Main News, August 2010

31/08/2010: Letter to UNSC likely this week (kp), UN monitoring of NA ‘must stop’ (ht) [... says peace and reconstruction opponent Bhandari!], Thinking UNMIN (ht), Status of disappeared still a mystery (ht), Victims stay lost as hope is hard to find (kp), Kin of missing in anguish, by Shiva Apriya and Rishi Baral (ht), You just can’t dent the official armour: Such is the level of impunity within the police force that very rarely do feathers get ruffled by media reports, by Baburam Kharel (kp), Politics as the art of the possible: So why beat around the bush?, by Ajit N.S. Thapa (kp)
30/08/2010: Rules are rules: The peace agreements should be adhered to by all sides (kp), Shameless power struggle, by Hari Bansha Dulal (ht), Madhesi front to vote this time (ht), National concern (ht), Monarchy in any form a no-no, say Maoists (kp), Maoists dismiss pro-monarchy tag (ht), UNMIN tenure: Govt to figure out UN response first, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Govt told to cut UNMIN mandate (ht), PM discusses UNMIN term extension with Chinese, Russian envoys (nn), Reality check: The CoAS has exceeded his authority in his call for UNMIN’s ouster, by Suhas Chakma (kp), Disappearance Commission: Govt under rights bodies’ pressure (kp), 'Give justice to victims’ families’ (ht), International Day on Disappeared: UN urges govt to obey court ruling on outlawing forced disappearance (nn), Embassies urge action on pending cases (ht), Conflict wounds too deep to heal: Govt apathy fuelling fury among victims, by Lal Prasad Sharma (kp), Parties ‘shielding’ criminals in Banke, Dang: Wanted man becomes Congress regional president, by Janak Nepal and Durga Lal KC (kp)
29/08/2010: House panels turn ineffective after govt stepped down (nn) Worried prez seeks an end to impasse (kp), President makes consensus call: But Big III stick to their guns (ht), President urges fringe parties to increase role in conciliating major parties (nn), NC ready to sit in opposition, says Sushil (nn), Call for 'people's revolt' amplifies (kp), Extend UNMIN tenure till peace process success: MJF (kp), Parties advice PM Nepal not to make haste in showing the door to UNMIN (nn), UNMIN extension: Panel for extension, new mandate (kp), Embassies urge prompt action on cases of disappearance (nn), RPP-N comes to UN body’s aid (kp) [These die-hard royalists and Hindu fundamentalists only want control of the PLA not that of the NA because such step would help to end the peace and reconstruction process!!], Clarify cultural monarchy stance: PM (ht) [?? The insatitution of monarchy has already been abolished because it has putsched against state, constitution and people! How can a caretaker PM talk such nonsense?], Caretaker Government, On The Horn Of Dilemma, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), MJF-N to partake in the next PM run-off; but won’t reveal yet who will it support (nn)
28/08/2010: UNMIN tenure: Maoists seek six more months (kp), Maoists lobbying
hard for UNMIN stay: Leadership meets P5 envoys,prime minister (ht), No UNMIN cap on NA: Rawal (kp), The missing: More than 1,000 people 'disappeared' during the Maoist war, but their families still do not know what really happened to their loved ones, by Deepak Adhikari (kp) [Most of them were disappeared by the army! These crimes must be solved and the culprits must be punished before you can exclude the army from UNMIN oberservation!!], Integration of Maoist combatants impossible: Caretaker PM (nn) [??], Dahal bolstered, for now: Shrestha, Thapa support his document (kp), Youths’ caveat against federalism: Say more challenges ahead while adopting it (ht) [This can only be claimed by Bahuns, not by disadvantaged sections of society!!], Ongoing politics & way forward, by Sukhdev Shah (rep), President urges top leaders to form common concept for institutionalising democracy (nn)
