CJ Hearing On Tuesday
The parliamentary special hearing committee is likely to initiate hearing of Chief Justice designate Kedar Prasad Giri on Tuesday (September 11). The committee members said that they would have to reach conclusion on complaints filed against Giri only after hearing the viewpoint of Giri. Meanwhile, the committee members could not reach unanimous decision over the 16 complaints filed against Giri. The committee had even formed a nine-member probe panel led by Dilendra Prasad Badu to investigate the complaints. Complaints against Giri include his failure to protect the rights of FM radios to air news during royal regime; the recommendation by Public Accounts Committee of previous parliament for his impeachment on Mahalaxmi Sugar Mills case; and that he had issued stay order against the US embassy while he was chief judge of Patan Appellate Court, among others. Compiled from reports
NSP-A On The Verge Of Split
Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP-Anandidevi) has reached to the verge of split following a tussle between two factions within the party. The problem erupted after party president Anandidevi Singh petitioned to sack her party’s leader and Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato from the cabinet to be replaced by another leader Shyam Sundar Gupta. Anandidevi Singh also announced suspension of party convention scheduled to start in Birgunj later this week. Hitting back, the dissidents led by Mahato have decided to proceed with the convention and has said they will introduce a no-trust motion against Anandidevi Singh. Meanwhile, in Birgunj, despite Anandidevi Singh’s announcement, the preparations are underway to hold the party convention. Leading dailies report
Maoists To Re-Launch Land Seizure Campaign
The Maoists have decided to resume the process of confiscating the land of the 'landlords' which they said would be distributed to the landless people. They had stopped the seizure campaign with the signing of peace accord, which has a provision whereby Maoists had agreed to return seized lands and properties. According to the information given by Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Peasants Association (Revolutionary) in a press conference organized in the capital on Friday, the Maoists would resume their policy to capture the lands of the citizens. The campaign will continue from mid-September to mid-October.
The organization said it will organize various protest programs across the country and claimed the constituent assembly polls will not happen in the present circumstances. Compiled from reports
WB Warns Against Prolonging Case Against Governor
The World Bank (WB) officials have shown interest in the case against Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) governor filed by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and have warned that the case, if prolonged, could affect the financial sector reforms program. In a report presented last week to the Finance Ministry by the WB senior officials who had visited Nepal last month, they have said that prolonging the case against governor could hurt the morale of central bank employees. It has called for quick settlement of the case. The report says that the agreement by the central bank with KPMG Sri Lanka was as per the bilateral understanding. The CIAA had filed case of corruption against governor Bijaya Nath Bhattarai and NRB director Surendra Man Pradhan in connection with the understanding with KMPG SL. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports
Police Yet To Locate Blast Perpetrators
Informing about their preliminary investigations, police have said they are yet to locate the perpetrators of Sunday’s triple blasts in Kathmandu, which killed three persons. At a press meet on Thursday (September 6), Additional Inspector General of Police Keshab Baral who is leading the investigation team said that they believe that blasts were carried out by elements that wanted election derailed. Baral informed that Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were used in the explosions. He said that further investigations were underway. The police also released a sketch of one suspected person behind the Balaju blast. “Till now, we have not been able to identify the culprits as we need to get our hands on facts to reach any conclusion,” AIG Baral said. Leading dailies report
Army Planning A Coup: Dr. Bhattarai
Maoist second-in-command Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Thursday (September 6) said the monarchy and Nepali Army (NA) are making final preparations against revolution. Addressing a press meet organized by the Rupandehi chapter of Revolutionary Journalists' Association, he said that the NA has blamed the Maoists for Sunday's blasts in a report yesterday, adding it is an indication of the NA's preparations for war. "By blaming the Maoists, the NA is trying to come out of barracks for a coup. This is a plot to disrupt the CA polls and the peace process," he said. The capital's bomb blasts were planned by regressive forces and the style and objective of the blasts did not resemble that of the Maoists, he said, adding the blasts were planned to disrupt the CA polls by forming a fake Madhes group. The NA still supports the King, Bhattarai charged. A roundtable conference among patriots, leftists and pro-republicans will be organized on September 11, he said, adding, "The next Janaandolan should be led by the pro-republicans." While he blamed the Nepali Congress for giving continuity to feudalism and militarism, he accused the CPN-UML of not daring to go for progression. A certain obligation has forced the NC to go for a republic, he added. He reiterated that the polls were impossible until the Maoists' 22-points demands were met. The Himalayan Times daily reports
