PRESIDENT FLYING HOME FOR REST IN DHANUSHA Kathmandu, 22 April: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav is flying for his home in Sapahi Monda in Dhanusha for rest. He’ll be away for three days. Nnnn COMMUNISTS MARK 64TH ANNIVERSARY OF FOUNDING OF THEIR PARTY IN NEPAL Kathmandu, 22 April: The 64th year of the founding of the Communist Party of Nepal is being observed Monday. With only four seats in the 1959. communists now dominate national politics as UCPN Maoist led by Chairman Prachanda has emerged as the largest political following constituent assembly elections. Communists dominate politics even though the left movement in Nepal is spl9ntered. NC which claims to be the dominate political force is the second party followed by another communist party UML. NC swept Nepal’s first parliamentary election in 1959. Nara Bahadur Karmacharya is the only surviving member of the party alive and he’s advisor of UCPN Maoist. In the Valley, Nepal Makdoor Kishan Party headed by Narayan Man Bijukalchaya controls Bhaktapur as the best managed town in the Valley. The influence of communists has spread to the capital once considered a bastion of NC. The pivotal role of communists in Nepal is demonstrated by the jst concluded visit of Maoist Chairman to China last week and his direct talks with new Chinese President Xi in Beijing. Nnnn ONE DEAD IN KAPILVASTHU RICHSHAW ACCIDENT Kathmandu, 22 April: Jhapendra Chaudhary died while undergoing treatment after he was involved in a rickshaw accident at Shivapur in Kalilvasthu overnight. Richswaw puller Lallu Chaudhary in undergoing treatment at a hospital in the district. nnnn UCPN MAOIST SEEKS MORE SEATS ON PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION BASIS Kathmandu, 22 April: Contrary to the March 13 cross-party agreement, the UCPN (Maoist) has demanded more seats under the proportional representation system for the proposed Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, The Kathmandu Post writes.. An office-bearers’ meeting of the Maoist party took such a decision on the day when eight fringe parties officially put forth similar demands before the government. The 11-point deal signed among the four major parties that led to the formation of the incumbent government has a provision of 240 seats under proportional representation along with retaining as many number of the seats under the first-past-the-post category. In the last CA polls, the seats in the proportional category was 325. “We have decided to increase the number of seats to make the new CA more inclusive,” said UCPN (M) General Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati. The Maoist party also called for removing one percent threshold being mulled by the Election Commission. As per the threshold, those parties receiving less than one percent of votes would automatically be disqualified. Informed sources maintained that even though the party is for implementing the one percent threshold, it came up with a new stand to retain the support of fringe parties. The Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led party also demanded that to fix an election date as soon as possible. The Maoist party is of the view new CA elections should be held within October. In the meeting, Dahal briefed leaders about his China visit. Ready to assume mantle, says Dahal A day after he returned from his week-long China trip, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said his party “is the mainstay of Nepali politics” and is ready to shoulder responsibility for development. Speaking at a programme in the Capital on Sunday, Dahal said monarchy ruled the country for 240 years and now the Maoist party would take up the reins of the country. Only the UCPN (M) can deliver a capable and sustainable leadership, he said. “We will move ahead taking India and China into confidence for Nepal’s prosperity and stability,” said Dahal, adding that his China visit was focused on economic agendas. Sharing out the achievements of his China visit, the Maoist chairman said if Nepal remains a poor country, security concerns of India cannot be addressed. “To make Nepal a prosperous one, China should invest in Lumbini and hydropower projects,” he said. He said that China is not against federalism in Nepal. Baidya reiterates dislike to talks The CPN-Maoist on Sunday reiterated its refusal to hold talks with the incumbent government for holding next Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. In response to the government’s letter sent on Tuesday calling for talks, the breakaway Maoists said the March 13 11-point deal among the four major parties that formed the chief justice-led government should be scrapped. The Mohan Baidya-led party argued that the deal and an amendment to the Interim Constitution by removing constitutional difficulties made the statute defunct. In a statement issued on Sunday, Baidya stressed the need of a round-table conference of all parties represented in the erstwhile CA for ending the present impasse. “Any future roadmap should not come just from consensus among the four major parties. A round-table, where all parties in the former CA, should be held to find a way-out,” read the release. The hardliner leader has said it would be meaningless to hold talks with the “unconstitutional government” and maintained that the government’s fate should be decided through a cross-party agreement. Nnnn RAILWAY ORDINANCE PROMULGATED Kathmandu, 22 April: President Ram Baran Yadav endorsed the Railway Ordinance on Sunday, clearing the deck for forming the Railway Board, an autonomous body for development of the railway sector in the country. The board will develop, expand, operate and manage the sector, The Kathmandu Post reports.. President Yadav certified the ordinance in accordance with the Article 88 Sub-article 1 of the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007. The ordinace enacted the Railway Act which is the amendment to the Railway Act 1963. The board to be chaired by the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport will make policy level decisions for the railway sector in close collaboration with the government authorities. “There will be a new legal base for the railway sector which is in initial phase of the railway infrastructure development,” said Yogendra Rai, director general at the Department of Railways. He said that the Act would help speed up works for construction as the government was planning to carry out big railway projects. The government is currently working on railway plans like Mechi Mahakali Electrical Project, Metro Rail in the Kathmandu valley and cross-border railway links with India. Laws related to the railway service have not been updated since the time of the Nepal Government Railway in the mid 1960s. According to the Physical Infrastructure Ministry, the Department of Railways would be transformed into the Railway Board. Earlier, despite lack of proper legal framework, the government had formed the Department Railways, signed an agreement with India to build five cross-border rail links and expedited a detailed project report study of Mechi-Mahakali railway . The government has also been considering carrying out a feasibility study on North-South railway links with a target to connect two neighbouring countries—India and China—as part of Trans-Asia Railway Network. In December 2011, Nepal had agreed to be a part of the railway network that will connect the country with railway networks in Europe, enabling uninterrupted movement of people and goods. Experts said the new act and autonomous body would fast track railway works. “Roads have put other mode of transport in shadow,” said Lal Krishna KC, a transport sector expert. He said that it had been necessary to give railway interconnection to road networks like East-West Highway and North-South roads devising an integrated transport sector development plan. nnnn