SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETS TUESDAY TO BRING IN MAOIST FORMER FIGHTERS IN STATE ARMY

SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETS TUESDAY
Kathmandu, 27 March: A special committee on integration and
supervision for former PLA fighters headed by Prime Minister Baburam
Bhattarai meets Tuesday to discuss and formalize procedures and modality
for combatants to join Nepal Army.
There are only 6,500 openings and 9,900 plus former fighters are awaiting changes to join the state army against whom Maoists four for 10 years without success.
A secretariat of the committee is continuing its meeting to complete
procedures and modality amid demands for relaxation by Maoists for
conditions according to military rules and regulations to join the state
force.
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OLYMPIC MEDAL ATOP EVEREST THIS SPRING
Kathmandu, 27 March: A British mountaineer announced on Monday that he will try to take an Olympic medal to the top of Mt Everest to fulfil a 1924 promise made following an early, fatal attempt to scale the peak. Kenton Cool, who completed his ninth ascent of the world’s highest mountain last year, is commemorating a 1922 expedition in which British adventurers got close to the summit, which had never been reached
at the time. AFP reports from London,
The group, led by soldier Charles Bruce and accompanied by porters from the Himalayas, climbed within 500 metres of the top but failed thrice to complete the final stretch. Disaster hit the expedition on the way down when an avalanche killed seven Indian members of the party. Two years later at the 1924 Winter Olympics, the group was presented with medals to mark their achievement and their deputy leader, Edward Strutt, vowed to return to Everest and leave one of the medals at the summit. Cool wants to honour Strutt’s pledge, which remains unfulfilled nearly 90 years later.

MAOIST CHIEF TO TAKE BOLD DECISIONS
Kathmandu, 27 March: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday said he is prepared to take a “bold decisions” to conclude the army integration and constitution making processes within the May 27 deadline, The Kathmandu Post reports..
His statement comes amid concerns about a possible constitutional crisis if parties fail to meet the deadline of the Constituent Assembly (CA). Dahal said parties are closer to a deal on contentious issues of constitution drafting and peace process and added that the “final give-and-take negotiations” will yield results.
“I have realised that we have to draft the new constitution by completing the army integration process. I am in favour of concluding this process by sacrificing everything I can,” Dahal told a delegation of CA members who visited him at the Parliamentary Party Office of the UCPN (Maoist). The Maoist boss, however, stressed on the need for a “broader deal” on both the peace process and constitution making.
“We must discuss and settle the fundamentals of constitution making along with the peace process. By doing so, the integration process will conclude before the constitution is promulgated,” he said. The statement contradicts the stance of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, which have refused to hold discussions on constitutional issues until the integration process moves ahead.
Stating that his party does not want to delay the integration process any longer, he said other parties were yet to sort out “minor issues.”
Dahal said the seven-point deal signed last year would be the basis for integration, but that there were “manoeuvring within all the parties” to obstruct the process. “Some forces that see their dark future after the conclusion of the integration process and promulgation of the new constitution are active in every party,” he said. These forces, according to him, are trying to block the integration process and blame the Maoists for the failure to draft the new constitution.
Dahal also said the parties are inching closer on key constitutional issues including forms of governance and federalism. He said a deal among parties on forms of governance will revolve around a mixed model (a directly elected President and a prime minister elected by the House) recommended by a taskforce led by Laxman Lal Karna last year. He said both identity and sustainability would be the basis for defining federalism and said he had proposed a federal roadmap to top leaders of four major parties. He said the new constitution will have provisions of a federal set-up.
Dahal said parties were closer to consensus on provisions of judiciary, electoral system and citizenship to be enshrined in the constitution. The Dispute Resolution Subcommittee led by Dahal is scheduled to hold discussions with justices of the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning to forge agreement on the judicial set-up. Parties have in principle agreed to introduce a mixed model proportional representation (MMPR) electoral system and to end gender-based discrimination in the citizenship provision.
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HASSLES REMAIN IN INTEGRATION PROCESS SAYS PM
Kathmandu, 27 March: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Monday said that parties are yet to settle some contentious issues such as rank determination, educational qualification, and bridge and training courses related to the integration of former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army, Kamal Deb Bhattarai writes in The Kathmandu Post..
Bhattarai said that parties have differences over the bases on which to choose 6,500--the limit set by the November 1 seven-point understanding among major political forces--combatants out of the 9,700 that have opted for integration during the regrouping process. Parties are yet to agree on the procedure and standards of selecting the 6,500 combatants.
The PM's remarks come at a time when political leaders are claiming that the integration process has reached its final stage. Bhattarai, however, stated that talks among political parties are heading in a positive direction and there is increasing realisation among parties that they have no alternative to completing the peace and constitution-writing processes. “We are close to consensus but there has not been an agreement on these issues,” he said.
A meeting of the Special Committee (on army integration) scheduled for Tuesday is expected to discuss the integration action plan prepared by its secretariat. PM Bhattarai said that all political parities should act responsibility to conclude the peace and constitution writing processes on time.
Speaking to The Post at his office in Singha Durbar, he ruled out the possibility of CA term extension though there are only two months left of its tenure. “New constitution should be drafted within the stipulated time at any cost and I'm not in favour of extending the CA term again,” he said. The government and parliament have filed a review petition against the apex court decision that put a cap on the CA term. “The purpose of the petition is not to extend the CA term. We filed the petition reasoning that the court's verdict violates the jurisdiction of the executive and the CA,” the PM added.
At a time when opposition parties are stating that the constitution-drafting process will not progress without peace process, Bhattarai said it is irresponsible to link these processes. “Peace process and constitution-writing have their own procedures.”
Asked about the rift inside his UCPN (Maoist) party, the prime minister said they have political and ideological differences with Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya. “They [Baidya faction] do not want to conclude the ongoing process while we wish to complete these processes at any cost,” he added.
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TIME FOR GIVE AND TAKE SAYS MAOIST CHIEF

