आखिर लगेरै छाडे रावलले पजेरो

आखिर लगेरै छाडे रावलले पजेरो

रातो प्लेट लगाएर श्रीमती पनि सरकारी गाडीमा

४ फागुन, काठमाडौं । गृहमन्त्री हुँदा आफैले छानेर किनेको करिव डेढ करोड मूल्य पर्ने मित्सुबिसी गाडी पद छाडेपछि पनि बलपूर्वक लगेका पूर्व गृहमन्त्री भीम रावलले त्यसलाई बैधानिकता दिएरै छाडेका छन् ।

निवर्तमान भएको एक सातापछि गृहमन्त्रीको हैसियतमा जेनेभा पुगेका रावलले गृहबाट पत्र लेखाएर जर्वजस्त लगेको पजेरोलाई वैधानिकमात्र बनाएनन, त्यसमा रातो प्लेट हालेर निजीको हैसियतमा चढने भएका छन् ।

गृहसचिव गोविन्द कुसुमलाई दवाव दिएर निवर्तमान गृहमन्त्री रावलले जबर्जस्ती लगेको मित्सुविसी पजेरोलाई ‘वैधानिकता’ दिलाउने काम गरेका छन् ।

गृहमन्त्रीबाट विदा हुँदा समेत आफूसँगै लिएर जाने मनस्थितिका साथ रावलले मन्त्रालयलाई पजेरो किन्न लगाएका थिए । बा १ झ ८६७१ नम्बरको मित्सुविसी पजेरो अर्को निर्णय नहुन्जेलसम्मलाई दिने गरी टिप्पणी उठाउन कुसुमले गृहमन्त्रालयको आन्तरिक व्यवस्थापन शाखालाई लगाएका थिए । आन्तरिक व्यवस्थापन शाखाले पनि रावल र कुसुमको दवाव बमोजिम पजेरो दिने निर्णय गरेको छ ।

सरकारी गाडीमा सेतो नम्वर प्लेट हुनुपर्ने प्रावधान विपरित कुसुमले रावलको गाडीमा रातो नम्वर प्लेट राख्न पनि आन्तरिक व्यवस्थान शाखालाई दवाव दिएका छन् ।

यसअघि रावलले बा १ झ ५२२० नम्बरको सरकारी टोयटा गाडीमा रातो प्लेटको उस्तै नम्बर राखी रावलपत्नीले चढ्दै आएकी छन् । करिव २० महिना गृह मन्त्रालय सम्हालेका रावलले पदबाट बिदा हुँदा करिव दुई करोड मूल्यका दुईवटा गाडी निजी प्रयोजनका लागि अनन्तकालसम्म प्रयोग गर्न पाउने गरि नाफा कमाएका छन्

source:

http://www.onlinekhabar.com/2011/02/16/37980.html

New Nepal PM fails to name cabinet

KATHMANDU: Five days after deserting his old allies and forging a secret pact with the opposition Maoists to win the controversial prime ministerial election, Nepal's new premier Jhala Nath Khanalfailed to name his cabinet even on Tuesday, casting fresh doubts on his ability to conclude the peace process successfully within the remaining 110 days.

The 61-year-old communist leader, who abandoned his party's ally, the Nepali Congress, to become prime minister with the support of the Maoists, is now being asked to pay his pound of flesh by the former guerrillas, who are eying major ministries. The Maoists have staked claim to the foreign affairs, home and information and communications ministries and Khanal's party's refusal to concede all three has resulted in another deadlock.

The top leaders of the two parties resumed negotiations Tuesday to reach an understanding on power-sharing but, keeping true to Nepal's history of endless strife, the talks broke down without any agreement. Due to the PM's inability to name his cabinet, parliament has not been able to sit and even the Maoists' standing committee, which was to meet Tuesday to discuss how to metamorphose their guerrilla army into state security forces, had to be put off.

So far, Khanal's activities have been to take part in an elaborate Hindu worship ritual before shifting into Baluwatar, the official residence of the prime minister, to appease the gods. For more than a decade, no Nepal premier has been able to last full term, giving rise to doubts about the auspiciousness of the official residence. On Tuesday too, the cabinet-less PM frittered away more time attending a Hindu programme to officially welcome spring.

While the communist PM sends up prayers to the divine powers, his government is running out of time rapidly. Only 110 days remain for getting the new constitution ready and if the power tussle is not resolved soon, it will be certain that the Khanal government will not be able to deliver. There are already reports that the secret pact he signed with the Maoists will lead to his resigning before May 28, the constitutional deadline. His party will then support Maoist chief Prachanda to become the neext PM. The fact that both sides have admitted to the existence of a secret pact clearly indicates they both know, for all their posturing, that they will fail the nation yet again. The talks therefore are no longer about the constitution -- that was the mandate of the election -- but about seizing power and hanging on to it.

source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/New-Nepal-PM-fails-to-name-cabinet/articleshow/7452441.cms

Nepal Maoists return to power by proxy

Nepal Maoists return to power by proxy

KATHMANDU: Two years after Nepal's first Maoist government fell as a result of being deserted by its ruling ally, the communists, the former guerrillas returned to power on Sunday riding piggyback on the deserters. As communist chairman Jhala Nath Khanal was sworn in as the new prime minister by President Ram Baran Yadav, it was virtually a proxy government for the Maoists with the weak premier unable to put together even a small cabinet.

