INFLATION DOWN TO 8/8 PERCENT
Kathmandu, 29 July: Year-to-year inflation in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year fell to 8.8 percent from 9.6 percent in mid-May, Nepal Rashtra Bank said
But vegetable prices soared to 46.6 percent compared to 13.4 percent in the same period the previous year.
Price of fruits and sugar increased to 28.2 percent and 23.4 percent in the review period.
For the first time in two years, balance of payment (BoP) recorded a surplus of Rs. 249.1 million because of increased foreign grants, fall in trade deficit and remittances
Remittances increased 10.1 percent to Rs.229.52 billion.
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NEPAL BEATS AFGHANISTAN IN WORLD CUP CRICKET
Kathmandu, 29 July: Nepal beat Afghanistan Thursday in the U-19 World Cup Qualifying match by 42 runs in Dublim, Ireland, in an opening match of the cricket tournament.
Nepal scored 154 runs in 44.3 after it was sent to bat first after losing the toss.
Nepal bowled out Afghanistan for 112 runs in 37.5 overs.
Subash Khakurel scored 55 ruus off 95 balls and was declared man of the match.
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BAN ON CROSS-MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE BETWEEN NEPAL,TIBET LIFTED WEDNESDAYS
Kathmandu, Ban of cross-movement of people between Nepal and Tibet was lifted Wednesday, Nagarik report from the bordering district of Sinhupalchowk.
The month-long ban to observe the founding of Chinese Communist Party.
The travel ban ended Monday.
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PM, UML SEEK TANGIBLE MOVES FROM MAOISTS FOR RESHUFFLE
Kathmandu, 28 July:Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and his party CPN-UML have sought immediate and tangible progress in the peace process from the major coalition partner UCPN (Maoist) as a precondition for induction of the latter´s ministers into the cabinet, Tirtha Lal Bhusal reports in Republica.
Leaders close to Khanal are hopeful that the prime minister may administer oath of office and secrecy to the minister nominees from the UCPN (Maoist) on Friday.
“We are hopeful that the prime minister will get an assurance from the Maoists tomorrow (Friday) on advancing the peace process. He will subsequently induct the new ministers,” Minister for PMO and Council of Ministers Ghanshyam Bhusal, who was closely involved in the bilateral talks, told Republica.
The prime minister held two rounds of talks with top Maoists leaders on Thursday.
PM Khanal, Bamdev Gautam, Surendra Pandey and Bhusal from the UML and Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice-chairmen Mohan Baidya, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Narayankaji Shrestha, General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa and Secretary Posta Bahadur Bogati from the UCPN (Maoist) were present during the talks. Bhusal had reached Dahal´s residence at Nayabazaar in the morning to prepare grounds for the talks.
During the talks, the Maoists had strongly pressed Khanal to induct the new ministers without any delay saying it was the party´s official decision.
The prime minister urged the Maoist leaders to appreciate his constraints. “Personally I respect your (Maoists´) right to change ministers from the party but I just wanted to be cautious that the move does not hinder the politics of consensus,” Bhusal quoted the prime minister as saying, “I am more conscious in this matter since we have agreed to follow the course of consensus mainly after the five-point deal.”
Maoist Vice-Chairman Shrestha said they told the prime minister that the cabinet should get a full shape and given continuity until the new national consensus government is formed,” Narayankaji Shrestha told Republica. “In reply, the prime minister told us he would think over the matter and settle it.”
The UML leaders at the meeting had argued that the prime minister was caught in a fix because the Maoists had officially taken the decision while the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has been continuously obstructing the parliament proceedings against the ruling coalition´s decision to reshuffle the cabinet.
According to UML leaders, Khanal urged Maoists to come up with a concrete action plan to make immediate progress in the peace process as there hasn´t been any progress in the peace process for months and the coalition had no time to wait any longer.
Earlier in the afternoon, a standing committee meeting of CPN-UML decided to uphold its previous decision that instructed the prime minister to not reshuffle the cabinet in contravention with the spirit of the five-point deal.
The UML meeting on Thursday suggested to the prime minister that he should give priority to forging consensus among the major three political parties before taking any move.
“The party has suggested to the prime minister to take a decision only after winning the confidence of other parties. He can reshuffle the cabinet after the Maoists are ready to make tangible progress in the peace process and convince the main opposition,” said UML Vice-Chairman Ashok Rai.
UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel, who is believed to be from the Khanal´s rival faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Oli, said the prime minister can reshuffle the cabinet if he can convince the NC.
“But our party´s main priority and suggestion to the prime minister is to create an environment conducive to formation of a national consensus government," said Pokharel.
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NEW INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES IN THREE WEEKS
Kathmandu, 29 July:Newly appointed Indian Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad is expected to assume his office in three weeks, Ajaya Rana/Pramod Jaiswal report in The Rising Nepal from New Delhi.
The senior Indian diplomat, who has been appointed the new ambassador to Nepal, hinted at this at an informal meeting with a delegation of senior editors from Nepal.
