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GP to be new PM soon
Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala of Nepali Congress is to lead new government as per power transfer pact between Nepali Congress and coalition partners. Mr. Thapa has already resigned from Prime Minister to pave way for Mr. Koirala.
Ganesh Man Academy to honour 9 personalities
The Ganesh Man Academy is going to felicitate Nepali Congress’s retired politician Mahendra Narayan Nidhi in recognition of his "sacrifices made during the freedom struggle and for the restoration of democracy." The felicitation is a part of the celebration of the Popular Movement Day 1998 which falls on April 8 (Chaitra 26), the day the country was freed from the clutches of the autocratic Panchayat that ruled the country for over three decades, Academy Chairman Navindra Raj Joshi told reporters.
The Academy, founded in memory of the freedom fighter and Supreme Commander of the popular 1990 movement Ganesh Man Singh who died last year," has started honouring "leaders and personalities of exceptional career who sacrificed themselves for the cause of nation and its people," Joshi said. A veteran freedom fighter, Nidhi is now in virtual retirement from active politics because of failing health. He is the third Congressman to be felicitated in a row.
Sahana elected ML President
The three-day national gathering of splinter Communist Party of Nepal (ML) concluded by officially announcing the formation of ML and unanimously electing Sahana Pradhan as the President, Bam Dev Gautam as General Secretary of the newly formed party.
The gathering has formed a 35- member Central Committee, 14-member central organisation committee consisting alternate members, 19-member advisory committee and 7-member judicial committee.
Winter session from April 3
The winter session of parliament, the traditionally business session, is slated to begin on April 3, according to parliament secretariat sources.
NSP may withdraw
Nepal Sadbhawana Party to withdraw its support to Nepali Congress government if Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa forced to step down before completing his 9 month agreed term.
PAC summons government
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned Prime Minister, Ministers, ministerial secretaries and government corporation heads to get updates on the steps being taken to minimise financial irregularities in government agencies.
PAC has also asked the Home Ministry to provide details of the amounts being sanctioned from the medical relief fund that is handed out to noted personalities and victims of politically motivated crimes. This is being done in response to allegations that the fund is being sanctioned only to political party cadres.
FM faces humiliation
Minister Rabindra Sharma who recently visited China at the invitation of the Chinese finance minister, had to face bitter humiliation when he was not granted audience by the Chinese leaders including the President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other top communist leaders of China. As per analysts Mr. Sharma is accused of indulging in hefty corruption and financial irregularities, seems to have preceded him in the international arena.
Mayor Marked Absent
After split of Nepal communist party UML, the Kathmandu metro police also seems splitted in two groups. The hotshot mayor Keshav Sthapit has been marked absent in his own office by his deputies loyal to UML.
As per the mayor's own decision, a meeting of the municipal board was convened at 1 pm. But as per their regulation, Sthapit was marked with red ink as "absent" after he failed to turn up even 15 minutes after the stipulated time. The meeting then proceeded under the chairmanship of deputy mayor Bidur Mainali.
Maoist for Nepal Bandh
The United People's Front (Bhattarai) the political wing of maoist have announced a country wide shut down strike.
ML code of Conduct
The newly formed Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) made public a 16-point code of conduct that calls for high moral character from its top-notch leaders.
The party’s manifest also released, makes a pledge to bring the communist movement "back on track" after its deviation away from the progressive ideals. The party condemns the CPN(UML) for "giving up its communist character in its greed for power, appeasing even imperialistic and hegemonistic forces."
The code of conduct and the manifesto was endorsed by the national gathering of the newly formed party recently.
The code of conduct declared amid a press conference states that a property investigation committee will be formed immediately which will make transparent the properties owned by the central committee members and other party members deemed necessary by the party.
SC issues show cause to govt
The Supreme Court issued a show cause notice to the government asking why an order should not be passed directing it to provide information on casualties and injuries of British Gurkha Brigade cadres during the two world wars.
The notice was issued by a single bench of Kedar Nath Upadhyay, after the first hearing on a petition jointly filed at the apex court by Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen Organisation (GAESO).
The petitioner have demanded that they be provided with accurate information on the deaths and injuries suffered by the Gurkhas during the two wars whether the families of dead and injured have been adequately compensated. Advocate Yubaraj Sangraula pleaded the case for the petitioners.
