Nepal’s Maoists in talks to form Government
NEPAL: Nepal’s Maoists aim to form the nation’s first post-royal
government this week, a party official said, marking another big step on
their journey from rag-tag rebel army to potent political force.
The talks on government formation come after ex-guerrilla chief
Prachanda — whose name means “the fierce one” — was overwhelmingly
elected prime minister by the country’s lawmakers on Friday.
The ultra-leftists are in talks “with the parties in our alliance and
hope to form a government in the next few days,” Maoist spokesman
Krishna Bahadur Mahara told AFP late Saturday.
Since the Maoists signed up for peace in 2006, Nepal has seen
tumultuous change, with the ex-rebels ending their bloody civil war,
winning landmark polls and consigning an unpopular monarch and his
240-year-old dynasty to history.
Kathmandu, Sunday, AFP
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Speculation swirls of Musharraf resignation deal
PAKISTAN: Speculation swirled in Pakistan on Sunday that a deal would
be reached shortly enabling President Pervez Musharraf to resign without
fear of prosecution, avoiding a divisive impeachment process.
Talk of resignation by former army chief and firm U.S. ally Musharraf
has been mounting since the coalition government, led by the party of
assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said last week it
planned to impeach him.
Prolonged jockeying and uncertainty over Musharraf’s position has
already hurt Pakistan’s financial markets and raised concern among the
United States and other allies it is distracting from efforts to control
violent militants in the nuclear-armed nation.
Islamabad, Sunday, Reuters
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Venezuela promises to meet Paraguay’s energy needs
PARAGUAY: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Saturday promised
Paraguay’s new leftist president a steady supply of fuel to prevent
shortages that could cause civil unrest.
Ex-priest President Fernando Lugo will receive “all the oil Paraguay
needs” from Venezuela, Chavez said. Venezuela’s state oil company later
announced that an accord signed by the two leaders guarantees Paraguay
up to 23,500 barrels of oil and derivatives a day.
Paraguay’s consumed 27,410 barrels of oil products a day in July,
according to the U.S. Energy Department. The poor South American nation
has no reserves and depends solely on imports for its petroleum needs.
The deal would significantly boost the amount of oil Venezuela sends
to Paraguay, if the promised supply is delivered. In 2007, Petroleos de
Venezuela SA shipped the South American country - then governed by the
conservative Colorado party - just 1,000 barrels of oil products a day,
the company said in its latest annual report.
A spokesman for PVDSA declined to give additional details on how the
oil supply guarantee would work.
San Pedro, Sunday, AP
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Russian General says forces start Georgia pullout
GEORGIA: Russian forces have started to pull out of Georgia, the
Russian commander on the frontline, Major-General Vyachislav Borisov
said on Sunday.
“The columns are moving from Tskhinvali to Russia,” he told Reuters
near the central Georgian town of Gori. “(Russian President Dmitry)
Medvedev has said we are to withdraw.” “You must understand there are a
large amount of troops,” he said.
A Reuters correspondent saw fewer soldiers than normal at the main
Russian checkpoint outside Gori. A Georgian official said the Russian
soldiers had not withdrawn but had instead redeployed in the area.
Gori,Sunday, Reuters
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