MJFN DEMANDS INTO CHARGE OF PASSPORT MISUSE BY ITS LAWMAKERS

MJFN SUBMITS MEMORANDUM DEMANDING PROBE

Kathmandu, 10 May: Ruling party MJFN submitted a memorandum to Speaker Subash Nemwang Tuesday demanding investigation into reports its lawmakers are involved in misuse of diplomatic passports.
The memorandum was submitted by Co-chairman Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta.
Parliament secretariat has asked three lawmakers of the party to present themselves at the city police office with their passports.
Lawmakers angrily said the charge was an attempt to defame them and the party.
Party chairman Upendra Yadav leads the party team in government.
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FOUR MORE SOUTH KOREAN VOLUNTEERS ARRIVE

Kathmandu, 10 May: Three more South Korean volunteers of Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), accompanied by a doctor, arrived Monday for a two-year assignment-- the second to arrive in 2011.
They’ll be assigned in the capital, Makwanpur and Nuwakot.
Since 1990, KOICA has been sending 30 volunteers every year to Nepal.
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DIPLOMATS TO BE TAKEN ON TOUR

Kathmandu, 10 May: Heads of mission on the capital with their spouses will be taken on a tour of Bardiya National Park and Rara Lake in Mugu.
The three-day government-sponsored tour will begin 20 May.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

‘The road should be opened for national understanding by vacating the seat and resigning. Can’t let the nation go adrift looking at the face of one person alone. A government of 22 parties was pulled torn down for a three-party government now What work has been done except hang a map of national understanding?”

(UML leader KP Sharma Oli demanding resignation of PM Khanal, Kantipur, 10 May)
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CA TENURE WILL BE EXTENDED SAYS DAHAL

Kathmadu, 10 May: Nineteen days before the CA deadline is set to expire, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal tried to assure the people on Monday that the ongoing inter-party discussion will yield positive results, that the CA term would be extended and the parties will offer a clear roadmap for the peace process and constitution drafting. He said, “..we will need at least six months” of extension to promulgate a new constitution, John Narayan Parajuli and Kamal Deb Bhattarai report in The Kathmandu Post. .

In an exclusive interview to the Post, Dahal acknowledged there were differences among the parties and that the new constitution needs to be a compromise document, which would offer “a win-win situation for all.” Dahal also said that his party was prepared to complete the regrouping of Maoist combatants before May 28 and that it is willing to hold open discussions on disputed issues of the new constitution.

“Regrouping should and will take place before May 28,” he said. “We will have to provide a credible basis to assure the people that the peace process has moved forward. We have endorsed our plan to move ahead with integration through our Central Committee.” He offered new specifics on the issue of army integration. Dahal said all Maoist combatants will have to fulfil basic requirements of the security forces for integration. He also the parties had informally resolved the issue of number of Maoists combatants, which he declined to divulge. Dahal said that progress had been made on constitution drafting in the last year, but admitted that much time was lost in government formation. “Last year, none of the reports of the thematic committees was finalised,” he said. “This year is qualitatively different.” He admitted time was too short to promulgate a final draft of the constitution and that the parties needed more time to resolve differences on state restructuring, forms of government and electoral system. “..the disagreement over state restructuring and forms of government is the biggest stumbling block. ..Though they are not impossible to resolve, we will need more time to hammer out differences,” Dahal said. “Neither Maoists, Congress, UML or Madhesi parties can impose their will entirely. …That means all parties will have to compromise and adjust,” he said.

Dahal said his party has accepted multiparty competition, press freedom, independent judiciary and fundamental rights and called on the Nepali Congress not to insist only on a “Westminster model.”
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