PRACHANDA, JHALANATH KHANAL MEET Kathmandu, 7 June: Maoist Chief Prachanda held discussions with UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal on ways to resolve a political deadlock after the Maoist-led government of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai ordered fresh constituent assembly (CA) elections 22 November. Khanal’s aide Ram Babu Adhikari, Khanal asked the Maoist chief to ask Premier Bhattarai to resign to create an atmosphere for consensus. The meeting lasted 90 minutes. The meeting comes ahead of Friday’s anti-government street protests of 22 parties to oppose the announcement of fresh CA elections and automatic dissolution of CA. Prachanda held discussions with Khanal as the Maoist chief faces a split in his own party over ideological differences with First Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhaya. nnnn SLC RESULTS COMING OUR SOON Kathmandu, 7 June: This year’s SLC results will be announced ‘soonest”, said Deputy Controller of Examinations Ambika Prasad Regmi. Results last year were announced 6 Ashad. Nnnn SAMUEL TAMRAT IN TOWN Kathmandu, 7 June: Senior UN diplomat Samuel Tamrat has arrived after Fai;ure of parties to promulgate a constitution by a 27 May deadline. Tamrat has been deeply involved of behalf of UN in the transition from transition to a republic. Tamrat held discussions with Maoist Chairman Thursday. nnnn RISE IN WATER LEVEL IN SAPTAKOSHI OBSTRCTS WORK IN CHANNEL CONSTRUCTION Kathmandu, 7 June: The company contracted to build pilot channels on the Saptakoshi river to mitigate the risk of flooding along the eastern embankment has halted work, citing rising water levels. However, Koshi Project workers from the Indian side have claimed the project has been completed, Abadesh Kumar Jhaa writes in The Kathmandu Post from Itahari.. Director of the Eastern Regional Irrigation Directorate Maniklal Shrestha said the company working on the project could not complete the pilot channels as the water level in the river stated rising. The eastern embankment that was breached during the 2008 flooding is still at risk, he said. Rajesh Kumar, the chief engineer of the project, however said over telephone that all three pilot channels have been constructed and that the embankment was not at risk. In the aftermath of the Koshi flood, the project had decided to build the three channels at Dumre in Udaypur and Srilanka Tappu and Prakashpur in Sunsari to “correct” the course of the river. Chief District Officer of Sunsari Laxman Kumar Thapa said people working at the channel project left with their equipment. The water flow in the Koshi river has gone up from 15,000-20,000 cusec to 40,000-60,000 cusec in the last two weeks. Nnnn LEADERS GIVE TOP PRIORITY TO PROPOSAL TO REVIVE CA Kathmandu, 7 June: A day after Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said reinstatement of the Constituent Assembly could be a possible way out of the current impasse, leaders across party lines seem to be taking the idea positively, Bhadra Sharma writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Former Prime Ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Madhav Kumar Nepal told Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Wednesday that the resurrection of the CA could be an option. Leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, who had flatly rejected such an idea until Tuesday, also indicated that they could think about it. All the leaders, however, had different roadmaps and preconditions for the CA’s rebirth. Deuba and Nepal said the CA’s resurrection could be one of the options, but Bhattarai must step down immediately for that. Morcha leaders also have a precondition—that the parties must meet some of their demands, including a 10-province model of federalism proposed by the majority members of the State Restructuring Commission. On Monday, President Ram Baran Yadav had reportedly conveyed to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal that giving a fresh lease of life to the CA could be discussed as one of the options if that helps parties forge consensus. PM Bhattarai called on Deuba and Nepal as part of his political consultations that began on Wednesday. Sources said the PM, who had so far ruled out other options apart from the elections, has also started mulling over the idea of CA revival. There are, however, no differences of opinion among the parties on going for elections after the political process moves ahead. “The PM’s resignation must come first. Only then can the parties forge consensus on unresolved issues and look for alternatives,” NC leader Prakash Sharan Mahat quoted Deuba as saying in the meeting with the PM. Deuba, however, suggested the PM revive the CA only after settling unresolved issues of the constitution “by any means—national referendum or concrete agreement.” Meanwhile, Madhesi Morcha leaders said CA restoration must happen after forging agreement on contentious issues of state restructuring. “The option of reviving the CA could be explored if other parties agree on state restructuring on the report of the majority members of the State Restructuring Commission,” Co-Chairman of Sadhbhawana Party Laxman Lal Karna said. He, however, clarified that the alliance is yet