SUSHIL KOIRALA CONSULTS COLLEAGUES ON MAOIST INTEGRATION

PRACHANDA, SUSHIL KOIRALA DIALOGUE UPDATE

Kathmandu, 21 May: Following discussions between Chairman Prachanda and Sushil Koirala Saturday morning centered around integration of former Maoist combatants, main opposition president began immediate discussions with top party colleagues.
Koirala briefed his top leaders on Maoist suggestion developed by the ruling party this week at its party standing committee, ,
Maoists are now suggesting of the integration of 10,000 of 19,000 former fighters in a nixed force of Maoists personnel of three state security agencies under Nepal Army command.
NC had asked Maoists to come out on clear plan and perception by Tuesday for extending the current tenure of the constituent assembly by only six more months when at mandate to draft a basic law expires Saturday 28 May.
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BAMJAN’S SIX-YEAR SECLUSON AND MEDITATION ENDS

Kathmandu, 21 May: Ram Bahadur Bamjan Friday announced the end of his six-seclusion and meditation launched exactly six years ago at a jungle in Ratanpur in Bara, Prakash Lamsal reports in Naya Patrka from Bara,
Bamjan said he gained wisdom.
He made the announcement in front of thousands of devotees, general people and religious teachers.
“People will be attracted by the knowledge that I’ve gained. Those who question meditation will themselves fade away,” he said.
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FOUR FORMER HOME MINISTERS IGNORE REQUEST TO RETURN GOVT, VEHICLES

Kathmandu, 21 May: Home Ministry has again written to four former home ministers to return government vehicles, Naya Patrika reports.
Bhim Bahadur Rawal, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Purna Bahadur Khadka and KP Oli didn’t return vehicles requested by government.
Former home ministers are provided vehicles for three years after they quit.
Former home ministers Bamdeb Gautam, Ram Chandra Paudel returned their vehicles after receiving letters.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Three major political parties are plotting to extend the CA tenure at the last hour.”

(MJFL Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar, The Himalayan Times, 21 May)
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NEPAL,OLI CAMP PUSH CONSENSUS GOVT.

Kathmandu, 21 May : With the ruling CPN-UML holding its crucial Politburo and Central Committee (CC) meetings from Sunday, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal´s rival camp in the party is preparing to push the policy of forming a national consensus government, Republica reports.

The rival camp led by former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli are confident that they have the necessary numbers in the party committees to endorse the line of national consensus government. A party leader belonging to the camp said a formal proposal will be tabled at the upcoming CC meeting.

"Our party chairman may remain in power if he can turn his government into a broad-based consensus coalition; otherwise, he should step down and pave the way for a national consensus government," the leader said.

The Nepal-Oli camp has entrusted a group of three party leaders -- General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel, former home minister Bhim Rawal and Politburo member Pradeep Gyawali -- to chalk out stretegy in this connection.

According to an UML leader, the Nepal-Oli camp is preparing to level four serious allegations against the prime minister: He signed the seven-point agreement with the Maoists without informing the party; handed over the home ministry to the Maoist party against the party decision; nominated UML ministers without consulting the party and unilterally registered a bill in the parliament secretariat to extend the CA without holding consultations with other parties and within the UML.

The Politburo meeting is scheduled to resume on Sunday and the meeting of the party´s all-powerful body, CC, is scheduled to start from Monday.

The UML leaders are preparing to raise a question of morality against the prime minister.

"A serious moral question will definitely be raised against the prime minister since he is pushing the country toward polarization between the so-called leftists versus other political parties even though he was elected to the top job advocating an agenda of national consensus," said UML Politburo member Prithvi Subba Gurung.

Pressure mounts for PP meeting

A dozen UML lawmakers including some noted leaders have been infuriated as the party´s Chief Whip Bhim Acharya has refrained from convening the UML´s parliamentary party meeting despite their repeated requests.

Pradip Gyawali, Prithivi Subba Gurung, Agni Kharel, Ram Nath Dhakal, Yam Lal Kandel, Chhavilal Bishwakarma, Ravindra Adhikari and Binda Pandey, among others, met Acharya in person on Thursday to suggest to him to call the meeting.

"But we are taken by surprise as the chief whip is dillydallying over convening the meeting even as the government has registered a motion to extend the CA term," Dhakal told Republica. On Thursday, Acharya had committed himself to calling the meeting after consulting the party chairman and prime minister. But to their dismay, they found no progress in this connection when they enquired with him Friday if he had taken those initiatives.

The infuriated leaders have accused the prime minister of trying to evade the meetings instead of taking an institutional decision on a crucial matter.
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