27/08/2010: PM proposes limiting role of UNMIN here, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Dahal meets PM Nepal to press for UNMIN's term extension (nn), Talk on UNMIN term extension (ht), NA soldiers on to stick to its stance: Ruffles PLA feathers by snubbing JMCC meeting (ht), PLA parries Army over UNMIN stand (kp) [The most violent phase of the insurgency faced the confrontation of two armies, NA and PLA, with none of them being able to win the conflict by arms! Both of them have to be scanned by an independent group like UNMIN if there shall be endurable peace soon! Impunity must be ended for criminals from both armies immediately!!], Defense Minister blames UNMIN of being 'spokesperson' to Maoists (nn) [This minister who has has been rejected by the people in the elections, is one of the greatest obstacles to the peace process!!], Supreme Court rap brings government to its senses: Assures apex court it will respect human rights, to prosecute violators and end impunity (ht), The disappeared and the disquiet of those left behind: On the International Day of the Disappeared, 30 August, we should remember the personal stories behind the statistics, by Robert Godden (nt), Same road: Their husbands were taken away from them by opposing sides during the conflict, but they journey in pain together, by Srijana Acharya (nt), Stolen lives: The Disappearances Commission should ensure justice, not obstruct it, by Ram Kumar Bhandari (nt), Stay on the path: The Maoists’ best option is still peace and constitution (kp), Political Drama In The Name Of PM’s Election, by Yuba Nath Lamsal (rn), Linguistic limbo: How best to incorporate ethnic languages into the traditionally Nepali dominated public sphere, by Saroj Dhakal (kp)
26/08/2010: Dahal under fire for ‘wrongs’, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), Baidhya, Bhattarai oppose Prachanda (ht), NA’s UNMIN exit call, parties remain at loggerheads, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), UNMIN hand-in-glove with Maoists, claims NA: Its sole aim is to prolong stay in Nepal at the cost of peace process: Confidential report, by Rajan Pokhrel (ht), NA decides to boycott JMCC meeting (nn), Nepal Army to boycott JMCC meet (kp), JMCC meeting cancelled following Army boycott (nn), UNMIN's mandate: Nepal Army must be kept out of UNMIN’s purview, by Ram Sharan Mahat (kp) [Will Nepal face a military coup soon that is supported by conservative forces? Politicians, army leadership and royalists must be aware that this may lead to the end of Nepal's existence!!], NC nay to candidacy pull out (kp), NC says no to UML proposal (ht), Next PM? Got to be Dahal or Poudel, by Damakant Jayshi (rep)
25/08/2010: UN body’s fate hanging on edge of three alternatives (kp), Rijal also attacks UNMIN (kp), CoAS should join a party, says Baldev (ht), UML raises alarm against rightists (kp), Revived Nepal Monarchy could be collective strength of China and India, interview with Bal Krishna Neupane (tg), Former crown prince Paras Shah says there was international power behind abolition of monarchy (nn), UML to hold talks for unity dispensation (ht), Hypocrisy abounds (ht), Maoist CC meeting: Dahal rules out withdrawal of candidacy; Baidya, Bhattarai table separate proposals (nn)
24/08/2010: PM poll flops fifth time, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Sixth round polls
Koshi crosses danger mark on September 5 (ht), Protracted race and the way ahead: UML must explain how withdrawal of candidatures helps, by Prakash Rimal (ht), Government looks for options to UNMIN, by Anil Giri (kp), UNMIN under fresh NC fire (kp), UNMIN's term extension (rep), Army chief begins lobbying to stop extension of UNMIN term (nn), 2,000 discharged Maoist fighters under UN care (kp), UML unity plan picks up pace, by Bhadra Sharma (kp), No ifs and buts, say Maoists: Want integration, statute to move ahead simultaneously, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), Man in a hurry: Using and disposing of friends and rivals lies at the root of Prachanda’s strategy, by Aditya Adhikari (kp), Vital national interests: Nepal continuously suffered from its leadership for whom core national interests were negotiable, by Ranadhoj Limbu-Angbuhang (kp), Civil, military relations: An overview, by Khimlal Devkota (ht)
23/08/2010: Accord to defer it if vote fails: PM polls today (kp), Legislature parliament voting fifth time for post of PM today (nn), Madhes parties adamant (kp), UML's proposal (rep), NC scoffs at UML plan: Maoists okay if Congress agrees to withdraw candidacy (kp), NC not to pull out of PM’s race (ht), NC decides to forge separate consensus proposal to end election impasse (nn), Diaspora calls parties to end political crisis (ht), Can it work? (ht), Leaders Frustrate People (rn), Disabled clamour for rights (kp), State restructuring on ethnicity misunderstood, interview with Om Gurung (kp), New party for grand ethnic coalition (ht), Finance ministry alerts parliament of imminent financial crisis due to lack of full budget (nn), Caretaker govt may present budget (ht), Prospects of building democracy at crossroads: The view from democratization studies, by Ganga Thapa (ht), Veil of neutrality, by C.K. Lal (rep), Fifth round of PM election turns out to be another fiasco; next election on September 5 (nn)
