CRUCIAL UML POLITBURO MEET THURSDAY

UML POLITBURO MEETS; OTHER DETAILS

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 5 May A politburo meet of the UML which meets Thursday will discuss the controversial expansion and reshuffle of the government by Prime Minster Jhalanath Khanal, who is also party chairman, by awarding the home ministry to Maoists.
Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who was communication minister, was appointed home minister in a reshuffle Wednesday night.
Khanal has been dragged into further controversy in the party with the delayed expansion in more than three months after his election with Maoist support 3 February.
Party bodies recommended the appointment of Bishnu Paudel as home minister but given the defence ministry portfolio by Khanal who leaves for his first foreign visit Saturday following his election.
The prime minister is attending a conference of least developed countries in Istanbul, Turkey; Khanal is also traveling abroad even while in the midst of the budget session.
“The party had decided not to award the home ministry [to Maoists] until the conclusion of the peace process. That decision still stands,” former Prime Minister and top UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said.
“The decision is utterly wrong. The move may have been made to please Maoists.”
Khanal held on to the home ministry portfolio as Maoists mounted heavy pressure on the premier to award what has been described as a ;security-related ministry’ to Maoists.
The scheduled politburo meet, which will be stormy, will also discuss new dates for a central committee suddenly cancelled on Khanal’s order to avoid criticism from the Nepal/KP Oli faction.
The group with considerable clout in the party and urging a national government by including main opposition NC in a national government has even threatened oust Khanal as government and party chief.
The five-party government is supported by four communists and the MJFN-which is terai based; its chairman, Upendra Yadav is a former communist with Maoist and UML links.
The government has an absolute majority in parliament and its formation has polarized national politics with communists firmly in the saddle in Singha Durbar.
Barsha Man Pun, a former Maoist commander, said he quit as peace minister after he didn’t get the home ministry portfolio.
“I did not get the responsibility as per the decision taken by the party earlier, so I opted out of the government,” Pun said after quitting.
Newly appointed ministers Jayapuri Gharti and Mahendra Paswan an Minister of State Dhruba Kumar Limbu didn’t take their oaths of office and secrecy; they’re affiliated with the Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya faction in the UCPN (Maoist).
The boycott has exposed the inner bickering in what was once a united and disciplined party.
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DETAILS OF FNJ ELECTION

Kathmandu, 5 May: Shiva Gaunle was elected president of Federation of Nepali Journalists Wednesday night for a three-year term with UML and Maoist support defeating his closest rival Poshan KC who was backed by main opposition NC.
Yahoda Timsina, also close with UML, was elected vice-president while Om Sharma, close with Maoists, was elected general secretary.
Elections were held for 31 executive posts.
Communist supporters were elected for the first tim to top positions in the FNJ.
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SENIOR UN OFFICIAL ARRIVES SATURDAY

Kathmandu, 5 May: Dr. Nafis Sadik, UN Secretary- General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia and Pacific region, arrives Saturday on a four-day visit to take stock of Nepal’s progress in preventing the deadly dsease.
“The purpose of her visit is to advocate Nepal’s accelerated AIDS response for achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support and meeting the Millennium Development Goal target in combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases,” an official announcement said.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

MIXED PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN Q3

Kathmandu, 5 May: Prime Bank Ltd. earned a Rs. 26,12 million net profit on Q3 of the current fiscal yea rending 13 April; it earned a Rs. 24.4 million net profit it the corresponding year quarter.
NMB Bank Ltd. Net profit increased to Rs. 176.6 million in Q3 of the current fiscal year compared to Rs 104.4 million net profit in the corresponding year quarter.
NIDC Capital Market Ltd. Q3S net profit fell to Rs. 365 million in Q3 of the current fiscal year compared to a Rs. 444.3 million net profit in the corresponding year quarter.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Maoists don’t accept a parliamentary system; anybody who says he accepts a parliamentary system will be finished.’

(Maoist Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, Ghatana ra Bchar, 5 May)
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NO PROVISION TO SCRAP CA MEMBERSHIP

Kathmandu, 5 May: At a time when the Constituent Assembly members Gayatri Shah and BP Yadav are facing charges of selling their diplomatic passports, serious questions are being raised whether their CA membership could be suspended, The Himalayan Times reports.

Kathmandu District Government Attorney today demanded one-year jail and Rs 500 fine for violating Section 5 of the Passport Act, 1963.

According to Kathmandu District Court Registrar Bharat Lamsal, the government has demanded the sentence as per the Act, but there is no clear provision regarding suspension of any official involved in corruption.

On April 20, police arrested Shah of Nepali Janata Dal and Yadav of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum on the charge of misusing diplomatic passports and informed Chairman Subas Nembang about it.

