MAOISTS ISSUE THREAT

AMID THREATS, MAOISTS HOLDING LAST STANDING COMMITTEE SATURDAY

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 30 July: Amidst threat of severe consequences, Maoist Vice-chairman Narayan Kazi Shrestha said his party’s standing committee Saturday afternoon will be the last if a 24-member new government team isn’t accepted by Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and sworn-in.
Maoists said the ministers should be sworn-in Saturday.
Shrestha issued threat angrily after a party meeting of office bearers Friday
UCPN (Maoist)l has selected a team led by Shrestha to replace the current team in February led by Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is deputy prime minister and home minister.
He said the reconstitution of a government team was the party’s right and ‘a conspiracy was being hatched’ to prevent a new government from being installed.
Shrestha, who is team leader as deputy prime minister and home minister, reminded Khanal and UML his party was the biggest ruling coalition partner.
Khanal with the backing of his party—UML—refused to install the new Maoist team
A faction in the NML led by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli opposes the installation saying formation of a national government envisaged in a tripartite five-point agreement between the two ruling parties and main opposition NC will be stalled
Nepal has said a new Maoist team can be accepted with only NC concurrence.
Ruling coalition partners normally choose their own ministerial candidates without bilateral consultations.
Less than one month remains for promulgating a constitution to institutionalize a republic with a three-month extension of the constituent assembly after 28 May.
With hardly any progress recorded in two months on constitution drafting, Maoist Chairman Prachanda has admitted publicly a constitution won’t be promulgated.
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AIG SHAILENDRA KUMAR SHRESTHA NEW APF IGP

Kathmandu, 30 July: After promotion, AIG Shailendra Kumar Shrestha will be the next APF IGP.
Cabinet selected him Friday.
Shrestha succeeds his predecessor who was superannuated.
Dipendra Nath Sharma was appointed executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority.
Sharma’s appointment was recommended by a high-level committee headed by former CIAA chief Surya Nath Upadhaya; five names were recommended.
Sharma is a joint secretary at ministry of peace and reconstruction.
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FAR-WEST PROTEST CALL OFF SATURDAY

Kathmandu, 30 July: Students Saturday called off a 11-day violent protest demanding establishment of the far-West
The protest caused millions of rupees in loss and damage as dozens of police ad students were injured in clashes.
Kanchanpur district markets were re-opened and transport services resumed.
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PADT HAS NEW TEAM

Kathmandu, 30 July: Laxmi Prasad Parsain has been appointed member secretary of Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), RSS reports.
Mohan Prasad Dhakal, has been appointed treasure and Mukti Chalise, Nanda Kishore Ghariya,Manju Kumar Singh Malla, Ram Prasad Dahal and Krishna Prasad Acharya members effective from 27 July.
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SPORTS

AFC CHALLENGE CUP FINAL IN NEPAL

Kathmandu, 30 July: Nepal will for the first time host the AFC Challenge Cup final in 2012.
AFC executive meeting Friday in Malaysia took thedecision.2012.
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NEPAL LOSE TO SCOTLAND N WORLD CUP QUALIFYING MATCH

Kathmandu, 30 July: After defeating Afghanistan one day earlier in its first outing in Dublin, Ireland, Nepal lost to Scotland Friday by 57 runs in ICC U-19 World Cup qualifier.
Scotland scored 214 runs in 49 overs losing all wickets.
Scotland bowled out Nepal for 157 runs in 45.3 overs.
Captain Prithu Baskota was Nepal’s highest hitting 67 runs in 117 balls.
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ROW OVER PRESIDENTIAL POWER PUTS OFF NC CWC MEET


Kathmandu, 29 July: The ongoing Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the Nepali Congress was put off till Monday after CWC members became sharply divided over whether to curtail the powers of the party president, Republica reports..

Party President Sushil Koirala proposed to put off the meeting for three days to settle differences amicably. “There are no towering personalities in the party now. The party leadership has come upon second generation leaders. There is no alternative to moving by consensus,” a CWC member quoted Koirala as saying.
“Let us endorse the regulations in consensus through debate and discussion, avoiding any kind of division,” the CWC member also quoted Koirala as saying.

