SUSHIL KOIRALA, NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR HOLD FIRST MEET

SUSHIL KOIRALA, NEW CHINESE ENVOY HOLD FIRST MEET


Kathmandu, 28 July: Main opposition NC President Sushil Koirala Wednesday held his first direct dialogue with new Chinese Ambassador Yang Houlan
They discussed current political situation in Nepal and improving Nepal, China relations.
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WEST SETI HYDRO POWER COMPANY LIMITED LICENSE SCRAPPED

Kathmandu, 28 July: Government Wednesday finally scrapped the license awarded 15 years ago to develop the 750MW West Seti hydro power project.
The license was awarded to Australia’s Snowy Mountains Energy Corporation.
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A BANKER ARRESTED

Kathmandu, 28 July: Banker Diken Raj Paudel was arrested by police Wednesday.
Paudel is former Chairman Capital Merchant and Finance.
He is suspected of extensive banking fraud.
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TWO TIBETAN REFUGES TRAVELLING TO USE WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTS ARRESTED

Kathmandu, 28 July: Two Tibetan refugees traveling to USA without proper travel documents issued by home ministry but carrying Nepali passports were arrested by authorities Wednesday while boarding a flight .at Tribhuvan International Airport.
The passports has valid entry visas issued by US embassy.
Jayang Tenzing, 15, and his sister Tsering Lhamo, were arrested.
Their parents were accompanying them.
Chhering Tashi Gurung was also arrested.
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INDIAN MAOISTS, UCPN(MAOIST) NOTLINKED SAYS INDIAN HOME MINISTER






Kathmandu, 28 July: The Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that there are no linkages between the banned Indian Maoists of India and the elected Maoist party of Nepal, Ajay Rana, Pramod Jaiswal write in the Rising Nepal from New Delhi.
Speaking to the delegates of senior Nepalese editors in New Delhi, he said, "We have not seen any linkage between the banned Maoists of India and the elected Maoists of Nepal at any level".
He said that smuggling of fake currency is the serious issue for the both countries. He also stressed on the need to improve security system at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
"Tribhuvan International Airport is doing its best; however, there are still rooms for improvement," Indian Home Minister said.
He emphasized that it was the need of the hour for both the countries to sit together and find a lasting solution to end all such activities.
"All the illegal activities at the border can be curtailed if Nepal has stable government", Minister Chidambram added.
Talking about the new integrated check-posts being installed at the borders, Minister Chidambram said, "Integrated Check-posts being installed at Raxaul and Jogbani will bring better management of border and curtail such illegal activities".
He said that despite such check posts, there were several loopholes due to the 1800 km open border between both the countries.
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PM TRAPPED





Kathmandu,28 July: It is like to be or not to be. Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal is between devil and the deep blue sea after UCPN-Maoist asked him to induct its new team of minister into the cabinet, The Rising Nepal reports.
Khanal’s own party CPN-UML and opposition are determined not to let him administer the oath and secrecy to the new Maoist ministers. On the other, the Maoist threatened to take unpleasant decision if the PM fails to include them in the coalition government. This is perhaps the biggest dilemma PM Khanal is facing since he took his office more than five months ago.
Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda flatly rejected UML’s request to reconsider his party’s decision of sending the new faces in the government in the latest meeting of two ruling parties just like PM Khanal refused to let them in his cabinet on Monday.
The opposition Nepali Congress continues to disrupt the House meeting over the Maoist bid to send its new members in the cabinet and said it would continue to halt the parliament until the PM declared to quit. It termed the move was against the 5-point deal in which the PM agreed to resign once the atmosphere for national consensus is created.
The PM is biding time from the Maoists but the stalemate continues to be there and his efforts to solve this new crisis through consensus yielded no positive outcome Wednesday as the conflicting statements reverberated throughout the day.
"We are not ready to sacrifice consensual politics for just mending the internal rift of one party," UML politburo member Pradeep Gyawali said, speaking at an interaction in the capital today.
Gyawali said that the PM would resign rather than inducting the new Maoist ministers, which he said, would further erode the environment of trust.
"The Maoist decision to reshuffle the cabinet has come at a time when there should be a consensus government. This is ill-timed, inappropriate and irrelevant," Gyawali said.
He said that consensus should be forged by taking the NC and Madhesi parties in confidence. Gyawali also blamed that the Maoists did not take any serious initiative for building consensus on the peace and statute writing processes following the extension of Constituent Assembly’s term.

"If we now dilly-dally to strike consensus, the nation will plunge into multi-layered conflicts after August 31," cautioned the UML leader.
Maoist secretary CP Gajurel warned of pulling out his party’s support to the government in case the PM refused administering the oath of office to the new ministers in designate.
"However, we are hopeful that the Maoist ministers will be administered the oath of office by Thursday," claimed Gajurel.
He further argued that his party did not take unpleasant decision after the PM assured that he would induct them after forging consensus with other parties.
The Maoist leader said that it was futile to hold talks with the NC over the cabinet reshuffle. "It is our right to change and recruit the ministers under the Maoist quota."
NC leader Dr. Ram Saran Mahat said that the cabinet reshuffle proposal was the Maoist strategy to give continuity to the present government. "This is against the five-point agreement and the consensual politics."
"It is immoral to extend the cabinet from a PM, who has politically committed to resign. I think this is an appropriate time for the PM to step down and pave the way for national consensus," added Dr. Mahat.
He said that the Maoists had showed their thirst for power through the cabinet reshuffle proposal.
"The Maoist disinclination towards settling the thorny issues of peace and statute writing processes and appointment of chief of military department for the combatants, who have already come under the Special Committee indicated that the Maoists are not sincere to the peace process," he said.
Dr. Mahat also downplayed the internal strife within his party, claiming that it will easily solve the dispute and it will pose no obstacle to the party to lead the consensus government if it gets the chance for the same.

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