NEPAL-TIBET BORDER BEING CLOSEDl Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: Nepal, Tibet is being closed for 10 days for security on request of China. The closure coincided with the meeting of Chinese Communist Party that is electing a new leadership. Nnnn DPM SHRESTHA LEAVING FOR INDONESIA Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Narayan Kazi Shrestha leaves for Bali, Indonesia, 7 November. He’s participating a meeting of the Bali Democracy Forum there. nnnn NRT PLAYS BHUTAN’S DRUK POLE FC SUNDAY Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: NRT plays Bhutan’s Druk Pole FC in a quarterfinal of the 2nd, Safal Pokhara Cup Sunday. MMC qualified for the semi-final Saturday nnnn CORPORATE SOALTEE SUPER SIXES TOURNAMENT BEGINS SUNDAY Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: The14th Soaltee Super Sixes Tournament begins Sunday. Twenty-four teams are participating in the cricket tournament. Teams have been divided into eight groups in the league tournament. Nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE “The party has already taken a decision to go for fresh polls and speaking against the decision would amount to breach of party discipline.," (NC President Sushil Koirala, Republica, 4 Nov.) nnnn. CPN-MAOIST CC MEMBERS URGE ARMY FORMATION Katthmandu, 4 Nov.: Almost all members airing their views at the ongoing central committee meeting of newly-formed CPN-Maoist have exerted pressure on the party leadership to clearly announce that the party will have its army, while the party chairman in his political document presented at the meeting said the party will form an "armed force" when deemed necessary, Kiran Pun writes in Republica.. The party´s central committee members are in favor of forming a separate army of the party not by establishing a new force from a scratch but by reorganizing the former People´s Liberation Army (PLA) personnel-YCL cadres, disqualified PLAs during the UN verifications and those who opted for voluntary retirements in the integration process. They had fought against the security forces during the decade-long Maoists´ ´people´s war´. "Almost all comrades have advised the party should clearly mention the word ´army´ in place of the word ´armed forces´ in the political document," said a CC member. The party leaders including Kul Prasad KC, Uma Bhujel, Bharat Bam, Maya Prasad Sharma were in favor of such change. In a political document presented on Monday, Chairman Mohan Baidya had mentioned that the party will achieve state powers through "people´s revolt" based on the "people´s war". The bases of the "people´s war" are "people´s government, army, and the people´s courts", which were formed by then CPN (Maoist) in insurgency era. Of the total 19,602 plus UNMIN-verified Maoist combatants, only 1,462 combatants were selected for integration into the national army while all others, except six combatants, have chosen voluntary retirements. The six combatants chose rehabilitation package offered by the government. With the split of the party in June, the members of the dissolved PLA are divided into the two parties - UCPN (Maoist) and CPN-Maoist. Likewise, Maoist had formed a separate militant youth wing called Young Communist League (YCL), bringing out the real PLA members, who were politically indoctrinated with the Maoist ideology after then CPN (Maoist) came into mainstream politics back in 2008. Addressing the party CC meeting on Saturday, party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa said they will automatically decide to form the army if there was suppression on the part of the state. "We will have to immediately form a separate military organization if we mention to form ´army´ in our political document. Such a move will close all constitutional means, legal and political fights that we can be waged without going underground," a CC member quoted general secretary Thapa as saying. Thapa argued that they should be able to go ahead by following the paths set by Mao and Lenin on the issue of the army. Mao had formed the regular red army and captured the state which is known as people´s war while Lenin had used both the armies -party´s army and state´s army. Communist theories hold that there are ´three magical weapons´ --- revolutionary party, joint front and revolutionary red army --- of the revolution. Then CPN (Maoist) had formed PLA as the revolutionary red army and Baburam Bhattarai-led joint front. Bhattarai himself led the central level parallel government named Revolutionary People´s Council, Nepal that worked under the Joint Front. Maoist likewise formed people´s government and practiced district people´s government at district level and village people´s government in local level. The party had practiced people´s court and had