NEPAL PLAYS AUSTRALIA IN ICC U-19 WORLD CUP Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: Nepal plays Australia in its first outing Monday of the ICC U-19 World Cup in Townsville. Australia is a three-time champion. Nnnn 21-MEMBER NEPALI SQUAD FOR NEHRU CUP Kathmandu, 13 Aug.:: A 21-member Nepali team was shortlisted for the Nehru Cup International Football Tournament was announced Sunday by national coach Krishna Thapa. Nepal is participating in the tournament for the first time from 23 August to 2 September at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The final 20-member squad will be announced in the Indian capital. The team: Goalkeepers — Kiran Chemjong, Ritesh Thapa, Bikesh Kuthu; Defenders — Sabindra Shrestha, Bikash Singh Chhetri, Biraj Maharjan, Sandip Rai, Sagar Thapa, Rohit Chand; Midfielders — Anil Ojha, Bhola Silwal, Raju Tamang, Rupesh KC, Nirajan Khadka, Bijay Gurung, Jagje nnnn UNILEVER NEPAL ANNOUNCES RS. 680 CASH DIVIDEN PER SHARE Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: Unilever Nepal Saturday announced a Rs.680 cash dividend from its 2011/12 profit. The 114th board announced the profit. A Rs.735 million was recorded from a profit of Rs 4,232 million after tax.. An annual general meeting 10 October has to approve the board recommendation. nnnn MAHEDHI PARTIES ATTEMPT TO FORM SINGLE PARTY Kaathaamandu, 13 Aug.: Scorned by Madhesi voters and well-wishers for failing to prevent splits and fragmentation, Madhesi parties are now seriously trying to form a powerful Madhesi party with the aim of preventing the major parties, particularly the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, from taking advantage of the fragmentation of the Madhesi Forces, Ram Kumar Kamat writes in The Himalayan Times. . Mahantha Thakur-led Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, which initiated the efforts in this regard, has held talks with the stakeholders twice. Although Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav, has rejected the idea of joining the initiative again, the proponents, however, believe such a process would yield positive results soon. “I cannot tell when we will form one powerful party, but we have done some groundwork on this. Even if other Madhesi parties do not come forward, we are in favour of merging MJF-D and TMDP. Once we do that other parties will be compelled to join us,” said Jitendra Dev, spokesperson for MJF-D. Although party leaders declined to divulge details of the merger modalities, sources privy to the latest developments of the unity talks said there was a possibility that Thakur could be made paramount leader of the unified party whose approval would be necessary for all party decisions and Gachhadar could be made Executive Chairman of the party. The proposed model could also have two to three post of Joint Chairman to accommodate some chiefs of other Madhesi parties. “Our political slogans are the same and there is no reason why we cannot be united,” said Jitendra Dev, spokesperson for the MJF-D. Sources said second rank of the leaders of other Madhesi parties are in favour of merging their outfits but chiefs of some parties are averse to the idea because they believe they would not get the exposure they are getting now. Chairman of a Madhesi party, who is a minister, said forming one powerful party was not possible. Analysts believe that the formation of one powerful party under democratic forces could protect Madhes from falling into the hands of communist parties and also those Madhesi leaders who were once card carrying members of the communist parties and often side with communist forces and want to run their party like the communist outfits. “Unity of Madhesi parties is good news but I do not think it would be easy,” said political analyst Prof Birendra Prasad Mishra. MJF-N Chair Upendra Yadav said the Madhesi parties that were in the government had no organisation in Madhes and were talking of unity to secure their future in the next elections. “Madhesis view Madhesi ministers with contempt for their mistakes, lust for power and disregard for Madhes issues,” said Yadav. Prof Mishra said Madhesi leaders were mainly trained in democratic and communist schools . They could not unite first and even if they did they would soon part their ways. Mishra said caste-based politics, as was the case in bordering states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, was slowly taking roots in Madhes, which could pose challenge to unity of Madhesi forces. Khushi Lal Mandal, leader of NSP (Anandi Devi) said the ruling Madhesi parties could not stick to any of the vital Madhesi issues, including One Madhes Pradesh. nnnn 15 CONNFIRMED CHOLERA CASES IN CAPITAL Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: Fifteen cholera cases have been confirmed in Kathmandu district since the onset of monsoon, The Himalayan Times writes.. Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital has confirmed 14 cases, while one case is reported in Kanti Children’s Hospital. Contaminated water is the main cause of cholera and diarrhoea in Kathmandu, doctors said. The cholera patients, between three and 88 years of age, were from Teku, Tahachal, Kalimati, Swayambhu, Baneshwor, Rabibhawan, Dallu, Bhimsengola, Kalanki and Pinglasthan in Kathmandu, the hospitals involved in the patients’ treatment reported. According to Dr Indra Prasad Prajapati, the hospital director, cholera cases have gone up this year compared to corresponding periods in the preceding years. “Only eight cases were reported last year during this time,” the director said and feared of focal outbreak if the number kept on rising. However, the epidemic could be limited to small focal area with people drinking the same contaminated water, Dr Prajapati said. He further said that three of the total cholera cases were based in Swayambhu. Dr Prajapati said leakage of drainage pipes and water pipelines is mainly responsible for the contamination of water. The contaminated water causes waterborne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, worm infection and jaundice. The doctor suggested to boil, double filter and to treat water with chlorine before drinking it. He also urged the government to disseminate awareness messages and repair the drainage and water supply system at the soonest. A total of 2,167 patients were diagnosed with gastrointestinal infections, including diarrhoea and dysentery in 2010/11 and 1,712 in 2011/12, according to hospitals. A miking campaign to make people aware of waterborne diseases is under way at high risk places, director of Kathmandu District Public Health Office (DPHO), Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, informed. “We are also holding a multi-sectoral meeting with Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), Department of Water Supply and Sewerage, the Local Development Minister and others,” DPHO director Shrestha said. He further said that they have further asked the KUKL to increase the amount of chlorine in drinking water for water purification. nnnn HIGHEST NUMBER OF COMPLIANTS AGAINST MAOIST CHIEF IN INTERNAL PROBE COMMISSION Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: its extended deadline for receiving complaints of financial irregularities expiring on Sunday, the high-level probe commission on property and financial condition of the UCPN (Maoist) has received a barrage of complaints against Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other senior leaders of the party for their “poor handling” of the party´s funds, Kiran Pun writes in Republica... Though the exact number of complaints against Dahal and other senior leaders, including Prime Minister´s wife Hishila Yami, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Barshaman Pun, Janardan Sharma, Agni Sapkota and Lekhraj Bhatta has not been revealed, knowledgeable sources told Republica that most of the complaints are against Dahal. "Most of the complaints are against Dahal. He has been accused of being the root cause of financial irregularities in the party,” said the source familiar with the nature of complaints. “The party´s funds were handled by Dahal but he neither has the details of expenses nor where the money went.” However, the complaints do not specify the amount of money misused by Dahal, the source added. The recently-held plenum of the party had formed the commission after the participants in the gathering raised the issue of financial irregularities in the party, demanding a probe. The commission has also received a significant number of complaints against his nephew Samir Dahal, who was until recently the head of Dahal´s secretariat. Complaints against leader Mahara accuse him of embezzling the money provided by the government for the combatants in 2006, said sources. He had received Rs 4 million from the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction for making initial arrangements for the combatants in the cantonments. Similarly, other complaints against him relate to his decision to award operating license to Hello Nepal of Ajaya Sumargi, a businessman believed close to Dahal. Similarly, the complaints against former minister Janardan Sharma accuse him of financial irregularities while making investment in Janamaitri Hospital, proposed Moonlight television and Nepal FM, said sources. Similarly, former PLA deputy commanders Barshaman Pun, Nanda Kishor Pun and Chandra Prakash Khanal have also been accused of financial irregularities, while Madhes-based Maoist leaders have been accused of accepting bribes to influence murder cases. Former minister and former Tamsaling state committee in-charge [now party spokesperson] Sapkota and newly appointed member of the general convention organizing committee Devi Khadka have been accused of involvement in smuggling of red sandalwood. In-charges of state committees Hemant Prakash Oli, Haribol Gajurel, Devendra Paudel and Gopal Kirati also face allegations