NRB Asked To Appoint Nepali Management At NBL
The World Bank (WB) has asked Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to appoint Nepali management team at the Nepal Bank Limited (NBL). Two weeks ago, during the visit by high level team from WB, it was agreed that the WB would appoint and send the management team to oversee NBL. However, on Wednesday, the bank officials told NRB officials that they were unable to appoint such team and have asked the central bank to nominate Nepali team. “The WB has not informed us in written form yet. Once it does so, we will proceed with the effort to appoint Nepali team,” said a senior official at NRB. Earlier, NRB and WB had agreed that while a foreign team should oversee the NBL management for a short term, a Nepali team needed to be appointed for longer term. After the expiry of contract of ICCMT group one and a half months ago, the NBL is being managed by NRB-appointed three member team for the time being. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports
YCL Warns Action Against ‘Corrupt’
The Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) has said that it is preparing a list of ‘corrupt people’ whom it will start taking action against soon. Coinciding with the agitation planned by the Maoists from September 18, the YCL, too, will begin to take action against ‘corrupt people.’ The Maoists had warned that their agitation will include “people’s action,” against regressive elements. According to valley in-charge of YCL, Sagar, they have already prepared a list of around 50 persons including politicians, industrialists and common people. He did not elaborate the nature of action they will be taking. Leading dailies report
PLA Commanders Demand Role For Combatants In CA Election
A delegation of commanders of Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army (PLA) met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, on Tuesday (September 4), demanding a role for their combatants in the process of Constituent Assembly (CA) election. The commanders handed over a memo to Prime Minister Koirala saying that they could launch struggle if their demands are not met. “We demand that our combatants be given role in the election process,” said Nanda Kishore Pun aka Pasang, a deputy commander of the Maoists. Pasang said that the PLA combatants should be allowed to work to create environment conducive for the election. Meanwhile, Maoist MP and PLA deputy commander Janardan Sharma aka Prabhakar claimed that PM Koirala has assured them of government’s response to their demands as well as on the republic agenda within four days. Leading dailies report
Victim Succumbs To Injuries, Blast Toll Reaches Three
Another student succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday (September 4) night in Bir Hospital taking the blast toll to three. Sandhya Khadka, a student of Viswa Niketan higher secondary school, who was injured in Sunday’s blast in Tripureshwore, passed away at around 8:15 pm. She had been kept in ventilator support since late evening on Tuesday. With her death, the toll of the triple blasts has reached to three. Another student of the same school Anisha KC had died on the spot in Tripureshwore blast. Likewise, a lady named Kamala Devi Shahi had died of blast injuries in Balaju. Leading dailies report
UML Forms Committee To Propose Candidates
The Standing Committee meeting of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) has decided to form a nine-member committee headed by Amrit Bohara to propose candidates for the coming election. The committee includes Bharat Mohan Adhikary, Iswor Pokharel, Shanta Manavi, Asta Laxmi Shakya, Yubaraj Gyawali, Bishnu Poudel, Ashok Rai and Raghubir Mahaseth as members. Likewise, the party has also decided to ask the constituency, district and zonal committees to recommend names for their candidates. “The detailed action plan for selecting candidates will soon be unveiled,” said Bohara. Kantipur daily reports
Middle Marsyangdi Shut Down Due To Fuel Shortage
Due to lack of diesel fuel, the construction of 70 MW strong Middle Marsyangdi hydropower project has been shut down since Tuesday (September 4). The civil contractor DDC JV has decided to halt the construction pointing at the lack of diesel due to strike by tankers. The construction of the project used to continue round the clock. The project had requested Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Supplies and Nepal Oil Corporation for diesel before deciding to halt the construction. The contractor has said it will resume the construction once diesel supply resumes. The project needs 15,000 to 20,000 liters of diesel everyday. Apart from civil works, other works related with electrical, mechanical and transmission lines are going on. A day of stoppage of work in the project results in losses amounting to Rs 3.8 million to Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Kantipur daily reports
