FOURTH PRESIDENTIAL DEADLINE FOR NATIOAL CONSENSUS GOVT,WILL BE MISSED MONDAY Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Amidst claims by party leaders a national unity government, it’s certain they will miss Monday’s fourth presidential deadline to find a successor of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai who is leading a coalition with five Madeshbadi parties. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav also asked parties to assemble a consensus government to hold elections for constituent assembly (CA) by April/May to promulgate a constitution. After failure to promulgate a constitution in four years to institutionalize a constitution the declaration o a republic, Prime Minister Bhattarai has set a pre-condition for his departure from government—promulgate a constitution by incorporating articles on which there was no agreement in the dissolved CA. Maoist Chairman Prachanda Saturday held separate discussions with opposition party leaders—NC President Sushil Koirala and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal to break a deadlock. Without an agreement Monday, parties will have missed four presidential deadlines in 25 days as President Dr Yadav prepares to leave on a weeklong India visit 24 December. The head of state hopes parties hops parties will reach an agreement before his departure amid reports Dr. Yadav won’t extend the deadline again. Smaller parties have demanded they should also be included in efforts to find an outlet. President Dr Yadav in a meeting with Bhattarai asked the prime ,minister, who is also Maoist vice-chairman,not to waste time in finding an outlet. In discussions Saturday, Chairmen Prachanda and Khanal agreed elections should be held April. May for which talks will be held with other parties. nnnn GOVT. HAS WORKED FOR PROMOTION OF LUMBINI SAYS MINISTER TRIPATHI Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Minister for Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management Hrideyesh Tripathi today [Saturday] said the government has implemented the integrated development programme covering Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi and Rupandehi districts for promotion and development of Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, RSS reports reports.. Addressing a special programme organised to mark the 23rd anniversary of Kapilvastu Society, Tripathi said the expansion of road network and upgrading the Bhairahawa Airport were the priority of the government. “The task of expansion of road network has begun with the formulation of a master plan for the integrated development of Lumbini,” he said, stressing that the issues concerning the Buddha and his birth place Lumbini should not be commodified since these issues are ‘historic ones’. On the occasion, he launched a souvenir published by the society, which is a collection of 40 articles related to Lumbini by different writers. Also speaking on the occasion, NC leader Deep Kumar Upadhyay underlined the need of rising above the partisan interests for the overall development of Lumbini. nnnn WIFE MAY HAVE MURDERED HUSBAND IN RENTED ROOM Kathmandu, :16 Dec.: A couple was found dead in a rented room in Duwakot, Bhaktapur, Saturday. Police suspect wife Rama may have murdered her husband Subash Karki. The husband’s body was found on the floor and the wife’s body was hanging from a ceiling fan. Nnnn NEPAL POLICE PLAYS BANSBARI IN FOOTBALL LEAGUE Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Nepal Police plays Bansbari in the Martyrs Memorial A Division Football League Championship Sunday at Dshrath Rangashala . Baudh plays Friends Club in another match. nnnn NC-LED GOVT. IN FEW SAYS CLAIMS GENERAL SECRETARY SHITAULA Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: : Top leaders of the three major political parties on Saturday stepped up informal negotiations in a bid to find a consensus prime ministerial candidate, Republica reports. UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal held separate one-on-one parleys at different locations in the capital. The leaders have expedited talks as the third deadline extended by President Ram Baran Yadav to the parties to come up with a consensus prime ministerial candidate is expiring on Monday. “I held separate talks with Prachandaji [Dahal] and Sushilji (Koirala) today and talks with both the leaders are heading in a positive direction,” Khanal told Republica. He also informed that they discussed ways to ensure election by mid-May. Khanal and Dahal held talks at the secretariat of Peace Fund in Babarmahal while Koirala reached Dahal´s residence in Lazimpat and Khanal´s home in Dallu, Kathmandu. Though leaders didn´t divulge the details of the meetings, NC General Secretary Krishna Sitaula said he was optimistic that the talks would yield result in favor his party´s prime ministerial candidate Koirala. “Talks are heading in a positive direction and it is certain that the parties will agree on forming