22/08/2010: Mission must stay: Maoists (kp), For Maoist leader UNMIN and peace process go hand in hand (ht), Boot camp: The use of violence has been instituted in the psyche of Army officers, by Lilu Thapa (kp), PLA integration: UML moots four-month timeline (kp), UML politburo meet: Floats paper for peace, statute, consensus (ht), Maoist-led govt acceptable if UML proposal accepted: UML gen secy (nn), NC office bearers decide not to withdraw Poudel's PM candidacy (nn), UML leaders informally agree to renew PM candidacy (nn), Big Three get fringe parties’ ultimatum (ht), Fringe parties to boycott House after August 23 (nn), Monarchy if  people want it, says Paras (ht) [What the people want became very clear after the royal putsch!!], Is UML To Blame For Deadlock?, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), Opportunism is killing UML, by Murari Sharma (rep), Dahal finds 'failure' of parliamentary system behind inability to elect new PM (nn)
21/08/2010: UNMIN has to go, says Army: Mission wants Big Three parties’ call on term extension, by Phanindra Dahal (kp) [The voice of those who are against peace and reconstruction, those who want to hide their crimes], Decide fast on UNMIN term: Landgren (kp), Election is the only legal alternative, says Sushil Koirala [who hilself has not been elected by the people!!] (ht), NHRC calls for Prez intervention: Rights body chief flays govt for promoting impunity (ht), Fiscal crisis ahead: Nembang (ht)
20/08/2010: Maoists unsure who ‘main enemy’ is: Party to decide whether it’s India or regressive forces within, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), Litmus test: It’s time Maoist leadership tested its mettle in the aboveground democratic politics (kp), The bumbling bunch: History will not spare any of the political parties if they do not get their act together, by Khagendra N. Sharma (kp), Protracted disunity among parties baffles CA chairman (ht), Wither Nepal’s Peace Process?, by Yuba Nath Lamsal (rn), Twin crises: Nepal is not a failed state, but the illegitimate, undemocratic makeshifts are holding up the transition, by Prashant Jha (nt), UNMIN chief meets leaders of 'big three' to discuss extension of its tenure (nn)
19/08/2010: PM poll deferred till Monday (ht), UML hypes up bid to form govt, by Bhadra Sharma (kp), Maoist secy Gajurel sees India's hand behind UML, Madhesi Front's stance (nn), The Saran doctrine: The would-be prime minister of Nepal would have to be loyal to India, by Gopal Khanal (kp), Strikes hit life in districts (ht), 12-point Understanding: Is it a root of the present malaise?, by Birendra P. Mishra (ht), Arms Down! For Shared Security, by Kul Chandra Gautam (rn) [see part 2 (20/08/2010)]
18/08/2010: Enough is enough, Prez tells PM (kp), Nepal calls on Prez, fails to convince (ht), Today’s PM poll likely to be put off (kp), Round V likely to be put off (ht), Fifth round of PM election postponed to Aug 23 (nn), SLMM still undecided (kp), Madhes-based leaders harp on govt under one of them (ht) [?? The ideal person would be a female Janajati or Dalit!!], India hell-bent on not allowing a Maoist prime minister: Sharma (nn), ‘Maoist letter a step forward’ (kp), Unfortunate tottering (ht), Do it right: The responsibility to lead Nepal in the right direction lies on the shoulders of our top Bahun leaders, by Pramod Mishra (kp) [This exactly is the reason why Nepal's future seems to be dark!!], The Mao metaphor: In Nepal, Mao Zedong may have been reduced to a metaphor of power, and armed revolution, by Abhi Subedi (kp), Final verdict on Prez move on Sept 23 (ht), Final verdict on case against CoAS reinstatement on Sep 23 (nn), Bandh called by fringe party partially affects normal life in various districts (nn)
17/08/2010: CPN-UML sticks to its neutrality guns: Vows to work for a ‘new course’ (kp), NC leaders again request UML for support; say UML's 'neutral position' is to be blamed for deadlock (nn), Maoists open to options: Seek UML favour if consensus bid fails, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), Maoists again ready to support UML for a govt with 2/3rd majority support: Gurung (nn), JMCC to resolve Army, PLA recruitment row (kp), Youths dream: Peace and prosperity, by Surath Giri (ht), Planning For Social Transformation, by Prem Khatry (rn), Nefin's Banda (rep)
