On December 22, just hours after calling for direct talks with New Delhi, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal for a four month timetable on PLA integration. Republica reports.
"I think Prachandaji (Dahal) had made an analysis of the situation before he put forward the idea of four months for the purpose. It will be good if we could complete all the tasks related to the army," Nepal told myrepublica.com at Hong Kong International Airport while on route home from China Thursday. The prime minister said that constitution-writing can be done in the remaining one and a half months after resolving the army issue.
After giving this statement, the PM boarded a Dragon Air flight to Kathmandu even though a Nepal Airline flight was available. So much for nationalism. Nagarik reports.
The prime minister's team returned from Hong Kong on a Dragon Air flight via Bangladesh on Thursday, even though Nepal Airlines was offering a flight around the same time. He spent an hour in transit in Bangladesh, where he was welcome by the country's foreign minister and the president's special advisor.
In other news: it is cold, cold, cold everywhere in Nepal as some cities report snowfall. The Himalayan Times reports.
Last night's rain, couple with snowfall, has added to the chill across the country.Dolakha receive heavy snowfall, which halted traffic on the Lamosangu-Jiri road this morning. According to Padam Tamang, sub-inspector at Mudhe Police Post, traffic resumed when police personnel and the transporters cleared the road of snow at 8 am.