Nepal Prez sets deadline as parties discuss Govt formation

Kathmandu:
Facing a Saturday deadline, Nepal's opposition parties decided to cobble up a new coalition government with help from one of Maoists' key former allies and a possible split in another party in attempts to resolve the political crisis triggered by the abortive bid to sack the army chief.
As President Ram Baran Yadav, whose decision not to accept the sacking of Gen Rukumangad Katawal led to Prime Minister Prachanda's resignation on Monday, set the deadline, 21 parties met and decided to form the government under the leadership of CPN-UML that pulled out of the Maoist dispensation.
The parties including Nepali Congress, Terai Madhes Democratic Party, Sadbhavna Party and Rashtriya Prajatantra Party command a strength of over 280 MPs in the 601-member Constituent Assembly.
The opposition alliance is eyeing a majority of the 53 members of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), who are said to be not averse to joining the new coalition even if it comes to a split, political sources said.
The Saturday deadline was set under Article 38 (1) of the interim Constitution which provides for forming a new council of ministers on the basis of consensus, according to sources at the President's office.
Along with their ally Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, the Maoists boycotted the meeting called by the CPN-UML, the third largest party in Parliament.
The meeting decided to form the government under the leadership of CPN-UML by forging consensus among all political parties, said Sunil Manandhar, General Secretary of CPN-United.
"We will also hold consultations with the Maoists regarding the formation of the new government as their cooperation is essential for moving ahead the peace process and to draft the new Constitution," he said

Thackeray salutes Muslim body for expelling Kasab's lawyer

Mumbai
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday said he saluted the patriotic spirit of Muslim body Islam Gymkhana for deciding to terminate the services of Abbas Kazmi as its trustee for defending Mumbai attacks terrorist Ajmal Kasab.
"Accepting Kasab's brief is like being the devil's advocate and is against the tenets of Islam. We call such Islam a national religion and salute it," Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
"If all Muslims behave and live in this manner, no quarrel remains," he said, commenting on the Gymkhana's decision to terminate Kazmi's appointment as a trustee for "agreeing to defend the most dreaded terrorist".
Ridiculing Kasab's wish that he wants to move around in jail for a breath of fresh air, Thackeray said "those killed by Kasab also wanted to inhale fresh air. The people he killed were Hindus and poor Muslims."
Islam Gymkhana has set an ideal and has displayed nationalism, he said.
Had the Muslim community gone that way earlier, the picture of India would have been different, he said.
"In this country, Hindus do not have the protection of those in power that Muslims enjoy," the Sena chief said.

President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan always wants peace with India.

Wanting peace with India, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said he is awaiting the formation of a new government in New Delhi to start a "fresh dialogue" with it.
"Democracies have never gone to war. No Pakistan democratic government has gone to war with India. We've always wanted peace. We still want peace with India. We want a commercial relationship with them," Zardari said.
"I'm waiting for the (Indian general) elections to be over so that all of this rhetoric is over and I can start a fresh dialogue with the Indian government," Zardari told the CNN in an interview on Tuesday.
Zardari arrived in Washington on Monday to participate in a trilateral summit with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US President Barack Obama on Tuesday. The trilateral meetings are expected to continue on Wednesday.
Obama is expected to do some tough talking with his Pakistani counterpart on the need to take firm action to rein in extremists and also tell Islamabad to shed its "obsession" of viewing India as a "mortal threat".
The trilateral summit is an initiative of Obama, who wants to establish his own channel of direct communication with the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Zardari said: "I'm looking at the markets of India for industrialists of Pakistan and hoping to do the same."
With concerns mounting in the US and the world over the safety of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, Zardari also asserted that the atomic weapons were safe and secure.
"Nothing should concern anybody as far as nuclear arsenal or other instruments of such sort," Zardari said, adding that he has complete authority over the Army and the intelligence agency ISI.