32 HOURS SPENT ATOP EVEREST BY NEPALI; CLAIM

PM KHANAL, PRACHANDA MEET

Kathmandu, 22 May: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal held consultations with Maoist Chairman Prachanda at the latter’s residence Sunday morning.
The meeting was held ahead of the UML politburo meet where Khanal will come under heavy fire for his handling of government and proximity with Maoists
The two bosses of the ruling parties are discussing the extension of the
constituent assembly tenure and the peace process, Surya Thapa, press aide of the government chief said.
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FURTHER DETAILS OF UML POLITBURO MEET

Kathmandu, 22 May: Following the resumption of the UML politburo meet Sunday, the central committee will also hold two-day discussions beginning Monday.
The politburo will fix an agenda for the central committee meet.
Remaining members of the politburo will express their views Sunday, Prakash Jwala, Chief Political Advisor of Premier Khanal said.
The politburo meet was called off earlier this month to enable PM Khanal to fly to Turkey to participate in a meeting of least developed countries.
Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, who is also party chairman, has been criticized for agreeing with Maoists to extend the constituent assembly tenure by one more year after 28 May through a 9th constitution amendment without consulting the party.
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RECORD 32- HOUR MEDITATION ATOP MOUNT EVEREST DETAILS OF FEAT NOT AVAILABLE AS YET

Kathmandu, 22 May: Bhakta Kumar Rai Om Nanda, 32, spent a record 32 hours Friday/Saturday, atop the 8848 meters high Mount Everest, world’s tallest peak, Annapurna Post reports quoting an expedition coordinator and Himalayan Legend Trekking Pvt.Ltd. Managing Director Sangam Sherpa Rai is a dharma guru.
The feat is remarkable, if confirmed and will go down in record books as another record-breaking achievement.
Climbers descent down the peak after spending only a few minutes on the summit in the rarefied air.
Rai got off the peak at one in the afternoon Saturday after a 32-hour meditation on the summit for world peace.
Climbers, including Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary, climbed the peak with oxygen cylinders strapped on their backs.
The cylinders used by climbers became smaller with improved technology with the passage of time.
But it was only on 8 May 1978 that Everest was first scaled without oxygen for the first time by Italy’s Reinhold Messner and Austria’s Peter Habler.
It wasn’t known in what weather condition Rai stayed on the summit or whether he used oxygen cylinders; other details weren’t available as well.
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AIGs BEING SENT TO FIVE REGIONS TO MONITOR SECURITY AHEAD OF 28 MAY

Kathmandu, 22 May: In a bid to avert possible security crisis around May 28, the deadline for the Constituent Assembly for delivering the new constitution, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to deploy Additional Inspector Generals of Nepal Police (AIG) across five regions in the country, The Kathmandu Post reports.
After holding a comprehensive security briefing on Monday on the security situation regarding the May 28 deadline it was decided that five AIGs will be moved from the Capital on Tuesday morning to their designated command areas.
A security mechanism led by Regional Administrators (RAs) that includes all three law enforcement agencies—Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department—is already in place in the five regions.
The AIGs will work closely with RAs as well as the Home Ministry and Nepal Police Headquarters. Sources at the ministry told the Post that Chief of Nepal Police Ramesh Chand Thakuri will handpick the AIGs and assign them their stations.
On a regular basis, Deputy Inspector Gen-erals of Nepal Police (DIGs) are given the charge to oversee the security affairs of the five regional headquarters.
The AIGs will be given a month-long assignment in the regions beyond the May 28 deadline, spokesperson for the Home Ministry Sudhir Kumar Shah said. “It is only aimed at bolstering security arrangements,” he added.
The intelligence and security inputs provided to the Home Ministry have it that the Far Western Region is less vulnerable compared to the other four regions in terms of possible security threat.
“Various political parties, organisations and groups have called strikes and other protest programmes targeting the May 28 deadline.
These strikes could pose a security threat because any kind of armed outfits could penetrate as they are on the lookout for an opportunity to gain the edge,” Shah said.
The Home Ministry had asked all three law enforcement agencies to give continuation to an interim security plan to check possible security challenges posed around May 28. “We have set up the security plan and will implement it immediately so that it works until mid-June and can be updated accordingly,” said Shah.
After the directive, the security agencies have stepped up their security efforts in the regions, he added. The AIGs will return to the Capital after mid-June when their mission completes.
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NO NEED FOR BURIAL GROUD SAYS CHRISTIAN GROUP

