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Kathmandu, Thursday, May 3, 2012 (21/01/2069) Nepal Sambat 1132

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Vol XX No 75 | 12+4 Pages | www.ekantipur.com

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Parties agree on unity govt under Bhattarai

PM to dissolve Cabinet after talks among four forces today
KAMAL DEV BHATTARAI
KATHMANDU, MAY 2

No-trust vote plan on hold

POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, MAY 2

To invite all parties in CA to join new govt

The fresh accord
Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, SLMM to join govt Bhattarai-led unity govt to promulgate new
constitution

FTER several ups and downs in top-level negotiations, major political parties on Wednesday finally agreed to dissolve the current Cabinet and form a new national unity government under Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, according to negotiators. Bhattarai will announce the dissolution of the Cabinet after talks among the four major forces on Thursday afternoon and invite all the parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) to join the new government under him. The Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, among others, will join the government, according to Wednesdays understanding among top leaders. We will strike a deal on constitution making and national unity government tomorrow (Thursday), said Deputy Prime

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Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha. We will hand over the leadership of the government that will hold elections to the Nepali Congress. The constitution drafting process, according to leaders, will be completed under the Bhattarai-led national unity government. He, however, will resign once the constitution endorsed by the CA is handed over to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav for promulgation, a top NC leader said. Top leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to promulgate the new constitution within the May 27 deadline. Earlier, the parties were divided on who would lead the government at the time of constitution promulgation. Party leaders have agreed to sit for talks on Thursday to decide on portfolio allocation. The NC is likely to get five to seven ministries in the new Cabinet that will have no state ministers. The NC and the UML had previously refused to join the Bhattarai-led government, saying that the government was based on an undemocratic four-point deal between the Maoists and the Madhesi Morcha. The issue concerning

Leaders to talk portfolio allocation on Thursday Maoists may get 8 ministries, NC 7, UML 6,
Morcha 5
the four-point deal has been settled, said NC General Secretary Prakash Man Singh. Todays understanding is just a follow up of the November 1 seven-point deal. Top leaders of four political forces will prepare a draft of the agreement and will present it in Thursdays meeting of the four parties. A Cabinet meeting has been called for Thursday morning to discuss the issue. While details of portfolio allocation are yet to be had, sources said there has been an understanding to give eight ministries to the Maoists, seven to the NC, six to the UML and five to the Madhesi Morcha. One or two ministries could be offered to fringe parties, according to leaders. The fresh deal is likely to give the constitution making process the much needed impetus. The process had hit snag owing to differences among the parties on national unity government. On forms of governance in the new constitution, Maoist Vice Chairman Shrestha said parties have agreed to go for a mixed model of governance.

OPPOSITION parties on Wednesday put on hold their plan to call a no-confidence motion against the government. The decision followed an understanding among major political parties to form a national consensus government. Today, we have made an understanding on constitution writing and the peace process. As such, we did not discuss the vote of no confidence, said UML leader Bhim Rawal. The Nepali Congress and the UML had threatened to introduce the motion to topple the incumbent government. The two parties had cited delay in forming a new consensus government and promulgating the constitution in accordance with the seven-point agreement signed in November 1. On Wednesday, the NC briefly discussed introducing the motion against the government in the parliament, but left the topic midway after some youth leaders in the party opposed the idea.

newsdigest
Madhes front plan
KATHMANDU: The Comprehensive Madhesi Front on Wednesday announced a phase-wise protest programme demanding single Madhes Province with the right to selfdetermination. (Details on Pg 3)

Shutdowns across country hit life

POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, MAY 2

Janakpur life
JANAKPUR: Life in Janakpur is yet to return to normalcy following a bomb blast on Monday. Markets and educational institutions remained closed while vehicles stayed off the roads. (Details on Pg 4)

DAILY life in various parts of the country was affected on Wednesday due to shutdowns called by different political and ethnic groups. In the Far-Western Region, the banda called by various political partiesexcepting the UCPN (Maoist)student unions, civil society and professionals entered its sixth day. They have been demanding an undivided FarWestern Region. The shutdown has mainly hit the hill districts of the region. With transport services coming to a grinding halt for six days in a row, the districts are reeling under a shortage of daily commodities. In view of the inconvenience caused due to the banda, an all-party meeting was called at the Kanchanpur District

Banda supporters at a rally in Dhangadhi, Kailali, on POST PHOTO Wednesday.

Administration Office. The meeting agreed to mobilise security personnel to resume transport services from Wednesday evening. The banda organisers have

been protesting a Maoist proposal to incorporate the two Tarai districts of Kailali and Kanchanpur in the proposed Tharuhat state. Meanwhile, organisations representing the Tharu community staged demonstrations in Kailali and Kanchanpur, demanding a separate Tharu state. Supporters of the undivided Far-Western Region and the Tharuhat state came out on the streets in droves in the two districts on Wednesday. They pledged not to commit any activity that could incite any form of communal violence. The Tharu Unified Struggle Committee, which consists of 12 Tharu organisations, also enforced banda in districts like Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Banke, Bardiya and Dang, demanding a separate Tharu state. SHUTDOWNS CONTD ON PG 4

First draft of constitution almost ready

Constituent Assembly appoints experts panel to fine-tune language
PHANINDRA DAHAL
KATHMANDU, MAY 2

HE Constituent Assembly (CA) Secretariat has given top priority to giving finishing touches to the first draft of the constitution within the fast looming May-27 deadline. A skeleton of the first draft is already ready and empty portions will be filled up once parties agree on contentious issues, according to officials. The CA has appointed a panel led by the secretary of the Law Ministry to bring out the first draft in line with the required

A skeleton of the first draft is ready; empty portions will be filled up once parties agree on contentious issues
parameters of the constitution. We have invited experts to make the first draft linguistically sound, said CA Chairman Subas Nembang. The drafting process will move forward swiftly once the

parties sort out disputed issues at the political level. According to a source, the CA Secretariat has incorporated the already settled issues in its preliminary framework that sequences the new constitution into 27 chapters. Former Chief Secretary Tirtha Man Shakya and former Law Secretary Madhav Poudel are among the members of the panel entrusted with the responsibility of fine-tuning the language of the first draft. Preparations on our part are obvious and we are fully prepared, while we can start work any time,

said Tek Prasad Dhungana, the Secretary of the Constitutional Committee (CC). He said parties have given a full mandate to the CA Secretariat to prepare the first draft in accordance with the agreements they reach at the political level. The stalled constitutionmaking process is awaiting political consensus on key issues including forms of governance and state restructuring at the Dispute Resolution Subcommittee headed by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. STATUTE CONTD ON PG 4