carried out administrative works of the people under the people´s government. Nnnn ________________________________________ ________________________________________ GOVT. REVIVES PLAN TO PURCHASE AIRCRAFT FOR NAC Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has revived the process for the procurement of eight aircraft for the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) following instructions from the Prime Minister´s Office (PMO), Republica reports. "We have finalized the procurement plan, under which we are eying to buy eight aircraft. But further works will go ahead only after the cabinet´s nod," said Yagya Prasad Gautam, secretary at MoCTCA. Under the Immediate Governance and Economy Development Action Plan, the Prime Minister had directed MoCTCA to procure eight aircraft, two for international and six for domestic operations for the national flag carrier, and instructed the Ministry of Finance to facilitate the process. Going by the instruction, Gautam said they were reviving the deal -- which was shelved following controversy and instructions from the then Public Accounts Committee of the parliament about two years ago -- of procuring two aircraft with Airbus. Likewise, MoCTCA has also decided to revive the proposal of the Chinese government to purchase six Chinese aircraft -- including two 58-seater MA-60 and four 19-seater Harbin Y-12 -- for operating domestic flights. Under its proposal, officials said China has agreed to provide a MA-60 and aY-12 on grant, if Nepal puchased another MA-60 and three Y-12 on loans. "It has even assured of providing soft loans to Nepal to facilitate the deal," said a source. That is not all. officials said, "The Chinese side has this time quoted a price much cheaper than what it had proposed early in February, 2012." The Chinese supplier had proposed to supply a MA-60 at US $ 16 million and a Harbin Y-12 at US $ 4.5 million in February. However, officials refused to disclose the prices offered by the supplier this time. Gautam confirmed the Chinese government has agreed to provide six aircraft under grant and soft loans, but he did not divulge further. Nonetheless, he said MoCTCA was yet to work on the prices. "The procurement plan we worked out is just an initial draft and does not deal with prices. Only the final plan will cite the total cost," he stated. Following the decision to revive the Chinese deal, Gautam informed Republica that MoCTCA has already sought the opinion of NAC over procurement aircraft from China. NAC officials confirmed that they had received the draft plan a week ago and have already sent it back to the ministry with some amendments. Moreover, NAC sources disclosed that the carrier has already invited officials of Airbus to revive the three-year-old procurement deal. "This time we will be going for two narrow-body aircraft," said the source. In the past, the NAC board on October 26, 2009 had decided to purchase one narrow body and one wide body aircraft, but the purchase plan was not executed as it landed into controversy following alleged violation of Public Procurement Act. Although the then Public Accounts Committee of parliament had directed the ministry to terminate the deal, the officials had not complied, fearing possible legal action by the Airbus. The process to procure the Chinese aircraft too was initiated about a year ago after then Tourism Minister Lokendra Bista Magar signed an MoU with the Chinese manufacturer Avic International. But the deal never materialized as Magar had signed the deal without following due process. "We are serious about the procurement plan this time around. We will make sure that it will be executed in compliance with the existing laws," Gautam stated. Nnnn NC REFUSES TO NAME ITS PRIME MINISTERIAL CANDIDATE Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: The Unified CPN-Maoist today asked Nepali Congress to name its prime ministerial candidate for forming a consensus government, but the NC rejected the proposal, The Himalayan Times reports. Stating that the proposal was simply a ‘divide and rule policy’ of UCPN-M, the NC said it would not name its prime ministerial candidate until the Maoists formally agreed to accept NC leadership of the next government. “Since, the UCPN-M and the Prime Minister are bent on not letting Congress lead the next government, the proposal is nothing but a card thrown to create division in the NC. So, we will not give in to the Maoist ploy by giving the name in a vacuum,” said NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula. Briefing about yesterday’s UCPN-M proposal, he said, “At yesterday’s meeting, UNPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told us that the incumbent Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai should lead the