NEPAL PLAYS MALDIVES IN SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN SOCCER MONDAY NEPAL PLAYS MALDIVES IN SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN’S SOCCER IN MALDIVES MONDAY Kathmandu, 10 Sept.: Nepal plays Maldives Monday in Sri Lanka in the second SAFF Football Championship. Nepal trounced Pakistan 8-0 in an opening match A victory Monday will ensure Nepal a semi-final berth. India has already qualified for the semi-final. nnnn. MEDIA GOOGLE “We may lose the achievements gained through the 2006 April movement and the country may fall back on the path of regression. In such a situation, the country may be embroiled in insurgency. “Fourthly,foreign interference might increase and our country may lose its sovereignty if we failed to promulgate a new constitution from the Constituent Assembly and take the peace process to a successful conclusion.” (Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kazi Shrestha, Republica, 10 Sept,) “:Nepali Congress General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula today [Sunday] blamed the now defunct monarchy of supplying weapons to the former rebels UCPN-Maoists and fuelled the conflict in the country. ”…., Sitaula said that former palace had provided weapons belonging to the Royal Nepal Army to the Maoists to weaken the parliamentary democracy.” (Report in The Himalayan Times, 10 Sept.) EC TO RESUME NEW PARTY REGISTRATION IN ONE WEEK Kathmandu, 10 Sept.: After a break of four years, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to resume the registration of new political parties within a week, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.. "The commission will begin to register new political parties within a week as we have already looked into the applications regarding legal criteria for registration of new parties," Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav told Republica on Sunday. According to him, altogether 33 applications for new political parties have been forwarded for registration at the constitutional body. "We will register new political parties that have applied in the accordance with the Political Parties Act, 2058 (2002)," Yadav added. The EC had halted registration of new political parties after the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls in 2008. However, new parties that split from the political parties represented in the erstwhile CA have been registered. Sources at the EC said that the constitutional body had stopped registering new parties stating that the registration process would resume in the line with new constitution after May 27. When asked why the EC delayed to register new parties even after the dissolution of the CA, Yadav said, "The EC would have resumed the registration process earlier but we could not do so as we were busy reviewing annual programs and activities in the recent days." According to EC officials, the constitutional body has received applications for registration from Rastriya Sama-Mukti Party, Madhes Tarai Forum, United Nepal Republican Party, Gandaki Dhawalagir Marxist Leninist Dal, Loktantrik Gandhibadi Party, Janamorcha Nepal, Nepal Dalit Party and Tarai Madhes Himal Ekta Party. Similarly, Rastrabadi Dal, Madhesi Yuva Lokatantrik Party, Lokatantrik Party Nepal, Rastriya Shiv Sena Party, Nepal Rastrabadi Party, Garib Ekta Samaj Party Nepal, Yuva Nepal Party, Tharuhat Tarai Party, Nepal and Hindu Rastra Nepal, among other new parties have sought registration from the EC. Altogether 74 political parties were registered for the CA polls in 2008 while 54 had participated. Altogether 86 political parties are registered in EC. Meanwhile, CPN-Maoist on Sunday informed the EC about formation of the party. The dissident faction of UCPN (Maoist) led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya had formed the new party on June 19. nnnn ________________________________________ PRESIDENT TAKES UP GOVT. ADVICENOT TO MEET EU ENVOYS ON PROMULGATING ORDINANCE ON TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION Kathmandu, 10 Sept.: The Office of the President today (Sunday) decided to heed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MoFA) regarding the attempt of European envoys to meet President Ram Baran Yadav in relation to the Ordinance on Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances, The Himalayan Times reports. Ambassadors and representatives of EU had sought the President’s time to discuss the content of the TRC and CID. MoFA had warned envoys not to arrange a meeting with Yadav on this “political content” and also requested the Office of the President not to arrange any meeting with the envoys. “The President’s team of advisers today decided, ‘to follow the ministry’s advice,” said Rajendra Dahal, Press Adviser to the President. After failing to convince MoFA, the envoys approached the Office of President. MoFA then warned the diplomats and sounded out the President’s Office. The envoys have been pressing that the TRC and CID legislation meet international norms and standards relating to transitional justice. MoFA said the envoys can discuss the matter with officials, including PM and DPM nnnn OPPOSITION BLASTS PM FOR ANTI-PRESIDENT REMARKS Kathmandu, 10 Sept : Opposition parties including the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML have taken strong exception to the prime minister´s remark that his party would take to the streets if the president does not endorse the draft ordinances forwarded by the government, Republica reports.. Accusing the government of trying to drag the president into controversy, NC CWC member Prakash Sharan Mahat said it was “illegal” of the prime minister to forward ordinances to the president without forging consensus with the opposition parties. “How can the prime minister issue such threats to the president?” he questioned. Mahat also accused the prime minister of trying to divert people´s attention through his gimmickry. “The prime minister has failed to do anything significant. So he is trying to divert people´s attention through his gimmickry,” said Mahat, adding the prime minister should immediately step down to pave the way for formation of a national unity government. Addressing a function organized to mark the death anniversary of slain Maoist leader Suresh Wagle in Aappipal Gorkha on Saturday, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had warned of taking to the streets if the president did not endorse the ordinances forwarded by the government. Among others, ordinances related Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Disappearance Commission are currently pending at the President´s Office for nearly three weeks now. Earlier, the president had returned two election-related ordinances to the government. The opposition parties also criticized the government for not heeding to the suggestion of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to forward him urgent ordinances through consensus between the political parties. During his recent meeting with top leaders of UCPN(Maoist), NC, UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front, the president had said that he would not endorse ordinances forwarded to him without forging consensus. UML politburo member Surendra Pandey termed Bhattarai´s remarks as unbecoming to the prime minister. “This shows the prime minister´s utter incompetence,” said Pandey. Talking to media persons at his official residence in Pulchowk Sunday, Maoist Vice Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayankaji Shrestha said the government forwarded the ordinances so as to facilitate the day-to-day functioning of the government. “It is natural to express dissatisfaction when urgent ordinances are not approved by the president,” said Shrestha. “But the prime minister´s remark should not be misconstrued.” nnnn ________________________________________ SECURITY FOR SUPREME COURT JUDGES WHO CONVICTED KHUM BAHADUR KHADKA UPGRADED Kathmandu, 10 Sept.: Police have been providing special security to Supreme Court justices Kalyan Shrestha and Baidhyanath Upadhayay, who, about a month ago, convicted former minister and influential Nepali Congress leader Khum Bahdur Khadka of corruption, The Himalayan Times reports.. A highly-placed source at the apex court told this daily that the measure follows the August 15 conviction of Khadka, who was in power from 1990 to 2002. According to the source, the measures include stepped up surveillance in their houses. In their verdict, Shrestha and Upadhayay, pointing that Khadka’s assets worth Rs 9.4 million were disproportionate with legitimate sources of income, slapped an 18-month jail term and a fine of Rs 9.4 million, along with confiscation of the disproportionate assets. The verdict read that the former minister had earned only Rs 8.8 million through legitimate sources. With NC cadres protesting the verdict, the party had issued a statement terming Khadka’s conviction ‘biased’. SSP Jaya Bahadur Chand, Kathmandu Police Chief, said apex court justices facing security threats deserve facilities like police escorting. Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Speaker and Home Ministers have been enjoying escorting facilities, while apex court justices and heads as well as members of constitutional bodies have personal security officers deputed for their security. A week after the verdict, Khadka had surrendered at the Kathmandu District Court, which had sent him to the Dillibazaar prison. nnnn