RAMRAJA PRASAD SINGH CREMATION LATER WEDNESDAY Kathmandu, 12 Sept.: Ramraja Prasad Singh is being cremated later Wednesday, his family said. Government is planning a state funeral/ Nine opposition student groups demanding reduced prices of pOL products and resignation of prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai withdrew a Nepal bandh after 10 in the morning. Singh was paralyzed below the waist. Dr. Ram Baran Yadav defeated him in the first presidential elections. He was suffering different ailments,including Parkinson's disease and was put on ventilator Tuesday evening after being readmitted to TU Teaching Hospital. UCPN (Maoist) proposed Singh’s candidature in presidential elections against Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. nnnn PRESIDENT UNLIKELY TO REMOVE CONSTITUTIONAL HURDLES Kathmandu, 12 Sept.:- President Ram Baran Yadav is unlikely to endorse the government's recommendation for removing constitutional difficulties for making new appointments to constitutional bodies, Phanindra Dahal/ Pranab Kharel write in The Kathmandu Post.. The recommendation comes without political consensus and intends to drag the president's office into a controversy, Sheetal Niwas officials commented on Tuesday. The Cabinet on Monday decided to request the President to exercise his power to remove the difficulties to amend the provisions of the Interim Constitution. “The decision to request the President to remove constitutional difficulties at a time when four ordinances are on hold does not make any sense,” said an aide to the President. He added that the President had already told the Cabinet members including Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai that there should be political consensus for promulgating ordinances and amending the Interim Constitution. The government's request urges the President to use his power to scrap the provision of parliamentary hearing for appointments to constitutional bodies, including those of Supreme Court judges and ambassadors, enshrined in Article 155 of the Interim Constitution. After the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, the parliamentary hearing process for the appointments is invalid. The President's aide claimed that the Interim Constitution envisages political consensus in appointments to the constitutional bodies by bringing the opposition leader and the Speaker, among others, to the Constitutional Council. The seven-member Council is defunct after the two posts fell vacant. “The concept of parliamentary hearing in the Interim Constitution upholds the need for broader consensus in such high-stake appointments. This basic framework of the constitution cannot be challenged just on the basis of the government's unilateral request,” added the aide. Constitutional lawyer Purna Man Shakya said even if the President removes the constitutional difficulties the move has to be endorsed by the parliament within 30 days. “Considering that the parliament will not come into existence within 30 days through an election, the step to remove constitutional difficulties will be invalid,” he said. Constitutional lawyer Tika Ram Bhattarai echoed the President's aide arguing that the constitution cannot be amended through the provision of removal of constitutional difficulties. “The request made by a caretaker government is unconstitutional. A lame-duck government does not have the authority to take such a policy-related decision,” said Bhattarai. President's Press Advisor Rajendra Dahal declined to comment saying that the President's Office was yet to receive the Cabinet decision. He said President Yadav was busy with consultations regarding the four ordinances forwarded by the government last month. nnnn TWO OFFICIALS OF JUST CONCLUDED LONDON PARALYMPIC GAMES GO MISSING Kathmandu, 12 Sept. Two officials of the Nepali delegation are suspected to have absconded while in Britain for the Paralympic Games, The Kathmandu Post reports from London.. A source within the Nepali contingent said that Nagendra Lama and Raju Dangol, who were supposed to return by Gulf Air flight on Monday evening, were suspected to have absconded in London after they failed to show up at the airport. Neither of the two has alliance with any of the sports associations. “I’ve got a list that has 20 names of the officials for the Paralympics,” revealed coach Leela Bahadur Shrestha. “As only 11 people were permitted to lodge inside the Olympic village, I don’t know whereabouts of the others.” However, Shrestha, who was flying out on Tuesday night along with Ramesh Shrestha and Bhuwan Dangol, said that he would reveal more details about those sullying the country’s image upon reaching Nepal. Omnath Siwakoti and Saroj Shrestha have left for Belgium on Schengen visa. Two Nepali athletes, Chef de Mission and presidents of sport associations have already returned home after the Paralympic Games that were held in London from August 29 to September 9. It has become a recurrent event for Nepali athletes and officials to disappear from the official delegation during major sport events. nnnn