President’s visit put off
Indian President K R Narayanan’s official visit to Nepal has been postponed for a short period due to health reasons, a press statement issued by the Indian Embassy.
President Narayanan was scheduled to visit Nepal from April 7-10 at the invitation of His Majesty King Birendra. But in a letter dated March 30 addressed to His Majesty, the Indian president expressed "great regret" that a touch of bronchitis has obliged him to postpone his visit, the Embassy statement said. The press statement quoted President Narayanan may visit early next month.
PAC summons Tripathi
Nobody would have agreed more with the saying ‘digging your own grave’ than Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Hridyesh Tripathi, who was summoned by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today to answer allegations of corruption and taking kickbacks. Tripathi, before taking the ministerial position, was the chief of PAC and was credited with making the committee active and transparent compared to other similar parliamentary committees.
But he was summoned by PAC to answer allegations made by another former PAC member and his state minister Bhakta Bahadur Rokaya that he had unlawfully granted entire forest and logging contracts to Timber Corporation of Nepal (TCN). In previous years, the Ministry had granted logging contracts to TCN along with other private loggers as well. But this year the entire contract had been granted to TCN. Rokaya alleged that the decision was reached by the cabinet without his knowledge on February 9 this year. He said that the issue was never discussed in the Ministry in his presence. Minister Tripathi, on his part, objected to his junior minister’s statement and claimed that the decision was passed to the cabinet by his predecessor.
Importance of Phulbari
The Phulbari-Bangladandh land route provided by India on Nepal’s request could not be utilised yet for commercial purpose. Only three truck loads of lentils were exported to Bangladesh through the new rout in the last six months of its operation. A Parliamentary delegation comprising eight MPs led by MP Hiranya Lal Shrestha paid a six days visit to Bangladesh and discussed with high officials the matters concerning modalities of operating the land route. The delegation has identified major hurdles blocking the full operation of the Phulbari route. As per Nepal government the Phulbari route was discussed with the Bangladesh Foreign Minister during his official visit to Nepal. The matter also was discussed with India for providing necessary facilities to make viable of the route for the economic growth of Nepal using Phulbari route to enhance international trade with the world.
ML to join hands with Congress
The newly elected chairman of the marxist leninist (ML), the breakaway communist party comrade Sahana Pradhan said the Nepali Congress is not an untouchable enemy. Similarly Politburo member Chandra Prakash Mainali also said that his party was ready to join hands with "all the left and other forces including Nepali Congress except the UML." Mainali’s pronouncements hold special significance since it comes at a time when the largest party in parliament, the Nepali Congress, is weighing its options to break up with the RPP and form a government under its leadership.
Addressing a gathering of party workers in Biratnagar, Mainali said the split in the CPN(UML) was necessary because the party was adopting a defeatist line and surrendering its revolutionary communist ideals. "We were afraid that the entire communist movement in the country could suffer a setback if the wrong policies and approaches of the Madhav Nepal-K P Oli gang in the UML was allowed to continue."
Mainali also said that even while the party aligns with any other political party, it would not compromise with its principles.
Adhikari accuses NC
Former Prime Minister and Chairman of UML comrade Manmohan Adhikari alleged that Nepali Congress conspired to split UML. "The statements issued by the NC leaders following the split in UML that the responsibility of guiding the nation has now fallen on the NCs shoulder also proves that the NC has a big hands in UML split" Adhikari said in a mass address in Kathmandu.
Mr. Adhikari was visible angry with NC since his request to allow him to identify the 46 break away UML MPs who signed for the registration of new parliamentary party, was rejected by the speaker of the House of Representative Ram Chandra Poudyal. Mr Adhikari charged, "after they failed to defeat UML in the election and organisational strength, they split us".
VAT amended
The immoral nexus between the finance minister and business communities is bound to result in the withdrawal of the value added tax "VAT". To ensure its withdrawal the business community is said to have paid a quite a hefty amount to the minister. The agreement reached between them will scrap the earlier provisions of VAT enforcement on retail goods. Besides the VAT on capital goods, recycled goods, one year old stock and industrial machinery's will also be waived following the agreement.
