PRACHANDA SUB-COMMITTEE ON DIFFERENCE RESOLUTION SCHEDULED TO MEET

PRACHANDA SUB-COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTION OF THEMES TO BE INCLUDED IN CONSTITUTION MEETS WEDNESDAY

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: A Prachanda-sub-committee to resolve differences on themes to be incorporated in a constitution by 28 May is
scheduled to meet Thursday one day after the supreme rejected
petitions of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Parliament Secretariat to review a landmark verdict of the apex court saying a six-month
extension of the constituent assembly was the last.
The sub-committee also meets as a hard-line faction in the party
headed by Chairman Prachanda has resurrected differences on which agreement had been reached.
The 30 December deadline to resolve differences on themes to
enable a main constitution rafting of Nilambar Acharya to draft a constitution for circulation and discussion will also be missed.
Senior sub-committee members UML’s Madhav Kumar Nepal
and NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel won’t be present
Nepal is away in Philippines and Paudel is mourning his mother’s death.
Prime Minister Bhattarai, UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and
Speaker Subash Nemwang have been invited to the meeting.
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CAPITAL’S MINIMUM TEMPERATURE WEDNESDAY MORNIING
3.7 DEGREES CELSIUS

Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: A temperature recorded Wednesday
morning in the capital was 3.7 degrees Celsius.
Mercury is expected to rise to 19 Celsius in the afternoon.
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PAC DEMANDS PROBE OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT FUND
LAUNCHED BY PM BHATTARAI WHEN HE WAS FINANCE MINISTER
Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: The members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have demanded to investigate into the issue of fund distribution by the Youth Self-Employment Fund to different organisations saying the fund was offered by violating standards and being based on power, RSS reports.
A meeting of the PAC held on Tuesday also directed the officials of the Fund to provide details of the financial transactions within a week carried out by the Fund so far. The PAC has ordered the Fund to submit the details of amounts and dates taken by the banks and cooperatives, among others.
Chairman of the PAC, Ram Krishna Yadav said the Fund has allocated Rs. 270 million after the formation of the Bhattarai-led government. The amount provided by the government for youth self-employment has been deposited in 29 financial institutions.
During the meeting, members of the PAC criticized the Fund officials stating that its money was a good source for income for some banks and cooperatives.
Likewise, the meeting also decided to invite Minister for Peace and Reconstruction and Ministry's Secretary in the next meeting of the PAC on December 29 as comments were raised over the rampant irregularities in the amount provided by the Ministry in the name of PLA combatants.
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UML CHAIRMAM KHANAL BLAMES GOVT. FOR DELAY IN COMPLETING PEACE AND CONSTITUTION DRAFTING
Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: Chairman of the CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal has said the peace and the constitution writing process have been impeded because of the government, RSS reports from Kirtipur.
Speaking in a programme organised by the party's central health, population and environment department in connection with the national representative council meeting scheduled to be held on March 4-6 in Kathmandu, he said the peace process and the constitution writing have been delayed due to the government.
"There is no alternative to completing the peace process and the constitution writing for ending the transition" the UML chief said, adding that his party was forging ahead with the objective of concluding the remaining works within the extended term of the Constituent Assembly.
At the programme, chief of the department Krishna Gopal Shrestha, member Radha Silwal, Dr. Shyam Regmi, among others spoke on the significance of the sub-committee in holding the council meeting.
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FNCCI TO HOLD INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
Kathmandu, 28 Dec.: FNCCI will hold a Nepal International Trade Fair (NITf-2012) 5 to 9 April at Bhrikutimandap in the capital.
The annual trade fair will be held for five years with India as partner
Local and foreign products will be displayed at 320 stalls.
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MEDIA GOOGLE
“We spent about five months in the government hoping that
issues raised by Madeshi parties would be addressed but the
UDHF has not been able to make any substantial progress.
(Sarbadev Ojha, Republica, 28 Dec.)
“Apparently the government was saddened to learn about the
death of Kim Jong–il but there was no official statement
expressing any sentiments or even acknowledging the passing
away of Vaclav Havel.”

(Kul Chandra Gautam, Republica, 28 Dec.)
“UML is nominating three leaders [standing committee members
KP Oli, Bamdeb Gautam and Amrit Bohara] lawmakers not to
Parliament a rubber stamp only. An official decision remains to be taken.”
(UML central leader Yogesh Bhattarai, Nagarik, 28 Dec.)
‘Some limited parties have been repeatedly extending the tenure of the constituent assembly against the mandate given by people
to draft a constitution in two years. The last verdict of the supreme court the tenure can’t be extended after six months generated happiness
amongst people. The decision has been challenged through a case filed at the court. Government and the speaker have attempted to hijack
democracy.”
(RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa, Nagarik, 28 Dec.)
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ANNA STARTS NEW HUNGER STRIKE
Kathmandu, 28 Dec.:: Veteran Indian activist Anna Hazare began a fresh anti-corruption hunger strike today after a procession through Mumbai’s chronically-crowded streets that owed more to traffic jams than triumph. AFP reports from Mumbai.

The 74-year-old was greeted with rousing cheers and frantic waving of the Indian tricolor, despite arriving more than two hours behind schedule at the recreation ground where he will hold his three-day fast. Compared with his 12-day fast in New Delhi in August, which forced the rewriting of a key anti-corruption bill that he says is still inadequate, the crowds he saluted with clasped hands and a raised fist were sparse.

Only several thousand were on hand to see his arrival on the back of a garlanded truck, escorted by motorcycle outriders, after a trip to pay his respects at a seafront memorial to the independence leader Mahatma Gandhi.

En route, he was jeered and heckled by a group of demonstrators carrying black flags in opposition to his protest while parliament was still debating the new draft of the anti-corruption bill.

Inside the dusty grounds, overlooked by the gleaming glass offices of corporate India, at least 2,000 police officers, plus bomb disposal specialists and an armed response team looked on. Sniffer dogs snoozed in the shade.

The low initial turn-out was perhaps predictable, given the working day and with Mumbaikars legendary for letting little get in the way of making money. Those there to see Hazare, however, insisted on the importance of making a stand. “This is the right time for us to wake up,” said retired lawyer M.E. Londhe. “The bill may be passed today but we see it as a starting point,” the 80-year-old told AFP.

“What is going to be passed in parliament today is a farce,” added Vijaykumar Pulstya, a science teacher from Haryana state in northern India.

“This is not the bill that we want... we will not stop our agitation,” the 39-year-old said. The crowd, which swelled to about 6,000 after Hazare’s arrival, entertained itself with rousing freedom and religious songs at the venue, which is more usually used for rock concerts.

On stage, Hazare — in his trademark white cotton homespun — sat cross-legged, dwarfed by a picture of his idol Gandhi, who launched the ‘Quit India’ movement against British rule from Mumbai in 1942. Phoolsingh Maurya (70), a former school head teacher, said he was confident that pressure from Hazare would pay off.
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