The President, The Prime Minister

The President's roadmap

There are three branches to the government and Ram Baran Yadav is not leading any of them. One of the branches has gone missing. The country is running on an interim constitution.

The president has been sending signals to parties like the NC and the UML that he might do something. Many NC folks fantasize the president might simply get rid of the Prime Minister. That happens not to be a constitutional option. That is not happening.

The best thing the president can do is let the political process take its due course. By now all parties are in mind to go for an election to a new assembly. It is ridiculous for the NC or the UML to suggest they should be leading any consensus government. They are too small as parties to be making such a claim. They are going to be even smaller after the election. But I digress.

The NC and the UML could join the current government or they should let the current government as is hold elections. What other option is there? Considering Baburam Bhattarai is not opposed to inducting NC and UML members into his cabinet, the fact that that is not happening should tell the president the current government is the one that is going to conduct elections. And he should cooperate.

NC And UML Do Not Have Veto Power
Dahal's Capitulation Is Wrong
Baburam Bhattarai Will Conduct Elections
Ram Baran Yadav Is Not An Executive President

Prez warned not to cross the line
UCPN (Maoist), UDMF discuss budget
Adhikari signals UML readiness for UCPN-M-led consensus govt

CPN-UML standing committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari has said on Wednesday that his party would accept the leadership of UCPN-Maoist led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal , if they got an opportunity to lead the next consensus government.

Road to becoming a millionaire was not an easy one

Though we originated from Nepal, we are foreign citizens. Investment from NRNs is definitely going to encourage other international investors to come here and invest. I am optimistic that international investors will view this step taken by an NRN as an indicator of improving situation of investment climate in Nepal...... Foreign investors worry about how to take back dividend to their home countries. They look for an easy bureaucratic process and seek commitment from the government on taking back investment and returns anytime they want. But for NRNs, that might not be a problem. We don´t worry too much about taking the investment and dividend back to the country where we are residing. So there is a difference between other foreign investors and NRNs. ....... we are negotiating with chains such as Paris Hilton, Marriott, and Sheraton, among others ..... NRNs are the only people who can bring investment into the country at the moment .... You should not be afraid of taking risks

Obama, Romney race to finish line neck-and-neck

"I have given my voice in the service of my president," a hoarse Clinton said on the latest of more than two dozen campaign events for Obama, before 24,000 people on a chill night in the battleground state of Virginia. ..... In the latest show of good news for the president, he led Romney by five points in Iowa in a poll by the respected Des Moines Register newspaper, and also appears well placed in Nevada and Ohio -- in the trio of "firewall" states that could hand him re-election.

India's Congress party holds massive rally

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• Nepal's president pushes for elections
• Baburam Bhattarai Will Conduct Elections
• Major forces agree on polls
• Budget ordinance sans consensus a no-no: Prez
• Nepali parties inch back to poll option
• Dahal's Capitulation Is Wrong
• UML won't lay claim for govt leadership: Gyawali
• Tug-of-war over Constituent Assembly revival
• Adhikari signals UML readiness for UCPN-M-led consensus govt
• Thapa warns of third movement

NC And UML Do Not Have Veto Power

Prachanda is going to have to stop acting like the NC and the UML have veto power over the political process. The ruling coalition has to face the reality that the NC and the UML have to be soundly defeated at the polls.

Prez tells top leaders to forge consensus on contentious issues including budget
Full budget even if no consensus: UCPN (M)
Lady cop said to be in relationship with DSP Thapa also commits suicide

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• Dahal's Capitulation Is Wrong
• Adhikari signals UML readiness for UCPN-M-led consensus govt
• UML's Gyanwali blames UCPN-M for CA's demise
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• Nepali parties inch back to poll option

Step By Step

Step 1 is to realize the constituent assembly is not coming back. It is not coming back for further work on the constitution and it is not coming back to amend the interim constitution. All election related amendments will have to be the act of the president.

But the president is not an executive president, and so a government acceptable to all major parties will have to be put into place first. Do it like they did it in Bangladesh. Put together a government of non political people. Maybe this is the chance for the civil society to shine. Step 2, set up a new government of all non political people.

Step 3, let that government pass on election related ordinances to the president who would sign them to make elections possible in April 2013. Chances are the new assembly is smaller in size. Maybe it is 300 and not 600 strong.

Nepali parties inch back to poll option NC president Sushil Koirala and UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal have categorically rejected the CA revival option. A group of former Supreme Court Chief Justices warned the Prime Minister that CA revival to promulgate the statute would be unconstitutional. President Ram Baran Yadav too has spoken in favour of fresh polls.
Nepal’s president pushes for elections revival of the Constituent Assembly (CA) could not happen ‘under any circumstances’..... “The political parties have no alternative but to go for elections as per the spirit of the interim constitution and the verdict of the Supreme Court.”
Ruling UCPN (M), Morcha strike CA elections accord
SLMM to take final call on CA rebirth
CA rebirth not possible, former CJs tell PM
CA revival not possible: Prez Yadav
Dahal floats new proposal before Prez

The Supreme Court will not let the reinstated CA work
With leaders sticking to differing views, no solution in sight
Grab the offer
Dahal now for fresh CA poll cum poll for prez
Madhesi, ethnic leaders urge prez to work for consensus
Plot to bypass UML will not succeed: Nepal

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• Nepali parties inch back to poll option
• Prez asks parties to define his role in crisis
• Forget CA revival‚ go for polls‚ Prez tells parties
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Brikhesh Chandra Lal On The New Alliance

Baburam Bhattarai: Good News

May 29, 2011: Where To From Here?
March 20, 2005: Doing Business With Baburam Bhattarai

The guy is honest. He is smart. He is a communist, but he is not dogmatic. He is socially progressive. A few years back he compared the plight of the Madhesis in Nepal with the blacks in South Africa during the apartheid regime.

