5th AUGUST 2011, 20th SAUN 2068

Three-party meeting ‘productive’

Kathmandu, Aug 5: Top leaders have termed Friday’s three-party meeting ‘fruitful’ and held out hope for timely completion of peace process and constitution drafting.

The meeting held at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction has heightened the possibility of timely conclusion of peace process, Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal told reporters after the meeting. “This is the need of the hour. The parties should continue to forge consensus.

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Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poudel, who attended the meeting, said the talks will help give a boost to peace process.

Progress and future plans regarding integration, rehabilitation and supervision of the People’s Liberation Army combatants make by the Special Committee were informed in the meeting.

At a time when the Samyukta Loktantrik Morcha had been urging the three major parties to come clean on peace process, the meeting turned out to be highly relevant, Poudel said, adding that progress can be achieved on peace process within Aug 30.

 “Whether or not consensus is forged on peace process and constitution drafting I and Maoist Chairman Prachanda have similar opinion. Prime Minister’s resignation should come before that,” he said.

CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel said in the meeting suggestions and opinions from members of Special Committee were sought regarding conclusion of peace process.

Unified CPN (Maoist) Janardan Sharma said leaders, in the meeting, stressed for forging consensus on package, modality and number of army integration from the political leadership level. 

NC Meeting Endorses Regulation with Amendments

Kathmandu, Aug. 5: The central committee meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) today endorsed with amendments the draft of the regulation presented in line with party's amended statute. The regulation presented by incorporating the recommendations made during the ongoing meeting of the party was passed with slight modifications, informed NC general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

Regulation will not specify any provisions that are inconsistent with the party statute, central member Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat quoted party President Sushil Koirala as saying. He said the regulation will be outlined in accordance with the spirit of the statute.

According to the party decision, a provision has been made according to which the central committee will endorse the names proposed by the party President for the members of central working committee and parliamentary committee of the party from among the central members.

Regarding the nomination of central disciplinary committee coordinator, the central committee will endorse the name proposed by the President in the committee. The same process will be adopted with regard to the appointment of coordinators and members to the central election committee and audit committee.

However, the party President shall have the right to designate, nominate and change the chiefs and members of the central departments, zonal coordination committees and the Kathmandu valley coordination committee, according to the regulation.

A panel of three members including general secretary Sitaula, regulation draft committee coordinator Arjun Narsingh KC and central member Dilendra Prasad Badu has been designated to give final touch to the endorsed draft. The meeting decision will help run party in an organized and responsible way, said Sitaula.  Party President Koirala chaired the meeting.

party rift, a major agenda in uml cc meeting

Kathmandu, Aug. 5: The fresh intra-party conflict in the ruling CPN (UML) following the cabinet expansion with the induction of new ministers from the Maoist party is likely to be a hot topic for debate in the party's central committee (CC) meeting starting from Saturday.

However, the party secretariat till this evening has not formally forwarded any documents that are proposed for discussions. Party leader Pradip Nepal said the CC members have not been provided with any documents though the leaders were generally given the proposed documents a week ahead of the start of the CC meeting previously.

Leader Nepal said a team of party leaders including himself, Keshav Badal and others had suggested Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal to step down by Friday evening or 'face' his rivals in the CC meeting. Nepal said as per the party statute Khanal will be criticized by the CC or should make a self-criticism in the meeting. But, he suspected that PM and party chairman Khanal is not likely to do so in the meeting.  

The fresh bone of contention in the UML became so intense after the PM administered oath of office and secrecy to the Maoist ministers on August 1 under the leadership of Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha. Earlier, the rival factions in the UML led by leaders Madhav Nepal and K P Oli had piled pressure on Khanal not to induct the Maoist ministers but to implement the five-point agreement--agreement that includes the PM's resignation also.

But, Khanal has announced that he will step down only if a reliable alternative was prepared for the formation of next government and fundamental works of the peace process were completed. However, the Khanal-faction has claimed that the standing committee meeting of the party did not take such decision. Prior to this, the Ninth CC meeting of the UML scheduled for July 1-3 was also put off citing lack of sufficient preparation.

UML politburo member and leader close to the establishment faction, Ashta Laxmi Shakya, said it is appropriate to move ahead as per the decision of the party's disciplinary committee as it has already drawn attention of the PM saying cabinet expansion was his mistake.

Chinese envoy calls on DPM and home minister Shrestha

Kathmandu, Aug. 5: Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Yang Houlan paid a courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, today. At the meeting that took place at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Singha Durbar, they discussed the bilateral relations, the relations between the Unified CPN (Maoist) and the Chinese Communist Party, among other topics, according to Damodar Timilsina, Press Advisor to DPM and Home Minister Shrestha.

On the occasion, they also held talks on convening the next round of talks at the Home Ministry level between the two countries and becoming sensitive to each other’s security. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Shrestha expressed the commitment that Nepal’s territory would not be allowed to be used against any country. He also appreciated the Chinese government’s policy of non-interference in any other country’s internal affairs. The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated that Nepal is committed to the ‘One China Policy’.

Chinese Ambassador Yang congratulated Minister Shrestha for his appointment to the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister and extended an invitation for visiting China. Thanking the Chinese ambassador for the invitation, DPM Shrestha said he would visit China at an appropriate time.

On the occasion, Ambassador Yang gave the information that a high-level Chinese delegation led by the Standing Committee Member of the Chinese Communist Party and the Special Envoy of the Chinese President would be visiting Nepal from August 16-18, according to Timilsina.

BAIDYA WARNS OF YET ANOTHER REVOLT

Kathmandu, Aug. 5: Vice Chairman of the UCPN (Maoist) Mohan Baidya Kiran has said his party will not bow down to anyone and would not hesitate to launch another people's revolt if necessary.

 Releasing a book entitled 'Thawang' by Purna Bahadur Roka Magar amidst a programme in the Capital on Friday, Baidya stressed on the need to go for another people's revolt if the respectable management of the Maoist combatants who fought for the people's revolution does not take place.

 The people's revolt launched by the then CPN (Maoist) had started from the Thawang VDC of Rolpa district, but the dream of that 'great' revolution has not been materialized yet, said Baidya who is known as the hardliner within the party organization, adding that the party will look for a next Thawang should the Maoists fighters are not managed in a dignified manner.

Also speaking at the programme, party Standing Committee member Netra Bikram Chand termed the Thawang movement as the ideal movement in the country's history.

Int’l community ready to support in PLA rehabilitation: DeLisi

Kathmandu, Aug 5: US Ambassador to Nepal Scott H. DeLisi has said America and the international community were ready to support Nepal in peace process, mainly in the rehabilitation of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) combatants. He said this during a meeting with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal at the Prime Minister’s Office in Singha Durbar on Friday.

DeLisi told the Prime Minister that they were for an early agreement on modality, number and posts of PLA integration and consensus on the contentious issues related to constitution drafting, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affair Advisor Milan Tuladhar told reporters after the meeting.

The envoy’s commitment comes after Prime Minister Khanal’s commitment to resign by Aug 13 if he failed to make a significant progress in peace process and constitution drafting and a day before his departure to America to brief the US government about Nepal’s peace process and constitution drafting as well as the overall political development in South Asia region.

Talking to reporters briefly after the meeting, DeLisi said the meeting with the Prime Minister centered on Nepal’s peace process, constitution drafting and US investment.           The Prime Minister told the envoy that efforts to forge political consensus were heading towards a positive direction, Tuladhar said, adding he (Khanal) told DeLisi that Nepal can complete peace and statute drafting process and needs support of the international community.