a national consensus government under NC President Sushil Koirala´s leadership within the next few days,” Sitaula told Republica. The alliance of the opposition parties led by NC and CPN-UML have proposed NC President Koirala as the opposition camp´s common prime ministerial candidate but the ruling UCPN (Maoist) has stood against his candidacy. Ruling Maoist leaders have been arguing that the new prime minister should be nominated from outside NC to ensure a “balance of power” at the top political level. President Dr Ram Baran Yadav is also from NC. Leaders involved in interparty negotiations said Dahal has proposed picking the prime minister from outside NC. According to informed leaders, the Maoist chairman is currently rooting for Tarai-Madhesh Democratic Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur. Some of the leaders privy to the latest developments are not optimistic about the leaders arriving at any agreement in the next couple of days. “There has been no progress in talks as UCPN (Maoist) leaders are not ready to quit,” said CPN-UML leader Bhim Rawal. He said forging consensus is going to be a hard nut to crack because Dahal is still insisting on a deal on the contents of the new constitution prior to holding fresh CA polls. Leaders from NC, CPN-UML and other opposition parties have been opposing the Maoist proposal saying there is no point in holding an election if major provisions of the new statute are to be decided by a group of leaders in advance. President Yadav extended the deadline for political parties to find a consensus prime ministerial candidate for five days on November 23. The president had to renew the deadline for the third time as the political parties failed to pick a prime ministerial candidate acceptable to all. Nnnn OVER 300 UCPN MAOIST WORKERS JOINING RIVAL CPN MAOISTS SUNDAY Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Over 300 workers of the Everest Hotel affiliated to the Unified CPN-Maoist are formally joining the trade union of the CPN-Maoist on Sunday, The Himalayan Times reports.. According to Hom Subedi, District Committee Member of UCPN-M, three District Committee members including Raju Baduwal, Ramesh Raj Ghimire, several area committee members and others affiliated to organisations of the All Nepal Trade Union Federation have decided to quit the party and join CPN-Maoist. “CPN-Maoist Secretary Netra Bikram Chand is scheduled to welcome us in the party at a press conference to be organised by the party affiliated trade union at Kupondole,” Subedi told THT today. Explaining the reason behind their joint decision, Subedi said they felt insecurity as they were more goons than politicians in the party who have attacked the workers many times. “We are workers but they have already turned into owners. They resort to physical attacks to solve problems,” he said, adding, they were also involved in financial irregularities. “They have not only deviated from the party ideology, but also been practicing the politics of restriction,” he said. Subedi also said the All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF) chairman Shalikram Jammarkattel himself had threatened the management of the Everest Hotel to take action against the workers following the brawl among the workers. Jammarkattel has also blocked the vehicles of the Everest Hotel from entering airport, he added. Nnnn NEPALI TRAFFICKER RRESTED IN TIBET Kathmandu, 16 Dec : At a time when reports about muggling of hashish to China through Tatopani border are rife, the Chinese police have detained a Nepali citizen at Khasa on the charge of being involved in supplying of the illegal drug, Republica reports from Sindhupalchowk. Sanja Tamang, 22, of Selangh VDC-2 in Sindhupalchowk district, who is locally known as Chyangba, was allegedly apprehended with one kilogram of hashish at Khasa´s Liping bajar (a Chinese territory) on December 7. Immigration Office (IO) of Kodari informed that the Chinese police of Khasa are questioning Tamang. According to Jagannath Sharma, officer at IO, the police have confirmed that the material seized from Tamang is hashish after experts who arrived from Lasha verified it. It is said that Tamang, a porter in the border area, was misled by drug smugglers into carrying the drug. As per the Chinese law, people convicted of smuggling drugs are handed death penalty. Stating that her husband was never involved in any unlawful activities in the past, Tamang´s wife has pleaded for his release. “We have requested the Chinese police to release him as we strongly believe that Tamang was unaware about the forbidden material,” said Sharma. “Chances of his release are high as the Chinese police have responded positively.” Nnnn SETTLEMENT OF CAPITAL GAINS BEING AVOIDED Kathmandu, 16 Dec.; Taking advantage of the weak legal framework and inefficient monitoring agencies, certain companies are not paying capital gain tax in the country, according to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), The