ANOTHER 11TH AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION TO EXTEND PARLIAMENT REGISTERED

ANOTHER 11TH AMENDMENT PROPOSAL TO INTERIM CONSTITUTION REGISTERED IN PARLIAMENT

Kathmandu, 20 Nov.: Government has registered an 11th amendment proposal to the interim constitution at parliament secretariat to extend the tenure of the constituent assembly/parliament that ends 30 November.
Parliament Secretary Mukunda Dhungel confirmed the registration.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has sought a six-month extension to complete the delayed twin processes of constitution drafting and completing the peace process.
Government Friday withdrew another 11th amendment proposal to the basic law that sought to form an expert panel to suggest a state structure.
The government move was aborted with opposition of janajati lawmakers and a faction in UCPN (Maoist)
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NIC BANK ALSO EXPLORING MERGER, FOREIGN COLLABORATION OPTIONS
Kathmandu, 20 Nov.: NIC Bank has also opted for merger with another commercial bank or financial institution.
The bank will also explore collaboration with a foreign bank.
A special proposal will be presented at the 14th general meeting for approval 16 December.
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US PRESSURE ON NEPAL ON TIBET WON’T HELP

Kathmandu, 20 Nov.: An influential figure who advises the congressional Nepal caucus in Washington today said Nepal was doing its utmost on the Tibetan refugees issue given its proximity with China and piling pressure on Nepal at this point of time was not called for, Gunaraj Luitel writes in The Himalayan Times..

Jemes Rinaldi, who has also been helping Tibetan refugees reach India and the US for the last 20 years, said it was unfortunate that one his country’s congressman warned to cut aid to Nepal over the Tibetan refugee issue. Rinaldi was referring to a statement from Republican Congressman Frank Wolf, warning that his country will cut aid to Nepal if it did not grant visas to Tibetan refugees. “If they’re not willing to do it, then they don’t share our values. If they don’t share our values, we do not want to share our dollars,” Wolf had said.

Not only do such warnings undermine Nepal’s long support to the cause without affecting its relations with its northern neighbour but will also be counterproductive, held Rinaldi, international director at Himalayan Aid, an NGO working in for Tibetan refugees, told this daily. The congressman had argued that as Nepal was bound by a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with western powers and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to grant safe passage to the Tibetan refugees and allow UNHCR to take them to India. But Rinaldi said there no such agreement was ever made. “Nepal is acting only on humanitarian grounds given its historical ties with Tibet,” he said. If the West piles undue pressure on Nepal, it will also face similar pressure from China, he said. “This will ultimately be counter-productive for Tibetans.”

Renaldi flayed ‘Tibetan support groups’ that were using western funds to serve their own vested interests. Aid reaching the refugees has plummeted in the last five-six years, he said. But the expenses of the organisations working to ‘helping refugees’ has increased significantly, he added.

“China says there’s an influence from outsider groups,” said Rinaldi, adding “I should say sadly that China is right. It is the Tibet groups who are forcing Nepal to use adopt tough measures. But they say Nepal is acting under pressure from China.”

Accusing Nepal of failing to help refugees and inciting refugees in Kathmandu unnecessarily at a time when the country has been granting passage to refugees and of facilitating refugees to reach UNHCR will only augment problems for Nepal, he reckoned. “With Tibetans agitating, the government will have to deploy more security personnel bowing to Chinese pressure,” argued Rinaldi.

Tibetan lobby groups are wrong, he said. Nepal has done a fair job handling the issue, he said. Threats such as the one issued by Wolf, a member of the House Appropriation Committee related to America’s foreign aid, are not called for, said Rinaldi. “Handling the situation is already a tough ask for Nepal.” The Nepali government been reiterating its one-China policy time and again. Rinaldi said, “If they push harder, it will make Nepal’s job at the border more difficult.” “Nepal is doing its best given the circumstances. Nepal can do more and should do more. But we understand they’re under pressure,” he said, adding, “Wolf’s comment on Nepal is extremely excessive.”
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MAOIST RIFT TRICKLES DOWN TO STUDENT WING
Kathmandu, 20 Nov.: Unified CPN-Maoist-aligned student union All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary in Dailekh seems to be a real chip off the old block, The Himalayan Times reports from Dailekh..

While their parent party is divided with growing infighting between Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya factions, the Dailekh chapter of ANNISU-R too is following suit.

Rival factions of the student union organised separate district conventions today, a day after they clashed following a row over election of local leadership. The factions — one claiming allegiance to UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal camp and the other to Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya faction — have formed separate committees to lead the union.

The establishment faction formed a committee comprising a 27-member panel under Gagan Bahadur Khadka while their rival group has formed a 33-member committee headed by Dinesh BK.

The groups had clashed yesterday night after failing to reach an agreement over consensus candidates for the positions. Five students belonging to the Baidhya camp were injured.

Baidhya faction students have said they will move ahead in a ‘new way’. ANNISU-R central General Secretary Bindaman Bista, who belongs to the establishment side, and Secretary Purna Bahadur Singh, who is from the Baidhya faction, are leading the separate committees.

Bista said the organisation will take action against Baidhya faction students, including secretary Singh, as their activities were against the regulations.
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