Main News, January 06 - 19, 2010

• 19/01/2010: Indian army chief arrives today (rn), Maoists boycott House over Indian Army chief remarks (kp), Pun says trip ill-timed (kp), Maoists stage protest in front of Indian Embassy (nn), Special panel okays rehab, integration procedures: deciding maoist fighters’ fate, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Prachanda threatens another revolt (rn), Drawing attention:A gathering of civil society leaders was a reminder that the peace process agreements have been forgotten, by Aditya Adhikari (kp), US: UNMIN role very positive (kp), Defence minister refutes arms import reports; challenges Special Committee's mandate (nn) [Once again anti-peace statements!], HLPM meet forms committee to determine its functions (nn), UCPN (M) urges US to de-list it from terror watch list (nn)
  
• 18/01/2010: Civil society: Focus on statute (kp), Oppn to two-province-Madhes sutra (kp), SC extends Toran stay order (kp), 222 fighters bid adieu to Shaktikhor, by Sipendra Baduwal (kp), 258 combatants leave Chitwan cantonment (rn), Maoist leaders revive threats to take up arms again (nn), Maoists offer talks with Delhi; HLPM should be expanded: Madhes parties (kp), The extent of foreign involvement: will be determined by our behaviour, interview with Prakash Chandra Lohani (kp), No talks with armed outfits: Chemjong (kp), Nepal receives international inputs on the draft constitution (nn)
  
• 17/01/2010: Peace hurdles remain: UNMIN chief (ht), HLPM will boost peace: Landgren (kp), CA's governance panel to submit report tomorrow (ht), Governance Structure: CA panel okays concept paper (kp), MJF to protest for single Madhes (ht) [How can you deny the rights and wishes of the indigenous ethnic groups of the Tarai??], Disqualified PLA discharged from Chitwan (nn 17/01/2010), A High Level Political Mechanism In Nepal, by Siddhi B. Ranjitkar (km)
  
• 16/01/2010: CA panel presents two models, by Arjun Bhandari (ht), Sub-committee recommends two models of state restructuring (nn), 'Ban mistaken about peace process' (ht) [No, Mr Koirala, the UN General Secretary is absolutely right!!], UN report misses the mark: Koirala (kp), Nepali envoy to UN apprises Security Council of progress on peace process (nn), Urgency shown by parties gives hope, UNMIN says (nn), UCPN (Maoist) claims NA imported arms; NA refutes (nn), Arms controversy erupts once again: NA refutes Maoist charge (kp), Nepal: Prosecute systematic crimes committed during Civil War, by Jaya Ramachadran (i on Global Trends)
  
• 15/01/2010: Peace process at a standstill: Ban (ht), Ban warns of collapse of Nepal’s peace bid, All parties called on to burry hatchet (rn), Ban: Mistrust plaguing peace; Asks regional powers to do more (kp), NC president unhappy with UNSG report (nn), Failure to address impunity risks peace process: ICG (kp), Key ruling on extrajudicial killing (kp), Maoists to announce 'people's constitution' (ht) [??], Maoist wings tussle ethnic states (ht), "Creating federal units is not like cutting a birthday cake" (nt), CA timeless: Minister Khand (ht) [??], Film on famous ‘Das Dhunga’ put on hold, by Prabalta Rijal (rn) [protected impunity??], A Giant Step Forward In The Peace Process, by Indra Karki (rn), A tall order: The high level mechanism has many wishes to fulfil in a short period, by Khagendra N. Sharma (ht), HLPM berth for PM gets Dahal’s nod; Koirala to Maoists: Withdraw protests (kp), Discharge process moves on: Jutpani to bid disqualified adieu (kp), Taking Nepal out of the Nepal Valley: There are many things we can do to make Kathmandu livable, but moving the capital is the one sure shot, by Rabi Thapa (nt), Life expectancy lower for indigenous people - UN (Radio New Zealand)
  