Himalayan Times reports.. Lack of coordination among various government agencies has also contributed to the loss of capital gain tax, an official at IRD. Companies must inform the Office of Company Registrar regarding changes in share structure, he said. “But even some big companies are flouting the provision and have not informed the Office of Company Registrar about changes in the share structure.” It is not clear whether the Office of Company Registrar or tax administration is responsible for initiating action against companies who do not pay capital gain tax, he added. Deputy director general at IRD Ram Sharan Pudasaini said that the department will share online information with the Office of the Company Registrar to scrutinise the companies. Tax administration will get access to the database of companies and can check whether or not there has been a change in share structure after the online information sharing between the department and Office of Company Registrar. According to the existing legal provision, a capital gain tax of 10 per cent is charged for individuals and 15 per cent for institutions, said IRD. The government has been collecting capital gain tax from the realty sector and even listed companies, the department said. “But the transaction and share transfer of non-listed companies is yet to be transparent and it is here that the tax administration and other responsible agencies should carry out investigations.” Access for the tax administration to the profile of companies will help bring companies under the tax net, Pudasaini said. “However, information sharing will be effective for companies which update their activities to the Office of Company Registrar.” The department will bring a separate plan of investigation to bring companies who are, allegedly, not informing changes in their share structure under the purview of the Office of Company Registrar. The Office of Company Registrar is responsible for taking action on other flaws, he said, adding that the tax administration is concerned only about revenue collection. No company — whether big or small — has the right to evade capital gain tax, said Pudasaini. “The department will try to bring all companies under the legal net.” A capital gain tax is a tax on capital gains, the profit realised on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a cost that was lower than the amount realised on the sale, according to IRD. The most common capital gains are realised from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property. Taxes are charged by the state over the transactions, dividends and capital gains on the stock market. Nnnn MANDELA OPERATED FOR GALLSTONE Kathmandu, 16 Dec.:: South Africa´s former President Nelson Mandela underwent a successful surgery to remove gallstones Saturday, the nation´s presidency said, as the 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon is still recovering from a lung infection, AP reports from Johannesburg.. Doctors treating Mandela waited to perform the endoscopic surgery as they wanted to first attend to his lung ailment, presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said in a statement. Mandela has been hospitalized since Dec. 8. "The procedure was successful and Madiba is recovering," Maharaj said, using Mandela´s clan name as many do in South Africa as a sign of affection. South Africa reveres the aged leader for being the nation´s first democratically elected president who sought to bring the country together after centuries of racial division. Mandela largely retired from public life after serving one five-year term as president and has lived a mostly private life since. He last made a public appearance when his country hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament. Mandela has also grown more frail in recent years, with his grip on politics in the nation ever slackening. He was admitted last week to a hospital in South Africa´s capital, Pretoria, the government has said. However, government officials have contradicted themselves in recent days about Mandela´s location, raising questions about who is actually treating him. With the government refusing to say where Mandela is, concern has been growing and rumors continue to fly across this nation of 50 million people about Mandela´s health. Mandela has a history of lung problems, after falling ill with tuberculosis in 1988 toward the tail-end of his 27 years in prison before his release and subsequent presidency. While doctors said at the time the disease caused no permanent damage to his lungs, medical experts say tuberculosis can cause problems years later for those infected. The Nobel laureate had an acute respiratory infection in January 2011. Following the chaos that surrounded Mandela´s stay at a public hospital then, the South African military took charge of his care and the government took over control of the information about his health. Nnnn ________________________________________