REOPEN FURTHER DETAILS OF GRAHAM RESIGNATION

REOPEN FURTHER DETAILS OF GRAHAM RESIGNATION

Kathmandu, 13 March:Graham Roberts announced his resignation in a two[age prepared statement immnediately after Nepal’s loss which shook the British coach.
"Today was my last match as the in-charge of the Nepali national team," Roberts read from his statement of resignation during Monday´s post-match conference, adding, "Being head coach of this great nation has been quite a pleasure and privilege. I am thankful to all including the ANFA president and officials for giving me this chance."
But he clearly didn’t have the same feeling for Nepal Army (NA) who he charged lfor ‘kidnap’ of two army players on load to the national team.
“I’m very upset but that’s life in Nepal. They [the two players] are in the army.
That in their life. In any other country, football is football but here they are army. Army is very powerful here.”
The departing coach added: "I would like to thank Nepali supporters whom I rank the best in the world for their support in good times and bad times," Roberts said, "Nepali team moved to top ranking last year among South Asian countries and, don´t forgot, it is still the No. 1 team in South Asia. So everyone should be proud of the team. I enjoyed every moment and I wish Nepal all success in future."
Army defended its action and one of three players played in Monday’s match.
“We would not have called them back if we were playing a local tournament, but the ots meet [First South Asian Army]is equally important and also am issue of national pride,” NA Spokesman Ramindra Chhetri said.
ANFA Chief Ganesh Thapa also criticized the army action.
“Why did they have to take players at midnight,. A prestigious institution like Tribhuvan Army Club has set a wrong trend,” he said.
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PLA TO UNVEIL FINANCES TO YCL
Kathmandu, 13 March : Maoist PLA Chief Nanda Kishor Pun on Sunday pledged to the disgruntled members of the YCL to disclose the PLA’s finances, but demanded that YCL reciprocate by disclosing their accounts as well, Republica reports.

Pun put forward the demand to YCL Coordinator Ganeshman Pun during a meeting between the senior party leaders led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the YCL leaders at party headquarters Paris Danda.

Then both PLA chief and the YCL chief agreed to disclose the finances of each other’s organizations during a meeting slated for Thursday.

Previously, Chairman Dahal had promised to the YCL that the Maoist party would finalize the relief packages and reveal the PLA’s financial accounts at the meeting slated for Tuesday, but the meeting was postponed to Thursday citing an emergency visit of PLA chief Pun to his home district.

The agitating YCL members have been frustrated after the postponement of the meeting.

“We are familiar with the character and tactics of the chairman. We realize that we don’t have any option other than to launch protests,” said Ashal Khadka, YCL Magarat vice coordinator. He said the new struggle program will be announced after Thursday’s meeting.

According to participants, Dahal reiterated his promise that the party will disclose the financial accounts of the PLA and provide relief packages to the former combatants in the YCL.

The YCL has long been accusing the Maoist party leadership and the PLA commanders of embezzling the money collected combatants salaries that was meant for the YCL. They have also demanded that the party provide relief packages to the PLA personnel recruited into the YCL in 2007.

YCL leaders say around 3,500 PLA members are still working for the YCL, while the rest either went abroad for employment or severed relations with the party or joined other political parties.

“We have already passed a policy in the party to meet the demands of the YCL. The meeting was postponed today for homework,” said Ganesh Man Pun, YCL coordinator.

General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa and Netra Bikram Chand were also present at the meeting.
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INTEGRATION OF MAOISTS COULD FINALLY BEGIN
Kathmandu, 13 March : The Special Committee meeting slated for Tuesday may decide to begin the process of the much-awaited integration of Maoist combatants, Republica reports.

“I believe the Maoists will agree to start the process tomorrow (Tuesday),” said Ram Sharan Mahat, Nepali Congress representative on the Special Committee.

Reiterating NC’s consistent position that the Special Committee should agree to begin the integration process without delay, Mahat said the committee should be asked to set the standard norms and decide a timeline to take the integration process forward.

Mahat added that the Special Committee should also ask the army to set out the standard norms and decide about the other details of integration as such a move would facilitate taking the integration process ahead.

“The actual number of combatants opting for integration will be much less and the problem will be manageable once the army sets the standard norms and other details are finalized,” said Mahat on the eve of the Special Committee meeting.

Other members of the Special Committee said that they are hoping for some progress at Tuesday’s meeting as Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told top leaders of the major parties on Monday to leave the integration issue to the Special Committee.

At a meeting on Monday of the subcommittee formed to resolve disputes in constitution-writing, Dahal said Tuesday’s Special Committee meeting will come up with a calendar of events and will elaborate on a plan of action to take the peace process ahead.

He said the calendar of events and the plan of action that the Special Committee brings on Monday will create the ground for expediting the constitution writing process as well. The prime minister-headed Special Committee, which is mandated with overseeing the task of integrating Maoist combatants into the government security agencies, has representation from the major political parties.

The meeting of the subcommittee, headed by Dahal and on which the major political parties are represented by key leaders, didn’t discuss the contentious issues in constitution writing. Main opposition parties Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, among others, have said they would be ready to expedite the statute drafting process only after the government and the ruling UCPN (Maoist) make tangible progress over combatants integration, the trickiest task in the peace process.

“Maoist Chairman Dahal has said at the meeting that the Special Committee meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) will come up with a calendar of events and a plan of action with regard to advancing the integration process and he is optimistic that such an initiative will create the ground for expediting the statute drafting process as well,” said a leader present at the meeting. “Let’s see if the Special Committee yields any result.”

Bimalendra Nidhi of the NC said the meeting didn’t delve into any specific agenda in the hope that the next meeting of the Special Committee would settle some integration issues.

After the subcommittee meeting, Agni Kharel of CPN-UML said, “Leaders at the meeting decided to see what the special committee brings out tomorrow because both the tasks of statute drafting and peace process depend entirely on what initiatives the government takes to advance the integration process.

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, however, did not air his views at the meeting.
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