Kathmandu, 22 May: In a twist to a Christian body’s protracted cry for a burial ground, another Christian organisation, which claims to be the largest in Nepal, said Christians in Kathmandu don’t need separate burial space, Ankit Adhikari reports in The Kathmandu Post.
The burial issue has been raging since December after PADT banned burial rights of non-Hindu communities in Pashupati area.
In contrast to the strident demand put forth by Christian Suggestion Committee on Constitution that the government should manage a separate burial ground for Christians of Kathmandu Valley, United Christians’ Association of Nepal (UCAN) says Christians in Kathmandu do not need a separate burial space.
“The lack of burial space is not a problem right now,” said a UCAN Board Member KB Rokaya, who is also general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Nepal (NCCN) as well as a NHRC commissioner. “If required, we can buy land for burial purposes and we can knock on the doors of international Christian communities as well.”
According to UCAN, churches in Kathmandu are themselves capable of finding graveyards for Christians and they have their enough burial
ground in Kathmandu Valley. However, Christians have not been able to
use their own ground in Lele of Lalitpur for burial due to local people’s interference.
“It’s not the responsibility of the government to manage burial space,” he said. UCAN maintains that PADT was right in taking the decision to nix the burial rights of non-Hindus on its temple premises. “We have no right to demand burial space inside Pashupati Temple area,” said Rokaya. “Being a Hindu body, PADT has all the right to restrict non-Hindus from burying their dead inside the temple area.”
However, CB Gahatraj, general secretary of the suggestion committee, begged to differ. “It is the responsibility of any Christian to speak for the community’s right.”
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NO MAOIST HANDOVER OF WEAPONS BEFORE 28 MAY SAYS PRACHANDA

Kathmandu, 22 May: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has conveyed to the Nepali Congress (NC) that they will determine the number of combatants to be integrated in security agencies and categorize them for integration and rehabilitation, before May 28, Kosh RajKoirala writes in Republica.
In his bid to solicit NC support for extension of the CA´s term, Dahal also said the Maoists would agree to joint monitoring teams comprising security personnel and Maoist army personnel for all the cantonments, to help bring the cantonments practically under the control of the Special Committee.
However, during his meeting with NC President Sushil Koirala at the latter´s residence at Maharajgunj, the Maoist chairman said they are not in a position to hand over weapons to the government as demanded by the NC unless all issues are settled.

On the NC´s demand for resignation of the prime minister to pave the way for a consensus government, Dahal told the NC leadership that it would be difficult to look for a new government at the moment as the incumbent government was formed at Maoist initiative, according to an NC leader. “Withdrawing support from the government immediately would put us in a difficult position,” the leader quoted Dahal as saying.

Dahal said it was not possible to fulfill all the demands of NC before May 28 as they are running short of time.

In reply, Koirala reiterated that the NC cannot support extension of the CA´ term unless its 10-point demand is met by May 24. He also stressed that the Maoists must be prepared to severe any links with arms and combatants right away and form a national consensus government of all major parties to deliver peace and a constitution.

Koirala asked Dahal to be responsible towards implementing all agreements reached in the past in regard to the peace process and constitution. Koirala was accompanied by Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and Dr Minendra Rijal during the meeting.

The meeting between Koirala and Dahal came a day after the NC made its stance on CA term extension public at a mass rally in Kathmandu. Dahal had reached Koirala´s residence after a meeting Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal at Baluwatar.

The meeting between Koirala and Dahal started at 8:45 a.m. and lasted about an hour. After the meeting, NC senior leaders gathered at Koirala´s residence to develop the party´s official position on Dahal´s proposal.

NC leaders are optimistic that talks will yield results. "Things are moving positively. Maoists have shown flexibility on number of stances," said NC leader Gopal Man Shrestha.

Later in the afternoon, NC Vice-president Paudel, General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Dr Rijal had a separate meeting with Prime Minister Khanal at Baluwatar.

The meeting with Khanal dwelled on NC´s 10-point demand on the peace process, constitution drafting and formation of a national consensus government before May 28 -- the statutory deadline for the new constitution.

Assuring that the government is committed to concluding the peace process at the earliest, Prime Minister Khanal had asked NC leaders for support to extend the CA. The NC leaders maintained that the government and the Maoists first address their demands by May 24 to create a conducive environment for CA extension.

The meeting between Khanal and NC leaders came shortly after the ruling parties agreed to bring a common proposal on the peace and constitution drafting processes.
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