For the first time I am feeling like the peace process in Nepal might finally pick up pace. This alliance between the Maoists and the Madhesi parties also makes sense politically on the ground. The Maoists rule the hills and the western Terai, the Madhesi parties hold sway over the rest of the Terai. The Maoists compete with the Congress and the UML in their strongholds, the Madhesi parties compete with the Congress and the UML, but primarily the Congress in their strongholds. This Maoist-Madhesi alliance might prove relevant also after the parliamentary elections after the new constitution. The Congress and the UML are the parties of the 1990 constitution. The Maoists and the Madhesis are the parties of the constituent assembly. The Congress and the UML disliked the idea of a constituent assembly for as long as they possibly could. They both came to the idea of federalism kicking and screaming.

This prime minister and this alliance could see a full four year term after the next parliamentary elections. But first the work on the constitution.

The Madhesi parties' primarily tussle continues to be with the Nepali Congress. It is not with each other.

NepalNews

Bhattarai elected new Prime Minister of Nepal: Bhattarai received 340 votes while Poudel received 235 votes. .... In addition to his party UCPN (Maoist) which has 237 lawmakers in the 595-member Constituent Assembly, United Democratic Madhesi Front with 65 lawmakers and few fringe parties had also supported Bhattarai. ..... Bhattarai was born in a village called Belbas in Khoplang VDC of Gorkha District on May 26, 1954. He was born in a low - middle class peasant family .... He scored the highest marks among total examinees in SLC examination conducted in 1970 and topped the I.Sc board again in Amrit Science Campus, Kathmandu.

SC trashes petition challenging legality of CA tenure extension
Baburam Bhattarai’s profile: Bhattarai was elected from Gurkha-2 in the CA elections held in 2008 with the 80 percent of votes cast in his constituency
Peace, constitution and relief to people are top priorities, Bhattarai says after getting elected as PM
Dahal heaps praise on Bhattarai: "A-one candidate". .... Dahal also said that his party was in favour of consensus to take the peace process and constitution-drafting even as the government is formed on the basis of majority. ..... Speaking in the House before Dahal, Bhattarai said he was not in favour of majority government personally.

Madhesi Front declares support to Bhattarai; UML goes with NC: five UDMF leaders ..... both sides agreed to negotiate to determine the ranks of Maoist combatants going for integration and to reduce the number for integration up to 7000 from the proposed 8000. .... They also agreed to make the public services inclusive and start inclusion of Madhesis in Nepal Army by fixing a certain number.

Republica

Small cabinet to be sworn in Monday: an agreement has been reached to give 11 ministries to the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF). The new cabinet is also likely to get four deputy prime ministers. .... Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar from the MPRF-Democratic, Upendra Yadav from MPRF-Nepal, JP Gupta MPRF-Republican and one from the Maoist party are the strong contenders for the deputy prime minister. .... The Maoist party is likely to send its Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha into the cabinet as the deputy prime minister .... there is a tussle between Upendra Yadav and Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar over who gets to become senior in the cabinet. Yadav may send another party leader into the cabinet if he doesn´t get a position senior to Gachchhadar in the cabinet.

Madhesi alliance to decide its vote Sunday: the Madhesi leaders proposed to the Maoist leadership that a directorate under the Nepal Army should be formed to accommodate 6,000 personnel each from the security agencies, the Maoist combatants and the Madhesi community. That means the directorate will have 18,000 personnel. ..... the alliance has proposed that such a directorate should be mandated to work in the field of development and industry. They have clearly stated in their proposal that such a force will not have any mandate for border security and any combat role. The Maoists, in their proposal made public Thursday, sought to give a general military mandate to such a directorate. ...... Madhesi leaders Jitendra Dev, Laxman Lal Karna and Hrideyesh Tripathi prepared the amended proposal. .... the Madhesi parties have also sought from the Maoist party an agreement on sharing constitutional appointments and other governmental appointments.

Maoists, Madhesis ink four-point deal: no citizen will be deprived of their land ownership, besides agreeing on giving "special" relief for those affected by the Maoist insurgency, Madhes movement and Janjati movement...... "All the court cases against those involved in the Maoist insurgency, Madhes movement, Janjati movement, Tharuhat movement and Dalit and Pichadabarga movements will be dropped and they will be given general amnesty," the second point of the agreement reads. ..... uphold universal fundamental rights, constitutional supremacy, rule of law, press freedom, accountable judiciary, inclusive democracy autonomous states with right to self-determination and competitive politics

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