K. P. to contest elections
Former Prime Minister Mr. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who has a record of never won elections now decided to fight forthcoming election from two places. Mr Bhattarai is determined to file his candidacy from Kathmandu No. 1 as well as another safe constituency from Terai.
29 teams given permits
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has granted permission to 29 teams from 18 countries to climb various peaks in the country during the Spring climbing season. According to a press release, seven expeditions including four from USA and one each from India, Singapore and Norway have been given permit to climb Mt. Everest, the world’s highest peak. A total of 217 climbers have been included in the 29 teams so far. Ministry officials say that the number is expected to rise as the season takes off later.
Among them, six teams are from USA, four from Japan, two each from Austria, Slovenia and U.K. and one each from Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
KTM likely to be de-listed
The Department of Archaeology (DoA) denied reports that the Kathmandu valley was likely to be de-listed as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Center of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The Department, however, conceded that it was receiving repeated warnings from the UN body to effectively implement its obligations under UNESCO’s 1978 Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. "We have been receiving reminders from the monitoring teams of the UN organ since 1993 that our monuments could be declared ‘sites in danger’ if we fail to implement our policies and laws which provide for the protection of the seven monuments in the valley," director general of the Department, Saphalya Amatya, said. The Kathmandu Heritage Site consists of seven monument zones consisting of the three Durbar squares, Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath and Changu Narayan. A world heritage property can be declared a heritage in danger if the property is faced with ascertained danger which includes serious deterioration of either of materials, structure or ornamental features, architectural or town planning coherence, urban or rural space or natural environment, historical authenticity or cultural significance.
A property can also be so declared if it faces potential danger in the form of lack of proper conservation policy or gradual change due to geological, climatic or environmental factors. Nepal became a state party to the convention in 1978 and Kathmandu Valley Site was inscribed on the heritage list in 1979.
Two casino officials arrested
Two casino officials and 19 gamblers were arrested in Kathmandu on the charge of violating codes, police said. T R Bhatta, manager of the Yak & Yeti Hotel’s Casino Royale, and Mahendra Raj Rajkarnikar, manager of Casino Anna, were arrested along with 19 Nepali gamblers for violating the pre-conditions set by the government, police said."These casino operators will be tried under the Anti-gambling Act, while the 19 local gamblers will be persecuted under the Public offence Act," Superintendent of Police Man Bahadur Rawal told reporters. Casino operators were verbally warned a few days earlier not to let in Nepali players. They were also issued written warning against allowing the Nepalis to gamble in casinos.
However, 19 Nepalis were caught in a surprise raid in three casinos, nine of them from Casino Royale and five each from Casino Everest, police said. Police also said ward police offices are being interrogated about ill-treatment by police to detainees, including some Indians and other nationals who were arrested from different casinos few days back. Under the existing laws, the casinos risk losing their license if they are found to have violated the pre-conditions set by the government.
Thapa Wants Extension
When will Prime Minister Thapa step down? The query has troubled all concerned with politics. Former Premier K.P. Bhattarai also appeared enthusiastic about it and directly poised the question amidst a get- together. Thapa first, looked embarrassed and then sought to answer Bhattarai in his own coin. First keep your house in order, suggested Thapa adding "You have not yet been able to finalise the name of my replacement."
Bhattarai, an expert in quiz type
answer, said our house is in perfect order and we have
already proposed Girija Prasad Koirala for the high post.
Thapa was about to raise the issue of the agreement
between himself and Koirala prior to formation of the
present set up. But something struck him and he changed
his mind and avoided the vein of argument.
Thapa did not mention his wish to continue in office
until the end of the winter session. He said ‘let me
have one more month. I will then quit." That, of
course, can be granted, said Bhattarai amidst laughter.
Pokhrel re-elected
The Samyukta Janamorcha (United Peoples Front) Nepal (Vaidya) has re-elected Lilamani Pokhrel as the party’s new general secretary.The party’s second national congress that concluded chose Pokhrel to bear the party’s most powerful seat.The party has also elected a 17-member central committee, with Amik Sherchan as its chairman. Chitra Bahadur Ale and Ghanashyam Sharma Paudel are the party’s new vice-chairman and secretary, respectively, whereas former chairman Niranjan Govind Vaidya will head a five- member advisory board.