16/08/2010: NEFIN agitation paralyses country (kp), NEFIN chakkajam hits life (ht), A case of Cabinet lethargy, by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (kp), Civil society on fence: Analysts (kp), Maoists, UML reject NC plan (kp), NC, Maoists to withdraw candidacy if consensus forged (ht), Fifth round of PM election likely to fail as UML renews its call for withdrawal of PM candidacy (nn), Dahal tells Khanal he is ready to withdraw PM candidacy for 'national consensus' (nn), Hope on horizon: The long stalemate may just enable the formation of a consensus govt (kp), Banda imperils nation: Over 100 strikes in eight months (kp), Sensitisation of people: For quality leaderships, by Bhavani Dhungana (ht), End experiments, by Hari Bansha Dulal (rep)
15/08/2010: UML, NC to seek basis for unity (kp), NC, UML agree to disagree again: Talks to iron out differences to resume today (ht), 23 parties want Maoist unity govt plan (ht), High time PM race ended: Baidya (kp), Bhattarai for common candidate (kp), Let third candidate lead govt: Bhattarai (ht), Lawyers talk turkey on poll fallout: Debate on CA dissolution versus a majority govt (kp), SLMM forms taskforce to prepare code (kp), Decisive stir from August 17: NEFIN: Says it’s all for timely constitution (ht), NEFIN not to repeal banda (kp)
14/08/2010: Muddling through, by Biswas Baral (kp), Tharus against One Madhes (ht), Major parties get a dressing down: Run-off sideshows non-parliamentary,  non-political, say fringe parties (ht), Talks on sharing resources dull? Only four CA members present at interaction (ht)
13/08/2010: Maoists take flexible stand in PM race, by Bhadra Sharma (kp), Maoists flexible on opting out, by Tika R. Pradhan (ht), Acharya cautions parties against taking shortcuts (kp), Wish he were here: Girija Prasad Koirala was keen to end the marginalisation of Prachanda during his last days, by Sarita Giri (kp [??], Ex-king meets former Indian ambassador Rajan (nn) [????], Don't wanna break up: The Madhesi movement has no leader who commands wholehearted respect of all the Tarai dwellers, by Khagendra N. Sharma (kp), Patronising behaviour: With Nepali politicians  kowtowing to flawed Indian policy, it's no wonder we're not moving forward, by Prashant Jha (nt)
12/08/2010: UML spoke in PM poll wheel (kp), Koirala seeks alternative from Maoists, UML (ht) [How shall this work on a rational and legitimate basis???], Maoists' totalitarianism led Madhes-based parties to deny support: Minister (nn), SRC to get final shape after August 18 PM-run off (nn) [??], Muddled ministries pass buck, by Anil Giri (kp), Embassy reply cuts little ice: Maoists: Leaders’ conflicting statements complicate issue within party (kp), SC seeks govt response (kp) [related to army crimes], Clear all semi-judicial detentions: Apex court (kp), NEFIN to enforce chakkajam on Sunday (ht), Acharya seeks civil society intervention for statute (ht), Vice chair of CA shows ray of hope (ht), Seized properties & political misunderstandings, by Shyam Prasad Mainali (rep), UCPN (M) ready to withdraw PM candidacy if NC agrees to do so (nn)
11/08/2010: UML not to dwell on majority govt (kp), House panel summons FM Koirala: Enquires about alleged threat to Maoist lawmaker (ht), House panel call to banish diplomat (kp), Diagnosis and cure: India needs to be more subtle and respectful in its diplomatic moves, by Pramod Mishra (kp), Paudel vows to stay in fray (ht), UML to blame for fruitless prime ministerial election: Poudel (nn) [Please don't fool the people! Even with the support of the UML you will get less votes than Dahal! In the name of people and country: Please find a consense!], UML endorses 9 pt consensus proposal; restates neutral position in PM race (nn), NC acting prez says party will not back out from PM race (nn) [The NC constantly gets about 20% of the votes! This is phantastic; voting can go on for years as long as the politicians are paid! By the way, Sushil Koirala is one of the numerous 'leaders' of the NC that have been rejected by the people in the elections because the party has totally failed under the 1990 system!!], Sharma seeks constitution amendment for consensus (ht), Any way out? (ht), There is a way: If nothing works, the three big political parties could lead the government in rotation, by Shyam prasad Mainali (kp), Way ahead, by Prakash Chandra Lohani (rep), Bhattarai's turn, by Sukhdev Shah (rep), AHRC asks govt to hand over Major Basnet to police (ht), EU calls for ending recruitment debate (ht)