consensus government. Then, he asked Congress to come up with its candidate so that both candidates could be discussed at a meeting of the parties. Congress President Sushil Koirala rejected the proposal immediately saying the NC would give the name in half-an-hour after the UCPN-M agreed to accept the Congress candidate.” Sitaula said the UCPN-M was not honest about forging consensus. “It has been making proposals with two motives: Prolonging its rule and not letting Congress lead the election government. Until, the UCPN-M gives up on its ulterior motive, consensus will always remain elusive,” Sitaula said. NC seems to be adamant about giving the name of its prime ministerial candidate only after confirmation that the post will go to the NC for two internal reasons: First, party President Sushil Koirala, senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Vice president Ram Chandra Paudel are all vying for the post and choosing one name would make the situation more complex. Second, the three leaders think that if one of the rivals becomes Prime Minister, the party’s internal equation will be affected. NC CWC member Purna Bahadur Khadka said, “The Maoist proposal was of a completely non-political nature brought to feel the NC’s pulse in order to embarrass it.” He said the proposal that the NC’s candidate should be discussed was unreasonable due " Nnnn NB GROUP BLACKLISTED Kathmandu, 4 Nov.: : Troubles for NB Group will not subside any time soon as the Credit Information Bureau (CIB) has blacklisted the group’s chairman and family members for failing to pay back loans taken from Nabil Bank, The Himalayan Times reports.. CIB has blacklisted Jit Bahadur Shrestha –– NB Group’s chairman, Laxmi Bahadur Shrestha –– managing director, Jen Shrestha, Anar Devi Shrestha and Purna Bahadur Shrestha for defaulting on loans taken from Nabil Bank worth Rs 150 million. Credit Information Bureau blacklisted the Shrestha family for loans taken by Kathmandu Recreation Center, Siddhi Ganesh Investment, and Sangrila Investment and a personal loan taken by Jen Shrestha, according to CIB’s notice. Jit Bahadur Shrestha is also the chairman of NB Insurance and board member of Nepal Bangladesh Bank. Likewise, Laxmi Bahadur Shrestha and Jen Shrestha are also in NB Insurance’s board. All three are now ineligible to hold the positions by default following the blacklisting as per the regulations governing the companies. Nepal Rastra Bank had also penalised Laxmi Bahadur Shrestha with a fine of Rs 500,000 two months back for his involvement in unlawful borrowing and writing back of loans from Nepal Bangladesh Bank promoted by NB Group. Following the penalty, he had to step down from the bank’s board. Moreover, Nepal Bangladesh Bank published a 35-day notice today asking 11 borrowers to pay back their loans that have shares and assets belonging to NB Group’s subsidiaries like Nepal Bangladesh Bank, NCC Bank, Siddhi Ganesh Investment, Sangrila Investment, NB Investment, and National Hydropower among others. These loans were allegedly borrowed by friends and family of the group. Two defaulters –– Jush Shrestha and Gita Shrestha –– are the son and sister-in-law, respectively, of the group’s chairman Jit Bahadur Shrestha that have been called by Nepal Bangladesh Bank to pay their outstanding principal and interest to the bank within 35 days. NB Insurance, that is also promoted by the group, has just come out of suspension, after it was found to be engaged in a series of misappropriation of funds. Blacklist numbers of Siddhi Ganesh Investment, Kathmandu Recreation Centre, Sangrila Investment and Jen Shrestha are 4418, 4419, 4420 and 4421 respectively. Nnnn AS ELECTION APPROACHES, OBANA, ROMNEY TRADE JABS Kathmandu, 4 Nov :: President Barack Obama accused Mitt Romney of scaring voters with lies while the Republican challenger warned of political paralysis and another recession if Obama reclaims the White House on Tuesday. A highly anticipated economic report failed to jolt the fiercely close race, AP reports from Washington. Obama and Romney both tried to seize on the monthly jobs report released Friday to energize their bases and sway the few undecided voters still out there. The numbers held something for both candidates, showing the monthly unemployment rate ticked up slightly but created far more jobs than expected. Obama argued the report proved his policies over the last four years have put the U.S. on the road to recovery. The Democratic incumbent warned voters that a Romney presidency would resurrect the policies that got the U.S. into financial trouble in the first place under Republican predecessor George W. Bush. Romney called the report a "sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill" and warned grimly of political paralysis and