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King talks with political parties

King Gyanendra Tuesday met Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leaders Surya Bahadur Thapa and Rabindra Nath Sharma at the Royal Palace and said he was prepared to develop cordiality with the political parties and do way with all the misunderstandings, Nepal Samacharpatra reported.

The two leaders told the King that the growing rift between the palace and the political parties could invite a big crisis in the days ahead. 

"King Gyanendra has agreed to do away with the misunderstandings he developed with the political parties after October 4 last year," the daily quoted Rabindra Nath Sharma as saying. nepalnews.com am Apr 23

Strike cripples valley life

Life in the capital city came to a standstill Wednesday morning in the wake of the nationwide strike called by the Nepal Student Union (NSU) affiliated with the Nepali Congress (Democratic). 

The strike is the second one in a series that has been called to protest the postponement of student union elections and the 'police action' against student demonstrators over the past weeks including the hike of petrol prices.

The students called for a blackout Tuesday night. The black out started at 7:30 PM lasted for ten minutes. There were almost no vehicles plying through the major thoroughfares of the city while shops also remained closed. nepalnews.com am Apr 23

Maoists must hand over weapons: Gurung

Royal Nepal Army (RNA) spokesman Colonel Deepak Gurung said Tuesday permanent peace in the country would only be restored if the Maoist leadership took immediate steps to hand over the weapons looted from the security forces.

"The issue of getting back the weapons from the Maoists must figure prominently in the impending peace talks," Gurung told a press conference. Gurung said the Royal Nepal Army had so far succeeded in taking back 15 per cent of the weapons looted from the security forces by the Maoists.

On the query regarding the frisking of Maoist leaders Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara on their way to Dhandgadi recently, Gurung said it was part of the routine job of the security forces.

Responding to the query on the probability of meeting the Maoist demand to recruit their militia in the RNA, Brigadier General B.A. Kumar Sharma of the Human Rights Division said, "There are certain rules and procedures that have to be followed for such recruitments, we cannot recruit people into the army without any basis." nepalnews.com am Apr 23

Nominal reduction in fares

Government Tuesday announced a nominal one percent reduction in fares on long and short distance diesel operated buses and minibuses, the Transport Ministry said.  

Fares were hiked by 16 and 18 percent on long and short distances respectively following a hike in prices of POL products following the U.S.-led Iraq invasion.  

Government this week reduced kerosene, diesel and aviation fuel prices called inadequate by 
protesting students who have vowed to continue their anti-government protests. 

Student representatives of seven unions, amid threats of further protests, Tuesday submitted a 
memorandum to the Kathmandu Chief District Officer demanding the release of students arrested during protests.  

Student loyalists of Nepali Congress (Democratic) led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba have called for a strike in Kathmandu Valley Wednesday to protest price hikes and postponed Tribhuvan University union elections that was to be held Wednesday (today).  

Seven unions did not include Deuba loyalists in their protest cartel. nepalnews.com br April 22 

Thapa India bound 

Former prime minister Surya Bahadur Bahadur Thapa and senior leader of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) left for India Tuesday on goodwill visit at the invitation of the Government of India, party sources said.  

Thapa last year completed a two term tenure as RPP president and was succeeded by Pashupati SJB Rana.  The visit reflects the Government of India's attempt to maintain close ties with political parties. nepalnews.com br April 22 

Japanese scale Hunchi

Three Japanese and four guides scaled the 7036 meters high Hunchi on April 19, the Ministry of
Tourism said Tuesday. 

Kanji Shimuju, 60, Katsuo Fukuhara, 36, Tadashi Morita, 53, Tul Bahadur Tamang, 37, Ram Kazi
Tamang, 25, Hit Bahadur Tamang, 32, and Durga Rai, 25, climbed the peak through the south west
ridge. 

They were members of the "Osaka Eiho Alpine Club" expedition led by Takashi Shiro, 66.
nepalnews.com br April 22

UML backs striking students

The Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) Monday backed the ongoing students' movement and asked them not to be misled by the government's recent move to slash the petrol prices by a 'negligible' amount.

The party has also supported the joint movement of the seven student unions and has protested the police action against them. The party has named student leader Debi Lal Poudel killed in police firing in Butwal as the first martyr of the first movement being launched against repression by the state power. nepalnews.com am Apr 22

TU press set ablaze, other details

Irate students who have been launching a string of protests against price hikes, postponement of union elections and killing of student leader in Butwal a week back set ablaze the Tribhuvan University press Monday and caused a loss of three million rupees, police said.

The students who were returning after submitting a memorandum to the Vice Chancellor demanding the release of the students arrested in course of the protests pelted stones at the press building and set it ablaze after sprinkling petrol. 

Important parts of the press were destroyed in the fire that started blazing two o'clock in the afternoon. The firemen had to spent almost two hours before they could put out the fire. 

Students in different colleges held meetings and protested the government action against the students and the postponement of the student union elections.

A group of students from the Padma Kanya Campus brought out a rally in the afternoon. The demonstrators marched to the Chief District Office to hand over a memorandum. 

Meanwhile the students have announced their next programme relating to the current movement. According to the programme the students have announced that the VC, rector and the registrar will be barred from entering their offices on April 24.

Likewise from April 25 onwards the campus chiefs will be barred from entering the colleges until the abducted students are released. The student wing close to the Nepali Congress (Democratic) has called a valley bandh on April 23. nepalnews.com am April 22

Maoists abduct 27 civilians

Maoists have abducted 27 civilians from three different districts Sunday and have violated the code of conduct signed with the government nearly a month ago, published reports said. Maoists abducted 22 civilians from Hampang Village Development Committee in Taplejung, a far eastern hilly district, reports from the district said.

