Nepal parties reach agreement on new government =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Political parties in Nepal on Wednesday agreed on the formation of a new government to be led by the country's chief justice and govern the Himalayan republic until elections.

   The leader of the country's four biggest parties reached the agreement after late-night negotiations in the capital, Kathmandu. Chief Justice Khilraj Regmi was expected to be sworn in as prime minister Wednesday night.

   The parties also set June 21 as the date for elections to the constituent assembly, despite June being a monsoon month. The election commission had warned earlier that it is unprepared for polls given vacancies in election commissioner posts.

   In an acknowledgement of the difficulty in meeting the June goal, the parties left open the possibility of a postponement until November-December. The new 11-member cabinet is mandated to govern until mid-December.

   Wednesday's agreement ends weeks of negotiations on the formation of an administration to replace the caretaker government, in place since May 2012.

   The opposition had argued against appointing the chief justice as head of government, saying to do so would breach the separation of powers.

   The small parties have criticized the move of the major parties to appoint the chief justice as the prime minister.

   Nepal had announced election for November last year, which did not materialize. The parties then said they would hold election in May.

   The latest announcement comes as a breakthrough after the parties have squabbled for months about a new government, amid tensions regarding integration of former Maoist rebels into the military.
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Nepal opposition party enforces general strike =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Schools and markets were closed Tueday and transportation was stalled in much of Nepal by a general strike called by an opposition political faction.

   A breakaway group of Maoists enforced the strike to protest a  decision by the major parties to form a consensus government headed by the Supreme Court chief justice to conduct elections for a new Constituent Assembly.

   On Monday, the caretaker government and four main parties agreed to form the new administration that was expected to be formally endorsed Tuesday with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's resignation.

   Nepal has been mired in a prolonged political crisis as the previous assembly failed to write a constitution before its term expired in May.
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Nepal's Maoists urge opposition to join April election =

Feb 2, 2013
   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal's Maoist party on Saturday called on the opposition not to boycott an election in three months to choose a constituent assembly.

   Nepal has been in a political deadlock since May, when the term of the Constituent Assembly, or parliament, expired after it failed to draft a new constitution.

   A caretaker Maoist government has been in power since.

   The political deadlock has been deepened by disagreement between the Maoists and the opposition over who should lead a national unity government.

   Opposition parties this week held rallies to protest the election in late April and vowed to boycott the vote.

   Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who's the vice chairman of the party, called on the opposition to reverse its decision.

   He was speaking at the party's first general convention in 21 years. The party, which led a decade-long insurgency starting in the mid-90s, joined mainstream politics in a 2008 election.
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Author: Pratibha Tuladhar

REFILE (dpa 055): Maoist chief slapped at reception in Nepal; man arrested

Filed on November 16, 2012

   Kathmandu (dpa) - The head of Nepal's Maoist party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was slapped Friday at a reception in Kathmandu as public frustration over the country's political deadlock rises.

   Padam Kunwar, a 25-year-old party worker from the Baglung district in western Nepal, was arrested, police said. Dahal's glasses were broken in the incident, media reports said.

   Police said they would take Kunwar to hospital for treatment after he was beaten by party workers after the slap.

   “We take this incident seriously and will investigate before we take action,” said Maoist leader Barshaman Pun, who also acts as finance minister.

   Hundreds of Maoist party workers as well as guests from other parties attended the reception, after which the Maoists accused the government of providing inadequate security.

   Nepal is currently under a caretaker government after the term of the constituent assembly expired in May after it failed to draft a new charter. The caretaker government has been under pressure from the opposition to step down to make way for a consensus government.

   Nepal plunged into a deeper crisis Friday after the caretaker government failed to deliver a budget because of opposition protests.
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Nepal parties miss deadline to form consensus government =

Nov 29, 2012

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal's political logjam was prolonged yet again on Thursday after parties missed the week-long deadline set by the president to form a national unity government.

   The failure was due to the parties being unable to decide on who would lead the government. They are expected to call on the president to grant them another week for negotiations.

   Nepal has had a caretaker Maoist government since May, when the term of the Constituent Assembly, or parliament, expired after it failed to draft a new charter.

   Last week, President Ram Baran Yadav gave the parties until November 29 to come up with a consensus on nominations for a prime minister and a government.

   Maoists criticized the president's deadline, saying the step was unconstitutional because his role is ceremonial. But the opposition has welcomed his involvement, believing it will help end the political deadlock.

   The political crisis deepened after the opposition said it will reject any agreement with the government unless it steps down. The government, for its part, has stuck to its position that it will only step down sometime before a constituent assembly election set for April.
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