Kathmandu, 27 March:
Former Prime Minister and chairman of the UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Monday said that there was no alternative to finding a consensus in the peace and constitution writing
Processes, The Risimg Nepal reports.
Inaugurating a building at Chhaimale Village Development Committee of Kathmandu Municipality, constituency no. 10, from which he was elected a lawmaker, chairman Prachanda said that political parties should demonstrate additional flexibilities to conclude the peace and constitution writing processes by giving up their rigid stands.
"Let’s bear in mind that the new constitution will not be framed on the basis of what one individual party says, the current time is for give-and-take," Prachanda said.
Saying that his attention had been focused on vacating the PLA cantonments after integrating them in various security organs, Prachanda reiterated that debates and dialogues were being held over the disputed topics regarding the army integration and the constitution writing process.
He said that, currently, no any agreement should be inked regarding the form of governance, election system and federalism.
Making clear that federalism would be established on the basis of identity and capacity, chairman Prachanda added that identity-less federal states cannot be accepted.
Attention would be focused on development after completion of the peace and constitution writing processes, he said.
Prachanda assured that his party and he were fully dedicated to develop the constituency no. 10 as a tourism zone.
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FUTURE OF HEALTH SECTOR CHALLENGING SAYS STUDY
Kathmandu, 27 March:
Nepal achieved notable successes in line with several of its targets in the health sector over the last five years, but the remaining targets would be far more challenging than these, according to Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2011, The Rising Nepal..
It noted that the nation achieved much progress in health interventions over the past decade. However, it said, remaining tasks were more daunting because of the limited time.
The Ministry of Health and Population, in financial collaboration with USAID, jointly released the survey findings Monday highlighting the status and trends in health, social and economic aspects of the country.
Speaking at the programme, Minister for Health and Population Rajendra Mahato said the government should incorporate the key findings of the survey while formulating the new health policy.
As NDHS was an authentic documentation of the government’s programmes, their successes and failures, it will serve as the guideline for future health programmes, Minister Mahato said.
According to the NDHS survey, immunization coverage among children slightly increased during the period. Currently, 87 percent of children aged 12-23 months are immunized against six major childhood diseases, whereas 83 per cent of children were fully immunized in 2006. However, three per cent children are totally deprived of the immunization programme of the government.
Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Population Dr. Pravin Mishra said to immunize these three per cent children was the major challenge.
According to the survey, fertility rate in women was at an average of 2.6, a decrease from 3.1 in 2006. Nepal has targeted to reach the fertility rate of 2.1 by 2015. The government should adopt special programmes and plans for further achievements, Dr. Mishra said.
Fertility varies by residence and by region. Women in urban areas have 1.6 children on average, compared with 2.8 children per woman in rural areas. Fertility is higher in the Mid-western (3.2) and Far-western (2.8) regions than in the Eastern, Central or Western (each 2.5) regions. Fertility is the highest in the mountain zone, where women have an average of 3.4 children, the report read.
The survey also collected information on gender-based violence for the first time in Nepal. More than two in 10 women (22 per cent) have suffered from physical violence at some point since their age 15. Additionally, nine per cent women suffered from acts of violence during the past 12 months and 12 per cent women experienced sexual violence, with six per cent of women reporting sexual violence experience prior to the survey.
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SLOVAL WOMAN FREED UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES
Kathmandu, 27 March: A Slovak woman, who was being held captive by followers of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, nicknamed Buddha Boy, has been freed, Diwakar Bhandari writes in the Himalayan Times from .Pathlaiya