Those abducted were taken to an unknown destination. Similarly, the Maoists abducted two civilians in Tanahu and three of them in Sarlahi. According to Maoist sources those abducted have been taken into control for investigation related to their involvement in different incidents. nepalnews.com am April 22

Envoy Rana undergoes emergency surgery

Ambassador Jai Pratap Rana underwent surgery for the  removal of a brain tumour at a hospital in Washington D.C. Monday, Councilor  Rudra Nepal told Spacetime Tuesday. 

Rana collapsed during a morning walk with his wife Friday in the American capital, the newspaper said. The tumour was lodged on the right side of the brain, the newspaper said. nepalnews.com br April 22

Necon grounds Beechcraft

Necon Air will ground its Beech 1900 C aircraft Thursday, the Airline said. The move comes after "disagreement on the payments" with the aircraft owner Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corporation which has threatened to withdraw the aircraft. 

Necon Air is Nepal's oldest private operator. nepalnews.com br April 22

Indian Army Chief Vij arrives

King Gyanendra will confer an honorary rank of General of the Royal Nepali Army on Chief of Staff of the Indian Army Gen. N.C. Vij, official sources said. Gen. Vij arrived Tuesday for a goodwill visit to receive the honour after taking charge recently.

Gen. Vij and Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Pyar Jung Thapa held discussions soon after arrival.

India has been equipping the Royal Nepal Army and training personnel to contain a Maoist insurgency. Nepal received 70 percent of arms and ammunition from India under grant and 30 percent was bought, security sources said. 

Gen. Vij will visit field formations, Indian Army pension camps for ex-Indian Gurkhas, pilgrim sites and the Khumbu region.

Chief. of Staff of the Royal Nepali Army is also Honorary General of the Indian Army. nepalnews.com br April 22

UNHCR appoints special envoy

UNHCR has appointed Jahan Shah Assadi special representative to Nepal. He arrives Tuesday to take up his assignment. 

"Assadi's appointment as special envoy by the UNHCR headquarters in Geneva is aimed at expediting the resolution of the Bhutanese refugees in forms of verification and repatriation," The Rising Nepal quoted Foreign Minister Narendra Bikram Shah as saying.

The post has been created after last month's progress in a 12 year dispute to resolve the issue of 100,000 refugees living in UNHCR-administered camps in Jhapa and Morang. 

Foreign ministers of Nepal and Bhutan will meet in May for their 14th conference to repatriate the refugees. nepalnews.com br April 22

Govt. inclined to consolidate repressive regime: Prachanda

Hours after the postponement of the proposed first round of  'introductory' peace talks between the Maoists and the government, Maoist strongman Prachanda alleged that the government was involved in consolidating its repressive regime instead of working towards finding a political way out of the present crisis.

"The fact that the government appears to be more inclined towards consolidating its position has given rise to suspicions, " Prachanda said in a press statement. The talks between the Maoists and the government slated for Monday had been postponed after the Maoists proposed that the first round of talks should go beyond mere introduction and also discuss the agenda.

"If the government is capitalizing on the ceasefire to consolidate the Royal Nepal Army, bring division among the political forces and stretch its hold on power then it would prove to be very counterproductive," Prachanda has warned in the press statement. 

Prachanda in the press statement has said his party had come forward for peace talks after realizing that repression and status quo would never pave the way towards resolving the problems in the country. He has also requested the government to work seriously in the line of translating the cease-fire into permanent peace. nepalnews.com am April 22

TU invites students for talks

Tribhuvan University (TU) Monday night asked students to sit down for talks to resolve a dispute and end the current spate of unrest and violence.

The University asked student unions to send two representatives each for talks to end the current crisis Tuesday, a notification said. Seven student unions affiliated with major opposition political parties, including the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, have been spearheading the latest round of violent student protests.

The students continued the protests despite a reduction in the kerosene, diesel and aviation fuel prices Sunday. The protests first began with a demand for a 50 percent reduction in kerosene price and demands escalated with the death of a student in a police firing in Butwal on April 4 during demonstrations against the price hike.

King Gyanendra sacked Home Minister Dharma Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Commerce and Industry Mahesh Lal Pradhan and Education Minister Debi Prasad Ojha to unsuccessfully placate the students. 

The agitation worsened when the TU postponed union elections scheduled for Wednesday for the second time in more than two months under Maoist student pressure; rebel students were pursuing five demands, including free medical treatment of injured colleagues and release of leftist students arrested during an emergency to quell a communist rebellion in 2001.

Seven unions split with the Maoists and went on a rampage demanding elections be held as scheduled. The TU now has the unenviable task of reconciling the demands of the seven unions and the Maoist students as government and insurgents prepare to sit down for talks to end a seven year bloody communist insurgency.

Government has charged the opposition parties for inciting the students with non educational demands and marring the atmosphere for peace talks. 

King Gyanendra is facing his worst crisis after ascending the Throne on June 1, 2001 even as four opposition parties in the dissolved parliament have yet to announce unified protests against his October 4 dismissal of Sher Bahadur Deuba after assuming executive powers; the opposition says the King's action was regressive while others say the King acted after a constitutional breakdown when Deuba failed to hold snap polls on November 13 six months after dissolving parliament.

The constitution stipulates elections must be held six months after parliament's dissolution while Deuba sought a 14 month extension of his tenure after failure to conduct snap elections. nepalnews.com br April 21