In what is likely to widen the rift between the ruling parties and the opposition, the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance has decided to expand the cabinet if there is no package deal between the parties on key issues including formation of the unity government within the next five days.

A meeting of the FDRA held at Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's residence took this decision. A spokesman said after the meeting that the ruling alliance also decided to take initiative for consensus by showing maximum flexibility.

Earlier today, a meeting of the ruling parties held at UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's residence gave the responsibility to hold talks with the opposition parties to Dahal. The FDRA decision comes a day after the President issued a six-day deadline to the parties to choose consensus PM.

Nepal government has expressed serious concern over the Nepal Conflict Report released by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights . The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said, the report has been prepared without prior consent of Nepal government and proper consultation with all the stakeholders.

It stated the Government of Nepal has strong reservation on the process and content of the report and does not own the report. The government has reiterated its commitment to promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law, peace.

The detailed report had been released by the UN body of Human Rights on Monday saying that upto 9000 serious violations of international human rights law during the ten year conflict but no one has been prosecuted in a civilian court for a serious conflict related crime.

n Nepal, the Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to deploy safety inspectors at Kathmandu, Pokhara and Nepalgunj airports . It also increased the number of flight safety inspector and other personnel. This was decided at an emergency meeting in Kathmandu on civil aviation safety following a plane crash of Sita Air in which nineteen people lost their lives on Friday.

According to a press release issued today , the meeting decided to adopt a number of safety measures which include, that all airlines shall implement quality assurance and flight safety measures. The Civil aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) shall monitor and supervise all the operations with special technical document update. A high level aviation safety agency will be formed and priority will be given to develop aviation safety infrastructure.

 In Nepal, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has said that the government of Nepal has recognized that chronic malnutrition is a major nutrition problem in the country. Addressing the function launching the multi -sector nutrition plan in Kathmandu today, Mr Bhattarai said due to the potential negative impact on malnutrition on economic development and human population it must be urgently addressed nationally.

Vice Chairman National Planning Commission Dependra Bahadur Kshtery said that while there has been progress in the control of micronutrient deficiency in Nepal the reduction in general malnutrition has been very slow.

The National Planning Commission along with the Ministry of Agriculture and Development, Ministry of Education, Federal Affairs and Local Development, Health and Population and Urban development developed the multi-sector nutrition plan for accelerated reduction of maternal and child under nutrition. Under the plan the government aims to reduce chronic malnutrition by more than twenty per cent over the five year period .

The plan will initially be implemented in twelve districts in the most disadvantaged areas and gradually scale up the program to cover all the seventy-five districts. According to Demographic Health Survey 2011 , forty-one per cent children suffer from chronic malnutrition in Nepal also known as stunting which causes serious lifelong and irreversible problems.

In Nepal, the first joint exercise between the US and Nepal Army has concluded in the western district of Kaski. The week long Operation Pacific Angel held its closing ceremony in Pokhara on Monday with Nepal Army Chief Of Staff of western Division Lt. General Bhusan Chand and representing the US Pacific Air forces Major General Russel J Handy officiating over the ceremony. Over 4,195 local area villagers were given free medical assistance during the exercise .

Announcement

 In Nepal, the four main political parties have said chances of reviving the Constituent Assembly have ended. The UCPN(Maoist) , Nepali Congress , CPN-UML and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha had met in Kathmandu today to discuss the way of ending the political impasse that has continued since 27th May .

Emerging from the meeting CPN-UML Chairman JhalaNath Khanal said the chances of promulgation of the new constitution by reviving the dissolved Constituent Assembly ended as the parties failed to build an agreement on the disputes in the constitution drafting. The parties have decided to hold further talks on holding of fresh elections and the modalities.

Earlier today the ruling coalition UCPN (Maoist) and Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha had decided to go for fresh Constituent Assembly Election if they failed to get consensus on the proposal for formation of ten states of fourteen states as proposed by the State restructuring Commission .The Nepali Congress in it’s meeting had also concluded that the chances of reviving the Constituent Assembly was extremely small hence talks would have to be focused on holding of fresh elections.

 In Nepal, Minister for Land Reform and Management, Chandra Dev Joshi has resigned from his post today. Joshi who is also the Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (United), a fringe party, handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, expressing his dissatisfaction over the government’s failure to take initiative for political consensus.

He charged the Prime Minister of being indifferent to forge political consensus among the parties to end the ongoing political impasse in the country. Earlier, the Central Committee meeting of the party had decided to withdraw from the government.

 n Nepal , the Supreme Court has issued a stay order on the ongoing recruitment process for Army officers.

A single bench of Justice Tahir Ali Ansari issued the interim order yesterday which effectively bars the Nepal Army to conduct any further exams for Army officer candidates who passed written exams recently.

The Apex court issued the order in response to a writ petition filed by Rakesh Yadav against the publication of result of written exams for officer level in the Army on July 25.

In the petition, he argued that Nepal Army conducted the exams only for candidates under the open category but not for those under inclusive category.

In Nepal, the government has extended the term of the Special Committee for Supervision , Rehabilitation and Integration of the former Maoist combatants by three months.

