GOVT, OKAYS ARMY ARMS PURCHASE FROM CHINA

CABINET APPROVES ARMS PURCHARE CHINA

Kathmandu, 22 March: Hours before the arrival of Chinese Army Chief Gen. Chen Bingde for a rare visit, the cabinet Tuesday authorized Army Chief Gen. Chatraman Singh Gurung to sign an agreement with Beijing to purchase ‘traditional’ arms supplies, an official announcement said.
The visit comes amid attempt to break an Indian stronghold on strategic Nepal along the southern flank of Tibet, China’s soft underbelly.
Indian military officials are regular visitors to Nepal.
Nepal’s attempt to acquire Chinese weapons comes at a time when USA and Great Britain continue blockade of military supplies to Nepal since 2005 when King Gyanendra imposed direct rule.
The West and India toppled his regime with cooperation of political parties,
India has expressed resumption of supplies after joining an arms embargo with Washington and London.
India imposed a 17-month blockade on land-locked Nepal when Kathmandu imported Chinese weapons, including anti-aircraft guns from China, in 1989.
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DEPARTING INDIAN AMBASSADOR AGAIN WELCOMED
WITH BLACK FLAGS BY MAOISTS

Kathmandu, 22 March: Departing Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood was greeted with black flags by angry Maoists Tuesday in Gulmi were he had gone to launch Indian-aided projects.
An angry Sood reacted immediately threatening not to invest to projects in the district.
Maoists have been regularly obstructing his visits outside the capital.
UCON (Maoist), now is government, began public protests against Sood last autumn in Solokhumbu at the foot of Mount Everest by hurling
Shoes at him.
Maoists charged him for anti-China activities along the border
with Tibet..
Nepal and China share Mount Everest, the 8848 meters world’s
tallest peak.
When demands were made for punitive action, Maoists said even a shoe was hurled at US President Gorge W.Bush in Iraq by a journalist.
New Delhi pressed government to take action against shoe hurlers in
Solu.
Maoists are angry with India it of preventing its entry into government
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MJFN TO JOIN COMMUNIST MAJORITY GOVT.

Kathmandu, 22 March: MJFN chaired by Upendra Yadav will join government Wednesday with the party assured of three ministries, including foreign ministry, by Maoists and UML.
The two communist parties have a majority in parliament; the foreign ministry has been allotted to MJFN.
The three parties will sign a document on a
common minimum a programme Wednesday before MJFN joins government.
MJFN decided to join UML and Maoists in government even as three
other terai parties have come out against the communist dominated
government.
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POPULIST ATTEMPT NOT INCREASE LOAD-SHEDDING

Kathmandu, 22 March: In a populist attempt not to increase daily
14-hour load-shedding, the cabinet appointed Deputy Prime Minster
Bharat Mohan Adhikari head of a team to recommend ways to
reduce power cut hours without further increases.
The government said it ‘was seriously concerned;’ with the
crippling power cuts.
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