DEBATE ON STRATEGY TO GAIN COMMUNIST STATE BEGINS

MAOIST CENTRAL COMMITTEE TO START DISCUSSIONS ON PRACHANDA, BAIDYA POLITICAL REPORTS

Kathmandu, 23 April: Maoist central committee begins discussions at 11 in the morning two separate political reports of Chairman Prachanda and Vice-chairman Mohan Vaidya on new political strategies the biggest political party which is also the mainstream communist party should adopt after 28 May when a constitution has to be adopted to institutionalize a republic..
The Maoist strongman has proposed temporarily abandoning temporarily the party’s adopted policy by the Palungtar plenum of a people’s revolt.
Baidya opposed the new Prachanda doctrine amid charges the party strongman was opting for a revisionist policy abandoning people’s republic and the present Maoist/ UML government led by Jhalanath Khanal while prioritizing conclusion of delayed peace process and constitution drafting,
Prachanda and another Vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai’s political positions have come closer as an intense tripartite intra-party struggle has surfaced at a time when the 28 May deadline to promulgate a constitution nears and will be missed.
Baidya faction argues the central committee can’t change a policy adopted by the party plenum while the Prachanda/ Bhattarai groups will attempt to push through the Prachanda report through a majority decision in the committee.
The inner party struggle centers around perceptions on how to adopt a communist state in the Himalayan foothill south of Tibet between Asian giants India and China having come so far from the10-year people’s war .
UCPN (Maoist) emerged as the largest political force after constituent assembly (CA) elections four years ago replacing NC.
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ONE MONTH TO PROBE FORMER STATE MINISTER LAMA

Kathmandu, 23 April: Former appellate court judge Bhola Prasad Kharel was assigned Friday by the cabinet to investigate allegations former State Minister for Finance Lharkyal Lama possessed three passports and supported a free Tibet movement.
Other members of the probe panel are Senior DSP Pashupati Upadhaya and
Joint Attorney General Ramesh Sharma.
Kharel has been asked to submit a report within one month.
Lama was forced to resign 10 days after his nomination by Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal when the charges surfaced.
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ACTRESS JOANNA LUMLEY PAYS TRIBUTE TO TUL BAHADUR PUN

Kathmandu, 23 April: British actress Joanna Lumley has paid tribute to a Gurkha she credits with saving her father’s life, following the war veteran’s death on Wednesday, agencies report from London.
On 20 April, Tul Bahadur Pun, 92, died in Nepal’s Myagdi,
Lumley paid tribute to late Pun, saying,” Ever since I as a small child this man has been my hero. He was a great man, a humble person who dedicated his life to service and our country.
“People like this come along once in a lifetime and we should celebrate their lives. Now that he has gone the world is a little bit sadder.”
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NO DISSOLUTION OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY UNTIL CONSTITUTION PROMULGATION

Kathmandu, 23 April: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal said Friday the constituent assembly shouldn’t be dissolved until a constitution is promulgated.
Khanal said utmost efforts should be made to promulgate a basic law within the deadline.
‘If there’s no agreement on all issues, an integrated draft with differences should be in the hands of people by 28 May,” Maoist Chairman Prachanda said.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

NEW CHAIRMAN OF TROUBLED BANK

Kathmandu, 23 April: Prem Bahadur Begha has been appointed chairman of Gorkha Development Bank by a new elected board.
The bank is hiring a professional management team, an announcement said.
Nepal Rashtra Bank declared the bank troubled recently.
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GOLD SILVER GAIN

Kathmandu, 23 April: Gold was traded at Rs 35,710 per tola Friday after the bullion market opened at Rs.35,450 per told Sunday.
Silver price recorded a new high this week.
Silver was traded at Rs.1,102 per told Friday gaining Rs 82 per tola at the end of the week.
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PM’S TEAM CHARTS PLANS WITHOUT CONSTITUTION

Kathmandu, 22 April: Mindful that it will be next to impossible for the Constituent Assembly to deliver the constitution within the May 28 deadline, Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal had assigned a panel of lawyers to advise him on the future course of action, it has been revealed, Ananta Raj Luitel writes in The Himalayan Times .

