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HM Calls Budget session of parliament on June 25

Kathmandu, June 18: Newly crowned King Gyanendra Monday called the delayed budget session of parliament into session from June 25 after the end of the national mourning period for assassinated King Birendra and other royal family members, an announcement of Parliament said Monday. This is the first major political announcement of King Gyanendra on the government's recommendation after being crowned June 4 following the tragic deaths of Kings Birendra and Queen Aishwarya and other royal family members and relatives in a carnage at the royal palace on June 1.

Only one week's time was given to members of parliament to meet in the capital next Monday instead of the normal 15 days as in the past because of the abnormal circumstances. The King Monday granted formal audience to the entire Council of Ministers of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala after the Royal Palace resumed normal functions Monday following the end of a 13 day mourning period Saturday, an announcement said. The budget session has been delayed this year by more than one month because of squabbling between national parties and the national mourning following the Narayanhiti royal palace carnage.

Embattled Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has to get the annual national budget 2058/59 approved by the House of Representatives where the ruling Nepali Congress party enjoys a slender majority; the opposition stalled the winter session of parliament earlier this year demanding Koirala's resignation for his alleged personal involvement in
approving an inflated deal to lease a Boeing 767 from Austria's Lauda Air for Royal Nepal Airlines causing the state airlines millions of rupees in losses, opposition said. Side-lined intra and inter party differences in national parties are again expected to surface with the end of the mourning period. nepalnews.com br

Security report being submitted

Kathmandu, June 18: An internal palace study for possible security lapses that led to a carnage at Narayanhiti killing or injuring 14 royal family members or relatives, including King Birendra and Queen Aishrawya, will submit its report to King Gyanendra either "today or tomorrow," a source close to the probe told Nepalnews Monday. The five member probe in headed by Gen. Shanta Kumar Malla, who retired as Principal Military Secretary to King Birendra more than a year ago. He is now Honorary ADC. "Such an incident has never happened and will never happen," a source
said.

The new King ordered a thorough probe of the incident and asked for a report soon after a two man commission headed by Chief Justice Kesvab Prasad Upadhaya concluded last week Crown Prince Dipendra started the carnage at a regular monthly family party. The other member of the commission, Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhatt has come under fire in the media for the jocular manner in which he handled the news conference Thursday while revealing the serious nature of the details of the report. Gen. Malla is a trusted palace confidante and aide.

The government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad has sought separate recommendations from a high level committee of government secretaries headed by Chief Secretary Tirtha Sakya. They are also expected to present their report this week to the goverment. Internal palace security is the sole responsibility of  two battalions of  Royal Security Military Police and the unit of ADCs. The report suggests members of the royal family have easy access to weapons in the Royal Nepal Army and Palace armoury.

For the first time Monday, all royal palace officials are on alert inside the Nayayanhiti after the June 1 shoot-out, a source said; the palace was in a state of shock trying to recover from the tragedy. Government offices also reopened Monday after a 13 day national mourning that ended Saturday.

Meanwhile, Nepal is still without a Crown Prince. King Gyanendra conferred the title of Queen to his wife, Princess Komal, but has not given any new title to his only son, Prince Paras. A section of society, especially Maoists fighting for a communist in Nepal, still allege a conspiracy despite the publication of the Upadhaya commission report. nepalnews.com br

Queen receives stitches for wounds

Kathmandu, June 18: Doctors at Birendra Military Hospital Sunday stitched wounds of Queen Komal sustained during a shoot-out at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace June 1 killing or injuring 14 members of the royal family including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, the latest health bulletin on the Queen said. The Queen has been making steady progress, earlier reports said. Doctors initially tried to stop the bleeding only and did not stitch her wounds. She has four fractured ribs and sustained injuries of both lungs. King Gyanendra declared her Queen after ascending the throne June 4 on the death of King Dipendra. Three other royal family members or relatives are also undergoing treatment at the hospital. nepalnews.com br

Maoists kill one person in Morang, other details

Kathmandu, June 18: A group of armed Maoists overpowered Laharchand Biswas at his village in Siswani in Morang district and killed him Saturday. Rebels hurled two petrol bombs are two business establishments in Nepal's largest industrial town of Biratnagar Sunday without causing
major damage, police said. Biratnagar is also the hometown of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Maoists destroyed documents at a farmers' co-operative Sunday afternoon at Chitha village in adjoining Sunsari district, police said. Insurgents also destroyed three abandoned police outposts at Topgachi, Korobari and Kunjibari in Jhapa district Sunday, police said. nepalnews.com br

Maoists target Dharan, Chitwan in attacks

Kathmandu, June 17: Four policemen were injured in bomb attacks on two police outposts for the first time in Dharan sub metropolis Saturday night. The injured are being treated at a hospital in the east Nepal town. The police outposts have been damaged but nobody was injured when police
fired to repel the insurgent attack, police reports said. Nobody was injured when rebels attacked and destroyed the district education office in Chitwan Saturday night, police. Maoists fighting for a communist state in the kingdom allege a conspiracy in the June 1 carnage at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace although a powerful investigation team said Crown Prince Dipendra started the shoot-out killing 14 members of the royal family and relatives, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya. nepalnews.com br

24 candidates for 16 National Assembly seats

Kathmandu, June 17: Twenty-four candidates filed nominations for 16 vacant seats of National Assembly, the Upper House of Parliament, today. Of 16 seats, 11 are to be elected by members of House of Representatives, the Lower House of Parliament through single transferable voting system, whereas five are to be elected from the five development regions by representatives of local bodies. For the 10 seats to be elected by members of House of Representatives, 13 candidates filed their nominations today. These include six from Nepali Congress, three from CPN-UML, two from RPP, one from National People's Front and one independent. The names of those who filed nominations from the Nepali Congress are Ashok Koirala, Dipak Bahadur Gurung, Bal Bahadur Rai, Radheshyam Adhikari and Ram Jeevan Singh. The CPN-UML candidates are Bedu Ram Bhusal, Mahesh Mani Dixit and Laxmi Das Manandhar. Other candidates are Jog Mehar Shrestha(RPP), Lok Bahadur Thapa(RPP), Santa Bahadur Nepali (National People's Front) and businessman Shankar Lal Kedia(independent). Maiya Devi Shrestha of the Nepali Congress filed nomination for the one seat reserved for women.

