THREE PARTIES LAST BID TO ASSEMBLE CONSENSUS GOVT.

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: The big three parties said they’ll make a last effort Thursday to assemble a national government even as Maoists, NC and UML failed to meet a second presidential deadline to from such a government Wednesday.
Following Saturday’s transfer of the chain of command and control of 19,000 plus Maoist former combatants from the party to a special committee for integration, supervision and resettlement headed by the prime minister, the Big Three Wednesday discussed modality for integration and the number of fighters to be integrated in state security agencies.
NC and UML leaders said they don’t feel completely secure with only a ceremonial transfer of fighters to the special committee.
For an acceptable Maoist-led government, the two ruling parties have set a pre-condition of complete and secure transfer of the chain of command and control
Parliament, which has adopted a new procedure to elect a government chief after 16 rounds of inconclusive voting more than six months, meets Thursday to elect a majority government.
Madhav Kumar Nepal continues to be prime minister even after resigning 30 June 2010 under Maoist, NC and internal UML pressures.
World capitals have been calling for the installation of a new government to conduct urgent pending business.
The president is now expected to ask parliament to form a majority government.
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PRESIDENT LEAVES FOR INDIA VISIT

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, accompanied by a 17-member delegation, leaves for his second 10-day India visit Thursday after being appointed the head of state.
The visit is ‘official’ in diplomatic parlance.
Culture Minister Dr Minendra Rijal is the accompanying the president as government representative.
The president has visited only India and China after assuming office.
He’ll launch the visit from Kolkata where the president will attend the 177th founding day of Calcutta Medical College from where he graduated.
In New Delhi, Dr. Yadav will hold discussions with political leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President of the
ruling Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi.
Dr Yadav will hold talks with Defence Minister K.Anthony.
He will be the chef guest at the annual convocation of his alma mater
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigadh, 4 February.
The visit is also a pilgrimage as the president visits temple in Haridwar and Tirupati.
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ONE DEAD IN DHANUSHA CLASH

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: A top leader of Janatantrik Mukti Morcha
(Rajan Group) was killed in an encounter with police in Dhanusha
Thursday.
Dipendra Kumar Jha, general secretary of the armed outfit was killed, local
administration sources said.
Jha was killed at 4.30 in the morning when police returned fire.
A motorcycle, pistol, mobiles and bullets were recovered.
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BBC NEPALI SERVICE BEING AXED

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: BBC Nepali service is being axed in an
austerity drive, reports from London said.
The BBC World Service has sad it will close down five of its language services, in a move that will reportedly lead to hundreds of job
losses as the publicly-funded broadcaster seeks huge savings, AFP said.
… the World Service will stop short-wave broadcasting of another sis radio services from March 2011—Hindi, Indonesian, Karzyg, Nepali, Swahili and Great Lakes service for Rwanda and Burundi, Reuters reports.
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PL SINGH ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL

Kathmandu, 27 Jan. Former Kathmandu mayor and NC leader PL Singh was admitted to hospital for treatment and observation t Norvic Hospital
Tuesday.
He’s been admitted to the hospital’s general ward.
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CIAA REQUEST TO GOVT.

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: CIAA Wednesday asked the government through letter
to annul the appointment of four members of the management
committee of Grameen Awas Company Ltd.
The anti-corruption watchdog wrote a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Ministry of Physical Planning ad Construction.
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NEPSE TO RESUME BUSINESS THURSDAY

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse), the country’s sole exchange, is to resume business Thursday after a two-day forced closure by agitating employees demanding increased pay and perks.
Thursday is the last day of weekly five-day trading.
Employees reverted to a strike protesting past assurances of last December weren’t implemented.
Management and employees reached an agreement late Wednesday afternoon.
Employees were pressing nine demands.
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THEMATIC REPORTS SENT TO CONSTITUTION DRAFTING COMMITTEE




Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: - As a crucial step forward in the constitution making process, the 106th meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) Wednesday sent preliminary drafts and reports of seven thematic committees of the CA to the Constitutional Committee, the key committee to draft the new constitution, Liladhar Upadhaya reports in The Rising Nepal.
The meeting endorsed the proposal in this regard tabled by CA Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang through majority voice votes. The proposal incorporates the CA Full House’s directions and suggestions on the reports of the thematic committees.
The CA is yet to forward the report of the CA thematic committee on State Restructuring and Distribution of State Power as the political parties are still indecisive on forming the state restructuring commission.
However, the political parties are yet to forge consensus on 83 out of 210 contentious issues of different thematic committees in the constitution making process.
As per the consensus among the political parties, the CA has decided to forward the reports of thematic committees with the compilation of differences filed by the political parties and CA members.
These reports have

given business to the Constitutional Committee to prepare a preliminary draft of the new constitution.
The CC has been out of business for the last several months. Only three thematic committee reports were with the CC before this.
The reports of the committees which are forwarded to the CC today include: Committee for the Determination of the base of Cultural and Social Solidarity, Committee on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles, Committee for Determination of Structure of the Legislative Body, Committee for the Determination of System of Government, Judicial Committee, National Interest Preservation Committee and the Constitutional Committee itself.
However, some CA members recorded their reservations on some issues including language and technical aspects in today’s meeting before tabling the proposal for the final approval by the CA chair.
CA members Usha Kala Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, Najir Minya, Jitendra Sonar, C.P. Mainali, Barshman Pun and Pasang Sherpa, among others, drew the attention of the CA chair in today’s meeting on several issues of different thematic committees.
The CA chair asked them to sit down as their reservations would be recorded and forwarded to the CC.
The CA has 11 thematic committees, including the Constitutional Committee, to work on the constitution drafting process.

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UN TO HAND OVER EQUIPMENT

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: The United Nations has informed the government that it will hand over all arms monitoring equipment and logistics earlier used by UNMIB to monitor the peace process to the government as a gift, Republica reports.
The UN wrote a letter to the government on this effect on Monday and asked the government to name the official who will sign on a memorandum of understanding of behalf of the government, sad Bishnu Nepal, a joint secretary at the at the Ministry of Pace and Reconstruction….
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WIFE OF EX-INDIAN ENVOY DEAD

Kathmandu, 27 Jan.: Nalini, wife of former Indian ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shanker Mukherjee, died on Wednesday, The Himalayan Times reports from New Delhi.
She was 63.
She was suffering from pneumonia.
Mukherjee served as the Indian Ambassador to Nepal from 2004 to 2008.
(Note: Mukherjee was ambassador during the royal regime and was appointed high commissioner to United Kingdom after completing his Nepal assignment. He was member of the Gang of Three—ambassadors from India, USA and UK, who publicly took on the royal regime flouting diplomatic etiquette. Published reports then said the wife of the Indian envoy in Nepal was involved in a shop-lifting incident at a department store in the capital. The entire affair was shushed up.)
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