A member of the core team told this daily today that they had submitted a report to the PM on Wednesday, suggesting a number of options, including a six-month extension for the CA, referendum on the CA, fresh elections for a new CA and formation of the State Restructuring Commission and Truth and Reconciliation Commission as per Article 138 of the Interim Constitution to complete the constitution-making process.

The team comprising Kumar Sharma Acharya, Kumar Ingnam, Govinda Sharma Paudel and Chandra Kanta Gyawali warned Khanal of consequences, including presidential takeover with support from the army and deposed king’s comeback, if the CA fails to get another extension through legitimate means and the transition prolongs. “Receiving the report, the PM pledged to act as per our recommendations,” the member shared, warning that frequent extension of the CA’s tenure is against the spirit of the constitution and the Supreme Court verdict that upheld the CA term extension last time.

Surya Thapa, press adviser to the PM, said no such committee had been formed, while Attorney-General Dr Yuba Raj Sangroula said an informal team of lawyers had forwarded its suggestions to the PM. “Neither it was a formal committee nor its report is authentic,” Dr Sangroula remarked.
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IMMIGRATION CONNIVED IN RED PASSPORT SCAM

Kathmandu, 23 April: An immigration official named Bhuminanda Bhandari is found to have connived at the high-profile red passport racket, SUndaar Khanal reports in Republica.

Officials said that he helped sneak those carrying the tampered red passports of lawmakers in and out of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

According to investigation sources, Bhandari was on duty at TIA on both the 16th and 18th of January to facilitate the departure and post-deportation exit of Pritivi Chantyal and an unidentified woman who carried the tampered red passports of lawmakers BP Yadav and Gayatri Sah.

Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Tuesday arrested Yadav and Sah on charges of tampering with and misusing their red passports. Both are now being investigated by Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu (MPRK) under an initial four-day remand granted by Kathmandu District Court.

Officials said that Etihad Airways, whose security arrangements were crucial in identifying the fake red passport holders in Abu Dhabi, had handed Chantyal and the unidentified woman over to the Department of Immigration (DOI) unit at TIA on January 18. Bhandari was reportedly paid by the racket headed by one Santosh Uprety.

Bhandari, who was assisted by some other TIA staffers -- also to be brought under the scanner soon -- had played a central role in hiding the deportation documents provided by Etihad Airways and helping the two deportees disappear.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), which has been conducting a parallel probe into the scandal, has already interrogated Bhandari in this connection.

“We are in legal consultations to decide whether to take action against Bhandari or leave him to the CIAA,” said officials.

Sah and Yadav differ in statements

MPRK investigation sources said that Sah and Yadav, detained at Metropolitan Police Sector Anamnagar, have continuously denied the allegations brought against them.

Yadav is adamant in his total denial while Sah says she just gave her passport to Uprety but did not know what happened afterwards, sources said.

Sah even said that she and Yadav had together given their passports to Uprety.

“However, they were speechless when asked about the multiple ways their passports were tampered with and their intention in giving their passports to somebody else,” officials said.

Racket expands

Officials are widening the picture of the red passport racket which Uprety operated in association with individuals active in different sectors. A lawyer known for taking up serious criminal cases and a former colonel in the Nepal Army are also found to be in the racketeering scene together with Uprety.

“The former colonel and Uprety are also partners in realty business,” said officials.

Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) on Friday arrested a close aide to Uprety and handed him over to MPRK for prosecution.

Meanwhile, Shiva Pujan Raya, another lawmaker likely to be booked, has not yet responded to the CIB´s correspondence to present himself with his red passport. “It has already been a month and we will now write to the parliamentary secretariat with strong words to produce him,” said officials.
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SUSPICIONS OVER ANUJA BANIYA

Kathmandu, 23 April: The President’s Office has asked Morang Chief District Office to examine the facts about the Anuja Baniya story after the very credibility of the story came under cloud, Rohit Rai reports in Republica.
Baniya hogged media limelight this week after newspapers reported that she returned an abandoned bag containing Rs 9.1 million and a diamond necklace to its rightful owner.
However, following the reports on Friday that questioned the story’s credibility, President Ram Baran Yadav’s personal secretary Lalit Basnet rang up the Morang CDO seeking verification of the story.
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