UML FAVOURS FRESH POLLS Kathmandu, 29 Aug.: The Standing Committee meeting of CPN-UML held here today decided to stick to the party’s previous decision that a fresh mandate was the only option to resolve the current political crisis, The Himalayan Times writes. UML leader Shankar Pokhrel said the party concluded that there was a slim chance of reaching an agreement on unsettled issues of constitution. “The only viable option is to hold elections for Parliament which can work as the Constituent Assembly for a few months,” Pokhrel said adding that his party would hold talks with other stakeholders to forge consensus on fresh elections. He said his party will also seek experts’ views on how to amend legal provisions to hold fresh elections. On the issue of the nine-point demand submitted by almost three dozen party leaders, including a dozen Central Committee members, Pokhrel said UML would discuss the issues with them and if dissident leaders agreed with the party’s official line, then the party would entrust them with duties they had shouldered in the past. Party Vice-chair Ashok Rai, who is leading the dissident party members, had submitted the nine-point demand a few weeks ago demanding that unresolved issues of constitution be settled, issue of federalism resolved either on the basis of the report prepared by State Restructuring Commission or CA’s thematic committee, and a new constitution promulgated through a revived CA. A party source said Rai, Rajendra Shrestha and Ajambar Kangwang were less likely to return to the party. Yet the party would hold talks with them to address their grievances, he said. The source said there was a strong possibility that other dissident leaders could soon return to the party. The UML had ‘relieved’ some of the dissident leaders of their duties after they launched a campaign for identity-based federalism. The source said Rai was preparing to form ‘Federal Socialist Party’ and the UML leadership was well aware of it. Ram Chandra Jha, one of the dissident leaders, said he shed sweat and blood for the party for years, and therefore, he cared for the party. “But it will be meaningless to remain in this party if our grievances are not addressed,” he added. The meet also decided to execute the report presented by a party committee formed to probe into cases of hooliganism and unruly activities committed by some students leaders associated with the party. nnnn KMC ISSUING WARNINGS TO POLITICAL LEAERS TO CLEAR DUES Kathmandu, 29 Aug.: : Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is planning to ask for help from the District Administration Office Kathmandu to recover its advance budget released to political leaders, users’ committees, and bidders, The Himalayan Times reports. According to Kathmandu Metroplitan City officials, about Rs 460 million, which was given to political leaders, several of the local users’ committees, bidders and staffers as advance budget in the last decade, is yet to be recovered. “We recovered Rs 60 million in the last fiscal while only Rs 10 million was recovered in the year before that,” said Badri Bahadur Khadka, chief of the finance and accounts division at KMC office.. Representatives from major political parties who were then elected are yet to clear about Rs 5.5 million, 76 KMC staffers are yet to pay off some Rs 7.5 million and the remaining amount the of Rs 460 million that need to be cleared by bidders and users’ committees, according to KMC sources. “We are going to issue warning letters to all those who have taken advance budget soon,” said Khadka. “City authorities have started recovering the amount from its staffers by deducting their salaries,” he said. “We will issue letters to political leaders three times. If they fail to clear the advance due, we will ask the district administration to recover the civic body budget,” he claimed. KMC can release 20 per cent of the total budget of the programmes to bidders and users’ committees in advance. However, the amount is far greater than the limitation. The rule provisions that the district administration can take legal action in coordination with the metropolis administration. The only metropolitan city in the whole country had attempted to recover the due budget for the last five years. It made the names of bearers public many times. However, its moves have not been effective. Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, executive chief at the metropoliatn city, said the recovery amount was increasing while the amount given out as advance budget was decreasing and this was creating a big problem. “We are taking strict action as per rules in order to recover the advance budget. We are in the process for implementing rules,” he added. Kathmandu Metropolitan City has brought fiscal programmes of Rs. 1.9 billion for the current fiscal year, officials say. Nnnn