Kathmandu, 9 Jan.: NC Monday threatened to recall its ministers from government if UML doesn’t support the candidacy of Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, the sole candidate for prime minister, in Wednesday’s 17th round parliamentary vote for government chief.
The party also threatened to break with UML.
NC leaders held discussions with UML leaders Monday.
“NC will withdraw from government. We want to continue relationship with UML,” NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi said after a meeting with UML leaders.
The party leading the government has decided to vote against Paudel.
UML standing committee is meeting to discuss Wednesday’s vote for prime minister and other issues.
Meanwhile, TMLP decided to support Paudel’s candidacy Wednesday.
TMLP withdrew its ministers from government after but Prime MInistewr Madhav Kumar Nepal didn’t sack four ministers after nine of 20 lawmakers defected and formed TMLP(Nepal).
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TWO DEAD, FIVE INJURED IN VEHICULAR ACCIDENT

Kathmandu, 9 Jan.: Two persons died and five were injured in a vehicular accident in the west.
A mini-truck fell off a road at Bijayapur while the vehicle was heading for Lekhnath from Pokhara.
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COLD CLAIMS TWO MORE LIVES

Kathmandu, 9 Jan. Two more persons, including a child, died of cold in Sarlahi as a bitter cold wave continues in the terai and hills for more than two weeks.
Death toll increased to 29 with the fresh deaths, according to compiled figures.
Mainly poor have died.
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FORMER KING RETURNS TO NIRMAL NIWAS

Kathmandu, 9 Jan.: Former King Gyanendra along with Queen Komal are returning to Nirmal Niwas from resort of Shibapuri, Sanghu reports.
They had been spending sometime with close friends there.
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500 BANGLADESHIS MAY BE DEPORTED
Kathmandu, 10 Jan.: Making a mockery of the country’s immigration law, more than 500 Bangladeshi nationals have been working as labourers in housing companies across Kathmandu Valley. They entered Nepal on tourist visa and if found guilty will be deported, revealed a high-ranking immigration official, The Himalayan Times reports.

Sheikh Abdul Alim (35), one of the Bangladeshi ringleaders arrested recently from Swoyambhu, made this startling revelation to the officials at Metropolitan Police Crime Division. “Most Bangladeshis staying in Kathmandu under the guise of labourers are waiting to enter Gulf countries, Poland and Azerbaijan by forging Nepali passport for foreign employment,” revealed the source seeking anonymity.

Alim, along with two fellow citizens, has been operating the ‘underground recruitment centre’ for the past one year. According to the source, the Bangladeshi has confessed to the crime. “He is the kingpin of the racket bringing Bangladeshi nationals to Nepal with the promise of sending them to foreign countries posing as Nepali citizens,” he revealed.

The racketeers charge 200,000 to 380,000 Bangladeshi takas from their countrymen aspiring to go aboard for employment through backdoor.

“The Bangladeshis are taught basic Nepali language to cross the immigration checkpoint at Tribhuvan International Airport,” said the source who interrogated Alim. The police are preparing to round up the Bangladeshis working in housing companies and deport them to their country.

“We have called the officials at the Department of Immigration and housing company to find out an amicable solution to the crisis,” informed the source. Alim’s accomplices in the racket are still at large. Of the two, one is said to have fled to his native country to evade arrest.

Shesh Narayan Bhandari, legal officer at DoI said the Bangladeshis would be deported if found guilty of overstaying and being involved in profitable jobs in Nepal. “A foreign citizen possessing tourist visa is not allowed to engage in profitable jobs,” he said.
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SPLIT LOOMS OVER ANTUF
Kathmandu, 10 Jan.: The central office bearers of UCPN-Maoist called top officials of the party’s trade union affiliate, All Nepal Trade Union Federation, yesterday in a bid to avert a potential split, officials present at the meeting told The Himalayan Times, writes Tika R Pradhan..

Vice-Chairman Badri Bajgain, affiliated to Mohan Baidya faction, insists that he can no longer work with Chairman Shalikram Jammarkattel, ANTUF official said. He had told the party leadership that his faction was not in a condition to tolerate the domination of the establishment, as the commitment made last year was not implemented. However, the party’s leadership has directed them not to split and it would manage the conflict soon.

Sources claim that leaders supporting Bajgain were restricted from entering the office and

refrained from their responsibilities. “Bajgain has around 20 per cent backing in ANTUF’s central committee.”

However, President Jammarkattel had honestly told the leadership that he was unable to take Bajgain’s faction along, the official said. “Better go for my alternative,” he quoted Jammarkattel as telling the party leadership.

ANTUF faction in-charge of the party, politburo member Shakti Basnet, who was also present in the meeting, said the party’s leadership had listened to what ANTUF leaders had to say. “The central office bearers will take a decision regarding the differences in the ANTUF soon,” he told this daily.

The meeting was attended by vice-chairmen Baburam Gautam and Jaya Karki, besides Bajgain, general secretary Ganesh Regmi, deputy general secretaries Laldhoj Nembang, Jagat Simkhada, Rajan Timilsina and treasurer Dhan Bahadur BK.

Sources claim that Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had said ANTUF had become close to the managements instead of serving workers. “We have received complaints that ANTUF leaders being close with proprietors, are engaged in personal benefits thus demeaning the workers’ movement,” one ANTUF leader quoted Dahal as saying. Jammarkattel, who is close to Prachanda, wields enormous power over ANTUF, which is considered the backbone of UCPN-M in terms of muscle and money.

The differences between Jammarkattel and Bajgain surfaced in the party’s national gathering at Kharipati two years ago, as Bajgain had voted for Baidya’s line. Since then several scuffles were reported, as the Jammarkattel’s faction physically assaulted a number of Bajgain’s supporters.

“ANTUF is likely to split if the party leaders cannot iron out differences,” the official claimed, adding that both factions were mulling over parallel organisations if the party failed to correct Jammarkattel’s dominating behaviour.
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