10/08/2010: Maoists set new terms: Say open to fresh start for consensus (kp), UCPN-M proposes, NC disposes, by Tika R. Pradhan (ht), House panel summons PM, FM (kp), Money in politics, by Pranav Bhattarai (rep)
09/08/2010: NC seeks UML help (kp), NC seeks UML support to form govt (ht), UCPN (M), NC ask each other to pull out of PM race (nn), BRB, Saran meet stirs ‘row’' (kp), Bhattarai’s meeting with Saran triggers controversy in UCPN (Maoist) (nn), Dr Bhattarai downplays internal dispute (nn), Lawmaker Sharma seeks govt security (kp), CA to vote to end disputed issues (kp), Indigenous people up the ante, by Dev Kumar Sunuwar (kp), No alternative to national unity govt, interview with Baburam Bhattarai (kp), Challenge of change, by Shambhu Ram Simkhada (kp), Note of dissent: Look who’s here (kp), Do act (ht), Managing monsters, by C.K. Lal (rep)
08/08/2010: Maoists still keen on leading government (ht), Main oppn no to ‘new course’ (kp), Khanal prescribes unity govt as only panacea (ht), Khanal defends stance on polls (kp), UML-NC meet ends inconclusively as both parties stick to their guns (nn), Maoists to seek Indian response (kp), UCPN (M) to summon Indian Ambassador for clarification over alleged threat to party's lawmaker (nn), NA nay, PLA aye to JMCC, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Limbuwan Council shuts nine eastern districts (ht), Banda cripples East (kp), No End To Murky Politics, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn), Democracy In Disarray, by Mulibir Rai (rn), Nepalese Politics Of Electing a Prime Minister, by Siddhi B. Ranjitkar (km)
07/08/2010: Fourth round a fresh fiasco, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), No PM, no surprise, no shame! Fourth round too concludes without electing prime minister (ht), Flux rules; NC, Maoists cosy up (kp), New PM on Aug 18 (rep), UCPN (M) to hold 'serious talks' with parties for Maoist-led unity govt (nn), Poudel not to quit PM race (nn), CPN-ML cleaves, was it money? (kp), CPN-ML splits, leaders throw brickbats at each other (ht), I’m threatened: Lawmaker (kp), India’s special envoy wraps up visit (kp), A wasted month, by Biswas Baral (kp), Insurgency victim deprived of relief, by Arun Gnawali (ht), Eastern districts closed by Limbuwan (nn)
06/08/2010: Consensus is the buzz word: Saran says UCPN-Maoist must be given respectable space (ht), Maoists try to allay Indian concerns, by Anil Giri (kp), Claims, denials of floor crossing rife, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), Nepal prepares for fourth round of election for prime minister today (nn), CPN ML suffers split as party's four former lawmakers decide to back Maoists in PM election (nn), Pressure on PM hopefuls to pull out, by Arjun Bhandari (ht), Withdraw-candidacy call (kp), End uncertainty (ht), One chance only: Here’s the deal; the UML’s vote for the Maoists is the crucial factor to end the deadlock, by Khagendra N. Sharma (kp), Bhandari launches tirade against PLA (kp), The real experts: Community advocates know more than self-declared, degree-holding experts, by Mahendra Lawoti (kp), Systemic failure: We need to find a way to change the system, not the players, by Ashutosh Tiwari (nt), Hard choices: It's easy to lambast politicians, but the current crop are under extreme pressure right now, by Prashant Jha (nt)
05/08/2010: UCPN (Maoist) at war within, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), NC to block Maoist bid to take helm SLMM a crucial force, by Kamal Raj Sigdel (kp), Madhes parties have ace up sleeve, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), UML asks Madhesi front to stay neutral: Unity govt possible if Paudel,Prachanda withdraw from prime ministerial race: Speaker (ht), Election for PM: Message from three rounds, by Birendra P. Mishra (ht), Where Are The Moral Obligations?, by Shyam K.C. (rn), Concern Over Political Impasse (rn), Neutral? Nah, they are incompetent!, by Bhimarjun Acharya (rep), Special panel to resolve row, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Special Committee 'instructs' Maoists stop PLA recruitment drive (nn), Delhi dispatches a Special Envoy (kp), India's special emissary in town (ht), Sahan's brief: Propping up the last government only delayed and undermined the fragile peace process, by Suhas Chakma (kp), Indian special emissary Shyam Saran intensifies political parleys; meets Maoist, NC and UML leaders (nn), Confirmation bias: Most Madhesis probably do not even know that Army service is open to them, by Deepak Thapa (kp), Delusive communist unity, by Jainendra Jeevan (rep), Beware, The People's Republic Of Nepal!, by Kanak Mani Dixit (rep), Maoist women lawmakers try woo their Madhesi counterparts (nn)
