PM KHANAL CONDOLES DEATH OF SATHYA SAI BABA

PM KHANAL CONDOLES DEATH OF SATHYA SAI BABA

Kathmandu, 25 April Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal has condoled Sunday’s the death Sathya Sai Baba who has a large following in Nepal.
There are at least 170 Sathya Sai Centers in Nepal.
“ Sai Baba has mainly spread the message of peace to people all over the world,” the prime minister said in a statement.
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ABRUPT CANCELLATION OF UML CENTRAL COMMITTEE UNDER FIRE

Kathmandu, 25 April: Wednesday’s scheduled meeting of UML central committee Sunday evening by Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, who is also prime minister, has come under fire in the ruling party.
A party said Sunday preparation for the meeting was inadequate and it clashed with a meeting on an affiliated Madesh front that begins Thursday.
“The reasons forwarded for putting off the meet are just an excuse.
There could have been participation in the Madesh meet even as the committee met.
‘He [Khanal] wants to move ahead alone without the committee. This has been demonstrated by the latest action,” said central member Karma Bahadur Thapa.
Khanal, encountering difficulties in expanding his government with Maoists, has come under fire from a faction led by archrival former Prime Minister Madhav Kuar Nepal and standing committee member KP Sharma Oli.
Oli has even threatened to oust Khanal as prime minister and party chief after a secret seven-point accord with Maoist Chairman Prachanda.
The agreement helped Khanal secure the post of prime minister with Maoist support.
Nepal and Oli are unhappy with Khanal for hobnobbing with Maoists.
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NAWANG GUMBU WHO CLIMBED EVEREST WITH FIRST US TEAM DEAD

Kathmandu, 25 April: Nawang Gombu, nephew of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who recorded the first ascent of the 8848 meters high Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary, died a his home in Darjeeling Sunday, agency reports said.
Gombu stood atop Everest in the first American ascent of the peak from Nepal in 1963 and two years later because the first person to climb it for the second conquest in 1965 when Indians scaled the peak for their first ascent.
Gombu was the youngest member of a British expedition that put Tenzing and Hillary on 29 May 1953.
Nawang and his uncle were hiredas Bhsrpaguides in that expedition.
Gombu was 79.
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NC OPTS FOR 7 FEDERAL STATES AS DEADLINE APROACHES TO PROMULGATE A CONSTITUTION

Kathmandu, 25 April: Nepali Congress (NC) has concluded that a maximum of seven federal states will be economically viable for Nepal, Republica reports.

NC arrived at the conclusion following intense consultations with experts at Nagarkot a few days ago. “There has been an understanding within the Nepali Congress on a total of seven federal states,” said Gagan Thapa.

Thapa said the proposed federal states include one in the far-western region, two in Madhes, one in Kathmandu Valley, one in eastern hill districts and two states in the central region of the country.

NC leader Ramesh Lekhak said though the 14-province model of federal system passed earlier by Constituent Assembly´s State Restructuring Committee tries to ensure identities of various ethnic groups in the country, it utterly fails to take into account economic viability. “We have concluded that nine of the total 14 federal states proposed won´t be economically sustainable,” he said.

Lekhak said that there could be a maximum of eight federal states if both economic viability and identities are to be taken into account. “NC would maintain its position to delineate federal states keeping in view economic viability as well as ethnic, linguistic and regional identity,” he said.

NC CWC had earlier formed a Constitution Drafting Suggestion Committee under the chair of party Vice president Ram Chandra Paudel. Senior NC leaders including Paudel, Bimalendra Nidhi, Lekhak, Laxman Ghimire, Arjun Narsingh KC and Gagan Thapa had held detailed discussions with two experts -- Pitambar Sharma and Krishna Khanal -- to develop party´s official position on federal states, system of governance and electoral system.

NC leader Laxman Ghimire said they concluded that formation of state restructuring commission is a must to delineate federal states.

The Constitution Drafting Suggestions Committee has formed an informal team comprising Narahari Acharya, Laxman Ghimire and Gagan Thapa to work out the party´s proposal for a federal model along with delineation of each federal state. The NC has proposed that the name of each federal state be either decided by parliament of the federal state concerned or be given alternative names to choose from.

The meeting also held discussion on electoral system and form of governance.

NC is for the prime minister elected from parliament and a president, who would be the ceremonial head of the state. “We held discussion on various alternative models. But we found that directly elected presidential system has not been a success in many Asian countries,” he said. “We do not want to give birth to a dictator through a constitution drafted by the elected Constituent Assembly.”

Party leaders said there are chances that NC could show flexibility on French model if there were no consensus on the model proposed by NC.

Likewise, NC has concluded that mixed electoral system would be appropriate in Nepal. “While the proportional electoral system helps to ensure representation of all marginalized groups, first past the post electoral system would help the party leaders to remain in direct contact with the people,” said Ghimire.
(Note: NC ha come up with official position as deadline approaches to promulgate a constitution by 28 May.)
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CIAA SUMMONS RIDER, BRITISH SUPPLIER, OF DEFECIVE APS TO POLICE

Kathmandu, 25 April: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has summoned Michael Rider; director of the London- based Assured Risks that supplied obsolete armored personnel carriers (APCs) to Nepali peacekeepers deployed in Darfur, Sudan, Bimal Gautam writes in Republica.

According to a source, CIAA summoned Rider for interrogation over the non-functional APCs supplied to Nepali peacekeepers in Sudan. This is the second summon issued by CIAA to the company as Rider did not respond to the first letter dispatched a month ago.
“We haven´t got any response from him yet. We were informed from our London-based Nepali Embassy that it dispatched our letter to the company,” the source said.

The source said Rider has been asked to appear before the anti-graft body within 15 days after receiving the letter. “The company´s clarification will ultimately help us conclude our investigation,” the source added.

The CIAA has asked Rider to clarify why it had supplied sub-standard logistics, including APCs, to Nepali peacekeepers in violation of the contract agreement. It has also asked Rider to furnish details of the mode of payment and the person involved in releasing the amount.

The source said that the CIAA has sent the same letter to Rider through Shambhu Bharati, a local agent. “Rider´s reply will help us determine facts,” source said. Bharati had dealt with police officers on behalf of the company that supplied logistics to Nepali peacekeepers.

The CIAA investigation report states those involved in releasing the money have been found guilty of ignoring the inspection aspect before forwarding payment to the APC supplier.

Two investigation teams -- one led by lawmaker Pradeep Gyawali and another by home ministry officials -- had concluded that around Rs 300 million was embezzled while procuring the APCs and other logistics for Nepali peacekeepers.

The CIAA has already interrogated more than three dozen police officers, including two former police chiefs in connection with the APC procurement scam.

“We will file a case against the guilty after receiving Rider´s reply,” said the source.
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