paras said in a
statement.
Published reports in Monday’s broadsheet newspapers said Paras
‘fired’ at Rubel Chandhary and his wife, Melanie, daughter of Sujata Koirala, at Tiger Tops Sunday.
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PM STRESSES UNITY IN SECURITY AGENCIES





Kathmandu, 13 Dec. : - Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Sunday said that when the crucial task of completing peace process was yet to be completed in the country all security bodies of the state should move in tandem with the feeling of unity, cooperation and collaboration, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at a function organised at Nepalese Military Academy at Kharipati, Bhaktapur, on the conclusion ceremony of Officer Cadet Training, Premier Nepal said everyone working in the security force should remember the fact that all should be ready to make contribution to materializing the people’s desire for have peace and constitution.
"Realising the zero tolerance policy and norms and values of human rights, democracy, press freedom and civilian rights, Nepal Army should transform itself at par with the changing times," PM Nepal said.
He also said that the army should uphold the fundamental rights of people, international laws and human rights.
On the occasion, he observed a parade performed by 51 officer cadets. He conferred ‘Honour of Sword’ on Arjun Subba for standing first in the training.
Seventeen cadet officers and 34 sergeants passed the training.
Chief of Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung, high level army officers, senior government officials, official from Nepal Police and former army chiefs were present at the function.
Meanwhile, Peace and Reconstruction Minister Rakam Chemjong said Sunday that the peace process would not be derailed even after the UNMIN returns.
Talking to the journalists in Itahari Sunday, Minister

Chemjong said that UNMIN should be sent away as it had completed all its tasks.
However, he said that the Maoist combatants would be brought under the Army Integration Special Committee before sending off the UNMIN and added that efforts were underway to bring the combatants under the AISC.
Saying that the performance of the UNMIN was satisfactory, Minister Chemjong said except a few cases there had been no point to question the UNMIN’s role in Nepal.
"UNMIN’s support to the government was
immense from the time of election to the Constituent Assembly to the verification of the combatants and their arms," he said.
In another context, he claimed that the new constitution could be drafted by 28 May 2011.
"There is no alternative but to promulgate the new constitution by 28 May," he said

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GOVT. ALLOWS NEPALI WOMEN TO WORK IN GULF
Kathmandu, 13 Dec. It´s official now. Nepali women can legally go to Gulf countries to work as domestic helps. The government has recently approved Terms of Reference (TOR) prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) paving way for Nepali women to work as domestic helps in Gulf countries. Om Astha Rai reports in Republica.

The MoLTM had prepared this TOR based on recommendations of the high-level taskforce led by joint secretary Purna Chandra Bhattarai.

Earlier, irrespective of the Foreign Employment Act-2007 that envisages equal opportunities for male and female jobseekers, there was a virtual ban on Nepali women to work in Gulf countries. As a result, they had been resorting to illegal means to migrate to Gulf countries. Many of them even ended up being victims of sexual exploitation and physical tortures at the hands of their employers.

“There were several restrictions,” said Bhattarai, adding, “And they had been migrating to gulf countries through various illegal channels. Now, they can go to any Gulf country through a legal process. This TOR is all about managing safe migration of Nepali women to the Gulf.”

As per this TOR, Nepali women can go to Gulf countries through legal manpower agencies. However, before sending them to the Gulf, these agencies must ensure that Nepali embassies in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) certify the demand for Nepali women workers. “If our embassies say there is no demand, manpower agencies will not be allowed to send Nepali women workers to the Gulf,” Bhattarai said.

However, the approval of demand of Nepali women in the Gulf by embassies is not the only measure taken by the DoTM to ensure that they do not land in trouble. Before beginning the process of approving the demand, Nepali embassies should ensure that they would be entitled to a minimum salary, insurance, secure and appropriate residence, among other things.

Saru Joshi, Regional Program Coordinator of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), says the approval of TOR alone can not ensure safe migration of Nepali women to Gulf countries. “Not many Nepali women know that they can now legally go to the gulf,” Joshi said. “The government should spread this message in every village. Otherwise, Nepali women will continue to be victims of unscrupulous agents.”

The government had restricted entry of Nepali women to Gulf countries after a Nepali woman, who was abused by her employers in Kuwait, committed suicide in 1998. In January, 2003, following a massive campaign by the UNIFEM, the government had decided to let Nepali women work in organized sectors in the Gulf.

Regardless of the many hurdles, around 114,000 Nepali women are known to be working in Gulf countries currently.
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