ARMY CHIEF VISITING CHINA

ARMY CHIEF LEAVING FOR CHINA VISIT SUNDAY

Kathmandu, 30 Oct. Army Chief Gen. Chatraman Singh Gurung leaves for a China visit Sunday.
The first cabinet meet after Tihar Sunday morning approved the first China visit of the army chief and supply from China of medical equipment for Birendra Military Hospital to be received from Beijing.
Gen. Gurung just returned from a conference in Hawaii of 28 Army chiefs sponsored by US Army.
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FURTHER DETAILS OF MAOIST OFFICIALS MEET
UPDATE
Kathmandu, 30 Oct.: Chairman Prachanda, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, First Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya and other top Maoist leaders huddled in a meeting at the residence of former Maoist Deputy Prime Krishna Bahadur Mahara residence Sunday morning.
They met to sort out internal party differences and other issues before the chairman and Premier Bhattarai fly for Janakpur to attend a programme.
The party standing committee meets after the party chief and the premier return to the capital from Janakpur.
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NC FOR INTEGRATION OF 5,000 FORMER COMBATANTS ONLY





Kathmandu, 30 Oct.: Member of the Army Integration Special Committee and Nepali Congress leader Dr. Minendra Rijal Saturday revealed that major parties had reached an agreement on all issues related to the management of combatants, except for their number and severance package, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Reporter’s Club, Dr. Rijal informed that NC had agreed on integration of 5,000 combatants and Rs. 300 to 600 thousands as the severance package.
"However, the Maoists are insisting on integrating 7,000 combatants and giving those to be rehabilitated a package of Rs. 700,000 to one million," he said.
He clarified that the combatants would be integrated on individual basis, and they would be deployed in rescue works, industrial security and forest protection.
He said that the combatants would not be allowed in the regular duty of the army.
NC would not go against the interim constitution which had a clear provision that the combatants would be integrated according to their individual capacities, he said.
Rijal also opposed the idea of extending the term of the Constituent Assembly in the existing political situation.
Prime Minister’s chief advisor Devendra Poudel suggested extension of the Constituent Assembly (CA) tenure to make the first draft of the constitution public.
"The CA tenure extension will be based on consensus," he said. "Discussions are going on a six-month extension," he said.
He informed that the meeting of three big parties would be held Sunday and it would come up with an accord to conclude the peace process.
Poudel also claimed the peace process would not be affected by the intra-party rift of ruling UCPN-Maoist.
"Maoists will be maximally flexible to complete the remaining issues of the peace process. However, this does not mean that the combatants would be dissolved or assimilated."
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PEACE PROCESS TO CONCLUDE IN A FEW DAY; PRACHANDA





Kathmandu, 30 Oct.: UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has said that the peace process would be concluded within a few days. The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at a greetings exchange programme organised on the occasion of the Nepal Sambat New Year 1132 in Kirtipur Friday, he said that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on the State of the Disappeared People would also be formed within a few days.
He said the intensive discussions held with the Nepali Congress in the past few days had made him hopeful and that every possible effort would be made to bring the preliminary draft of the constitution within Nov 30 deadline.
Prachanda said a new constitution as desired by the Nepali people would be drafted by the Constituent Assembly itself even by extending its term.
UCPN-Maoist leaders, party cadres and supporters were present in the greeting exchange programme.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that Nepal Sambat did not belong only to the Newars.
Addressing the national programme orgainsed on the occasion of Nepal Sambat 1132 in Nepal Bhasha (Newari language), he said that the calendar era was not only of Newars.
"It is a historical and official era of Nepal," he said.
He also said that he would try his best to offer national recognition to the Sambat on the basis of the report that the taskforce led by Padma Ratna Tuladahar would submit to the government.
In Dhangadi, UCPN-Maoist chairman ‘Prachanda’ Saturday said that political parties were close to forging consensus to conclude the peace and constitution writing processes within the stipulated deadline of November 30.
Speaking at a programme organized by Dhangadi Chamber of Commerce, chairman Prachanda expressed his hope that the parties would find a consensus solution to the disputed issues of peace and constitution.
"The parties will succeed to resolve the disputed issues. We are nearing consensus on the

modality for management, integration and rehabilitation of the combatants," he said.
Prachanda said that the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) would create a favorable environment for foreign investors as it enhanced trust.
He added that the BIPPA deal would help to promote and protect the national capital and bring foreign capital for Nepal’s economic development.
He said that his party would start a dialogue with other parties to intensify peace and constitution drafting processes.
He said that the western region of Nepal had big opportunities for economic development and stressed that the business sector should mobilize the natural resources of the region.
He said, "Without economic development, the living standard of people will not rise."
He said that the BIPPA deal would help to promote national industry and utilize the resources.
"It’s not time to criticise the BIPPA deal," he said.
Meanwhile, talking to journalists at Dhangadi Airport, he stressed that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be formed through consensus within a few days.
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FIRECRACKER INJURES FOUR IN HETAUDA





