PART TWO OF TV INTERVIEW WITH FORMER KING GYANENDRA BEING BROADCAST SUNDAY EVENING; THE FIRST EDITION CREATES STIR Kathmandu, 23 July: After creating a political stir when Part One of his interview was broadcast by News 24, the television channel Sunday evening is airing the second part of an exclusive with former King Gyanendra at 9 PM Sunday. The second edition will deal with personal affairs including the Narayanhiti Royal Palace massacre and his departure for Nagurjng from Narayanhiti with his family. ‘I could not shed a tear for my brother,” the former king told your blogger immediately after he was crowned following the palace massacre. Gyanendra became king for the second time. He was crowned before his father King Mahendra and elder brother King Birendra. Crown Prince Dipendra, who was declared king by the state council., couldn’t be crowned; he died without recovering from a suicide bid following the mass murder. All members of the family of King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya were killed, but two children of Princess Shruti and her husband. The first part created a stir after the former king revealed there was written agreement between seven parliamentary parties [not Maoists] and place to retain monarchy. Nnnn . SIX TEACHERS CLOSE TO MOHAN BAIDHYA EXPELLED Kathmandu, 22 July: Senior members of the All Nepal Teachers’ Organisation (ANTO) led by Gunaraj Lohani, CPN Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidhya, have been expelled at the body meting which concluded Saturday. Those expelled are:Vice-chairmen Tulsi Ghimire, Ratna Bahadur Oli and Bhola Natha Sapkota, secretary Jivanath Parajuli and secretariat members Ram Prasad Adhikari and Shankar Adhikari. They were charged for indiscipline and involvement in anti-organization activities. nnnn KMC NOW CLEANING RIVER BANKS OF GARBAGE Kathmandu, 22 July: Undeterred by the failure of its past efforts, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is gearing up to rid the City’s river banks of Garbage, The Himalayan Times reports. “As part of our weeklong City clean-up campaign beginning Wednesday, we plan to clean the Bishnumati river banks,” said KMC executive chief Kedar Bahadur Adhikari. KMC said it plans to involve local communities, metropolitan officials and NGOs for the clean-up of the river stretch from Balaju to Teku. “The campaign aims to make local communities aware of the need to manage waste properly by involving them,” he said, adding that it will urge people not to throw waste haphazardly. About 100 days ago, the KMC had launched an awareness campaign mobilising Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, government ministers and secretaries to sweep the streets of the metropolis. Besides this, the KMC has spent millions of rupees to raise awareness on the need to keep the city clean. Despite such efforts, the sanitation scenario of the metropolis, where about 1 million people live, is not encouraging. Many people throw waste haphazardly instead of disposing waste in designated places. The Solid Waste Management Act 2011 has envisioned those, who violate waste management rules, Rs 500 to Rs 100,000 each and jail term of up to three months. “The law alone is not enough to maintain everything. We need cooperation from local communities to implement the rules, punish the culprits and keep the city clean,” he said. “Therefore, we urge the public to help the civic body keep the city clean.” Adhikari said past failures in cleaning up the City will not deter the KMC from making fresh city clean-up efforts. About 350 metric tonnes of waste is generated daily in the metropolis, one of the poorest municipals in terms of performance among the country’s 58 municipalities. Nnnn ELECTION FOR WHAT? MADESH PARTIES DIVIDED Kathmandu, 22 July: Differences have surfaced in Madhesi parties on whether to go for Constituent Assembly or parliamentary elections, Ram Kumar Kamat writes in The Himalayan Times. The divide runs deep between Upendra Yadav led Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal and Madhesi parties that are partners in the Baburam Bhattarai led coalition government. While constituents of United Democratic Madhesi Front want new CA elections, Yadav is for parliamentary elections. “There is no provision for holding CA elections twice. The CA failed to give a new constitution so there should be parliamentary elections. It is ultimately political consensus that will give a new constitution. The new parliament can also work as CA and ratify a new constitution,” Yadav argued. He said other Madhesi parties were bereft of vision, and were thus opposed to parliamentary elections. This is the first time major ideological differences have emerged after the 2008 CA elections when Yadav's party advocated presidential form of government and other Madhesi parties were for parliamentary form. Only time will tell who is on the right side of history, but UDMF and MJF-Nepal champion the same cause though they stand on opposite sides on some major issues. Yadav’s stance on parliamentary elections is somewhat similar to that of the NC/UML which has irked other Madhesi parties. “Writing a constitution through the CA was never the NC or UML agenda. Yadav seems to have fallen into their trap. That's why he is pleading for parliamentary elections,” reacted Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) leader Khushi Lal Mandal. Columnist CK Lal questioned the advocacy for parliamentary elections saying there was no provision for the same in the Interim Constitution. Sadbhavana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato echoed Lal. "Which constitution are they (those who want parliamentary elections) talking of? There is no provision for parliamentary election in the Interim Constitution.” He said those who were seeking solution out of the purview of the Interim Constitution were rejecting federalism and republicanism. Mahato said holding parliamentary elections would necessitate amendments in the constitution, but nobody, neither the government nor the president or parties had the authority to amend the constitution. “Going by the Interim Constitution, we will have to hold CA elections and that will be for a 601 member house for four years,” Mahato said. Some Madhesi parties and UCPN-M advocate a large CA as there will be greater representation of margnialised communities which will give them an advantage on federalism. NC and UML believe elections for reduced parliament will be to their advantage. nnnn