Parties Submit Final PR List
Political parties have submitted their selected list of candidates under the Proportional Representation (PR) category to the Election Commission Friday (May 2). The big parties rushed to the commission at the eleventh hour while many smaller parties had submitted their lists to the EC earlier. The lists of the big political parties include 50 percent women representatives as per the provision in constitution. The NC list includes party president Girija Prasad Koirala, Purna Bahadur Khadka and student leader Gagan Thapa. The Maoist list includes Mohan Baidya, Dinanath Sharma, and Khim Lal Devkota, among others. The list also includes figures such as Indrajeet Rai, a conflict expert, and Surya Bahadur Sen Oli, a former bureaucrat and said to be close to monarchy in the past. The Maoists had won 100 seats under PR. Their selected candidates include 50 women. Madhesi Janadhikar Forum's list included former Rastra Bank governor Dr Tilak Rawal. Other smaller parties also submitted their lists within the deadline allocated by the commission. The commission said it will scan the lists to ensure proportionate representation of all sections of the people. The Maoists have bagged 100 seats under PR while NC, UML and MJF have won 73, 70 and 22 seats, respectively. Meanwhile, some prominent leaders have failed to make it to the list of Constituent Assembly (CA) members selected by the parties under the Proportional Representation (PR) category, which were submitted to the Election Commission (EC), on Friday. In the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) list, the names of acting general secretary Amrit Bohara and standing committee members Sahana Pradhan, Mukunda Neupane and Modnath Pashrit are missing. The party sources have said that they decided not to send the standing committee members in order to revamp the party organization following election defeat. The Nepali Congress (NC) list misses out central working committee members such as Sunil Bhandari and other leaders like Manmohan Bhattarai, Radheshyam Adhikari, and Harihar Birahi. The Maoist list does not include its student wing chief Lekhnath Neupane and a few central leaders like Netra Bikram Chand. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) list misses out Bishwobandhu Thapa, Jogmeher Shrestha, among others. The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has dropped singer Nalina Chitrakar from the list. The Election Commission has said that it will make the final PR list public within a week after thorough investigation of names in the list to ensure that they fulfill specified quotas. Compiled from reports
US Ambassador Powell Meets With Prachanda
In what is seen as the first official contact between the United States official and the leadership of the Maoist party, the US ambassador Nancy Powell met with Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, on Thursday (May 1). "US ambassador met, yesterday, with CPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to discuss the outcome of the April 10 elections, CPN-M plans for the Constituent Assembly, and the future of US-Nepal relations. This was their first meeting," states a press release issued by the US embassy in Kathmandu on Friday morning. The US government has labeled the Maoists as a foreign terrorist organization. The meeting occurred in advance of Powell's return to the United States for consultations on US-Nepal relations. She left Nepal on Friday. "Powell provided an overview of current US government assistance to Nepal designed to help create a more prosperous, democratic, and stable Nepal. She sought assurances that the new government would respect current donor agreements and ensure the safety of those implementing them," the press release adds. "She encouraged Dahal to ensure that all Maoist organizations illustrate their commitment to the political process through their words and actions." Powell's meeting with Prachanda came amid Maoists' statements that they will lead the next government. The Maoists had emerged as the single largest party through the April 10 Constituent Assembly election. Compiled from reports
Maoists Can Form Govt On Their Own If Others Do Not Agree To Join It: Mahara
A senior Maoist leader has said that his party will form a government on its own if other parties do not agree to form a coalition and decide to opt out of the government led by it. Addressing a May Day rally of workers in the capital, Thursday (May 1), Maoist spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara said, "Our first option is to form a government under our leadership in alliance with other parties. If they refuse to be part of such government, we are prepared to form government on our own. If they obstruct us in this also, then we will come before you and do whatever you say." He said, "We can mobilize 20 million people for the construction and we can really make changes in the country's infrastructure within next two or three years." Mahara added, "We are equally prepared to make use of spade, sickle and shovel with the same courage as we fired bullets and guns." He said there were conspiracies being hatched by power centers from within and outside the country to prevent them from coming to power. "Whether such centers are inside the country or outside, we want to tell them that while they tried to teach us about peace and democracy, they need to learn it themselves," he said, referring to the democratic practice of allowing the single largest party to form a government. Mahara also ruled out demands for disbanding his party's youth wing Young Communist League (YCL). "The people have already endorsed our YCL through the mandate they gave us in the election," he said. Mahara said 'nationalism and republic' will be the new mantra for the Maoists. Earlier, addressing the same program, YCL president Ganesh Pun had said that it was because the YCL 'kept their cool as per the directive of party chairman,' that the election passed peacefully. "The YCL will immerse itself in the building of new Nepal," he said. Addressing the program, president of All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF) Shalikram Jammarkattel, said that rights and interests of workers will be ensure in the new constitution to be drafted through Constituent Assembly (CA). Compiled from reports
