REAL JUICE WORTH RS 20 MILLION SEIZED, SEALED

Kathmandu, 21 Dec.: Real Juice, produce of Indian joint venture Dabar Nepal, worth Rs. 20 million was seized and sealed Monday.
An official of the revenue investigation department charged outdated Real Juice was being packed for marketing.
Four government agencies Monday jointly raided he factory in the Birgunj industrial corridor even for tax evasion.
Complaints against the quality of Dabar Nepal have swelled.
The company has launched an aggressive campaign over television to counter the complaints using actor Rajesh Hamal.
The raid was conducted following complaints.
nnnn

DONOR CONCERNS CONVEYED TO PRACHANDA


Kathmandu, 21 Dec.: Ms Pirkko-Liisa Kyöstilä, Finland’s Chargé d’Affaires a.i. , held discussions with Maoist Chairman Prachanda and conveyed ‘continuing concerns of development partners about the impact on Nepal's development of the current political situation’, an announcement said.
She highlighted the recent joint statement by donors and, in particular, the following key messages, the announcement said.:
‘The donor community remains committed to supporting Nepal through this challenging time and strengthening the ability of individual Nepalese to improve their living standards.
“However, continued vacancies in senior positions reduce donor confidence, and the slow pace in implementing the peace process, combined with the continued care-taker status of the government and lack of development leadership at the political level could significantly impact many donors' ability to secure future resources for Nepal.
“Donors urged rapid progress in these areas so that the people of Nepal could derive maximum benefit from the country's development potential.’

Ms. Kyöstilä conveyed these messages on behalf of Australia, Delegation of the European Union, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USAID.
nnnn

PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Kathmandu, 21 Dec.: Government announced a public holiday Tuesday to mark Kirati festival Udauli parba.
Tuesday is also yomuri purne of the Newar community.
Nnnn

BHUTANESE REFUGEE KILLED BY WILD ELEPHANT

Kathmandu. 21 Dec.: A Bhutanese refugee was trampled to death by a wild elephant at a camp in Beldangi Monday.
San Maya Magar, 55, died at the camp in Jhapa.
nnnn



LEADERS DIFFER ON PAUDEL CANDIDACY





Kathmandu, 21 Dec.: Leaders of three major political parties have expressed differing views on the status of the prime ministerial candidacy of NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at an interaction organized by the Reporters Club, NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC said that his party was not ready to accept the termination of the ongoing prime ministerial election at the legislature parliament.
CPN-UML leader Yubaraj Gyawali urged the NC to withdraw its candidacy to start a fresh election procedure.
UCPN-Maoist leader Dev Gurung said that the start of the special House session brought the ongoing prime ministerial election to an end.
NC leader KC said that the ongoing prime ministerial election would not be completed without selecting the prime minister.
He further said that if the new procedure started, the NC was ready to give an alternative candidate and his party had several other names for the candidacy.
He said that his party was not ready to accept the Maoists-led government without managing the weapons and combatants.
He said, "The NC was ready for co-work with Maoists in a national unity government led by NC, but not ready to accept the Maoist-led government without completing the peace process."
CPN-UML leader Gyawali said that his party was not ready to accept the ongoing prime ministerial election and added that it was ready to accept any leadership for new government without Maoists.
He said that his party was ready to give the leadership for the new government but would not ask others for leading the government.
He said, "The UML was trying to reach a consensus to form the government but our party is also open for a majority government

. If formation of a national unity government is not successful, the UML would go for a majority government."
UCPN-M leader Dev Gurung said that his party was not ready to resume the ongoing prime ministerial election.
"We are ready to accept the UML-led government under UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal by way of a new procedure," he said.
He clarified that his party had the right to demand the leadership of government and added that if it was not possible his party would support a UML-led government.
On another context, he said that the seen and unseen support of the United Nations was compulsory to complete the peace process after the return of the UNMIN.
NC leader KC and UML leader Gyawali said that their parties were ready to extend the UNMIN’s tenure but were positive about the UN’s supportive role in the peace process.
Nnnn

GOVT. REJECTS MAOIST PROPOSAL ON UNMIN
Kathmandu, 21 Dec.: The government has rejected the proposal of the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) to seek extension of UNMIN´s term till May 28, 2011, KOshh Raj Koirala reports in Republica.

