CA REVIVAL IRRELEVANT SAYS DEUBA Kathmandu, 1 March: : Senior leader of the Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has said that the name of the Chief Justice (CJ) was proposed for leading an election government as an alternative after consensus could not be forged among the major political parties, RSS reports from Kanchanpur.. Speaking at a news conference organised by the Nepal Press Union, Kanchanpur, at Mahendranagar, today, Deuba said that political parties are close to consensus for giving leadership of an election government to the CJ. The former prime minister said that the CJ was forwarded as an alternative as CJ showed his willingness to accept the leadership of an election government. He said he is confident that the CJ-led government will hold free and fair election. Deuba said that the government under the leadership of the CJ would not affect the principle of separation of powers and norms and values of democracy as it will only remain until the election. Recalling that he had raised the issue of revival of the Constituent Assembly (CA), the NC senior leader said it has become irrelevant as political parties were not agreed on it. Nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE “There is no reason to trust UCPN-M. They have cheated many times. Though some party leaders were for having the prime minister from within the party the CPN-UML had taken the wrong path by accepting the UCPN-M proposal.’ (Former Prime Minister and UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal,, The Himalayan Times, 1 March) “I have come here with the government relief package of Rs 6 million. The victims of the Bandarmudhe incident can spend it the way they wish to. “I had decided not to come here without a relief package, and I am here today in front of you with the relief package.” (Maoist Chief Prachanda, The Himalayan Times, 1 March) Nnnn PARAS TO CONTINUE TREATMENT IN SAME HOSPITAL Kathmandu, 1 March: A team of doctors involved in the treatment of former crown prince Paras Shah, who has been in critical care of Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok, today [Thursday] decided not to shift Paras to any other health facility, saying he was making progress. Good, Laxmi Maharjan writes in The Himalayan Times from Bangkok. The decision was taken after former king Gyanendra Shah held consultations with the doctors this morning. The ex-king visited the hospital today twice — at 11:00am and 5:00pm. The ex-crown prince was admitted to Samitivej on the evening of February 19 after he suffered a major heart attack and since then he has been unconscious and on ventilator support. Doctors, who have described his condition as critical but stable, yesterday said some movement in his limbs was observed with his blood pressure and heart rate maintained without the need of medication. Sunil Khadka, General Secretary of Non-Resident Nepali Association (Thailand chapter) said though there was some improvement in the former crown prince’s health, his condition was still critical but stable. He described the improvement as a miracle. “The doctors will conduct an MRI of his head tomorrow,” he said. A health bulletin issued by the hospital said the blood pressure and heart rate were under control and spontaneous movement of limbs has been maintained. “His condition remains critical but stable,” it said. Members of Nepali Burmese community and Nepalis residing in Thailand have been visiting the hospital regularly to take stock of Paras’s health. The ex-king also thanked all well-wishers who were present on the hospital premises to enquire after his son. “It’s because of your prayers he has been showing improvement,” he said. nnnn ANTI-GRAFT DEMONSTRATION ENTERS DAY 7 Kathmandu, 1 March:: The fast-onto-death hunger strike of Sharad Bhushal Jha at Shantibatika entered its seventh day today, The Himalayan Times reports. Jha and her supports have been arrested twice and put in police custody. She had continued her fast even in detention. They have forwarded an 11-point demand including action against the people involved in the corruption at Danuali Banauli VDC of Dhanusha. The protesters were arrested while they were preparing to launch a sit-in in front of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. They were kept in the Metropolitan Police Sector, Kamalpokhari for two days, after being released they were again arrested from Shantibatika and kept at the Metropolitan Police Sector, Durbarmarg for five hours, said Shyam Lal Shah, assistant of Jha. “Though it says ‘zero tolerance’ and there is ‘Hello Sarkar’ to listen to the incidence of corruption, but when we ask for corruption control with evidence, police misbehave us,” Shah quoted Jha as saying. Jha’s health condition has deteriorated. However, she is determined to continue with the fast until the government steps against the rampant corruption, Shah said. Chairman of CPN Maoist Party Matrika Yadav, Nepal Sadbhawana Party’s Chairman Sarita Giri, Chairman of Dalit Janajati Party Biswendra Paswan and chairman of Nepal Nagarik Party Hari Adhikari have expressed solidarity with Jha. Meanwhile, CIAA today issued a press statement appealing Jha and other campaigners to support the CIAA’s investigation on Danauli and Banauli cases. CIAA has vowed to investigate the corruption in the local bodies as soon as possible and will book those involved people duly, it said. Meanwhile, Shah, who is also a campaigner, said CIAA should walk the talk. Jha had staged a 13-day fast-onto-death in Dhanusha and the secretary of the government Trilochan Upreti had flown to Dhanusha and promised to address the concern of corruption in local bodies. The protesters’ demands include corruption control, appointment of CIAA commissioners, payment of social security allowance through banks, stopping disbursement of funds to local bodies in the absence of elected local representatives, transfer of VDC secretaries in accordance with laws and dissolution of civil servants’ trade unions. - See more at: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Anti-graft+strike+enters+Day+7+&NewsID=367768#sthash.MFoTadYv.dpuf nnnn