• 14/01/2010: Nepal: Peace and justice (International Crisis Group), 'Parties responsible for impunity' (ht), ‘Parties and govt behind rising impunity in Nepal’ (kp), What all is being done to democratise army, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ht), Maoist chairman Dahal takes U-turn on PM's inclusion in HLPM (nn), Political mechanism: Dysfunctional, if self-interest rules, by Birendra P. Mishra (ht), Ministry for culture proposed, by Bishnu Prasad Aryal (ht), Ex-envoy for deploying PLA to guard borders (ht), Justice remains far cry for kin of disappeared, by Krishna Prasad Dhakal (ht), Bandh in East largely peaceful (ht), Bandh affects life in Birgunj, Sankhuwasabha (rn), Murder triggers Tarai banda (kp), Maoists hastily withdraw Terai bandh (nn), NRNA renews its call for dual citizenship for NRNs (nn), NRNs indirectly demand dual citizenship with PM (rn) [No, they demand it directly!!], New policy to allow Non Resident Nepalis buy property and enter Nepal without visa (Asian Tribune), Yes, Prime Minister (rn), Picking their brains: We could learn much from the international constitutional experts meeting this week, by Bipin Adhikari (kp), Dashed hopes: The discontent of disqualified Maoist combatants doesn’t augur well for the country, by Kalpana Dhakal (kp), Nepal peace process close to standstill due to tensions and mistrust, UN warns (Relief Web)
  
• 13/01/2010: RJNs East bandh: Fear of clash grips people (ht), Shape of things to come (kp), No alternative to federalism, but not ethnicity-based (rn), Tarai violence on; secy killed (ht), Three views to be forwarded for CA (ht), Governance Structure: CA panel okays parallel status for 3 proposals (kp), UNMIN extension sought (ht), Managing combatants, a rider for power sharing?, by Prakash Acharya (ht), UML flimsy salvo against Nepal President Dr. Yadav: Analysts (tg), Songs of silence (kp), PM has no place in HLMP: Prachanda (ht), ‘No need to include PM in HLPM’ (kp), Prachanda: HLPM to end deadlock, help draft statute (rn), NC, UML agree to include PM Nepal in HLPM (nn) [Once again four male Bahuns at the controls, two of them not even elected by the people!?], Experts: Draft inclusive constitution (kp), UML-led govt weakest in history: Yadav (ht), Ensure Law And Order (rn), Mandated action not punishable: Pun (kp) [There was a civil war in Nepal. Not those who have fought this war have to be punished but all those who have committed crimes under the pretension of war, including the leading persons behind these crimes! Else, the rule of law has never a chance in  Nepal!!]
  
• 12/01/2010: Panel mulling PLAs integration (ht), Army integration plan draws flak (ht), Taplejung bandh called off (ht), Tharus against extended CA tenure (ht), ‘CC ignored minorities’: Tharu community demands redraft (kp), UML to Prez: Don’t overstep bounds (kp) [He already did so in May 2009!], Banda business (kp), Leninism blues: Nepal's Leninist organisations could learn from what happened in Latin America, by Anil Bhattarai (kp), Righting the wrongs: The government and rights defenders must own UDHR document, by Gopal Krishna Siwakoti (kp), 2010 critical year for peace process: EU (kp), Maoist chairman rules out PM Nepal's inclusion in HLPM (nn)
  
• 11/01/2010: Parties agree to settle Jha row (ht), SC stay order on till Jan 17 (ht), Galvanisation now (ht), Limbuwan warns against Maoists (ht), Prachanda miffed at parties for snubbing elite panel, by Shivaraj Bhatta (ht), Bandh largely peaceful despite sporadic violence (ht), 30 vehicles vandalised in anti-federal strike (rn), Banda remains largely peaceful: Three hurt, half a dozen vehicles vandalized (kp), UCPN-M defaming communist movement: RJN (ht), Deuba demands inclusion of 24 parties in high level body (rn) [What a nonsense! Use the CA where all parties are included!!], HLPM won’t be all inclusive: Dahal (kp), ‘Critics of HLPM speaking language of foreigners’ (rn), European envoys welcome formation of HLPM, PLA discharge (nn), Political forces ignoring architect of unified Nepal (rn) [Yes, we have to thank Prithvi Narayan Shah that Nepal exists as an independent nation, but he also laid the foundations for many current problems through the non-inclusiveness of this state!!], Federal states not possible in nation: Pradip Nepal (rn) [But this has been part of your party's program in the CA elections!!], MJF renews Madhes demand (kp), Tharu body miffed at CC draft (nn), Land grabbers, by Jagannath Adhikari (kp), Taplejung banda on (kp), Maoists withdraw indefinite Taplejung, Panchthar bandh (nn), Indian Hindu fundamentalists concerned over China tightening its grip on Nepal (nn), UML lawmakers raise objection to President's remarks (nn)
• 10/01/2010: State restructuring report on card, by Arjun Bhandari (ht), High Level Political Mechanism (rn), Oli, Bhattarai term HLPM useless (ht), Tarai parties cautiously hail HLPM formation, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), Khanal claims parties have no disputes on HLPM (nn), Poudel for PM's inclusion to make HLPM 'effective' (nn), Country's National Day still a confusion (ht), Many yet to get the feel of SSP: Report (ht), People back Maoists in fight for independence: Prachanda (ht), Culture Of Bandh, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn), New Delhi, Maoists seem to drift further apart, by Akhilesh Upadhyay (kp), ‘I am not at variance with Dahal’ (kp), Nobel Peace Prize For Girija, by Siddhi B. Ranjitkar (km)
  