another recession if Obama reclaims the White House. He said an Obama presidency would mean more broken relations with Congress, showdowns over government shutdowns, a chilling effect on the economy and perhaps "another recession." "He has never led, never worked across the aisle, never truly understood how jobs are created in the economy," said Romney, a former private equity firm executive, in a campaign stop in Wisconsin. Obama personally assailed Romney over ads suggesting that automakers General Motors and Chrysler are adding jobs in China at the expense of auto-industry dependent Ohio. Both companies have called the ads untrue. The matter is sensitive in Ohio, perhaps the linchpin state of the election. "I know we´re close to an election, but this isn´t a game," Obama said from Hilliard, Ohio, a heavily Republican suburb of capital Columbus. "These are people´s jobs. These are people´s lives. ... You don´t scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes." Obama will face voters with the highest unemployment rate of any incumbent since Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The government report showed the United States added a solid 171,000 jobs in October, and more than a half-million Americans joined the workforce, the latest signs that the uneven economic recovery is gaining strength once again. But the unemployment rate inched up to 7.9 percent because not all those joining the workforce found work. It was the final snapshot of the economy before the election Tuesday. "We´ve made real progress," Obama told a crowd in Ohio shortly after the report. "But we´ve got more work to do." While the politically neutral report was unlikely to affect the election outcome, it brought the economy back into the national conversation in a country still preoccupied with the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy on the U.S. East Coast. Obama paused his campaigning for three days this week to manage the natural disaster. Romney muted criticism of the president during those days for fear of appearing to seek political advantage while Americans were suffering, and his campaign watched awkwardly as a once-prominent Obama critic, New Jersey´s Republican Gov. Chris Christie, praised the president and toured storm damage with him. Friday´s report came after other signs that the economy is on the mend. Most important, consumer confidence is up to its highest level since February of 2008, according to the Conference Board. Obama, who responded to recession with a roughly $800 billion stimulus plan and expanded the auto industry bailout begun under Bush, wants to raise taxes on the wealthy and ensure they pay 30 percent of their income at minimum. To create jobs, he would push to steer money toward energy development, education and worker training, manufacturing support and infrastructure. Romney firmly opposes raising taxes on families. He has pledged to keep Bush-era tax cuts for all incomes and drop all tax rates further. He also promises to cut $500 billion per year from the federal budget by 2016, although he has been under pressure to explain how he will accomplish that while also lowering taxes. Romney pledges to curtail deductions, credits and exemptions for the wealthiest, but he has not provided specifics. Polling shows the race remains a legitimate toss-up heading into the final days, but Obama holds a slight lead in a majority of the battleground states where the outcome of the vote is likely to be determined. Under the U.S. system, the nationwide popular vote does not determine the winner. Romney and Obama are actually competing to win at least 270 electoral votes in state-by-state contests. Those electoral votes are apportioned to states based on a mix of population and representation in Congress. Romney has the tougher path to victory because he must win more of the nine most-contested states to reach 270 electoral votes: Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Iowa and New Hampshire. In a late, concerted effort to change that landscape, the former Massachusetts governor was making a push into Pennsylvania, a state that has been considered solid Democratic territory and that Obama won comfortably in 2008. Romney´s foray into Pennsylvania is not folly. Unlike states that emphasize early voting, Pennsylvania will see most votes cast on Election Day. The state has not been saturated with political advertising, giving Romney and his supporting groups — still flush with cash — an opportunity to sway last-minute voters with a barrage of commercials. Obama is countering by buying commercial time in the state as well and is sending former President Bill Clinton into the state to campaign. Nnnn ________________________________________ ________________________________________