04/08/2010: Enough is enough: Parties have failed the people (kp), UML pushes for new course: Maoists, Congress reject Khanal’s proposal (kp), Withdraw candidacy: BRB aide (kp), NC to bow out in fifth round (ht), NC to seek other options if fourth PM election also fails (nn), MJF to call floor crossers on carpet (kp), Madhes-based parties in govt assure caretaker PM they will not vote for Maoists in next PM election, too (nn), All is well: There is no need to repeat the worthless exercise for the fourth time without adequate homework on consensus, by Pramod Mishra (kp), Now, PLA in recruitment drive (kp), PLA to enlist fresh fighters (ht), Breach of pacts: UNMIN (kp), Talk time: There needs to be wider debate on the democratisation of the Nepal Army (kp), Politics in a mess: The present party leaders can rightly be called the gang that couldn’t shoot straight, by Abhi Subedi (kp), Failed state syndrome: Is Nepal becoming a failed state and a hot bed for foreign interference?, by Geja Sharma Wagle (kp), Nepal on “lease” (tg), Foreign intervention in govt formation unacceptable: UCPN (M) (nn)
03/08/2010: New PM plan a hat-trick flop, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Rift in UDMF, 11 cross floor (ht), SLMM soft towards Maoists, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), Much ado about nothing (ht), The stalemate continues, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), All frustration (ht), Third time unsuccessful (rep), Fourth round of election on August 6 (nn), NA restructuring report submitted in rush (ht), 3-year plan for NA revamp (kp), Fresh military recruitments breach peace process: UNMIN (nn), PLA also starts fresh recruitment drive (nn), PLA announce fresh intake (rep), Revitalisation of civil societies: For new constitution, by Shyam Prasad Mainali (ht), SC orders on Sadbhawana leaders to disclose Anandi Devi's whereabouts (nn)
02/08/2010: SLMM seeks NC, Maoist stance, by Ishwar Rauniyar and Kamal Dev Bhattarai (kp), UML to be PM poll spectator again (kp), Madhes front keeps all in suspense (ht), Much amiss in UDMF riders: Nepali Congress (ht), ‘UCPN-M has 310 votes’ (ht), Meeting between Maoists and Madhesi leaders before PM run-off ends inconclusively (nn), Deep rifts in UDMF as leaders disagree with each other over vital issues (nn), Maoists attempt to win-over Madhesi Front with a revised 'commitment letter' (nn), NWPP announces support to Dahal (nn), End it now: The impasse over PM election is harming state interests (kp), PM run-off turns out to be yet another damp squib; MJF lawmakers breach UDMF decision to stay neutral (nn), Army to declare 3,464 vacancies (kp), NA begins fresh recruitment; announces vacancy for 3,434 positions (nn), Ex-Maoist combatants into crime (kp) [This also has to do with the government's failure to integrate and rehabilitate them!!], Monarchs without crowns: Our present leaders can be called Nepal’s new monarchs without the fancy headgear, by Shyam K.C. (kp), They're more violent: Incidents of religious conflicts are not only rising in Nepal, their form has changed too, by Monika Timsina (kp), ‘One Madhes, One Pradesh’ negotiable, interview with Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta (kp), Identify the problem, by Hari Bansha Dulal (rep)
01/08/2010: UCPN (M) casts about for success (kp), Maoists reject self-determination right for Madhes: Say yes to autonomy, but with same status as other Tarai states (ht), Madhesi front nay to Dahal, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), NC maintains 'silence' over UDMF's major demands; says issues need to be discussed further (nn), Madhes-based parties still undecided about whether or not to vote on Monday (nn), No time to lose: Something has to be about the Maoist combatants if the peace process is to advance, by Keshar Bahadur Bhandari (kp), Ethnic outfit attacks police station in Ilam (nn), Electing A New Prime Minister In Nepal, by Siddhi B. Ranjitkar (km)