RULING MADESHIBADI MORCHA MEET Kathmandu, 1 Nov.: Ruling five-party Samyukta Loktantrik is holding discussions latwe Thursday whether to go for reinstatement of the dissolved constituent assembly (CA) or assembly elections to resolve a continuing deadlock. Differences have cropped up in the alliance governing the country with Maoists. The front meets after main opposition NC formally opted to for assembly elections around April 2013 with formation of a national consensus government to replace the Baburam Bhattarai government who sayd he’ll lead such a government and hold a vote without a package agreement.. Another opposition UML has also been demanding assembly elections. The ruling Madeshbadi front is meeting after lending firm support to government to reshuffle government if no agreement is reached with opposition on major disputed issues. Chairman Prachanda has been empowered to talk with the opposition. nnnn NO RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PROMOTED COL. RAJU BASNET Kathmandu, 1 Nov.;The government has said it has not given any responsibility to Brig Gen Raju Basnet , whom the Cabinet awarded a promotion despite his rights Record, The Kathmandu Post reports. In an explanation furnished to the National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC ) last week, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stated that Basnet was sent to the reserve pool immediately after his promotion. The NHRC on October 6 asked the government to furnish its decision within three days regarding Basnet with an explanation for its failure to prosecute him. NHRC Spokesperson Gauri Pradhan expressed dissatisfaction at the government's response saying that it had failed to address questions raised by the commission. "We wanted to know why he was promoted, not where he was posted," said Pradhan. The human rights watchdog would hold discussions on the letter sent by the PMO and come up with its position, added Pradhan. Basnet was among 31 army officials implicated by the NHRC for their alleged involvement in torture and disappearance of 49 people arrested as Maoist suspects at the Bhairabnath Battalion, Maharajgunj, in 2003. On September 13, 2009, the commission wrote to the prime minister's office recommending action against Basnet and 30 army officials for their involvement in serious cases of human rights violation. (Note: Maoists shot dead Col. Basnet’s half-brother ,also a senior army officer in the capital. National and foreign rights groups made no mention of pardons and amnesty for serious rights abuses by Maoists by the same cabinet meet that promoted Col. Basnet. Charges against Chairman Prachanda and Premier Bhattarai for crimes during the Maoist insurgency were withdrawn by the same cabinet meet.) nnnn IMPLEMENT GOVERNANCE ACTION PLAN Kathmandu, 1 Nov.:Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Wednesday instructed all the ministers and secretaries to strictly implement the Immediate Governance and Action Plan-2012 that incorporates 201 initiatives in 15 important public sectors, The Kathmandu Post writes. The Prime Minister's Office unveiled the 23-page action plan on October 16. Although the PMO released the text of the plan in mid-October, PMO Secretary Krishna Hari Baskota formally read out the plan, officially unveiling it on Wednesday. PM Bhattarai issued the instructions after the unveiling. In his instruction to ministers and secretaries, the PM highlighted the importance of bringing out a governance plan during a protracted political transition. "We should not always keep quiet in the name of political transition. People are waiting for some kind of change and we need to deliver something to them," said the PM. Bhattarai said that the plan would be strictly implemented, thoroughly monitored and would have long-term implications on the nation's social and economic development. "Those who fail to implement the plan properly will be punished," warned the PM. The PMO has prepared an online monitoring system and will soon develop a monitoring template for the PM, concerned ministers, the chief secretary and the vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission. During the unveiling programme, Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel said the new governance plan would set a benchmark for the upcoming budget. "Some programmes need budget while others don’t. The PMO is ready to facilitate implementation but we want to see progress at any cost," said Poudel. The new plan, fundamentally different from the previous good governance plan, is based on five principles--economic development, job creation, equity and justice, service delivery, and behaviour changes among the public and civil servants. "The plan aims to narrow down disparities between the rural and urban populations, and the rich and the poor by injecting new social programmes into the health and education sectors," said Poudel. "We have already prepared the performance rating of all the government ministries and identified the best and worst performers. This plan will not contradict the previous good governance plan," Poudel clarified during the meeting. The chief secretary also claimed that the plan was a paradigm shift and a departure from traditional thoughts on public governance as it was focussed on a result-oriented and accountable public sector. The plan will be implemented from Wednesday. nnnn