The main opposition party in parliament CPN-UML unveiled a 22-point prescription for what it described as solution of existing national problems.

In a press conference in CPN-UML central office, general secretary of the party and opposition leader in parliament Madhav Kumar Nepal said that the 22-point agenda put forth by the party would help solve the burning problems facing the country.

The 22-point agenda include honest and quick implementation of land reforms announced by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, economic and social reforms, change in industrial policy and new policy on the utilization of foreign assistance, all-party talks and national consensus for solving Maoist insurgency, fair election and corruption control, investigation into the wealth of high ranking officials and leaders, confiscation of the wealth earned through illegal means, reduction of the members of cabinet (ten per cent of total number of lawmakers in the House of Representatives) and an impartial caretaker government during general election, among others.

CPN-UML general secretary Nepal said that if implemented, the demands put forth by his party would definitely control distortions and carry the nation forward. His party has full backing for Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for the implementation of land reforms and negotiation with Maoist rebels to end the insurgency.

In the light of protest from RPP and Nepal Sadbhavana Party against the land reform announcement, CPN-UML would take out a rally in Kathmandu and other programmes to counter anti-land reforms activities. He said that the party would go ahead with the talks with other communist parties for left unity.

Nepal, Bhutan agree to speed up refugee verification

In a bid to speed up refugee verification, Nepal and Bhutan have agreed to split a 10-member verification team into two groups while adding one member each from the two countries.

Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said this after returning home Thursday on completion of three days of ministerial-level talks in Thimpu on the issue of repatriating 100,000 Bhutanese home from Nepal.

The joint verification team that started work for the first time in March has been empowered to take decisions that previously had to be taken by ministers.

“Some positive achievements have been made,” Dr. Mahat said. The two Himalayan states have agreed to complete the slow verification of 1,200 families at Khandbari in Jhapa by October.

Verification will take 10 years to complete at the current pace. Secretary-level talks will then be held to discuss the tricky issues of categorization, harmonization and repatriation, Nepali officials said.

Nepal and Bhutan have deep differences on categorization and harmonizing perceptions on these two issues. Bhutan got the upper hand in bilateral talks when Nepal agreed to Bhutanese demand to put the refugees into four categories: people who left Bhutan voluntarily, people forcibly expelled, criminals and non-refugees.

The talks have lingered for more than a decade without agreement.