Kathmandu, December 28, 2006

A CPN-UML leader, who was a member of the team that finalised the interim constitution, said today that some points had “gone missing” in the final draft of the interim constitution.

“Several points, which were finalised at the meeting in Baluwatar, were missing the next morning,” CPN-UML standing committee member Jhalanath Khanal told a gathering of lawyers at the Nepal Bar Association today.

Without elaborating, he said there are several “translucent flaws” in the interim statute. “When there are flaws, complaints and grudges are obvious,” Khanal said and criticised the Nepali Congress (NC) for resorting to monopoly in all aspects, including getting hold of major ministries.

“If this continues, the institution of monarchy cannot be rooted out,” Khanal said, demanding that the SPA government respect plans of policy of all partners equally.

He also criticised the government for doing a “wrong job” by not handing over the Rayamajhi report to the attorney-general. NC general secretary Ram handra Poudel defended his party president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, saying that Koirala’s “age factor” has played a dominant role in the all-party meeting, in the interim constitution and in the cabinet.

“Even Prachanda and Madhavji hesitantly okay Koirala’s proposal,” he said. Saying that making the PM powerful was the need of the hour, Poudel said, “We (NC) neither could say we should keep the king, nor we could say we should throw him.”

CPN-Maoist leader Dev Gurung said, “The interim statute has given the right to the PM as an “undeclared” head of the state.

Student leader breathes his last as his son is born

A student leader died in a hospital while his wife was giving birth to a son in the near by Maternity Hospital today.

The unfortunate father Padam Giri, 26, of Maranthana VDC-7 of Pyuthan district was declared dead by the doctors of the Norvic Escort Hospital, Thapathali at 10 am today while his wife gave birth to a son at 2 pm in the Maternity hospital.

Strange coincidence in the life of Sita Giri, 21, took place today. “Sita only knows that her husband is seriously ill and receiving treatment at the Norvic Hospital,” Padam’s elder brother Kamal Giri told this daily.

A central organisation committee member of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Unified) Giri was admitted to the Hospital after he was seriously injured in a motorbike accident at Basundhara on Saturday evening while his wife Sita was admitted to the Maternity Hospital on Tuesday morning following the labour pain.

“It happened to be a coincidence that Sita Giri gave birth to a baby today though according to doctors the baby was expected to be born on January 10,” Kamal said.