CPM MAOIST ALSO LAYS CLAIM TO LEAD GOVT. Kathmandu, 12 Aug.: Spokesperson of CPN Maoist Phampa Bhusal Sunday staked a claim to form a government through a radtoprogramme. She laid the claim one day after a roundtable conference organized by the party in the capital Saturday and as main opposition NC also laid a claim. Another opposition party UML has been saying it will forward a candidate for prime minister if NC doesn’t name its prime ministerial candidate. Bhusal ruled out unity with UCPN Maoist and added raising arms wasn’t a party priority even as it espouses revolutionary communism. CPN Maoist headed by Mohan Baidhaya was launched after hardliners defected from UCPN Maoist.. Nnnn GOVT. TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY AMID BOYCOTT OF OPPOSITION Kathmandu, 12 Aug.: Vice-President Parmananda Jha is launching an International Youth Day at Dashrath Ranghashala later Sunday. Opposition youth and student organizations are boycotting the government-sponsored programme. The opposition has taken to the street demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai government. nnnn: FORMER MAOIST FIGHTERS A BARGAINING CHIP FOR POLITICAL ROADMAP Kathmandu, 12Aug.: The ruling UCPN (Maoist) plans to trade the future of over 3,000 of its former combatants awaiting integration into the Nepal Army for a new deal on future political roadmap, according to party leaders, The Kathmandu Post reports.. The indecision on the fate of the ex-combatants living in Nepal Army controlled cantonments persists despite the party’s plenum mandating last month the leadership to send the former fighters to voluntary retirement. Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had then vowed to make a ‘last-ditch effort’ to pressure other parties for a revision to the seven-point deal on army integration signed in November last year. “We want to hold dialogue with parties to seek further concessions in age and education criteria stipulated in the seven-point deal. If they disagree to offer a dignified solution, all the ex-combatants will take up voluntary retirement,” said Maoist Spokesman Agni Sapkota. The party, however, is yet to start ‘serious talks’ with other political forces for ending the stalemate and resuming the stalled selection process of the combatants aspiring to join the national army. The integration process was widely criticised by the Maoist cadres who were in the Capital in July for its being “no different from the regular recruitment process”. Chairman Dahal, admitting mistake in ignoring technical details, had committed that everyone would be sent to retirement unless the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML were ready for revision. NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat said the Maoists had tried to bypass the Special Committee on army integration and to play foul by asking the Nepal Army to demonstrate flexibility in integration. “Some of the technical issues like age and education could have been solved, had they brought the matter to the Special Committee. They unilaterally approached the Nepal Army, which turned down their unconstitutional request,” said the Special Committee member. “The future of the former combatants is doomed because of the bullying attitude of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and his party.” Former deputy commander of the combatants Chandra Prakash Khanal said the deadlock over integration would break if parties reached a new package deal on constitution-making, election and new government. “Other parties are not ready for flexibility so we are mulling the alternative of sending everyone to voluntary retirement,” he said. “The ongoing impasse will end only if there is a package deal.” Maoist leaders believe they can bargain for further flexibility in integration while discussing a package deal which, among other things, would speak on the successor to the incumbent government. Nnnn WEST SETI LAUNCH WITH CHINESE ASSIST GAINS MOMENTUM Kathmandu, 12 Aug.: The long-standing dilemma over securing investment from China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC) in 750-MW West Seti Hydroelectricity Project ended on Saturday with the Chinese company finally agreeing to revise the memorandum of understanding (MoU) that it had signed with the Nepal government, Ashok Thapa writes in The Kathmandu Post. . Nepali officials involved in the negotiation with CTGC in China said that the Chinese company also agreed to send its high-level delegation to Nepal within two weeks to revise the MoU and begin works towards the project development. A three-member Nepali negotiating team, led by Energy Secretary Hari Ram Koirala, had left for China on Tuesday to ensure investment from the Chinese corporation and prepare grounds for the MoU revision. Investment Board (IB) CEO Radhesh Pant and Rameshwor Khanal, Prime Minister’s economic advisor, were the other members of the Nepali talk team. The Nepali team held talks with Chen Fei, president of CTGC and the company’s board members. “Our talks with the CTCG officials came to a fruitful conclusion as they agreed to revise the MoU signed previously and put their investment in the project,” said Pant of the IB, which has been assigned to develop the project. Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Energy (MoE) Arjun Kumar Karki and CTGC Executive Vice-president Wang Shaofeng had signed the MoU some six months ago. However, stating the deal was non-transparent and the MoE officials abused authority, the parliamentary committee had probed into the matter and directed the government to hand over project development responsibility to the Investment Board. During the discussion with the China Exim Bank and China Development Bank on Thursday and Friday, the banks have also expressed interest to invest in the project and to provide additional soft loans for the construction of a transmission line. “We held talks on completing both hydropower and transmission line simultaneously so that the electricity generated could be linked to the national grid immediately,” said Pant. “The bank has shown positive response.” As per the previous MoU, there would be 25 percent share from the NEA and 75 percent from the Chinese company, with a provision to allocate 2-5 percent of share to the local people. “We have asked the CTGC to increase the share for the locals as per the NRMC’s recommendation,” added Pant. The team also asked the CTGC officials to make West Seti a multi-purpose project. IB had previously proposed making West Seti a multi-purpose project with the development of irrigation system, fishery and water transportation. nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE "We had the constitution draft ready and were prepared for getting the lawmakers to sign it. Further, the printing of the constitution, which would take about five hours, was on cards. The prime minister called me in the morning [of May 27] and enquired about the preparations." (Former Speaker Subash Nemwang, The Kathmandu Post, 12 Aug.) nnnn