NEW POLITICAL CONTROVERSY SURFACES

PARLIAMENT VOTE CREATES COMPLICATIONS

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 29 May: Chairman of MJFN Republican Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta laid a claim Sunday to lead a national government to succeed a communist majority of Maoists and UML which Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal leads.
He also called Khanal’s reaction he won’t resign immediately after the passage of a vote to amend a constitution to extent a tenure of parliament by another three months ‘unfortunate’.
Khanal said he’ll resign only after an environment is created for formation of a national government.
Differences surfaced immediately following the vote at 5.30 in the morning Sunday after a marathon parliament session Saturday/ Sunday between Khanal and NC.
Following the vote, NC Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Paudel for Khanal’s immediate resignation.
Main opposition leader and NC President Sushil Koirala also said Khanal should resign soon.
‘The resignation should come soon,” he said.
But former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and firm critic of the premier backed Khanal this time.
“If the peace and constitution drafting processes move forward, the prime minister’s resignation will come, ’Nepal told reporters.
RPP Chairman Pashupati Shumshere JB Rana said the five- point agreement between Maoists, NC and UML wasn’t specific.
‘It is not clear. It didn’t mention specifics on implementation. There’s no schedule of implementation,” Rana said speaking at a reception marking the 22nd anniversary of the party’s establishment.
‘There’s no reliable basis to believe the articles of the agreement will be implemented,’ he added.
Khanal said tussle in frank analysis tussle between parties to grab power delayed constitution
“The challenge now is to institutionalize a republic,” he said.
He said in the next three months only a draft of a constitution will be drafted.
“This is a preparation for another three months,” Maoist Chairman Prachanda said echoing similar feeling.
The parties clearly have bought time not for three but six months—the last deadline given by the supreme court last week to announce a constitution to institutionalize a republic.
A basic law hasn’t been announced fore three years after monarchy was toppled exactly three years ago by an unelected lawmakers.
Parties and ‘international community’ forced King Gyanendra to restore a parliament which had completed its elected tenure through a ‘political’ decision which was unconstitutional.
That parliament in a treacherous act overthrew a 238-year monarchy.
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PRACHADA NOT PREESENT AT PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION

Kathmandu, 29 May: Maoist Chairman Prachanda didn’t attend a reception hosted Sunday by President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to mark republic day.
Other party leaders attended the function at the president’s official residence.
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TOP RAW OFFICIAL FLIES BACK HOME

Kathmandu, 29 May: Alok Jain, a top Indian intelligence official with RAW looking after neighbouring affairs, flew back to New Delhi Sunday after parliament approved an amendment bill to amend an article in the interim constitution to facilitate extension of a constituent assembly session by three more months, Avenues Television reported in its 9 PM news bulletin.
He flew into Kathmandu by an Air India flight last Sunday.
Jain held discussions with top leaders of political parties during his week-long stay before Sunday morning’s crucial vote in parliament.
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