During a meeting of three major parties -- the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML -- held at Singha Durbar on Monday afternoon, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed extension of UNMIN´s term till the constitution promulgation deadline.

Dahal argued that the extension was necessary as it was difficult to accomplish the management of cantoned combatants within the UNMIN´s current term, which is expiring on January 15, 2011. He maintained that UNMIN´s departure before the management the cantoned combatants would bring unnecessary hassles to the parties in reaching new agreements related to the peace process.

Earlier, the Maoist standing committee meeting had decided to seek extension of UNMIN´s term.

However, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML opposed the Maoist proposal. The two ruling parties said there was no point in extending UNMIN´s term now as UN has already decided to close the mission from January 15, 2011.

The UN Security Council decided to close its political mission in Nepal as per the agreement reached between the government and the Maoists on November 13, 2010 to ask UNSC to extend UNMIN´s term for one last time only.

Though the letter sent by the government categorically said that four-month extension beginning September 15 was the last extension of the UNMIN´s term the Maoist were silent about this in their own letter to the UNSC.

Responding to the Maoist proposal, NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel said at the meeting that the parties would rather discuss forming a new mechanism as UNMIN´s replacement as the UN has already decided to close its mission. "Let´s discuss how we can accomplish the tasks that are currently being done by UNMIN after its departure," a leader present at the meeting quoted Paudel as saying.

UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and Home Minister Bhim Rawal agreed with Paudel over UNMIN´s term. They also asked the Maoist leadership not to talk about extending UNMIN´s terms as the Maoists had written to the UN three months ago that it would be the ´last´ extension of UNMIN´s term.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said his party was not against the idea of UNMIN´s presence in Nepal. "All we have said is that the existing mandate of UNMIN needs to be revised," he said, adding, "Nepal Army no longer needs to be kept under UNMIN´s supervision in the changed context."

During the meeting, Maoist Chairman Dahal had said that Maoist plan to bring all cantoned combatants under direct control of Special Committee through a formal ceremony was thwarted in the absence of a functioning government. He argued that formation of new government should be given priority to address issues related to the peace process.

According to UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel, who was present at the meeting, the three-party meeting was put off for Wednesday afternoon as demanded by the Maoists. The Maoists proposed to hold one-on-one talks among the three parties on Tuesday to arrive at consensus on forming a new government.

Maoist propose to convert special session into regular session

At a time when ruling parties are bent on foiling the Maoist proposal at the special session and summoning a regular House session, the Maoists have proposed converting the special session into a regular session, according to NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi.

During the three-party meeting, Maoist Chairman Dahal made the proposal arguing that Interim Constitution does not specifically mention about special session as such and that the only difference is that special session is summoned at the request of parliamentarians and not of the government.

Chairman Dahal maintained that they would better convert the special session into regular session through consensus among political parties.

PM asks Maoists to vote for Paudel

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has asked the Maoists to vote for the lone candidate for prime minister, Ram Chandra Paudel, whereas Maoist Chairman Dahal said a new government needs to be formed urgently to expedite the peace process including integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants before UNMIN´s departure.

According to an NC leader, Prime Minister Nepal asked the Maoists to allow Paudel to become prime minister for a few months. He argued that electing new prime minister through a fresh process after scrapping Paudel´s candidacy could take a long time.

The prime minister´s suggestion comes against his party´s central committee decision to vote against Paudel to start fresh process to elect a new prime minister.

However, both the Maoists and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal appeared least interested in the prime minister´s proposal. Maoist Chairman Dahal, instead, suggested holding separate talks among the Maoists, NC and the UML on Tuesday to arrive at consensus on forming new government.
nnnn