While CWC members close to the establishment faction want to increase the president´s powers, those close to Sher Bahadur Deuba want to give the CWC more say in the formation of various departments and appointment of their chiefs.

A five-member committee headed by Arjun Narsingh KC had presented draft regulations for the party at the CWC meeting Thursday. Disputes then arose as CWC members Ananda Dhungana and Nabindra Raj Joshi wrote a note of dissent arguing that the regulations aim at curtailing the president´s powers.

Though Articles 22.5 and 37 of the party statute give the CWC powers to form the central departments of the party and nominate their coordinators and members, Article 24.8 gives this authority to the president. The NC has altogether 29 departments.

KC, who is coordinator of the Regulations Draft Committee, said the regulations seek a balance between the CWC and the president in the power to form and nominate coordinators and members of party central departments.

KC, on behalf of the committee, proposed that the party president first nominate a coordinator while forming the central departments. The coordinator will nominate other members in consultation with the president.

The proposal was criticized by CWC members deemed close to the party president as being an attempt to curtail the president´s powers.

CWC members Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Arjun Narsingh KC, Gopal Raj Pahadi, Bal Krishna Khand, Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, Farmullah Mansur, Padam Narayan Chaudhary, Bhisma Raj Angdambe, Ram Kumar Chaudhary and Kamala Panta had put forth their views at Friday´s meeting. Ajaya Kumar Chaudhary, Dipak Giri, Dhana Raj Gurung, Mahendra Yadav, Ratna Sherchan, Gagan Kumar Thapa, Sujata Koirala, Keshav Kumar Budhathoki, Ram Chandra Chaudhary, Laxmi Rai and Meena Subba also stated their views.

NC to protest varsity nominations

The CWC meeting Friday also slammed the nomination of university vice chancellors as reported by media.

According to CWC member Badri Pandey, the CWC meeting decided to protest any such ´unilateral´ decision by the government.

"The appointment of university office bearers was made in the past through consensus. We will protest such unilateral decisions," he said.

Likewise, the meeting reiterated that formation of the State Restructuring Commission (SRC) is a must for delienating federal states. The meeting decided not to agree to the proposal of other parties to form a committee of experts for delienating states.
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MENDIES SETTLES DEBT WITH BORIS
Kathmandu, 30 July Charles William Mendies, a key power broker in Nepali politics for two decades, is almost sure to be released on a bail of Rs 10,000 within a few days as he has managed to settle a dispute over Rs 9.6 million with Alexander Boris while under custody at Hanumandhoka, officials said, Sundar Khanal reports in Republica.
The 55-year-old Nepali national born to foreign parents made his peace with Boris, once a close business ally, and paid him his dues within a week of his apprehension.
He landed up in custody at Hanumandhoka on two counts of fraud on July 19 following long-drawn-out bickerings with Boris. Three checks issued by him bounced three months ago and let to his arrest and arraignment.

Having gotten back his money, Boris on Thursday made a request to Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu (MPRK) to ease off in the case against Mendies. Following this, MPRK submitted its file to the District Attorney Office Friday. MPRK officials said the Attorney Office would submit the case to Kathmandu District Court in a couple of days.

As the feud behind the case has been practically resolved, the fraud charge as per the Muluki Aain Section 5, which lays down a jail term of up to five years along with reimbursement of the defrauded amount, will not be pressed. "He will be released on bail of Rs 10,000 as per a banking default charge," said a litigation officer at MPRK.

The arrest of Mendies brought to police notice a good many informal reports regarding his dodgy record in financial matters, but none of them was formally lodged.

"He must have paid off the amount because the case had come out, and after settling it he wants to resume his power-brokering," said a businessman whom Mendies owes more than RS 5 million. "I could now think of following Boris´ footsteps."

MPRK chief Kedar Rijal said that despite payment of his dues to Boris, the litigation would resume as per the law. "The payment might certainly ease the case against him," he added.
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