Kathmandu, August 27, 2007

Two days after the House prorogation, the Election Constituency Delimitation Commission (ECDC) today submitted its reviewed report to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

Leader of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party-Anandidevi, Hirdayesh Tripathi, called it a conspiracy and threatened to launch protest in Tarai. Chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Upendra Yadav said he would comment on the reviewed report only after studying it tomorrow.

The government had asked ECDC to review its report following disruption of interim parliament for several days by the Maoist and Madhesi lawmakers demanding cancellation of ECDC’s previous report. Though the ECDC completed its task on July 12, the PM accepted the report only today. “We do not know what is there in the report, but we know it for sure that it is a conspiracy to receive it after the session has been prorogued,” Tripathi told The Himalayan Times. He added, “Since we cannot raise our voice in the parliament we will protest in Tarai.”

ECDC has not changed the number of constituencies, but has moved certain VDCs from one constituency to another in 13 districts in its reviewed report. “The alternations have been made in 13 districts on the basis of geographical convenience, socio-cultural aspects, transport facilities and population distribution,” said Arjun Prashad Singh, ECDC chairperson.

Constituencies have been “re-delineated” in two hilly districts — Kathmandu and Kaski — and 11 Tarai districts — Sunsari, Saptari, Bara, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Dang, Jhapa, Dhanusa, Mahottari, Sarlahi and Parsa.

4 Maoist nominees for envoys’ posts

Kathmandu, August 27, 2007

The CPN-Maoist today presented its nominees for four ambassadorial posts in Denmark, Australia, France and Malaysia to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

The government has nominated Kamal Koirala for South Korea and Arjun Bahadur Thapa for Israel, said sources. Pampha Bushal has been nominated for France, Vijay Lal Kanta Karna for Denmark, Rishi Adhikari for Malaysia and Yogendra Dhakal for Australia.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Sahana Pradhan has requested the PM to call a cabinet meeting tomorrow to discuss the nominations. “I feel relieved. Soon after the cabinet approves the list, the parliamentary hearing procedure would begin,” Pradhan said. Earlier, the Maoists had proposed the name of Hira Bahadur Thapa, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for Nepal’s ambassador to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the ministerial committee headed by Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula could not meet to pick secretaries owing to “persistent differences.” The efforts to have the take up the issue of finalising the list of 27 secretaries too did not materialise today, pending consensus among the coalition partners.