OPPOSITION YOUTH DISRUPT TRAFFIC Kathmandu, 6 Aug.: Opposition UML youth and youth organizations affiliated with with eight other opposition parties disrupted traffic for the second day in the capital since six in the morning for four hours demanding the government’s resignation. The first day’s protests were violent when seven vehicles were vandalized Monday’s protest comes after a decision Sunday by UML standing committee to intensify anti-government protests after concluding a ngotiatesettkement to demands weren’t possible with a rigid government, nnnn GROWING PRESIDENT, PM RIFT AGGRAVATES CRISIS POLITICAL CRISIS Kathmandu, 6 Aug.: Growing mistrust between President Ram Baran Yadav and caretaker Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has further aggravated the current political and constitutional crisis in the country. The latest indication of the growing rift surfaced on Sunday when the president invited political leaders of the erstwhile Constituent Assembly and asked them to arrive at a consensus to overcome the current turmoil. The move appears to have put Bhattarai in a spot. Those close to Bhattarai say the president´s frequent meetings with top politicians and people from other sections of the society is against his role as a constitutional head of state. As his continued call for consensus among the parties failed to materialize, Yadav called the politicians to Shital Niwas and reminded them about their role in finding a way forward. The president is having a hard time taking decisions on various issues, an opposition leader told Republica.“While the opposition parties are asking the president to take necessary steps to relieve the PM from his position and call for a consensus government, those close to the PM say that the president should only act as a ceremonial head of state and endorse whatever the government recommends." The president is currently sitting on election related ordinances forwarded by the government, with the opposition parties demanding his ´proactive´ role in dealing with the issue. "The president delaying the endorsement of the cabinet decisions is against defined jurisdiction of the head of state," says a close confidant of the PM. "Therefore, the PM is unhappy with the recent activities of the president as he believes that the constitution doesn´t allow the president to hold frequent meetings with leaders, army chief and other." "The interim constitution has given a limited role to the president," said Ganga Shrestha, principle secretary to the PM. "The situation will only worsen if he (the president) crosses this limit." Along with the dissolution of the CA, there are only two institutions left - the president and the PM, Shrestha further said, adding, "The growing misunderstanding between these two will not help overcome the current problem." Some of those following the development say the president would return the ordinances asking the cabinet to seek consensus. But the sources close to PM say that the government is planning to re-send them to the president withour any changes. "The president can return the ordinances to the cabinet but the government will resend it," a PM´s aide said. "Then, he simply can´t return it the second time and must endorse it." The government received a major jolt last week when the president stopped the government from bringing a full-fledged budget without political consensus. "The way the president frequently issues instruction to the PM to forge consensus with opposition parties in major government businesses has simply annoyed the PM," said a source at Baluwatar. "It is not the responsibility of a ceremonial president to give instructions one after the other." "It seems that the president under the pretext of the country´s fluid political situation is trying to enjoy the executive rights," the source further said, adding that the PM wants to establish that the executive power rests with him and not the ceremonial head of state. Nnnn ________________________________________ TMDP's ONE MADESH PARTY PROPOSAL DRAWS MIXED REACTION Kathmandu, 6 Aug.: The proposal of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) on the formation of a single Madhesi party has drawn mixed reactions from Madhesi leaders and Intellectuals, Republica reports. Most of them agreed that there indeed was a need of a single party that espoused Madhesi cause, though the differences over leadership would prove a handicap. "Madhesi peoples and cadres wish to see a single party in Madhes, but I don´t think the leadership would succeed in forming such a party," said General Secretary of Sadbhawana Party Manish Suman in the capital on Sunday, while addressing an interaction organized by Tarai Madhesi Student Front, the student wing of TMDP. He opined that though Madhes-based parties agree on the formation of a single Madhesi party, it will be hard for them to decide who would lead the unified party. Chairman of Federal Sadbhawana Party Anil Kumar Jha expressed his doubt over such proposal being floated at all. "If TMDP really wants the formation of single Madhesi party, first it should have floated the proposal among all the constituent parties of United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF)," Jha said. Jha, who is the industry minister in current coalition, stated that TDMP should have sought feedback from the constituent parties before forwarding the proposal to parties that are not aligned with the UDMF. Similarly, General Secretary of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Republican (MPRF-R) Atmaram Sah maintained that a single Madhesi party can be formed only if the leaders gave up their personal interests. "The desire for power is the main factor behind the splits in Madhesi parties," Sah stated. Political analyst Tulanarayan Sah said despite their strong agenda, Madhesi parties will not be able to form a single party because they have immature leaders. "Please end dependency on the Indian Embassy before talking about the formation of a single Madhesi party," Sah said, referring to Madhesi parties. Women activist Manchala Jha said since Madhesi parties share similar agenda and goals, forming a single party should not be that hard. Joint General Secretary of TMPD Jitendra Sonal said they have proposed the formation of a single Madhesi party with good intention. "Our party is ready to make sacrifices for a single Madhesi party," stated Sonal, adding, "This is not a propaganda." TMDP had formed a three-member committee, led by its Vice-chairman Hridayash Tripathi, last month to hold talks with other Madhes-based parties on the possibility of forming a single Madhesi party. nnnn ________________________________________