Prasad, who was delighted to meet the team of 14 senior editors, sought cooperation from them for strengthening the Indo-Nepal ties.
The delegates also had an interaction on Indo-Nepal relations at great length on Thursday morning at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), India’s leading think-tank.
Krishna Jwala Devkota, editor of Naya Patrika, stated that India had been influencing Nepali politics both positively as well as negatively since historical times. He also said that there was a perception in Nepal that India was hindering the peace process, if it failed to reach a logical conclusion.
Sudhir Sharma, Akhilesh Upadhyay, Sitaram Agrahari and other senior editors also suggested that India needed to review its Nepal policy for better relations in future and expressed hope that the new ambassador would certainly bring about some improvements.
Highlighting the historical and cultural ties between two nations, a senior researcher from IDSA said, "A lot of importance is attributed to Nepal because of the unique relationship between the two nations".
He also expressed the view that India would not rise beyond a certain level if it did not take its neighbours along.
"Destinies of both the countries are intertwined and, in this context, both Nepal and India should join hands and solve their differences, rather than indulge in finger pointing at each other," he further added.
Another Indian scholar, who intimately knows Nepalese affairs, said that it was not the Indian intervention that was increasing in Nepal, but Indian concerns over the prolonged instability in Nepal.
"Even the Chinese presence has increased in Nepal because of the growing security concerns of China," he said.
The delegation, which is on a week long visit to India, also met the Election Commissioner of India in the afternoon. The Commissioner shared his experience of managing free, fair and violence free elections in India that strengthened the Indian democracy.
The team of journalists is scheduled to return to Kathmandu Sunday after spending two days of tour to IT City, Ramoji Film City and other places in Hyderabad. They have already visited the Indian Parliament and had a meeting with Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Chief of Nepal-Bhutan Desk Akhilesh Mishra and other Indian officials.
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NC PRESIDENT SEEKS MORE POWER OVER PARTY RELUCTANCE
Kathmandu, 29 July: A debate of sorts over the power of the party president has flared up in Nepali Congress (NC).
The debate came to fore on Thursday when the party's Central Working Committee (CWC) opened up a discussion over a draft regulation that allegedly renders him a 'rubber stamp' -- at least when it comes to appointments in the party's departments and committees, Kamal Raj Regmi reports in The Kathmandu Post.
The 37-page draft regulation--prepared to implement the concept of "collective leadership" recommended by the party's 12th General Convention--proposes major reforms, including curtailing some of the key powers of the president on the one hand, and empowering the CWC on the other. Among the proposed rules, the most contentious is the provision to appoint heads and members of the party's internal departments and committees through the CWC. The president, according to the rule, can only propose possible names for mandatory CWC approval.
Most of the leaders supporting the establishment faction led by party President Sushil Koirala argue that such a provision in the regulation would further weaken the president and spawn anarchy in the party. However, those in the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction believe that the proposed rules would make the party stronger, promote the culture of consensus, strengthen internal democracy and guide the party towards "collective leadership" as envisaged by the 12th General Convention.
The draft was prepared by a five-member panel led by Arjun Narsingh KC, an ardent critic of the party leadership and the way it is operating. KC faced notes of dissent from some of his own panel members over issues concerning the party president's power.
On the very first day that the party started discussion, the regulations drew flak, including an amendment proposal from some of the leaders who took serious exception to the document's intention to 'limit' the party head's power. The leaders demanded that the president should have the sole authority to appoint heads and members in the Parliamentary Board, Central Execution Committee, Disciplinary Committee and other departments.
Ananda Prasad Dhungana, a member of the drafting panel, proposed amending the provision that scraps the president's power to appoint heads and members in the party's internal departments and committees. He urged that the president retain that power. Leaders including Dilendra Prasad Badu and Nabindra Raj Joshi supported Dhungana's amendment proposal.
"That it took over seven months for the party to nominate office bearers should serve as a lesson. The president and not the CWC, should make the decisions on appointments," Badu told the CWC. Under the party's current statute, the NC president can appoint only around 20 percent of the total 85 CWC members. NC leader Surya Man Gurung claimed if the current regulation is endorsed, it would promote further indiscipline in the party. "Are we for a rubber stamp president?" questioned Gurung. "We need a stringent law to discipline the party."
Leaders from the Deuba camp argue the regulation is in line with the recommendation of the 12th General Convention and that it will not weaken the president. "The draft does not intend to weaken the party president. Instead, it will help keep the party president away from controversies," said Bal Krishna Khand.
The regulation, according to the drafting committee, is expected to systematize the process of internal appointments, promote transparency and discipline the party and its leaders and members. Some of the important features of the regulations include arrangements to implement the concept of "collective leadership", role of CWC and the president, regular and compulsory financial audit by district and central offices, code of conduct for partymen and establishment of a separate professional institute to develop the party's policies and conduct necessary training.
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