PROCESS TO START TO ELECT PM BY MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT

PARLIAMENT’S BUSINES ADVISORY TO ADVISE PROCEDURE FOR PM ELECTION

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Parliament’s business advisory committee meets Thursday morning to discuss procedure for election of Caretaker Jhalanath Khanal’s successor Thursday morning.
A consensus candidate couldn’t be elected even in 10 days
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav asked parliament Wednesday to elect a government through majority.
A consensus prime minister couldn’t be elected in 10 days deadline set by the president.
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JAILED NORWEGIAN WOMAN DIES IN HOSPITAL

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Helen Christen, 35, a jailed Norwegian woman, died at Norvic Hospital Tuesday while undergoing treatment, a published report said Thursday.
She was rushed to hospital from the capital’s Women Prison complaining of severe lung pain 20 August.
She was jailed for overstaying.
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POLICE SPOKESMAN

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: DIG Binod Singh has been appointed spokesman of Nepal Police.
Singh is posted at Police Secretariat.
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BoK ACCOUNT IN CHINA BANK

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Bank of Kathmandu (BoK) hs opened a US dollar account with Lhasa branch of Agriculture Development Bank of China. (ABOC).
Importers will benefit with the account opening, the bank said.
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RPP CHAIRMAN PASHUPATI SJB RANA SELLS NEPAL GAS FOR Rs.880 MILLION

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: RPP Chairman Pashupati SJB Rana sold Nepal Gas, the country’s oldest gas industry, for Rs 880 million one month ago, Nagarik reports.
The plant was established 28 years ago.
Director of Nimbs Holding Co. Ananda Bagariya and Abinash Hatchery Industry Director Guna Chandra have invested jointly in the company.
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PARTIAL RESTRICTION IN BUSINESS TRANSACTION OF ASIAN LIFE

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Insurance Committee has partially restricted business transaction by Asian Life Insurance saying its directives were flouted , Nagarik reports.
Clause 12 of Insurance Act 2049 empowers the committee to place a partial or complete restriction for not implementing directives.
‘The first warning has been issued just to make it alert,” said Committee Spokesman Sekhar Kumar Aryal.
A management of Kushi Jeeban Insurance has been halted with a warning.
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1ST. MAOIST VICE-CHAIRMAN BAIDYA OPOSESS PEACE PLAN


Kathmandu, 25 Aug : UCPN (Maoist) hardliners have opposed the peace proposal put forward by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal that includes handing over to the Special Committee the keys of the weapons containers kept at the 28 cantonments for Maoist combatants, Post B. Basnet/Kiran Punreport in Republica.

Maoist Chairman Dahal had put forward the proposal at a meeting of the party´s top office bearers on Wednesday.
According to sources, Baidya took strong exception to the proposal, terming it an "act of capitulation to regressive forces", and backed by General Secretary Ram bahadur Thapa and Secretary CP Gajurel, he demanded a Standing Committee meeting for further discussions.

"The Standing Committee meeting on Thursday would bring out concrete proposals on peace, constitution and government," said Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha after the meeting on Wednesday.

The party stated that they needed to hold the Standing Committee meeting to discuss the issue further as some leaders had reservations over the proposal.

"Stepping back from the earlier stance, the proposal is aimed at meeting the demands of the other parliamentary parties. So the leaders demanded a meeting of the Standing Committee," said Maoist Standing Committee member Netra Bikram Chand, who is regarded as right-hand man to Baidya.

With backing from Bhattarai, the Maoist chairman commands a comfortable majority in the Standing Committee and the proposal is likely to be endorsed at its meeting on Thursday. "The Baidya group cannot disrupt the process now. All they can do is write a note of dissent," said a senior party leader close to Dahal. Sources say the party would rather seek to garner a consensus on the peace proposal, heeding Baidya´s demand also.

What irked the Baidya group was the flexibility adopted in the peace proposal backed by Bhattarai.

Sources say Dahal has stated that the party should accept pegging the integration number at 7,000. Previously, the NC and the UML have proposed around 6,000 and the Maoists 8,000.

To facilitate the process, Dahal has also proposed giving political space to senior PLA commanders in the cantonments who are members of the party´s Central Committee (CC).

"We would be flexible on other issues as well and negotiate with the other political parties," said a leader close to Dahal.

Leaders say the party would make the proposal public after the meeting on Thursday, preferably at a press meeting. The Maoists want to show the other political parties and the international community that they are sincere about the peace process, they said.
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AUSTRALIA SEEKS NEPAL HELP IN TRACKING PRINTING BRIBERY SCANDAL

Kathmandu, 25 Aug : In a case surrounding alleged bribery by Note Printing Australia (NPA) to win printing contract from some 21 countries, including Nepal, the Australian government has formally requested the Nepali government to help it in digging out further facts on the case, Republica reports.

“We have received the government´s letter that asks us to cooperate with the Australian Federal Police that is investigating the overseas bribery case by NPA there,” said Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, informing about the Australian government´s official request.
The irregularity in the deal signed nine years ago had surfaced after an audit team that probed the scandal besetting NPA confirmed that NPA agent had bribed officials in various countries, including Nepal, to win the note printing contract.

"Our evidence include admissions by the agents that they used commission payments from NPA to bribe officials to secure the printing contracts from the central bank," Australian newspaper Sydney Morning Herald had recently quoted a senior Australian central bank official as saying.

Dr Khatiwada, who was summoned by the parliament´s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to brief lawmakers about the controversy surrounding the polymer note printing contract, said the central bank had followed all due procedures while awarding the contract to NPA.

However, lawmakers questioned the quality of polymer notes that NPA delivered. “Nepal was not the first country for which NPA printed the polymer note. How come the quality of notes supplied to us turned out to be so poor?” questioned NC lawmaker Dhan Raj Gurung.

Lawmakers from other parties also said they doubted either the NRB management in 2002 compromised on quality specifications or the printer grossly played foul. “Crucial question is; if the NRB compromised on quality why did it do so? And if it´s the wrongdoing by the NPA, why did the NRB accept it?” said UML lawmaker Shankar Pokharel.

The PAC on Wednesday asked the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the NRB to probe into the procedures that the central bank followed while giving note printing contract to NPA and submit the report to the committee within a month.

The committee mainly asked the MoF and the central bank to focus on why the quality of the polymer notes turned out to be poor than other countries using similar notes.

Likewise, the parliamentary committee also asked the MoF and the NRB to make sure that they seek high quality printing from the note printers in the future. It also asked the central bank to ensure adequate supply of high quality notes in the market.

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