NC SHOW OF FORCE IN CAPITAL FRIDAY

NC NATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN CONCLUDES IN CAPITAL FRIDAY

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20 May: Main opposition NC’s month-long national and district level awareness campaign for a peace process and constitution concludes in the capital Friday with a public meeting to be addressed by top party leaders.
The meeting comes as the country is heading towards a political and constitutional crisis and confrontations between opposition and the communist majority government of Maoists and UMl led by Jhalanath Khanal.
NC said it will mobilize 200,000 on the capital’s streets in a show of force after latest unity between the camps of President Sushil Koirala and three-time Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in the second largest party.
Following the party general convention late 2010 which elected Koirala president to succeed his cousin Girija Prasad Koirala, the intra-party strife stalled appointment of senior party officials. in close elections in which Deuba was defeated.
Deuba demanded appointments of loyalists to retain influence in the powerful central committee.
Koirala and Deuba agreed to make appointments though consultations to run party smoothly.
Sushil Koirala doesn’t have the stature of his predecessor Girija to run the party with an iron fist
Deuba, who was defeated by Koirala in the convention, demanded equal representation in the central committee after i
Maoists ousted NC as the biggest after the party after April 2008 elections triggering direct rivalry between UCPN (Maoist) and the NC which is now in the opposition.
NC’s meeting comes as only eight days remain to promulgate a constitution to institutionalize a declared republic.
All parties are agreed a basic law won’t be drafted by 28 May with government seeking a second one-year extension after 28 May.
NC said it’s ready to conditionally extend the tenure for only six months if a firm schedule for concluding the peace process is announced by Maoists by Tuesday 24 May
The party says the first three months after 28 May will be devoted to completing the peace process and the remaining three months to complete constitution drafting.
NC is making public its official positions on the peace process and constitution details at Friday’s public meting.
Polarization between communists and advocates of liberal democracy have surfaced after the 3 February election of Khanal with secret Maoist support. Nnnn

NEPALI SHERPA WOMAN BECOMED FIRST FEMALE TO CLIMB EVEREST TWICE IN A SEASON

Kathmandu, 20 May: Chhyurim Sherpa, 27, from Lelep VDC, Taplejung, has become the only woman to climb the 8848 meters high Mount Everest in one season, her expedition organizer said.
Chhyurim stood atop Everest again Thursday after climbing the peak 12 May, Arun Treks said.
Japan’s Junko Tabei is the first woman to climb Everest in May 1975.
Appa Sherpa improved a personal record to climb Everest the tallest peak for the 2nd time this spring.
Former Foreign Minister Shailendra Upadhaya,82, died while attempting to become the oldest person to ser foot of Everest.
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GOVT.INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS DEMANDS OF TEA ESTATE WORKERS

Kathmandu, 20 May: Hari Dahal, agriculture ministry joint secretary, was appointed by the cabinet Thursday chief of a high-level committee by to address problems in the tea industry.
The body consists of representatives from other government bodies with representatives of workers and tea industry.
Constant strikes have been bedeviling the industry.
Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, who hails from llam, a major tea producing district adjoining Darjeeling in West Bengal, India, has taken personal initiative to address grievances of tea workers.
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