The Finance Ministry has written a letter to the Office of Attorney General requesting for the quicker settlement of the case against Bijaynath Bhattarai, who was suspended from his position of governor of the central bank after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed case of corruption against him.

According to Nepal Samacharpatra, the Ministry has requested for quicker settlement stating that there is legal complication in appointing another governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) as Bhattarai remains in suspension.

The CIAA had filed case against Bhattarai as well as NRB director Surendra Man Pradhan at the Special Court claiming they had embezzled Rs 24.5 million.

In its letter, Finance Ministry has said that in the absence of full-fledged governor, the financial sector reforms programmes were suffering. Earlier, there were reports that in the absence of a governor, the NRB will not be able to print notes since the governor has to sign them. As such, the country could face shortage of currency notes later this year, said reports.

Meanwhile, the Special Court has fixed the next hearing date on Bhattarai’s case on July 11.

Despite calls from national and international level, the disruption in the distribution of The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post continued on Wednesday as well.

According to the newspapers, the Maoist-affiliated workers disrupted the distribution of the newspapers for the seventh consecutive day on Wednesday. “This morning the union workers first delayed the loading of the newspapers on to the distribution vehicles and then did not allow them to leave Sama Printers (printers of THT/AP) at Bhaisipatti till 6.30 am. After the vehicles left under police escort, one of the vehicles was stoned and forcibly stopped at Nakkhu. The union workers threw down all the newspapers meant for distribution in Patan area and also took away the keys of the vehicle. The union workers also threatened the drivers of the distribution vehicles with dire consequences and warned them not to ply their vehicles,” the newspaper reported in its website.

The newspapers were similarly disrupted on Tuesday also. The delivery boys affiliated with the Maoists have been obstructing the distribution of the newspapers since last Thursday.

Even though Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had assured the media representatives that he will take initiatives to resolve the problem faced by the newspapers, the situation on the ground has not improved.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Maoist MP and its trade union wing chief Shalikram Jammar Kattel, speaking in the parliament, said that media houses were exploiting the workers.

Earlier, Information Minister and senior Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara had asked media not to drag the name of his party every time there is a dispute between workers and management.

The acting chief of the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lalit Bahadur Limbu on Tuesday admitted that he had series of telephone conversations with the bank operator facing action from Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) and ‘individuals close to palace’.

“Not only one time, I have the authority to contact different individuals at anytime in the course of the investigation,” Limbu said at a press meet he called Tuesday apparently to react to the news item published by Kantipur daily the same morning which said the acting chief of the anti-graft body had made six telephone calls to Laxmi Bahadur Shrestha, promoter of troubled Nepal Credit and Commerce Bank (NCC) and chairman of Nepal Bangladesh Bank (NBB), before and on the day the CIAA filed corruption cases against Governor Bijya Nath Bhattarai and NRB director Surendra Man Pradhan at the Special Court

“Conversing with individuals on telephone is not illegal. However, it would have been a different case had such contacts affected decisions or cases.” The acting chief of the anti graft body further said that it is “a professional act as well as an individual right to contact”.

Reports said that the Central Bank under the leadership of Governor Bhattarai had already taken the management of NBB bank under its control while it had warned in writing that it would also take over the management of NCC bank if its directions are not abided by.

Similarly, the newspapers also reported that Limbu had contacted a mobile number registered in the name of the palace 19 times. Ex-military secretary Gajendra Limbu carries that mobile phone.

“He (Gajendra Limbu) is my younger brother and it is natural to have conversation with him,” Limbu said.

Appointed acting chief of CIAA during King Gyanendra’s direct rule, Limbu also claimed he was an “ardent believer in democracy.”

Limbu also used the opportunity to dismiss the news, however, as a “desperate attempt to pull the leg of a high-ranking Janajati”.

The Nepali Canadian Community (NCCS) will organise a one day outdoor Nepali cultural festival in Toronto, Canada called the ‘NEPALI MELA: The Himalayan Festival’ on Sunday, 26 August .