The Cabinet in it’ s meeting held today in Kathmandu decided to extend the Prime Minister led Special Committee whose term expired on the 16th of this month. The cabinet said that the integration to the army has to be completed within the extended term .
　
The government decision to extend Special Committee’s term comes amidst accusation by opposition parties that the government is trying to move ahead with the army integration work arbitrarily by not extending the Committee’s term.

About three thousand former Maoist combatants have opted to join the Nepal army but has been stalled following the criteria set by the army and former combatants. The government is yet to sort out the issue.

 Police today said that a group of 24 persons were stopped by Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and local police for checking yesterday when they failed to produce valid documents about their identity. During interrogation,the detained persons claimed that they had several years ago crossed over to Pakistan and got married and settled there. Now they were trying to return home. The local police is verifying their credentials.

 or the first time in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, public bus services are being started from tonight. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City in coordination with the Federation of Nepalese Transport entrepreneurs are launching the bus services which will run from eight till eleven in the evening. Fourteen metro buses will be operated along six different routes in the city .

For those who work late or have go out in the evenings and have to depend on the public transport , the night buses in the capital will become a boon. In an experimental basis the fourteen buses with thirty seats will have the same fare as during the day time. According to the Kathmandu Metropolitian City officials the buses will have two armed security personnel and CCTV and will be accompanied by police control room vehicles while security personnel will keep a watch on bus stops. 
According to the public response in the service hours , routes and number of buses will be revised. As per the agreement the Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs is receiving an of forty five lakh nepali rupees as assistance to meet the fuel and salary expenses from the Metropolitan authority .

India’s Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad has said our Government would continue to support the development and progress of Nepal as the progress development of Nepal was also the progress of India

Inaugurating a two-day gathering of Nepal-India Friendship Association today in Kathmandu today, Prasad said economic progress of Nepal was a wish of India. He said Nepal could make a great economic strides if it brought a special work plan and moved ahead utilising the natural resources available in the country. Nepal could see speedy development if the remaining task of the peace and constitution writing processes were concluded, he added.

Chairman of the Association Omprakash Sarabagi expressed hope that the Indian support to Nepal would continue in the days to come. Professor Dr. Lokraj Baral, water resources expert Kumar Panday and Association Vice-Chairman Bharatendra Kumar Mallik presented separate papers on New Dimension to Nepal-Indian Relationship, Possibility of Hydropower in Nepal and Indian Aide and Activities and Concepts of Nepal-India Friendly Association.

Nepal Election Commission says elections to the Constituent Assembly are not possible on November 22. Addressing a press conference in Kathmandu today, acting Election Commissioner Neel Kant Uprety said that the elections cannot be held as parties failed to amend the Interim Constitution and election regulations. The Commission also pointed out that there would be no credibility of the elections if the political parties do not have consensus over the issue. The Election Commission had set a deadline of July 22 to remove legal and constitutional difficulties by amending election related Acts and the interim constitution to hold the election on the stipulated date and has extended the date by one week.

In Nepal, the Election Commission has urged the main political parties to amend the constitutional provisions within a week if the elections are to be held within the declared date of November 22nd. The Election Commission on Sunday met with the leaders of the three main political parties , UCPN (Maoist) , Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress Vice _ president Ram Chandra Poudyal and CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal in Kathmandu Sunday on the day of the deadline fixed by the Election Commission has come to an end.

However the Election Commission has said if the political parties come to an agreement in amending the provision in the Interim Constitution within seven days it will still be able to hold the elections for the fresh Constituent Assembly as announced by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai. 

The Commission has said once the relevant laws are passed it need hundred and twenty days for making the necessary announcements and arrangements for holding the elections. Earlier, a delegation of the Nepali Congress led by party President Sushil Koirala also called on President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav at his office in Sheetal Niwas in the capital stating that it was not possible to hold elections with the declared date.

AIR correspondent reports, the opposition parties have said it was unilateral decision of Prime Minister Bhattarai and he should step down and another consensus government led by Nepali Congress led government should hold the elections . The parties are also divided on whether the elections should be for a Parliament or fresh Constituent Assembly. 

Since the dissolving of the Constituent Assembly without promulgating the constitution there is continuing political uncertainty as the Interim Constitution also did not envisage such a situation and the relevant laws have to be amended for the Election Commission to also hold the elections.

Besides in the absence of a parliament it is for the political parties to come together to decide away for forward . The president also emphasized that is for the political parties to come to consensus saying that he cannot directly interfere according to the constitution but can only be a facilitator and guardian.

n Nepal, President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has approved an ordinance on providing state facilities to former Prime Ministers, Former Chief Justices ,and former Home Minister who were in office after 1990.The ordinance has come about after the Supreme Court had scrapped the earlier decision and asked the government to formulate a law for granting the state facilities

In Nepal, the caretaker government has announced one third budget of 161.02 billion nepali rupees for the fiscal year 2012-13 on Sunday. Finance Minister Barshaman Pun announced the budget at program in the National Planning Commission in Kathmandu which was brought through an ordinance after the President signed the proposal earlier Sunday.

