Kathmandu, May 28, 2007

The meeting of the eight political parties held at Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar ended inconclusively even today due to differences of opinion on a number of issues, including the proposals of full proportional representation system of election by the CPN-UML and reviewing the report of Constituency Delineatio Commission by the Nepali Congress (NC) and (NC-D). The meeting is scheduled to continue Tomorrow afternoon. The eight-party leaders had met on Saturday after a gap of 40 days. The NC and NCD proposed reviewing the report of the Constituency Delineation Commission, while the CPNUML,

The meeting is scheduled to continue Tomorrow afternoon. The eight-party leaders had met on Saturday after a gap of 40 days. The NC and NCD proposed reviewing the report of the Constituency Delineation Commission, while the CPN-UML, Maoist and Janamorcha Nepal opposed the idea, saying that there were no valid reasons to review the report submitted by a constitutional body. The UML, Maoist and Janamorcha Nepal leaders proposed to go for a full-fledged proportional representation system in the constituent assembly polls if the commission’s report were to be reviewed. “Reviewing the commission’s report will open up a Pandora’s Box,” said Janamorcha Nepal leader Amik Sherchan at the end of the meeting.He said a party (NC) that talks more about rule of law should not try to violate the constitutional provision. Jhalanath Khanal of the CPNUML said that the parties who proposed reviewing the commission’s report could not give any convincing logic behind reviewing it.

He said a party (NC) that talks more about rule of law should not try to violate the constitutional provision. Jhalanath Khanal of the CPNUML said that the parties who proposed reviewing the commission’s report could not give any convincing logic behind reviewing it.

Govt paying China fine each month for default in payment

Kathmandu, May 28, 2007

The government has been paying a fine of 150,000 US dollars to China each month for the past seven months for not being able to pay about 4 million US dollars as the first instalment for buying two MA 60 aircraft. The first installment is 16 per cent of the total cost of about 25 million US dollars. Twenty per cent of the total cost, which is around Nepalese Rs 400 million, was paid to the Chinese government as a down payment when the deal was struck by the previous royal government. The rest of the 80 per cent payment was planned to be made in various

The first installment is 16 per cent of the total cost of about 25 million US dollars. Twenty per cent of the total cost, which is around Nepalese Rs 400 million, was paid to the Chinese government as a down payment when the deal was struck by the previous royal government. The rest of the 80 per cent payment was planned to be made in various instalments within five years after its delivery.

After China refused to return the down payment of Rs 400 million, the Cabinet in January had no option but to buy the military planes, which Nepal “did not need in the changed context.” The Koirala government then told China to turn the military planes into civilian aircraft. “China’s condition is that the government should clear the first instalment of 4 million US dollars before it actually begins turning the military planes into civilian aircraft,” a source at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told this daily.