• 09/01/2010: High-level mechanism set in place, by Prakash Acharya (ht), Koirala leads High-Level Political Mechanism, by Anil Giri (kp), High level mechanism formed, by Nandalal Tiwari (rn), HLPM brings cheers, jeers, by Lilaballav Ghimire (kp), UNMIN all praise (ht), UNMIN hails formation of HLPM (rn), Bhattarai too questions HLPM legitimacy (nn), 'PM' s plan technically impossible', by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ht), Four years on, war-injured awaits healing, by Khem Bahadur Budha (ht), Country sees 599 protests in one month (ht), Discharge Begins (rn), Govt writes to UN for 97-day UNMIN term extension (kp), Stop politicising crime: NHRC (kp), Ruins of the land, by Durgalal K.C. (kp)
  
• 08/01/2010: Significant Breakthrough (rn), Oli dubs political mechanism 'unconstitutional' (nn), UNMIN welcomes formation of high level mechanism (nn), Maoist nod for PM’s integration action plan, by Baburam Kharel (kp), High hopes (kp), First lot of disqualified PLAs out, by Rewati Sapkota (ht), 201 disqualified combatants sent home, by Phanindra Dahal (kp), Relief nowhere (ht), Overriding national concern For long-term peace, by Kamal Raj Dhungel (ht), Madhesi parties parley with NC (ht), Forces trying to revive 1990 constitution: Dr Bhattarai (ht), Great Wall Of Divide, by Sushil Sharma and Saroj Dahal (sp), People Should Own New Constitution, interview with Suresh Acharya, President of Media Initiative for Rights, Equity and Social Transformation-Nepal (MIREST Nepal) (sp), International conference on dynamics of constitution making in Nepal in post-conflict scenario, January 15-17, 2010 (sp), The Deadline Dynamics: An international conference on constitution making in Nepal is starting next week amidst the rush towards meeting the deadline, by Keshab Poudel (sp), “Nepalese themselves to decide the system that they want”, interview with Cheryl Saunders (sp), “It is a 'constitutional moment'”, interview with Thio Li-ann (sp), “The constitutional process has taken time in Nepal”, interview with Bob Rae (sp), Where Government Is Weak, People Suffer, by Uttam Maharjan (rn), Federalism, Sujata And Referendum, by Yuba Nath Lamsal (rn), Brahmsaling For Brahmins! (rn), MJF unveils protest programme, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), Boost to veep-elect Jha (kp), Let the others speak, by Khagendra N. Sharma (kp), Righting wrongs, by Mahendra Bantawa 'Masanta' (kp), Maoist chairman renews revolt rhetoric (nn), Eastern hilly and Terai districts closed due to Maoist strike (nn), Anti-ordnance ordinance: There is no reason Nepal should not ratify the anti-landmine treaty, by Kunda Dixit (nt), Disappeared: Families of the disappeared haven't received the promised help, by Gopal Gartoula (nt), Missing justice: Impunity and the long shadow of war, by Ram K. Bhandari (nt), "Civil society has become passive" (nt), Five more months (nt), Unscripted lines: Without Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoists will repeat history, by Prashant Jha (nt)
  
• 07/01/2010: Parties all set to announce HLPM: Mechanism won’t have anything to do with govt affairs (kp), Yadav: UML govt will be history, by Ishwar Rauniyar (kp), Team to hold talks with MJF (kp), We’re also indigenous community: Brahmins (kp), Nothing’s everlasting, by Bhim Prasad Bhurtel (kp)
  
• 06/01/2010: PM allocates 112 days for integration, rehabilitation, by Phanindra Dahal (kp) [How shall it work? You did not manage anything at all for three years!], What’s the hurry? (kp), ‘Nat’l sovereignty most pressing need’: Dahal to lead if party joins govt, by Sanjeev Satgainya (kp), Janamorcha enforces Far West banda (kp), Parties ‘outdo’ armed outfits in attacks (kp), Monoethnic or multiethnic federalism?, by Pramod Mishra (kp), Nepal: Federalism Distaste?, by N.P. Upadhyaya (tg), Nepal cannot be pushed to disintegration in the name of Federalism, interview with Chitra Bahadur K.C. (tg)