CEC Pokharel Acknowledges Flaws In April 10 Ca Polls
Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokharel Wednesday (Apr 30) acknowledged that the April 10 Constituent Assembly (CA) elections could not take place in a completely flawless environment. There were slip-ups in the elections due to various complexities and obligations despite serious efforts to hold the historical elections in an absolutely flawless environment, he added. The Chief Election Commissioner said that the Election Commission will move ahead in the coming days by rectifying such mistakes. During a discussion with national and international observers, Pokharel said that Nepal has set an example in front of the world, however, by conducting the CA polls in a successful manner. The observers expressed satisfaction for the successful elections despite lack of voters' education and enough security. So far, nine national and four international organizations including Cater Center, European Union and ANFRELL have tabled their CA polls report. In their reports, the organizations have suggested that the elections officials need to make the voters' education effective and give attention to recognize the voters. Compiled from reports
American Climber Deported For Free-Tibet Activism
The government, on Monday (Apr 28), deported American climber William Brant Holland who violated strict regulations banning pro-Tibet protests on Mount Everest and imposed a two-year ban, prohibiting him from climbing any mountain in Nepal. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Prem Kumar Rai said the ministry decided to ban Holland from climbing the mountains for two years. Holland was caught with a banner painted with 'free Tibet' slogan in his bag at the Everest base camp on April 21. The ministry had interrogated him when he arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday. Rai said Holland returned to the US this afternoon. He refused to divulge the details about the development. However, AFP quoted Rai as saying that the tourism police had escorted Holland to the airport for deportation. Meanwhile, the government has sought clarification from the Himalayan Guides Treks and Expeditions, which acquired the permission for Holland to climb. Compiled from reports
NEA Reduces Load Shedding Hours By More Than Half
People tired of daily power cuts will get some respite with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) slashing the load-shedding hours by more than half from Tuesday onwards. Sher Singh Bhatt, chief of NEA's Load Dispatching Center, said that NEA would from now on impose only 21 hours of power cuts four days a week. Bhatt said that the load shedding hours were reduced as the water level in reservoirs increased owing to melting of snow with the advent of the summer season. He said this has led to increased production of electricity in the power plants. Earlier, consumers were forced to bear more than 46 hours of load shedding every week, adversely affecting their daily lives. According to the new load shedding schedule, NEA would impose two and half hours of load shedding three days a week and then eight and six hours of load shedding one day each in separate time schedules for different parts of Kathmandu. Similarly, consumers would not have to face any power outages two days a week as against the current one. Compiled from reports
Mahato Conferred Russia's 'Manager Of The Year'
President of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) and Russia-Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Dr. Upendra Mahato, has been awarded with the title 'Manager of the Year-2007' in Russia. According to Jugal Bhurtel, spokesperson of the NRNA, the Russian competition 'Manager of the Year' was organized by Free Economic Society of Russia and International Academy of Management under the support of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation since 1997. Dr. Mahato is the first foreign national to receive the prestigious award. As the winner of the title, he received a statuette of Catherine the Great, the Big Medal and a diploma amidst a gala ceremony held at Moscow President Hotel on April 22. 'Manager of the Year' is the most prestigious and popular among numerous events of the same nature and more than 2,000 business entrepreneurs from majority of Russian regions participate in the annual competition. The jury of the competition includes representatives of Russian state authorities, leaders of top business organizations, eminent scientists and civil society representatives. Compiled from reports
Govt Cuts Down Climbing Royalty
In order to expand the mountain climbing activities across the country and throughout the year, the government has decided to cut down climbing royalty by half for autumn season. The cabinet decided to keep the royalty for spring season as it is but decided to cut it down by 50 to 75 percent for autumn and winter season. Likewise, the government has decided to waive the climbing royalty on mountains of mid western and far western regions in order to expand climbing activities away from Sagarmatha, Annapurna and few other limited regions. President of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Chhiring Sherpa welcomed the government decision. "It should have been taken a long time ago," he said. Of the 14 highest peaks in the world, 8 are in Nepal. That apart, there are over 2000 mountain peaks in Nepal of which only 326 are open for climbing. Among the tourists visiting Nepal, 20 percent are mountaineers and trekkers. Kantipur daily reports
