SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEADLINE TO ASSEMBLE CONSENSUS GOVT. ENDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONO

SECOND DEADLINE TO ASSEMBLE CONSENSUS GOVT. ENDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 24 Aug.: A second presidential deadline to assemble consensus government ends at five in the afternoon [11 15 Hours GMT] Wednesday with almost no likelihood of a government being put together by either NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba or Maoist Second Vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.
The first weeklong deadline of President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav
The president will now ask parties to put together a majority government in parliament.
Advocates for a consensus government argue only a consensus government can complete a delayed peace process and promulgate a constitution to institutionalize a declared republic.
But the reality is major political powers are interested onlyin power grab or retaining power.
The whole exercise of parties in three years and three months have been centered around such activities.
Amid differences in the cabinet, government Tuesday registered a constitution amendment proposal in parliament to amend the basis law to extend the constituent assembly (CA) by another three months after 31 August.
“The constitution can’t be drafted in another three months. In the midst of the holiday season [Dasain and Tihar],” Maoist Communication Minister Post Bahadur Bogati said,.”Besides, the extension is UML’s proposal.”
Maoists sought a six-month extension.
The CA tenure was extended for the third time in three years and three months.
Main opposition NC opposed the move mainly of government parties and smaller parties supporting the majority communist government.
Unlike in the past, when the tenure was extended in dramatic mid-night sessions of parliament, government took the initiative eight days before the CA tenure was to end.
When the tenure was extended after 31 May this year, three major parties and Madeshbadi parties agreed to implement a five-point deal to form a national government, complete the peace process and prepare a draft of a constitution.
Not a single condition was achieved except extending the assembly tenure.
The government extended the tenure as the supreme is debating the legality the last three-month extension.
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TWO DEAD IN TRACTOR ACCIDENT AT CHINTANG, DHANKUTA

Kathmandu, 24 Aug: Two persons died and three were injured in a tractor accident overnight at Chintang in Dhankuta, police said.
Other details weren’t available.
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674, 608 INDIAN TOURISTS VISITED NEPAL OVERLAND IN 2010

Kathmandu, 24 Aug.: Altogether 674,608 Indian tourists visited Nepal in 2010, a study of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) reveals.
The study demonstrates a remarkable increase in from arrivals first recorded in 2009—a record not recorded in previous Indian arrivals
(NTB) conducted a survey in January 2011 of Indian overland tourist arrivals through eight border points.
The survey points were: Birgunj, Kakarbhitta, Rani (Biratnagar), Belihiya (Bhairawa), Nepalgunj, Dhangadi, Vittamod (Janakpur), Gaddachowki (Mahendranagar) for an overnight stay or longer.
With the objectives of estimating the range of Indian tourists visiting Nepal by land, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) conducted 'Survey of Indian Visitors by Land 2009' in January 2010 in the eight border points
Altogether 298,415 Indian tourist visited Nepal in 2009 using different types of vehicles.
The objective of the survey was to estimate the number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal by surface transport from the eight border points.
The field work for the survey was conducted from 2 January 2011 to 30 January 2011 to compile the data for the year 2010.
The survey analysed the Indian vehicle registration log at the border checkpoints maintained by the Custom Department, Government of Nepal and manually derived the data of Indian vehicles’ entry into Nepal.
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