15-POINT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MAOIST MINISTERS

15-POINT CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MAOIST MINISTERS

Kathmandu, 5 Aug. Maoist Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister enforced a 15-point code of conduct for its government team Thursday.
Ministers have been asked to submit their assets within five days.
Relatives have been disallowed to work as secretaries of ministers whose family members can’t use official vehicles.
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NC CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS

Kathmandu, 5 Aug.: Main opposition NC central committee meets Friday to discuss amendment of party stature
A committee of Arjun Narsingh KC his presenting suggestions.
Sushil Koirala is seeking more powers for a president after the party adopted collective leadership style following the death of Girija Prasad Koirala.
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US, CHINESE ENVOYS HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH CHAIRMAN PRACHANDA

Kathmandu, 5 Aug.: US Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi and Chinese Ambassador Yang Houlan held separate discussions with Maoist Chairman Prachanda Thursday.
They discussed the delayed peace process and constitution drafting.
The envoys asked for the official party view of Maoists on the peace process, an aide to the Maoist chief said.
DeLisi discussed the processes with main opposition NC President Sushil Koirala Thursday.
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FOREIGN INVESTORS ALLOWED TO DEPOSIT DIVIDENDS IN NEPAL

Kathmandu, 5 Aug.: For the first time, foreign investors have been authorized by Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB) to deposit their dividends in fixed deposits of Nepali banks and banks and financial institutions.
Deposits should be for minimum one year.
The central bank made the announcement Thursday.
But permission of central banks of concerned countries is a pre-condition.
Earnings can be repatriated with NRB approval.
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PM KHANAL PRESENTS HIS PEACE PLAN TO UML,MAOISTS





Kathmandu, 5 Aug : Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal Thursday presented his roadmap on peace, constitution writing and power sharing at the meeting of top leaders of three major parties in Baluwatar late this evening The Rising Nepal reports.
PM Khanal also informed UCPN Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel about his special appeal he delivered in the name of nation a few days ago.
"PM Khanal called on the Maoists and the NC to agree on the roadmap for the swift conclusion of peace and constitution writing processes," PM’s press advisor Surya Thapa said.
Talking to The Rising Nepal, Thapa said that positive initiative had begun at the top leadership to complete the peace process.
They will sit at 8:30 am at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction tomorrow [Friday].
Prime Minister Khanal, in his appeal, had already declared to tender his resignation if he failed to make concrete progress on peace process within August 13.
What is in the roadmap?
Dubbed as the document of national consensus, it seeks a clear timeline to complete peace process, write the new constitution and form the national government on the rotation basis.
Minister without Portfolio Ghanshyam Bhusal floated the proposal two days ago after one-and a half-month long hectic preparation.
The proposal suggests that the first government, formed on the basis of national consensus, will promulgate the new constitution within November 30; the second government will settle the issues relating the state restructuring within 6 to 9 months and the third government hold the elections between 6 and 9 months.
It envisions completing of the grouping of the Maoist combatants within August 31 and issuing a white paper mentioning the works of Constituent Assembly in its 3-yer term within a week.
It calls for issuing the initial draft of the new constitution within August 27 and forming the state restructuring commission to solve the disputed contents of the statute.
The document asks the Maoists to bring a concrete timetable and move accordingly to complete the peace process and promulgate the new statute by November 30.
"It contains the words and contents of top leaders of Maoist party and opposition NC. It articulates the collective intentions," said Bhusal, talking to a group of journalists.
"Based on my round of informal meetings with the major parties, I confidently say that they are close to consensus on peace process and power sharing," he said.
"I believe this is the foremost and most effective proposal to conclude peace and constitution writing processes, and build national consensus," he said.
Bhusal said that it offered a space to the major parties to come together so that they would be able to end the deadlock.
"However, we fear whether the trivial issues like swearing-in of the new Maoist ministers would overshadow this vital document of peace process," he said.
He argued that the issue of swearing-in of the ministers was the prerogative of the PM.

Bhusal said that the NC and the Maoists had carefully read the proposal after it was informally made public. "I received a lot of positive responses to it."
He said that the internal dispute within various parties would not derail the course of the peace process.
Stating that the country was at the last phase of transition and the time was running out, he said and added that the parties had no alternative but to find the national consensus within the short span of time.
More Responsibility lies with Maoists
Bhusal argued that all parties had equal responsibility to forge consensus on the action plan of the proposal within August 13.
Asked whether Prime Minister would be able to make a breakthrough in the peace process within this deadline, Bhusal said he was fully optimistic on this.
"However, the responsibility largely lies with the Maoists. They must come up with concrete and credible plan within August 13. If they fail to do so, we understand that the Maoists are not prepared to conclude the peace and statute writing processes, and form a national consensus government. In such a situation, we will support Nepali Congress to form the government," clarified Bhusal.
He also said the Maoist failure to regroup their combatants and submit the arms to the state within the set deadline was a tantamount to their unwillingness to implement the 7-point deal.
"In the similar vein, we deduce that the NC is not also ready to conclude the peace and statute writing processes if it rejects the above timeline of completing the historic tasks," he added.
Meanwhile, Bhusal denied the news report that the new constitution would be promulgated by retaining the issue of the federalism.
"Since the nation has entered federalism, it could not keep federalism pending while bringing the new statute," he said and clarified that there could be additional discussion on the federal structure and laws related to it.
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