2. 10 fringe parties for Maoist leadership
Kathmandu: The ten fringe parties represented in the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday said that the UCPN (Maoist) should get to lead the new government.
In a meeting between the 10 parties and the Maoists held at the latter’s Parliamentary Party office in Singha Durbar today, the fringe parties said that the Maoists should get the government leadership, Maoist Vice Chairman Dr. baburam Bhattarai said.
"This is a single front of secularism, federalism and democracy," said Dr. Bhatarai adding, "The front has laid stress on the Maoist leadership in the new government."
The Maoists are also scheduled to hold meeting with Madhes-based parties later today. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/18/top-story/10-fringe-parties-for-maoist-leadership/318725/
 
3. CA endorses its calendar of events
Kathmandu: The Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday unanimously passed the CA calendar of events with a view to conclude the statute drafting process by the second week of April, 2011. This is the 11th amendment of the CA calender.
The scheduled CA meeting that started here at 5 p.m., two hours late than slated time, endorsed the CA timeline after the decision to constitute the State Restructuring Commission (SRC) was put off.
The Madhes-based parties had been voicing against the SRC and gave their support only after the SRC issue was excluded.
According to the new CA work plan, the first draft of the new constitution will be concluded by Mid-October and the constitution writing will be finished by Mid-April. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/18/top-story/ca-endorses-its-calendar-of-events/318724/

4. MoFA sticks to passport deal
Kathmandu, Jul 19- Upholding its July 6 decision to award the contract of the Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) to France-based security-printing company Oberthur Technologies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Sunday said that it did not receive any plaint against the French company during the five-day investigation triggered by two rival bidders — Preum Peruri ( Indonesia) and De La Rue (the UK).
“Oberthur did not submit fake documents and neither did it provide sub-standard technical equipment. We corresponded with our missions in Seoul and New Delhi and also with the Japanese and South Korean missions in Kathmandu to ascertain the complaints against Oberthur,” said Chief of Protocol, Mukti Nath Bhatta.
No information or proof was found for or against the MoFA decision, so the Ministry decided to go ahead with the process, he said. “We tried our best to ascertain the complaints but we could not get any proof,” he said. MoFA has conveyed the decision to the firms who lodged the complaints.
At the recommendation of the MRP evaluation committee headed by Bhatta, Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai took a call on Sunday evening.  
Rival firms Perum Peruri and De La Rue had challenged the ministry’s decision to award the contract to Oberthur saying that the French based company would provide sub-standard quality technical equipment like personalisation, printers and would also submit fake documents in the matter of distributing passports.
“According to law, seven days were given to lodge complaints against the bidder who was awarded the bid and an additional five days to investigate the complaints,” said Bhatta. “Through our Delhi mission we tried to pinpoint if Oberthur had any business in Ghana and Libya. We choose to uphold the July 6 decision as we did not get any evidence of Oberthur submitting fake documents,” Bhatta added.
However, both the companies can further challenge the MoFA decision. The rival companies can lodge complaints with higher authorities including the Public Procurement Office within seven days. The MoFA also holds all rights to discontinue the contract if it receives any proof against Oberthur.
If everything goes well, an MRP deal will be signed between MoFA and Oberthur. However, MoFA officials are still sceptical whether the deal will be clinched as the issue has already landed in the Parliamentary Accounts Committee court. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/19/top-story/mofa-sticks-to-passport-deal/318752/

5. Immigration to keep close eye on African nationals coming Nepal
Kathmandu: The Immigration Department has decided to monitor the South Western African nationals who have been active in the Capital under the guise of business and with fake identity.
After finding their involvement in the drug trade and forgery, the Immigration Department has decided to set up a probe panel in association with police.
“We are preparing to work in coordination with the police to initiate action against,” said Yagya Bohara, the director at the department, talking to ekantipur.
Earlier, the department had made it mandatory for the foreigners coming from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameron, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan to get the visa approval from the Home Ministry after smelling rat on their involvement in suspicious activities.
The department said it has been receiving information that the people from these countries were found to have been involved in illegal trade and over staying.
 “People from these countries have to take pre visa,” Bohara. He added the department is launching a campaign to curb such activities though it has been taking action against those found living in Nepal illegally.
According to investigation officials, the rebel groups such as Al Qaeda and Taliban, which are active in the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, have been deploying the unemployed people of African and Asian nations in the lucrative trade. The extremists have been using Nigeria, Cameron and South Africa to export heroine. “They come into the clutch of police only after months of chasing and following,” said an investigation officer.
Police said a huge number of such group have made their inroads into Nepal and India and have been operating criminal network.
“As there is no clear data about the number of such groups, we have decided to work together with tourism police,” added Bohara. The department claimed that a huge number of African people possessing various visas such as tourist, professional, working and marriage-apart from tourist-have been living in Nepal.
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Unit (NDLEU), 11 South Western African nationals have been arrested over the last six years for drug trade. Police have taken action against more than 15 African nationals for their involvement in different kinds of forgery cases.
During these six years of time, police have seized 3553 grams of white heroin, 1 kg brown sugar and 11270 gram of hashish from their possession.
 “Most of the arrestees held with possession of heroin and hashish have been found to be staying in Nepal in the guise of refugees and import-export businessmen,” said NDLEU chief DIG Ganeshraj Rai. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/18/top-story/immigration-to-keep-close-eye-on-african-nationals-coming-nepal/318729/