The CA Chair had asked Attorney General Yuba Raj Sangroula and Inspector General of Police Ramesh Chand Thakuri to investigate and take suitable action against them.

The Central Investigation Bureau had launched an investigation after a man and a woman were arrested at Abu Dhabi airport on their way to Australia with the diplomatic passports of lawmakers.

The two persons are believed to have paid hefty sum to Yadav and Shah to obtain the red passports and were travelling to Australia by replacing the original photographs in the passports.

Legal adviser at the Parliamentary Secretariat Tek Prasad Dhungana, however, said this is a serious issue and the CA Chair should take action.

According to him, as there was no provision for automatic suspension for involvement in serious crimes other than corruption, Nembang must bar them from participating in constitution-drafting .

“Without legal provision, the chairman cannot suspend them, but to maintain political ethics, he must ask the concerned political parties to recall them,” Dhungana added.

Chairman of the Constitutional Lawyers Forum Chandra Kanta Gyawali said the existing law is silent on suspending lawmakers unless convicted by a court.

“The Speaker has to exercise the right to suspend them by exercising special authority as the CA members were involved in a serious offence,” Gyawali said.
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Ex-PM NEPAL SAYS MAOISTS MAJOR OBSTACLE





Kathmandu, 5 May: Former Prime Minister and senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal stated that the UCPN-Maoist was the major hindrance for the constitution writing and peace processes and the Constituent Assembly had lost its precious time owing to the Maoists’ rigid stance, The Rising Nepal reports.
Addressing a discussion programme, entitled, "Deadline for Constitution Drafting and Peace Processes", organized by Human Rights Alliance on Wednesday, Nepal stated that the Maoists couldn’t remain true to their commitments which they made during different agreements- from Lucknow to Siligudi of India to the comprehensive peace accord.
Stating that the two-year tenure of the CA was sufficient for the constitution drafting, Nepal added that the timeframe was not the cause behind the failure in constitution drafting. If the Maoists would honestly stick to their past commitments, the constitution could still be promulgated by the deadline, he added.
Otherwise, if the present deadlock continues, then the constitution couldn’t be promulgated even in 30 years, said Nepal.
"The para-military structure of the YCL (a youth wing of the UCPN-Maoist) is yet to be dissolved completely while the extortion and donation drives from the Maoist cadres have terrorized the general people."
Nepal urged that the constitution writing should be completed within May 28. For this, the draft of constitution should be readied by the last of Baisakh through a consensus among the political leaders.
At the programme, senior leader of Nepali Congress, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said since the nation was passing through the most critical phase, the political parties had three challenges to complete- first, the management of post monarchical situation, second, the management of post conflict situation and third, making an unanimous stand on the structure of the federadalism.
Mahat said at a time when the nation was confronting challenges for its economy, the leaders were only concerned over the agendas of their respective parties and trying to impose their agendas over the national issues.
Claiming that the political parties have been providing greater freedom to UCPN-Maoists, Mahat said, "The management process of weapons should have been completed before the election of Constituent Assembly."
"The only thing that the political parties have expected from the Maoists is that they should give up their arms and weapons and should expresse their commitments toward the peaceful politics" said Mahat.
Mahat said, "The poor and weak security condition of Nepal has discouraged considerable number of foreign investors and also caused the capital flights."

Stating that his party isn’t averse to the idea of the federalism, Mahat said the proposal of The Country is not in a condition to afford huge budget needed for restructuring the state into a federal state.
He raised suspicion that a district that collected just Rs.1, 00,000 as its monthly revenue be carved into a federal state.
He further stated that many issues should be taken into account while federalizing the state. The state could not be restructured only on the basis of caste and ethnicity, because it may invite many troubles in future, he claimed.

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PRESENT GOVT LAST BEFORE TRANSITION ENDS: PM





Kathmandu, 5 May: Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal Wednesday said that the present government would be the last government of transition period, The Rising Nepal reports from Nawalparasi.
Inaugurating the proposed national natural and community hospital at Rajahar, PM Khanal made this remark.
PM Khanal said that the peace and statute writing processes would be completed in time through consensus and co-work.
He urged all to resolutely engage in the peace and statute writing processes.
"The major parties have big responsibility to accomplish these tasks," he added.
PM Khanal said that the cabinet to be extended soon would be of big size.
"Once the cabinet gets extended, the government will focus on the peace and statute writing processes and accomplish these historic works," said the PM.
"All should give up their obstinate postures and commit to the peace and statute writing processes," he said.
Khanal said that all should be flexible for the national interests.
"The government will lead an economic and water revolution after finishing the historic works of peace and constitution writing," the PM observed.

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