The 35-year-old woman, identified only as Marichi, was freed last night at around nine after mediapersons, police and locals raised questions about her abrupt disappearance about three months ago. Whereabouts of another woman from Sindhupalchowk, identified as Mata (nun), who is also being held captive by Bamjan’s followers, is still unknown.

The two women were taken hostage by the followers of Bamjan, who have formed Bodhi Shrawan Dharma Sangh to what they say protect ‘Buddha Boy’, on charges of distracting the man in meditation in the Halkhoriya jungle.

Inspector KP Sharma of Area Police Office, Simara, who met Marichi at Lama Hotel this morning, told mediapersons that the Slovak woman looked tense. “She said she was kept in a tank in a ditch in Halkhoriya,” said Sharma.

Krishna Lama, who owns Lama Hotel, said a man identifying himself as Darshan Limbu from Bodhi Shrawan Dharma Sangh had left her in the hotel. “He appeared out of the blue on a motorbike last night, dropped her and left,” said Lama. Marichi came to Nepal two years ago to pay visit to Bamjan, who has been meditating since 2005, but had gone missing since December 28.

A scared Marichi with a broken arm refused to talk to reporters and urged them not to photograph her. “I won’t say a thing; Sangh and Bamjan have forced me into the promise that I won’t open my mouth,” said Marichi who seems to have received injuries on her head as well.

She was too moved to speak when people close to her met her this morning. “She wept herself into a state of exhaustion as she said she was tortured,” said a local from Simara. “She said she felt like she was at death’s door.”

Marichi could not tell about the other missing woman. “They kept me in ignorance about the nun. She was kept captive somewhere else, not with me,” a local quoted her.

Bara SP Dan Singh Bohara said he had also interrogated Marichi and that investigation was under way.

Police later handed over Marichi to Birgunj-based Immigration Office as her one-year visa for Nepal has expired.

Though her visa had expired, the Slovak woman was meditating in the Halkhoriya jungle and during one of those days she was taken hostage by Bamjan’s followers accusing her ‘of being a witch’.
Meanwhile, a Slovak woman, who was freed by the followers of Ram Bahadur Bamjan after keeping her hostage for about three months on Sunday night, was brought to Kathmandu on Monday. According to an official at the Department of Immigration, Marichi has been taken into custody as she has overstayed her visa. DoI officials did not allow media to talk to Marichi. However, according to Chegu Lama , a resident of Simara, who is assisting Marichi , she is in a state of distress and does not speak to anyone. Interestingly, Lama said she does not speak anything against Bamjan. In Simara, Marichi had said she wanted to return to Slovakia as soon as possible. She had also requested people close to her to help manage Rs 50,000 for her.
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