Power-sharing talks between the communists and the Maoists failed, continuing Nepal's long tradition of infighting, and Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, who had last week said he was sacrificing his own candidacy to help Khanal win stopped at further sacrifices. So the three communist leaders chosen by Khanal to be his ministers turned up at the presidential palace Shital Niwas in formal attire to be sworn in only to find that the induction of the cabinet had been put off due to disagreements.

The scenario was even worse than the previous ceremony in 2009 when Khanal's predecessor, Madhav Kumar Nepal, had to be sworn in only with two ministers from his own party without the allocation of portfolios. As the price for ensuring Khanal's victory after seven months and 16 rounds of failed polls, the Maoists are demanding major ministries and the new PM has few options but to concede.

The 61-year-old former information and communications minister starts his tenure with a rattling skeleton fresh in the cupboard. Disgruntled factions in his party as well as among the Maoists have begun circulating a secret agreement that Khanal is believed to have signed with Prachanda on the eve of last week's prime ministerial election to win the latter's support. The seven-point agreement says the Maoists' People's Liberation Army (PLA) – which remains the major stumbling block ino the peace process – will be either repackaged as a new security force on its own or form a new unit along with the same number of state security force personnel. The accord also says the government will be led on a rotational basis.

Khanal's former ally, the Nepali Congress, has already begun objecting to the pact, saying it violates the peace accord of 2006 that ended a decade of Maoist rebellion. The accord says PLA fighters will be inducted into the state security forces individually and not in a group if they meet the physical and, mental requirements. Khanal and Prachanda's agreement will also antagonise the army, which has ruled out accepting PLA fighters en masse.

Besides the political outcry, Khanal starts his tenure on another note of discord with Nepal's power authorities announcing a 14-hour power outage daily from Monday. He will also have to bring under control mounting corruption and deterioration in law and order, an impossible task given the minority status of his party in parliament. The toughest task however will be getting a new constitution ready within the remaining 110 days. With his former ally, the Nepali Congress, now turned against him due to his "double-cross" during last week's election, resolving the disputes in the constitution will now become tough, if not downright impossible.

source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Nepals-new-PM-sworn-in-amidst-fresh-discord/articleshow/7436853.cms

India moves in to engage new Nepal PM Read more: India moves in to engage new Nepal PM - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india

India moves in to engage new Nepal PM

NEW DELHI: Election of Communist Party leader Jhalanath Khanal as the new prime minister of Nepal on Thursday will not usher in an era of political stability in the Himalayan country, thanks to last moment support from the Maoists.

Without many options, India has moved quickly to engage the newly-elected premier, with PM Manmohan Singh calling him within hours of the election. Foreign minister S M Krishna will
be travelling to Nepal by March and Khanal is expected in India in the near future as the two sides intensify their engagements.

As New Delhi fine-tunes its response to the latest turn of events in Kathmandu, when Maoist leader Prachanda withdrew his candidature to support The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) leader Khanal, it is clear Nepal's political uncertainties will continue.

Since Madhav Kumar Nepal, who too is from CPN-UML, resigned as PM in June 2010, the former Hindu kingdom has been without a government. In a sense, it is a relief that Nepal finally has a prime minister. End of the political logjam could mean that other important tasks of the Constituent Assembly and political establishment including drafting of the new Constitution can begin. But the more difficult task is demilitarising the armed Maoist cadres.

However, given Maoists' power behind the new PM there is little hope of any great movement on most crucial issues, especially regarding the cadres.

Serious differences exist, like on the Maoists' demand that the armed cadres be taken in as whole battalions and their cadres be given the same rank, even at senior levels, as they hold in the insurgency movement. The Nepali army and other political forces are opposed to the suggestion. There are also issues of return of properties seized by the Maoists.

For some time now, observers have been saying that Maoists would like to see to it that they continue with the combatants for as long as possible.

Last week, both the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had suggested a formula for disarming the Maoist cadres as a precondition for letting Prachanda be the next PM. But he turned it down, so there is very little hope in New Delhi that Maoists would give into any effort by government to ensure Nepal's biggest political party sheds its armed wing.

source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-moves-in-to-engage-new-Nepal-PM/articleshow/7428550.cms

Nepal Maoists bow out to keep India at bay?

