Cabinet declares Uma martyr, appoints Kshetry new NRB guv

(Updated with cabinet decision on holding by-election, NST 2210, GMT 1625)

By-elections to CA on April 10

Uma Singh declared martyr

Kshetry new NRB governor

NSC, NPC vacant slots filled

AISC members named; NC yet to recommend

Working Journalists´ Regulations passed

Sukumbasi Commission given shape

KATHMANDU, Jan 15: The cabinet on Thursday took a host of decisions from declaring slain radio journalist Uma Singh a martyr to appointing Deependra Bahadur Kshetry new governor of Nepal Rastra Bank and making appointments to a number of important committees and commissions.

According to a minister, the cabinet also declared slain radio journalist Uma Singh a martyr. Her family will be given Rs 1 million as compensation. Uma was murdered by an armed group of about 15 men in her residence in Janakpur on Sunday.

Despite protests by Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), a major partner in the government, the cabinet appointed Kshetry governor of the central bank.

In its meeting Thursday, the cabinet made appointments to a number of high-profile commissions and committees. [break]

It appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Upendra Yadav from Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) as member of the National Security Council. It would add another member from among the ministers representing the UML after the party makes recommendation. The other ex-officio members of the NSC are prime minister, defense minister (both from the Maoist) and home minister (representing the UML).

In the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC), the cabinet decided to appoint UML´s Bhim Rawal, Agriculture Minister J P Gupta and Mohammad Habibullah (both from MPRF). The other UML representative in the powerful committee is Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (coordinator of AISC) and Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa are members from the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Nepali Congress is yet to recommend two members from its quota in AISC. Each party has two members in the committee.

The AISC is set to oversee rehabilitation into society, including possible integration of about 19,000 Maoist combatants into security agencies of the government. These combatants are staying in 28 UN-monitored cantonments throughout Nepal. The eight-member committee has two members each from the three ruling parties and two from main opposition, Nepali Congress. The fifth largest party in the parliament, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, has objected to its being left out of the committee.

In another decision, the cabinet appointed Dr Guna Nidhi Sharma as Vice-chairman of National Planning Commission and Ram Hari Pokharel, Dinesh Devkota, Laxmi Devkota and Prem Kunwar other members in the commission. The appointments to NPC, the development advisory body of the government, also attracted opposition. Ministers Asta Laxmi Shakya of the UML and Ganesh Shah of CPN (United) objected to the appointments, saying the body was not at all inclusive, said the cabinet source. PM Dahal argued that since the NPC was directly under him, other ministers should not oppose his appointees.

In yet another decision, the cabinet also formed a high-level commission to resolve sukumbasi (landless squatters)´s problems. Kailash Mahato of Mahottari will head the Sukumbasi Commission while Parbati Dulal, Dipak Rai and Basanti Chaudhari have been named its members.

The cabinet also passed the Working Journalists´ Regulations. The regulations has not been made public yet.

CA by-election on April 10

The cabinet meeting also decided to request the Election Commission to hold elections for Constituent Assembly members in six vacant constituencies on April 10, 2009, according to our correspendent Yuvraj Acharya.

According to a cabinet source, the decision was taken following the Election Commission’s request to suggest a tentative date for the by-elections. Five constituencies have fallen vacant after the members elected from two constituencies resigned from one each and another was vacant after Dr Ram Baran Yadav was elected president. Prime Minister Dahal from Rolpa-2, Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba from Kanchanpur-4, Maoist leader Dev Gurung from Kaski-1 and MPRF leaders Upendra Yadav and Bijaya Gachchhadar from Morang 5 and 7 respectively had resigned under constitutional obligations to quit one of the constituencies. Dr Yadav had resigned from his Dhanusha-5.

kiran@myrepublica.com