The organizers hope that it will provide a platform for participants to experience and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Nepal which will feature an extensive array of Nepali arts, crafts, food, and music that will give a taste of the diversity of Nepal.

The one-day festival will present unique folk dances such as Laakhe, Tamang Selos, Newari and Tharu dance. Traditional as well as modern songs of different genres that capture a range of beautiful nuances of diverse ethnicity and culture of Nepal will be performed in the festival. Likewise, the festive day will include paintings and photo exhibition along with film screenings reflecting on and highlighting different spheres of Nepal’s everyday life.

Participants will be able to get a taste of Nepali food and view/purchase Nepali crafts from the wide array of Nepali food and crafts stalls at the Mela. In order to provide people a hands-on experience to interact with the Nepali culture, the Mela will include free workshops on traditional Nepali musical instruments like Maadal, Saarangi and Baasuri and on the unique art Thanka painting. There will also be stalls offering free Mehndi and face paintings.

After Lyricist Ratna Shumsher Thapa, popular Nepali musician Deepak Jangam is all set to perform at the Paleti for the month of July, Nepa~laya said in a statement.

Songs by Dipak Jangam are familiar to Nepali listeners and his songs have gained immense popularity. His songs have been sung by singers like Narayan Gopal and Pakistani Gazal singer Gulam Ali.

Some of his popular songs include Yeti Dherai Maya Diyi, Jeevan Hamro Sanglo Pani Ho, Euta Manche Ko Maya, Kina Kina Timro Tasbir, Gajalu Ti Thula Thula Ankha, K Cha Ra Diyun .

Born in Bhaktapur on Magh 10, 2010 BS, Jangam has been active in the music field since he was nine. His creativity continues to enrich the contemporary Nepali music scene. Jangam learned music from Prof. Ram Prasad Raya, Surya Raj Sharma among others and is currently working at Padma Kanya Campus.

“I am very much influenced by Paleti’s contribution to the contemporary music scene in bridging the gap between the musician and the listener and I am happy to be a part of this campaign. It is very important for a composer to get an opportunity to sing before music lovers. I am eagerly waiting for that moment”, said Jangam as he was rehearsing at the r-sala of nepa~laya.

“Paleti has been advocating for giving equal space to lyrics, music and singing in Nepali music. In this connection, Deepak Jangam is expected to further widen the importance of Nepali composers among the audience and listeners”, Paleti Coordinator, Aavaas said.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has warned that failure to ensure a credible election within a realistic and well-planned period could have a much more serious impact on the unity of the eight parties and their ability to act and function in unison within the existing coalition.

In his report presented to the Security Council at UN headquarters on Tuesday, Moon said the overall human rights situation continues to be worrying, with the main concerns linked to inadequate public security and law enforcement and to unresolved issues of discrimination with regard to representation and inclusion in the political process.

“The enforcement of repeated bandhs, especially in the Terai, by a range of groups seriously affected freedom of movement, as some protests turned violent. Police responses ranged from passivity to excessive use of force,” the report said.

Moon said that the ongoing peace process in Nepal appears on track to deliver peace and stability, but the national political scene has become more complex and challenging in recent months.

“Renewed and expanded efforts will have to be made to sustain the successful trajectory of the peace process,” Moon adds.

He expressed hope that peace process in Nepal will achieve its goal and give the people of Nepal a well-deserved future of peace, stability and prosperity.

Not only will additional commitments need to be forged, but the parties to the peace process will also need to improve their record of implementing commitments they have made already, the report states.

The report further states, “The significance of the far-reaching process of democratisation that Nepal is going through cannot be overstated. The successful holding of the Constituent Assembly election in a manner that meets the aspirations of the majority of the Nepali people is the central element of this process.”

He also stated that conditions at the cantonments remain difficult for UNMIN monitors as well as for the Maoist army, but they have recently improved with the provision of prefabricated offices, ablution facilities, office tents and diesel-fuelled generators.