Kathmandu, 30 Oct.: Four youths of Hetauda-9 Pasupatinagar got injured while bursting firecrackers on Friday night, The Rising Nepal reports from Hetauda.
Kundan Nepal, 19, Lisaj Ghimire, 14, Rabina Ghimire, 19 and Nisan Ghimire, 13 were injured while bursting the firecracker. Out of four, the condition of Kundan and Lisaj has been reported to be serious.
After primary treatment at Hetauda Hospital the injured were referred to the Kathmandu based hospitals, District police office, Makawanpur informed.
After receiving Bhaitika, they went to play with the firecrackers and were injured.
Meanwhile, at Sunsari three people were seriously injured in road accidents that occured at the Laukahi section of the East-West highway.
A tractor coming from the east hit a parked motorcycle. Three people, including motorcycle rider, Jagat Khadka, his daughter Pujana Khadka who was riding pillion and Rambahadur Bista were injured.
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MAOIST CHIEF IMPLICITLY CONFIRMS MEETING RAW OFFICIALS
Kathamandu, 30 Oct.: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has obliquely accepted his meeting with the agents of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the foreign intelligence agency of India, The Kathmandu Post reports from Dhaanghadi.
Responding the reporters’ query on the accusation by the party General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa at Geta Airport in Kailali district on Saturday, Dahal said there was no need to comment over the “accusation”. “What’s wrong to meet with any people of the world regarding the issue of drafting new constitution and concluding peace process?” he questioned.
He also claimed that some party men strongly suggested him to meet the RAW agents.
In another context, Dahal said that the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) signed with India during Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s visit will make secured environment for the foreign investment in Nepal. He, however, said that there would be no guarantee of development and foreign investment by merely signing the agreement.
Dahal claimed that major political parties are inching closer to a consensus regarding the conclusion of peace and statute drafting processes.
The Maoist chief said that there would be an agreement among political parties regarding the integration and rehabilitation of the cantoned PLA combatants, constitution writing process, truth and reconciliation commission and disappearance commission. “We have concentrated our full efforts to bring the peace process to a successful conclusion for past few months. It is about to bear fruits now,” Dahal said, adding that the intra-party rift in the Maoist would not hamper the tasks of constitution writing and peace process.
Dahal came to the district to take part in a condolence meeting organised in memory of Durga Devi Bhatta, the mother of Maoist politburo member Lekhraj Bhatta. Before the condolence meeting Dahal attended a training programme at Attariya in the district.
The party leaders and activists close with hard-line faction led by Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya decided to attend the training programme in the eleventh hour. They had earlier decided to boycott the programme.
During the Kailali visit, Dahal also met with the party leaders and activists close to him at a hotel he was staying at.
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CHRISTIANS THREATD NATION-WIDE STRIKE FOR BURIAL SITE

Kathmandu, 30 Oct.:- The Christian community has threatened of a nationwide stage hunger strike if its demand for a separate burial ground in Kathmandu Valley is not addressed by Monday, The Kathmandu Post reports..
According to Christian Burial Space National Struggle Committee, provided that the government fails to address the demand at the earliest, their protest programmes will be aimed at pressing for the resignation of Culture Minister Gopal Kirati.
"After Monday, we will stage a relay hunger strike outside the Culture Ministry in Singha Durbar," said CB Gahatraj, general secretary of the struggle committee. "The government has ignored our woes." He claimed that even the committee formed under the Culture Ministry to recommend appropriate burial spaces has not done anything so far.
On October 3, the government had formed a seven member committee to suggest appropriate burial spaces for Christian, Kirati and Muslim communities living in the Capital city. The committee with one month's mandate has reportedly not even called a single meeting yet.
"I was informed that I was selected as a representative of the Christian community in the committee under the ministry," said KB Rokaya, a Christian member. "No meeting has been called so far. I have not even received a formal letter to ensure my representation in the committee."
Stating that the committee under the ministry had no "genuine" representation of the Christian community, the struggle committee had earlier demanded its dissolution.
"The agreement reached between the government and us on May 1 did not include the formation of a suggestion committee," said Ishujang Karki, coordinator of the struggle committee. "Instead of forming a committee, the government should have immediately gone for implementing our proposal to allot 2,000 ropanis of land at Gotikhel of Lalitpur district."
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