to take a formal decision on this. Leader of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party-Nepal Dan Bahadur Chaudary also said the Morcha could talk CA revival if the parties agree on a 10-state model. He said he was confident that the alliance will agree to the CA idea if that guarantees a constitution that ensures identity-based federalism. nnnn PM’S OFFICE INTERVENES TO OBSTRUCT FM RADIO BROADCAST Kathmandu, 7 June: The Prime Minister’s Office has objected to what it says is a ‘politically-biased programme’ aired through Image FM, The Himalayan Times reports. And, as per the direction of the PMO, the Ministry of Information and Communications has written to the Image Channel, which runs the FM station, directing it not to produce politically-biased programmes in reference to Jana Chaso. The government wrote to the channel in response to a complaint against the said programme. According to Bishnu Nisththuri, former chairman of the Federation of Nepali Journalist (FNJ), the government cannot direct media houses over what they should air or report. “The government can convey its concern about such programmes to the editor or approach the Press Council,” Nishthuri said. Nishthuri said the letter to the media house gives an impressioin that the government is trying to control the media. At the same time, he reminded that journalists should also stick to their code of conduct. The FNJ has objected to the government move, saying that the onus is on the Press Council to judge whether reports and programmes of media houses are balanced and accurate or not. The Image Channel has also objected to the letter that the Public Complaint Management Branch of the PMO had sent in response to a complaint against Jana Chaso. In its reply to the information ministry, Image Channel today said the letter smacks of what it called ‘pre-censorship’ and is in breach of the constitutional provision that guarantees press freedom. “The letter seeking politically unbiased content is objectionable and biased in itself ,” the channel said in its reply, expressing hope that the government will not forget that it is its responsibility to safeguard press freedom, a constitutional right. Nnnn FOREIGN MINISTRY PLANS OPENING 18 MORE DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS Kathmandu, 7 June: A report prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has suggested that Nepal should open as many as 18 diplomatic missions — 12 embassies and six-consulate general, consulate or consul offices — in countries with which the country has maintained long diplomatic relations, Lekhnath Pandey writes in The Himalayan Times.. The report prepared under the coordination of Dhananjay Jha, then senior-most Joint Secretary at MoFA and incumbent Ambassador to the UAE, has suggested opening of embassies (with ambassador-level position) in the Maldives, Bhutan, Turkey, Indonesia, Italy and Spain and six other missions (with acting ambassador-level position) in Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq and Singapore. Similarly, the document has drawn the attention of the government to establish consulate general, consulate or consul offices in Jeddah of Saudi Arabia, New York of USA, Mumbai of India, Guangzhou of China, Osaka of Japan and Dubai of UAE. An official, who was part of the 10-member report-preparing committee, told THT that the suggestions were made based on Nepal’s earlier commitments, historical relations with these countries, their importance in regional and international levels, economic and political relations, presence of Nepali community there and prospects of tourism promotion and potential. The document, however, has not set any deadline to set up the missions. But nonetheless, it says the priority should be set based on need of consulate services to be provided to the Nepalis in foreign countries, economic and commercial relations, regional association and brotherhood among SAARC nations, political-economic relations and prospects of foreign investment. The report has estimated annual operation cost to be $500,000 (Rs 45 million) for each embassy and $400,000 (Rs 36 million) for each consulate general or consulate office. The report though attributes the need for opening new embassies to presence of Nepali community in foreign lands, it is interesting as to why it has recommended embassies (with ambassador-level position) in Italy, Spain and Turkey where number of Nepali people is relatively low. In addition, the Nepalis in these countries are faring comparatively well due to these countries’ better policy for expatriates. In addition, it has recommended embassies with acting ambassadors in countries like Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon where Nepali migrant workers quite often need consular services as these countries have been reported to have failed to maintain human rights tracks. The 13-page document has been submitted to Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai. MoFA Spokesperson Arjun Bahadur Thapa said more deliberations were required before sending it for the consent from the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of General Administration. Then it will be sent to the Cabinet for the final nod, said Thapa. nnnn