FIRST CHINESE YOUTH DELEGATION ALSO VISITING NEPAL

CHINESE YOUTH ALSO COMING

Kathmandu, 14 July: A Chinese youth delegation
is also visiting Nepal for the first time Saturday.
The 30-member delegation
is coming at invitation of the youth and sports ministry.
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ELLEN GOLDSTEIN WB NEPAL COUNTRY DIRECTOR

Kathmandu, 14 July: Ellen Goldstein has been appointed country director for Nepal; she’s also country director for Bangladesh based in Dhaka.
Nepal Country Director Susan Goldmark has been posted to Peru.
“The size and scope of the Nepal programme and country office will be unaffected by this decision [to move the office of the country director]. The Nepal programme will be managed on a day-to day basis by a country manager stationed in Kathmndu who will serve as the representative of the World Bank Group in Nepal,” the Bank told the government in an official communication.
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Rs. 385 BILLION BUDGET BEING TABLED THURSDAY





Kathmandu, 14 July: The government is all set to unveil its budget for the fiscal year 2011/12 at the Legislature-Parliament on Thursday, The Rising Nepal reports.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari will present budget estimates of approximately Rs. 385 billion.
According to the Finance Ministry, the budget will give emphasis on increasing increase agricultural and industrial production, development of tourism and infrastructure, employment generation and creation of national capital.
Similarly, the budget will focus on investment promotion and equitable distribution, social justice and just development for a prosperous life, civilized society and independent nation-building.
The country is reeling under severe financial crisis at this time. The timely announcement of the fiscal budget is expected to address the woes of the country’s economy.
Similarly, the budget will be announced based on a three-pillar economic policy- public, cooperative and private sectors-- for better managing the economy and it will be implemented as per the priority, policy and programme.
Meanwhile our Staff Reporter adds that on the eve of the presentation of annual budget of the fiscal year 2011/12 in the Legislator-Parliament, the United Democratic Madhesh Front (UDMF) decided to obstruct budget proceedings, to press the government to meet Madhesh related demands.
A meeting of the front held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday decided to obstruct the budget presentation complaining that the government had not addressed their demands.
The front had submitted five-point demands to Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari on July 9.
"As our demands were not met, we decided to obstruct the process of budget presentation slated for Thursday," said Rajendra Mahato, Chairman of Sadbhavana Party which is a component the front.
However, UDMF said that it is not the final decision regarding the obstructive move in the House. The front is scheduled to meet again at 1 PM Thursday which may review the course of action depending on the government’s response.
"If assurance comes from the Finance Minister to address our demands, we may reconsider our decision and allow the budget proceedings in the House," Mahato said.
The five-point demands submitted to the Finance Minister by the front include greater budgetary allocations for the Terai region, opening new universities in Birgunj and Janakpur, giving relief to the martyrs of Madesh movement, release of arrested student leader Suresh Giri and easing of administrative actions in the border areas.
The front has 71 seats in the Constituent Assembly excluding the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum led by Upendra Yadav, who has joined the current government and holds the post of Deputy Prime Minister.
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MAOIST CHIEF OFFERSTO QUIT AS PP AFTER 28 AUG.
POST B BASNET/KIRAN PUN
Kathmandu, 13 July: Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that he would resign from the party´s parliamentary board only after August 28, arguing that an immediate resignation would be humiliating for him, Post.B.Basnet and Kiran Pun report in Republica.
But the leaders from the alliance forged by vice-chairmen duo Mohan Baidya and Dr Baburam Bhattarai has so far rejected Dahal´s proposal, terming it his ploy to wait for an opportune time to break the alliance.

Dahal had put forward the proposal during a meeting of party leaders, including Baidya.

“His argument is that resigning from the post under pressure from rival factions would send negative messages that he has been rendered weak. We don´t buy that idea, but we are still holding talks,” said a senior leader close to Bhattarai.

Baidya confirmed that the alliance has received such an offer. “That option has been floated. In fact, we are also holding talks on various other options,” said Baidya.
Leaders from the alliance have stated that Dahal is adept at using different trump cards and accepting his offer would be self-defeating.

“You should not fight a war you are sure to lose. The chairman has always been playing different cards to defeat us. It is his strategy to indefinitely defer the implementation of decisions that are against his interests,” a leader quoted General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa as saying during an informal meeting with leaders from the Baidya faction. Thapa has thrown his weight behind the alliance.

Second generation leaders from the three factions of the party have been active in seeking solutions. Dahal´s confidant Barshaman Pun had held a meeting with the leaders of the alliance including Ram Karki, Devendra Poudel and Kul Prasad KC on Wednesday evening and asked them to be flexible in their demands.
“How far can we go like this,” a participant quoted Pun.

Despite their posturing, the party leaders are in a conciliatory mood to avoid direct confrontations.

Some central committee members led by Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha have also pushed for reconciliation.

“If the chairman immediately resigns, it means that he has lost to the rival factions. If he doesn´t, the problem persists. So the problem is how to create a win-win situation for both,” said Ninu Chapagain from the group led by Shrestha.

The party central committee (CC) scheduled for Wednesday was postponed due to sharp differences between the party establishment and the Baidya-Bhattarai alliance.

The alliance leaders have claimed that they have collected the signatures of 70 CC members and are confident that they now have a majority.

Party leader Dinanath Sharma, who is considered to be close to Bhattarai, has not signed the paper in support of the alliance. Some leaders from the Bhattarai faction have accused Sharma of defecting to the Dahal faction and working against the alliance.

According to sources, Bhattarai had met with Sharma on Wednesday morning to persuade him to sign the paper. “I support your demand for sharing of power, but I won´t sign the paper,” a Maoist source quoted Sharma as telling Bhattarai.
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