Presenting the budget , Mr. Pun said that the economic growth in the current fiscal year was the highest in three years and assured that the government would continue big projects in the country despite the announcement of one-third of budget.

AIR correspondent reports, the caretaker government today brought a budget through an ordinance as the financial year just concluded today and the new financial year begins tomorrow in Nepal .The government had been trying to bring a complete budget but the opposition had opposed it and as the Finance Minister Barshman Pun put it this was done for the sake of agreement with other political parties. He claimed that the government does not want to start a war over the issue of budget but not to take it as the government’s weakness, but a sacrifice. Mr. Pun said the government will continue it’s three pillar economic polity which calls for public -private cooperative partnership and will remain active to create an investment friendly environment. . The budget includes three billion rupees for elections to a fresh Constituent Assembly , also more than three billion for the rehabilitation package of former Maoist combatants who opt for voluntary retirement and another here billion for the establishment of the National Development and Security Directorate after the integration of the former Maoist combatants.

Chief of the Indian Army, General Bikram Singh was today given the guard of honour on his arrival on a five day official visit to Nepal. General Singh is leading a five member team and has come at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart General Chhatrraman Singh Gurung. This is his first foreign visit after taking over as Chief of the Army.

The General will also be conferred with the Honorary rank of General of the Nepalese Army by the President of Nepal during the Investiture Ceremony at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu tomorrow.

Chief of the Army, General Bikram Singh on his arrival today laid a wreath at the Brave memorial at the Army pavilion in Tundikhel in the capital and later called on his counterpart at the Army headquarters where they discussed on various bilateral issues. He also met with the Principle staff officers and received a briefing on the current status of Nepal.

General Singh will receive the title of Honorary General of Nepal Army from President Ram Baran Yadav , a tradition between Army chiefs . During his five day visit General Singh visit the Nepal Army’s training centres and institutions such as High Altitude training centre at Jomsom along Nepal-China border, Birendra Peace Keeping institution in Panchkhal, and Indian Army’s pension camp in Pokhara where he will address an ex-service men rally . He is to also address the ‘commanders’ undergoing training at the Army Institute at Tokha, and visit the office of Western Brigade of the Nepal Army.

The World Bank has approved a sixty million dollars credit to Nepal for maintaining and constructing bridges on it’s Strategic Roads Network. This will cover to about 10,800 kms of national highways, feeder roads and other roads of national importance in the country.

Under the Bridges Improvement and maintenance program the fund approved yesterday will be utilized to maintain eighty- nine bridges, many over thirty-five years old, complete major and minor maintenance on over three hundred bridges, and construct hundred and twenty-one new bridges.

The Program will be financed through a new World Bank financing instrument called the program for results that links disbursements of funds directly to the delivery of verifiable results. This is the first Program-for-Results to be approved by the World Bank’s Board under IDA, the Bank’s concessional financing window. The Bank will provide approximately forty per cent of program financing, with Government of Nepal providing the remaining sixty per cent.

According to press release, the World Bank has funded six road projects in Nepal. By improving mobility and access, including in the poorest regions of western and far-western Nepal, these projects are generating economic opportunities while reducing the vulnerability of excluded and marginalized groups.

n Nepal, a new party led by Sharat Singh Bandhari , Rashtriya Madhes Samajwadi party was formally launched in Kathmandu today. Addressing a press conference the Chairman of the new party Mr. Bhandari said that his party would take up the issues of the Madhes , indigenous , ethnic, Muslim, Dalit communities and marginalized groups. Hitting out at the the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha he alleged said that the madhes alliance have forgotten the issues of Madhes and are only trying to stay in power.

The party was formally launched after a two day national gathering in the capital and decided to form a sixty-one member Central Committee, which mostly comprise of leaders and activists who were expelled of left Madhesi Janadhikar Forum -Democratic party. 

Mr Bhandari who had been expelled from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum -Democratic earlier this month and ten central members of the party also resigned from the party leading to the formation of yet another Madhes based party. Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Democratic is led by Deputy Prime minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar and is part of the Madhesi Morcha supporting the UCPN ( maoist) Baburam Bhattari led government.

The launch of another political party as the fall-out of the dissolved Constituent Assembly continues to hit the country. The Unified Communist party of Nepal (Maoist ) also split leading to the formation of a new party called Communist party of Nepal ( Maoist) led by Mohan Baidya. 

It looks like the repercussions of not promulgating the constitution and dissolving of the Constituent Assembly will be felt in the coming days also as polarizations and political equations change in the present political scenario .

In Nepal, Britain’s Minister of State for international Development , Alan Duncan arrived today on a three day official visit. On his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu , Mr. Duncan expressed his hope that his Nepal visit would be successful in reviewing the assistance being provided by his government to Nepal in the sector of poverty alleviation and in finalizing future strategy on it also.

During his stay in Nepal, Mr Duncan is scheduled to hold separate meetings with the top leaders of parties and the representatives of British organizations supporting the development projects. He said that during his political meetings here he would urge the political leaders to reach to a consensus as early as possible. This is the third visit of the British Minister to Nepal in the past two years.