TOP FOUR LEADERS MEETING CJ REGMI TO ASK HIM TO TAKE UP OFFER OF PM Kathmandu, 20 Feb. Top four leaders of ruling Maoists, five Madeshbadi coalition and opposition NC and UML are meeting are meeting Wednesday a reluctant Chief Justice Khil Regmi to request him to lead an election government. Amid opposition from 24 small parties even from the ruling 21-party alliance, Regmi declined to take up the controversial assignment citing opposition to the Maoistplan. Five parties, including CPN Maoist—a splinter group of ruling UCPN Maoist –are submitting a protest memorandum to President DR. Ram Baran Yadav Wednesday protesting plans to install a Regmi government. The Maoist plan has drawn widespread opposition with critics saying the over in unconstitutional and against the accepted universal democratic principle of separation of power between the executive, legislature and judiciary. :”He [Regmi] will still be chief justice although on assignment in government,” former Speaker Subash Nemwang. Nnnn UML STANDING COMMITTEE MEETS IN EMERGENCY SESSION Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: Opposition UML standing in meeting in emergency session Wednesday to review efforts to install an election government led by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi to hold constituent assembly elections 5 June. A review was called of a party decision to back the Regmi government after opposition from influential former prime minister and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. Opposition NC and UML supported the proposal to back a Regmi government to get rid of the 18-month government of Baburam Bhattarao who resisted attempts to oust him. Nnnn FORMER CROWN PRINCE STABLE AFTER HEART ATTACK Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: Former Crown Prince Paras Shah is stable and undergoing treatment at a hospital in Bangkok following a heart attack Tuesday, a radio report quoting an unidentified member of the former royal family said Wednesday morning Theradio quoted thehos[italwhere Shan is being treated. His condition was reported serious Tuesday. Some members of the family are flying to the Thai capital Wednesday to be with the former crown prince. Nnnn UML EMERGENCY MEET WEDNESDAY TO REVIEW FRESH POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS Kathmandu, 20:Feb.: In response to growing opposition among its senior leaders to the decision to form a chief justice-led election government, the CPN-UML has called an emergency meeting of the party´s standing committee on Wednesday, Thira L. Bhusal writes in Republica. . The meeting was called after the party´s senior leader and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal arrived in Kathmandu from Paris. Nepal has expressed serious objection to the party´s decision in favor of forming a government led by a sitting chief justice, as proposed by the ruling UCPN (Maoist). The UML earlier this week endorsed the proposal to form a government headed by the sitting chief justice even as an overwhelming majority of its central committee members were against the idea. The standing committee was also divided over the issue. Nepal on Tuesday held discussions with UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, Spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali and another leader, Agni Kharel, over the issue. At the meeting with the leaders, Nepal termed the decision to form a government under the sitting chief justice as wrong. “The decision is wrong; the party should have decided to form a government led by either an independent person or a former chief justice,” one party leader quoted Nepal as saying at the meeting. According to a party leader close to Nepal, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal on Tuesday telephoned Nepal and requested him to join the inter-party talks. In response, Nepal rejected the idea of joining the talks, citing his reservations over the proposal of forming a government-led by the sitting chief justice. “I was not involved in the party´s decision,” another party leader quoted Nepal as saying, and adding, “There is no point joining the talks on forming an election government headed by the sitting chief justice as I am against it.” Asked about the reason for calling an emergency meeting, Spokesperson Gyawali said the meeting was called at the initiative of Nepal as the latter needed to be informed about recent developments. “The meeting will also come up with the official stance of the party on the constitutional status of the political mechanism to be formed to make necessary recommendations to the government and the role of political parties if fresh polls could not be held within the stipulated deadline,” Gyawali added. Secretary Shankar Pokharel said the meeting will dwell on the party´s recent decision and review the progress made in the interparty talks. Asked about a possible decision, he said, “It is too early to make predictions about a decision.” “The meeting will take a decision based on the progress made in interparty talks by tomorrow (Wednesday) and after accommodating Nepal´s views,” he added. Responding to a query if the CPN-UML would retract its previous decision, a leader said, “It does not appear that a government led by the sitting chief justice will work. So, why should the decision be scraped?” Former prime minister Nepal can play the role of a game changer in the CPN-UML because the standing committee is already divided over the issue. Chairman Khanal, Vice-chairmen Bamdev Gautam and Bidya Devi Bhandari, Senior Leader KP Oli and Secretary Bishnu Poudel are in favor of the decision to form a sitting chief justice-headed government while General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, Secretaries Shankar Pokhrel and Yuvaraj Gyawali and two other standing committee members, Amrit Bohora and Siddhilal Singh, are against. According to a leader, Nepal had sent an email to the party leadership while the central committee and standing committee meetings were underway, suggesting not to accept the proposal on a sitting chief justice-led government. The email was read out at the meetings of the central committee and standing committee. Leaders close to him said that Nepal was further enraged following the party´s decision to go for the sitting chief justice-led government despite his request not to take such a decision. Nnnn GOVT. PLAN TO RETIRE WORKERS AFTER PAYING DUES Kathmandu, 20 Feb,: The government is taking a fresh step to send ailing Janakpur Cigarette Factory (JCF) into liquidation by settling dues of 893 employees who have asked for a concrete pay off plan, Bhoj Raj Poudel writes in Republica.. In this regard, the government is soon forming a committee comprising representatives from the government, employees and factory management to study financial situation of the struggling state-owned cigarette producer. Though the government decided to liquidate JCF last year, it hasn´t materialized in the absence of a concrete pay off plan for workers. “We are trying to address the demand for voluntary retirement scheme put forth by the employees by forming a committee which will stake stock of assets and liabilities of JCF along with outstanding dues that the factory owes to the workers,” Khum Raj Punjali, joint secretary at the Ministry of Finance (MoF), told Republica. The Corporation and Coordination Division (CCD) of MoF, which is headed by Punjali, on Tuesday proposed to form a committee to do necessary homework for settling workers´ dues and other necessary works. "The committee will study assets and liabilities of JCF and calculate fund required to pay off 893 workers,” Punjali added. The government had announced to liquidate the factory through its Action Plan on Good governance, 2012. According to Punjali, around Rs 2 billion would be required to pay off the workers. It would cover gratuity, medical and leave benefits. The employees had originally approached the Ministry of Industry (MoI), seeking golden handshake offer. Later, they had forwarded their demand to the finance ministry. “Close coordination between the two ministries would be necessary to complete the liquidation process,” said Punjali. Established in 1965 with the support from the then Soviet Union, the factory had once dominated domestic market with popular brands like Yak, Gaida and Deurali. It, however, lost its market share after its monopoly in the market ended with the entry of privately-run Surya Tobacco Company. The company reported an accumulated loss of Rs 170.80 million until 2010/11. Meanwhile, workers, who have been knocking the doors of officials at both the ministries, expressed dissatisfaction over the government apathy toward their demands. "We are no longer interested in working for JFC. That is why we have been pushing for golden handshake offer,” Arjun Chaulagain, a representative of JCF workers, told Republica. nnnn