Nepal's Maoist chief Prachanda's decision to withdraw from Thursday'sPM election and Jhalanath Khanal's victory have surprised many. The Maoists played their cards smartly to keep New Delhi's influence on the Himalayan nation at bay. Though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was among the first to congratulate the Communist Party of Nepal ( UML) chief on his election as PM, it is certain that South Block would have been happy had Nepali Congress candidate Ram Chandra Poudel won. At the standing committee meeting on Thursday, the Maoists realised that the arithmetic for chairman Prachanda's victory was not favourable. The candidature of Bijay Gachhadar, the chairman of Madheshi Janadhikar Forum ( Democratic) jeopardised the Maoists' calculation for victory. Prachanda was quick to decide to extend support to Khanal not only to bail Nepal out of a constitutional crisis but also to form a communist government in the country, and keep New Delhi in discomfort. Nepal has been caught in a political crisis since the resignation of PM Madhav Kumar Nepal seven months back. Sixteen rounds of parliamentary voting failed to yield results as Prachanda could not garner the support of 301 members in the 601 member House. Though Maoist vice- chairman Baburam Bhattarai was against Prachanda withdrawing his candidature, Khanal has always been close to the Maoists. Both Prachanda and Khanal have always been friends during political crises in Nepal. In October 2005, when seven political parties of Nepal were trying to convince the Maoists to join the political mainstream, Khanal was based in New Delhi and held a series of meetings with the Maoist leadership, especially with Prachanda. He had earlier said he was " politically close" to Prachanda even during the Janandolan ( Peoples' Movement) in April 2006. Though the Maoist leadership is tight- lipped about the withdrawal of Prachanda's candidature, sources close to the organisation said CPN ( ML) leader C. P. Mainali and Rashtriya Janamorcha leader Chitra Bahadur KC played a proactive role in the decision. Chitra Bahadur had recruited Khanal as a teacher in Galkot Secondary School in Baglung district 42 years ago, when he was the headmaster there. Khanal taught science and mathematics for a year there, and was popular among the students. During his stint as a science teacher, Chitra Bahadur indoctrinated Khanal as a communist cadre. Khanal was even arrested while he was serving as a teacher, and was released after 70 days in prison. Though Khanal migrated to the eastern district of Jhapa for party work following his release from prison, Chitra Bahadur continued to be his political mentor. A veteran communist leader, Chitra Bahadur was a strong campaigner against Indian influence in Nepal. With the new political equation in Nepal, it now remains to be seen how Khanal and his government looks at New Delhi. source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/128792/world/nepal-prachanda-bow-out-jhalanath-khanal-appointed-as-new-prime-minister-of-nepal.html

India defeated at Nepal PM election

KATHMANDU: Plagued by a "sleepless night" and fears that "lawmakers would not be able to venture out on the streets due to people throwing shoes at them", Nepal's Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda decided to make a "sacrifice" and bow out of the 17th round of prime ministerial election Thursday. The surprise exit paved the way for the Maoists' last-minute poll ally, the ruling communists, to sail to a facile victory with their chairman Jhalanath Khanal pipping his remaining two contenders, Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress, and this election's surprise contender, Bijay Kumar Gachhedar, who was backed by an alliance of regional parties from the Terai plains of southern Nepal.

The election, that started almost three hours behind schedule and continued for nearly five more hours, protracted by long speeches by the contestants, recriminations and counter-recriminations, saw the 61-year-old Khanal, a former information and communications minister, poll 368 votes, more than the simple majority needed. Poudel, who had fought 16 earlier rounds of fruitless elections for the last seven months, polled 122 votes while Gacchedar, the sitting deputy prime minister, got 67 votes.

However, it was more a defeat for India than the two losing politicians. Indian foreign secretary Nirupama Rao's recent visit to Nepal had not envisioned the possibility of such an opportunistic poll alliance between the Maoists and the communists and as Prachanda indicated in his exit speech, it was an act of defiance against "Indian interference". The Maoist supremo blamed India for the fall of his government in 2009, saying foreign forces had been trying to force him into agreements that would have compromised Nepal's sovereignty. "We want good relations with our neighbours but we won't brook interference," Prachanda warned. "My stepping down is meant to prove that we (Nepalis) can decide our own fate."

The election was delayed as the Maoists, facing the possibility of yet another round of fruitless election, decided to support the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist candidate minutes before the exercise started. In the past, the same party had derided a poll alliance between the communists and the Nepali Congress as "unnatural" and "unholy".

However, though Khanal's victory ends a seven-month vacuum, it will not be a bed of roses for him by any means. The snub to Gachhedar by the Maoists and communists has left the plains community – the Madhesis – as well as indigenous communities, especially his Tharu community, fuming. Lawmakers from these communities warned there would be "fire in the plains and hills" if the new constitution – to be promulgated by May 28 – failed to include their aspirations. They said they would refuse to obey such a constitution.

If the Nepali Congress, the second largest party in Nepal after the Maoists, also refuses to join Khanal's government, the remaining four months will see fresh turbulence in Nepal. Khanal will have to maintain a tough balancing act with his Maoist allies as well. He promised to integrate the Maoists' People's Liberation Army with the national army and rehabilitate those who wanted out within 90 days. It is a near-impossible promise as on one hand the Maoists will seek their pound of flesh for their support and try to get as many fighters in the army as possible and on the other hand the disgruntled opposition parties trying to block the move.

source:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Jhalanath-Khanal-elected-PM-of-Nepal/articleshow/7420039.cms