Similarly, for the development region five seats to be elected by representatives of local bodies, Mrs Bina Poudel of Nepali Congress and Ram Prit Paswan of CPN-UML have filed nominations from the Eastern Region. In the Central Region, Chiranjibi Nidhi Tiwari of the Nepali Congress and Lalit Kumar Basnet of CPN-UML have filed nominations. The three candidates in the Western Region are Tek Bahadur Ale (National People's Front), Mahendra Serchan (Nepali Congress) and Shree Maya Thakali (CPN-UML). Khem Raj Pandit(RPP), Ranga Nath Joshi (CPN-UML) and Laxmi Raj Nepali (National People's Front) are the candidates in the Mid-Western Region. In the Far-Western Region, Urba Dutta Pant of CPN-UML and Bhairab Bahadur Singh (CPN-ML) have filed the nominations.

The election for these vacant seats will be held on June 27. The Election Commission had initially fixed June 17 as the date for filing nomination papers for the purpose of the election for the vacant posts of the Upper House.

In every two years, one-thirds seats of the 60-member Upper House fall vacant. Of the 60 members of the National Assembly, His Majesty the King nominates ten members. Altogether 20 seats are vacant this year, of which 16 are to be filled from election and four are to be nominated by His Majesty the King.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML and RPP reached an agreement today to support the candidate of one another in the Upper House election. In a joint statement issued by RPP president Surya Bahadur Thapa and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, they have stated that CPN-UML is to back RPP's Lok Bahadur Thapa for the seat to be elected by members of House of Representatives, whereas RPP is to support CPN-UML candidates to be elected by local representatives from five development regions. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

Kathmandu, June 17: King Gyanendra Sunday thanked all Nepalis and foreigners condoling the sad demise of  Their Majesties King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, King Dipendra and Prince Nirajan through messages or by signing condolence books, a Palace announcement said. The King also
thanked all at home and abroad paying tributes and praying for eternal peace of the departed souls in their own way. The Palace has asked all those who placed condolence books at different places and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls to send such condolence books to the Narayanhiti Royal Palace or to hand them over to the nearest office of the chief district officer. The 13th day purification ceremony of the members of the royal family was held Saturday according to Hindu tradition.

Full normalcy resumed to the kingdom Sunday after the June 1 carnage at the Palace killing or injuring 14 members of the royal family or relatives. An estimated 100,000 persons signed the condolence book at Narayanhiti Palace. nepalnews.com br

Stock market affected by royal carnage

Kathmandu, June 17: Stock trading was severely affected by the June 1 carnage that killed or injured 14 members or the royal family and relatives. Stocks were traded only for three of the normal five days of the week as two days were observed as national mourning days. Only 13,802 shares worth Rs. 9 million exchanged hands through 293 transactions.

The NEPSE index closed at 331.30 points of the last day of trading registering a 6.75 point fall when trading ended. Nepal Grindlays Bank shares were traded for a record Rs.2.071 million with buyers expecting bonuses at the forthcoming annual general meeting of the bank. nepalnews.com br

13th day ritual of dead royal family members held

Kathmandu, June 16: The 13th day vedic rituals of dead royal family members, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, were held at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace Saturday. King Gyanendra, Queen Mother Ratna and other royal family members attended the solemn function.
Saturday marked the 13th day of the death of King Dipendra. The 13th day ceremony of the King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and their youngest son, Prince Nirajan, who were slain 16 days ago was
also marked Saturday. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and other senior officials attended the function. Altogether 14 members of the royal family or relatives were killed or injured in the carnage started by Crown Prince Dipendra, a probe report said. nepalnews.com br

Prisoners released

Kathmandu, June 16: To mark the 13th day of the death of King Birendra and King Dipendra, fifty inmates were released Saturday from various prisons after commuting their remaining prison terms, the Home Ministry Prison Management Department said.

Saturday marks the 13th day of King Dipendra's death. King Birendra was assassinated 16 days ago on June 1, but the 13th day ceremony is being marked Saturday. Altogether 14 royal family members and relatives, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, either were killed in a carnage or were injured at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace on June 1. nepalnews.com br

Mountain Year Committee formed

Kathmandu, June 16: An eight member International Mountain Year 2002 National Co-ordination Committee has been formed with Defense Minister as convenor. Other members of the committee are: Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation, Minister for Agriculture and Co-operatives, Minister for
Population and Environment, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Science and Technology and Minister for Water Resources. The secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation is member secretary.

The 53rd General Assembly of the United Nations decided to observe 2002 as International Year of the Mountains. Nepal boasts of the world's tallest peaks including Sagarmatha, the tallest. A secretariat of the International Mountain Year 2002 will be established with help of donors to meet its expenses. nepalnews.com br

Four Maoists killed, five policemen injured

Kathmandu, June 16: At least four Maoists were killed and five policemen were injured in an exchange of gunfire at Barchen village in Dang district Thursday night, a local official said. Injured policemen were flown to Nepalgunj for medical treatment. The rebels decamped with arms and ammunition from a police outpost overrun at the village. Thirty-five policemen escaped unhurt. nepalnews.com br