“There were important developments in relation to accountability, which, if properly implemented in accordance with international standards, could have a positive impact on reducing impunity. These include a bill before the interim parliament to criminalise enforced disappearances,” it said.

The second round of talks between the government and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) held at a resort in Dhulikhel, Kavre district, on Wednesday ended inconclusively.

Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, who heads the government’s talk team, said the talks focused on preparing ground for a compromise on key issues, and implementing the 20-point understanding reached in the first round of talks held in Janakpur on June 1st.

Next round of dialogue will be held on Saturday, he said.

MJF vice-chairman Kishor Kumar Bishwas, one of the MJF negotiators, said, “The government side said it needed two days for homework on the issues raised by our party.” According to him, the MJF reiterated its demands, which includes “constitutional guarantee of federal system of governance with autonomy” and fully proportional electoral system for constituent assembly polls.

“We have been raising these issues from the very beginning. None of the demands are new,” he further said. The three-hour long meeting held amidst tight security did enter into these demands, but there was no serious debate on them.

The government talk team also comprised of state ministers Ram Chandra Yadav and Gyanendra Karki while the MJF team was represented by party chairman Upendra Yadav, vice-chairman Bishwas, Sitanandan Raya and Nasir Siddiqui.

Earlier, upon arriving at the venue, MJF leaders had said they didn’t expect any breakthrough in today’s talks.

“Since the government has not implemented what was agreed in the Janakpur meeting, we have little hope for a breakthrough,” Bishwas said.

The National Coalition for the International Criminal Court (NCICC), the joint forum 106 human rights groups in Nepal, has called on the government to accede to the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Issuing a press statement Wednesday on the completion of one year of unanimous resolution of then House of Representative directing the government to accede to the Rome Statute, the NCICC also called on the legislature parliament and eight-party alliance to take initiative to pressure the government to ratify the Rome Statute, which, according to the National Coalition, would be crucial in ending the culture of impunity in Nepal.

The National Coalition said the involvement of the ICC is necessary to effectively implement the commitments made by the interim parliament, political parties and the interim government to ending impunity and establishing democratic norms and values based on the principles of rule of law.

A government taskforce formed to study the Rome Statute had submitted its report to then Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister KP Oli last October, but the interim cabinet has not yet taken up the issue.

Human rights groups had even staged protest programmes to pressure the government to accede to Rome Statute.

105 countries have already joined the ICC, which is the first permanent international court capable of trying individuals accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

Currently, only seven Asian countries-Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Japan, Timor-Leste, and Tajikistan- are state parties to the ICC. In contrast, the majority of states in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean have joined the Court.

Claiming that his party does not have a policy to attack press freedom, Minister for Information and Communication and a senior Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara has washed off his party’s hands from the current disruption in the distribution of two daily newspapers.

Owing to the intervention by Maoist-affiliated delivery boys, the distribution of The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post has been disrupted.

“Party had not intervened nor will it in the dispute between workers and management in Nepal Samacharpatra in recent past and in Annapurna Post currently. There is no meaning in dragging the Maoist name every time there is a dispute between workers and management,” Mahara told reporters.

Meanwhile, the US embassy spokesperson Sharon Hudson-Dean deplored the interference in the press freedom. “Intimidation of free media is intimidation against democracy. In this case, Maoist union-affiliated activities directly undermine claims by their leaders to support democracy and free media,” she said.

The legislature parliament Tuesday directed the government to make public the report of the high-level commission formed to investigate the atrocities committed by the erstwhile royal regime to suppress year’s April movement.

Speaker Subash Nemwang issued the ruling after the MPs demanded that House direct the government to immediately publicise the Rayamajhi Commission report and initiate action against the suppressors of the Janandolan-2.

Despite pressure from the political parties, human rights groups and the civil society, the government has not disclosed the probe report.

The probe commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Krishna Jung Ramajhi had submitted a 1400-page report to the government in last November, recommending action against more than 200 people for widespread human rights abuses and misuse of state funds.

At least 22 pro-democracy activists were killed and over 4000 others wounded in the three-week long mass uprising in April 2006.