Bangladesh-Nepal

Nepal Press Update

1.PM Nepal says he, too, in favour of unity Govt
At a time when the main opposition Unified CPN (Maoist) and a section of the CPN (UML) have been describing him as the main obstacle to forming a government of national consensus, Prime Minister Madhav Nepal Thursday said he, too, also in favour of such a government.
PM Nepal also said all the political parties represented in the Constituent Assembly should be involved in the formation of ‘national unity government’ along with the three major parties.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a meeting of fringe political parties held at the parliamentary party office of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) in Singha Durbar.
The leaders of the fringe parties held the meeting with Prime Minister Nepal as part of their ongoing efforts to encourage the top leaders of the three big parties to find consensus at the earliest.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, chairman of Dalit Janajati Party said the smaller parties would be compelled to resort to peaceful protest if the major parties failed to find a way out of the current stalemate.
Earlier too, the fringe parties had made numerous calls to the big ones for consensus as a prerequisite for expediting the constitution-writing and peace process. nepalnews.com

2.Clash of opinions puts off Maoist politburo meet

The Himalayan Times
KATHMANDU: The ongoing politburo meeting of the UCPN-Maoist in the capital was postponed on Thursday for tomorrow.
The meeting was postponed as per the directive of Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. The chairman was scheduled to express his views on the issues raised by the politburo members in the past meetings.
Prachanda would confer with the party office bearers and politburo members for consensus on his views to be presented in the meet.
The politburo members have been divided over the issue of the future leadership of the government replacing the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government. The chairman’s report presented in the meeting is expected to pave the way for the peace and constitution drafting process among others.

3.Rijal lambasts Maoists
The Himalayan Times
ILAM: Minister for Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Dr. Minendra Rijal on Thursday said that consensus was not forged as the Maoists did not implement the three-point deal.
"It is the Maoists’ rigidity that obstructed consensus," Rijal claimed, adding that the Maoists could lead the government if they joined the path of peace and progression.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the Ilam chapter of Nepal Press Union, Rijal said that consensus was not built when Maoists abandoned the politics of peace, democracy and progression.
Rijal, who did not disguise his outrage at the Maoists, argued that the new constitution could not be drafted by keeping intact the remnants of armed struggle and urged the Maoists to abide by the 12-point understanding.
Rijal, a Nepali Congress leader, made it clear that the agenda of peace and constitution drafting is more important than the formation of government under the leadership of his party at the moment.

4.  Rijal blames Maoist obstinacy behind failure to implement May 28 agreement
Thursday, 24 June 2010 13:23
At a time when the UCPN (Maoist) are blaming the ruling allies of not implementing the three-point agreement, Minister for Federal Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Culture Minendra Rijal has said that there can be no further agreement with the Maoists until they honestly implement the May 28 deal.
Addressing a press meet organised by Nepal Press Union in Ilam on Thursday, Minister Rijal said that the parties have not been able to reach breakthrough in ending the current political deadlock due to the obstinacy shown by the Maoists.
He attributed the failure in implementing the three-point agreement in which the Maoists and the ruling allies NC and UML pledged to complete all the remaining works of the peace process to the Maoists’ disbelief in peace, democracy and progress.
Minister Rijal also said the new constitution cannot be prepared without first destroying all the vestiges of the insurgency.

Assuring that the army integration and rehabilitation will go on as per the agreement, he said the government will not allow Maoist combatants who don’t fulfill the set criteria to be integrated into the state security forces. nepalnews.com

5.Seven PLA fighters held
The Himalayan Times

KATHMANDU: A special intelligence squad of Nepal Police detained seven Maoist combatants from PLA Third Division of Shaktikhor, Chitwan, on Wednesday evening from a cafe in Durbarmarg. They were carrying a shotgun, two bullets and two knives. The shotgun did not have UNMIN sticker, said a police officer.

6.’Printing of newspaper should not be stopped’
Kantipur Report
Kathmandu, June 24:  Former Prime Minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba said on Thursday that he will hold discussions with the government regarding the inconvenience that Kantipur Publications has been facing due to the hold-up of its newsprint at an Indian port.
Deuba, who visited Kantipur Publications today, said discussions with the government should be held prior to proceeding further on the issue.
“The printing of the newspaper should not and shall not be stopped,” he said, “I will take up the isssue with the government.”
India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has been holding up the newsprint shipment imported from Canada and South Korea at the Kolkata port for the past 28 days, which is likely to bring the printing of the major two national dallies–The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur to a halt.

7.Info Minister advises to formally inform Govt about newsprint seizure
Kantipur Report
Kathmandu, June 24: Minister for Information and Communications Shanker Pokharel visited Kantipur Publications on Thursday and advised to formally inform the government about the hold-up of the newsprint at Indian port.
The investigation should not be delayed as it has hampered the printing of the national level newspapers, Pokharel said after holding discussion with the editors and the management committee of the publications.
Pokharel assured to understand the gravity of the situation and to make effort on his part to release the newsprints after the publications voiced concern saying that the printing of its newspapers–The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur dailies–would come to a halt if the shipment is not released soon.
He said, "The Federation Ambassador in Kolkatta has also been directed to understand the situation and make attempt to release the shipment."
Earlier on Wednesday CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, senior leader KP Oli, Nepali Congress Vice Chairman Ram Chandra Poudel and NC spokesperson Arjun Narsing KC, UCPN (Maoist) Vice Chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai had visited Kantipur Publications in Subidhanagar and took the information.
The Indian authority has been holding 1,000 metric tonnes of newsprint, imported by the publications, at Kolkata port for the last 28 days.
India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has taken control of the newsprint imported from Canada and South Korea and has stopped its shipment to Nepal, saying that the 39 containers carrying the newsprint need to be “investigated.”
According to the Nepal-Indian transit treaty, no consignment in transit can be held without explanation.
Generally, the “seal” of containers, which travel by train from Kolkata, is opened upon their arrival at the Birgunj dry port in Nepal.
Altogether, Kantipur’s three shipments have now been held in Kolkata, first of which arrived in the Indian port on May 27.

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