of financial irregularities in the party. Paudel is prime minister´s political advisor. Likewise, there is not a single division commander against whom complaints have not been filed. All of them have been accused of financial irregularities in the cantonments. However, complaints against division commanders Santa Kumar Darai and Yam Bahadur Adhikari are fewer compared to others. Former YCL valley chief Chandra Bahadur Thapa and Maoist trade union chief Shalikram Jamakattel have also been accused of extorting hotels, restaurants and casinos. Head of the commission Sherchan said the commission will investigate the complaints. nnnn QUITTING ON KATAWAL CASE WAS MISTAKE SAYS DAHAL Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: : UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has made it clear that his decision to quit from government on the Katawal case was a mistake and the party would not make such mistake again, Manoj Adhikari writes in Republica from Pokhara. . Dahal quit as prime minister in 2009 after his recommendation to sack the then Nepal Army chief Rukmangad Katawal was rejected by President Ram Baran Yadav. Dahal, together with vice-chairman and prime minister Baburam Bhattarai and another vice-chairman and deputy prime minister Narayankaji Shrestha, announced that the party would not quit the government under pressure from the opposition parties. Stating that the resignation of the Dahal-led government in 2009 was a mistake, the leaders said they won´t make such mistake again. Dahal, Bhattarai and Shrestha were speaking Sunday at a function here organized by the party´s Tamuwan State Committee. The leaders also informed that an election either for Constituent Assembly (CA) or parliament may be conducted any time in the days to come and instructed the party cadres to be prepared for the polls. According to participants at the closed-door meet, the Maoist leaders said they were not in the mood to quit the government just because Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML were demanding. "This time we can´t simply hand over the power to the NC or UML in the name of political consensus," a participant quoted Dahal as saying. "We have clearly told them [NC, UML leaders] that power can´t be achieved just by whining." According to the participants, Dahal clearly told the party cadres that he had committed a blunder by voluntarily resigning from the government following differences with the president in the dispute over army chief and that the party wouldn´t repeat such a mistake this time. He stated that the party was ready to resist the opposition on the streets if the opposition wanted. Dahal, who also spoke in detail about ending the deepening feud within his party, said that he is going to leave no stone unturned for ending factionalism in the organization. "We have come a long way and learnt lessons from past mistakes," he explained. "The reshuffling recently made in the party´s central committee is the beginning toward that direction." Prime Minister Bhattarai made it clear among the party cadres that he was not in favor of quitting the government no matter whether he would be termed as a successful leader or a failure. He, however, admitted that he was failing to work as per the people´s aspirations. "It is obvious that people have high expectations from the govenrment," a participant quoted the prime minister as saying at the orientation function. "But we can´t address everyone´s expectations because this is not the government formed after winning a revolution." Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shrestha also urged the party cadres to rest assured that the party wouldn´t quit the government. Apart from the top leaders, also the party´s regional chief of the Western region Lilamani Pokharel and Tamuwan State in-charge Dilaram Acharya, among other leaders, imparted political training to the party cadres at Pokhara City Hall. Around 1,000 leading cadres from eight districts including Kaski, Gorkha, Manang, Tanahun, Lamjung, Syangja, Parbat and Mustang have gathered in Pokhara to attend the orientation. However mediapersons were not allowed inside the meeting venue. After the day-long orientation, Shrestha left for Kathmandu but other top leaders are staying in Pokhara. Nnnn ________________________________________ ________________________________________ MEDIA GOOGLE "President has to focus his attention on the party. Party will be ruined if that did not happen.e candidate for prime minister. Paudel [Ram Chandra] is the most suitable candidate for prime minister." (Sujata Koirala, Republica, Republica, 13 Aug.) “The Unified CPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML should give up little of their stances first to find consensus on the contents of the new constitution. Then, the CA should be revived only for 15 days to amend the interim constitution and promulgate the new constitution.” (Sher Bahadur Deuba, The Himalayan Times, 13 Aug.) nnnn