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Rs.3 billion balance of payments surplus Foreign exchange reserves stood at Rs.115 billion until mid-April, enough to finance imports for more than 11 months, the Nepal Rashtra Bank said. Altogether 82.6 percent of the reserve was in convertible currency and 17.4 percent in inconvertible currency. Nepal recorded a balance of payments surplus of Rs.3 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year ending July 15 because of remittances from Nepali expatriates, the Nepal Rashtra Bank said. Development expenditure in the nine months under review swelled 31.7 percent to Rs.7.7 billion while regular government expenditure increased 8 percent to Rs. 34.9 billion. Development expenditure declined because of the internal security situation and a 30.8 percent fall in external funding in grants and loans, the central bank said. Revenue collection increased 7 percent to Rs.36.4 billion. Inflation increased 8.1 percent compared to 2.4 percent during the same period last year. nepalnews.com br June 6 National basketball from Saturday A National Open Men's Basketball Championship starts in the capital Friday. Eighteen players for the Asian Basketball Championship (ABC) Middle Asia qualilfying tournament to be held in New Delhi July will be selected from the participants, Sita Pandey, Geneal Secretary of the Nepal Basketball Association said. nepalnews.com br June 6 SCB's Rs.5 lakhs gift for Appa Standard Charterd Bank (SCB) gave Appa Sherpa a Rs.500,000 cheque after he hoisted the Bank flag on the summit of Mount Everest last month during his record 13th ascent of the world's tallest peak. Appa was also declared the Bank's "Brand Ambassador." "To have the Bank's flag flying high on the summit of Mount Everest on Appa's record making 13th ascent is a matter of immense joy and pride for the Bank," a statement said. nepalnews.com br June 6 NC, UML Upper House MPs to hold meeting Nepali Congress and UML National Assembly members have announced that they would be taking part in the Upper House meeting Friday under the chairmanship of National Assembly Vice Chairman Ram Preet Paswan after Chairman Mohammad Mohasin dubbed their move as unconstitutional and declined to chair the meeting, published reports said. The parliamentarians of the upper chamber of parliament had submitted a request to the parliament secretariat to allow them to use the secretariat hall for the purpose of holding the meeting. After consulting with the speakers of both the houses the parliament secretariat notified Thursday that it was not authorised to give permission. Of the 59 sitting members of the upper house, 23 from the Nepali Congress and 24 from UML will join the meeting while nine royal nominees including three elected from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party of Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa will boycott the meeting. According to the constitutional provisions, the Upper House meeting can only be called by the King upon the recommendation of the cabinet of Ministers. The lawmakers who plan to enter the Singha Durbar premises Friday to hold the meeting have announced that they would hold the meeting at the very point where they are stopped by the authorities. nepalnews.com am June 6 China tight lipped regarding action against 18 deportees China refused Thursday to say what it will do with 18 Tibetans recently repatriated from Nepal, calling the decision an internal affair, AFP reported from Beijing. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said the issue should not be "politicized" calling it a simple case of "illegal immigration" because the Tibetans left China and entered Nepal illegally. "Recently the Nepalese police seized 21 illegal immigrants from China. They left China illegally via Tibet. And according to the normal practice of handling illegal immigrants in the world, after verifying their identities, 18 of them were repatriated to China on May 31," Zhang told a briefing. "The Chinese side attaches great importance to, and has actively participated in international and regional cooperation in this field, so we maintain that the handling of illegal immigration should not be politicized or adopt a double standard on this question." This is the second time within four days Chinese officials have officially commented on the issue. UNHCR, United States and Great Britain have accused Nepal of unilaterally breaking an understanding not to repatriate Tibetan refugees transiting Nepal to India. nepalnews.com am/br June 6 All academic institutions close down Friday All academic institutions across the country will remain closed Friday on the call of the seven student unions that have been demanding for the release of two student leaders who had been arrested in anti-King protests sometime back.
"All academic institutions have been asked to close down Friday to protest the arrest of Krishna Sharma, the central secretariat member of the All Nepal National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU United) and Shankhar Dang Joint Secretary of the Nepal Student's Union (NSU)," NSU president Guru Raj Ghimire said. After the government showed no signs of releasing the students until Thursday morning, the students boycotted the discussion called by the Ministry on their 68-point educational demand. The seven student wings affiliated to different parties padlocked 46 campuses in the valley to protest the arrest of the two student leaders Thursday. nepalnews.com am June 6 Thapa to wait patiently for opposition to join govt. Even when the agitating political parties have already announced that they are not for seeking berths in the new Thapa led cabinet, the newly appointed PM according to party sources would wait for their response to join the government at least for a week, Nepal Samacharpatra reported. "In the present context, the five agitating political parties need to be given top most priority while forming the government as per the policy of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party to forge widespread national consensus, " central member of RPP Buddhi Man Tamang told the daily quoting the newly appointed Prime Minister. Thapa has been quoted as saying that the RPP will go to the homes of the five mainstream political parties and will request them to join the government to find a way out of the present crisis. nepalnews.com am June 6 Maoists demand atmosphere for talks One day after the appointment of Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa to succeed Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Maoist strongman Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked Thapa to create an atmosphere for the success of peace talks. "The new government formed with the blessings of the Palace is no different from the Chand Government," Dahal said. "Our attitude to the government remains the same." Fresh developments are moves to "cement regression" and "divide and rule," the statement said. Dahal asked the Government to implement previous agreements with the Chand Government and implement the ceasefire and the code of conduct between the two warring sides. Maoists earlier said they will not sit down for a third round of talks with the Government until political demands presented at the second phase of negotiations last month, including the release of three central committee members, are met. Dahal said the Thapa government was installed by outside forces and the move has created an atmosphere of "clashes and confrontation." Thapa reiterated Thursday he will give peace talks with Maoists top priority to make peace permanent. nepalnews.com br June 5 Opposition to boycott government Five opposition parties protesting what they call regressive actions of King Gyanendra said they will not join the government of Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa. This was stated in a statement issued by the CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party, Samyukta Janamorcha and rebel Nepal Sadbavana Party. They will not join the successor government of Lokendra Bahadur Chand. "Without wasting time let us resolve the problems facing us permanently," Thapa reiterated Thursday.
Political issues raised by the opposition had been resolved after the King handed over executive powers to the government, Thapa said. Following the fresh developments, Thapa could form a government with the support of dissidents in the opposition parties. Meanwhile, the Nepal Sadbavana Party Thursday demanded five seats in the Thapa Government. The King Wednesday asked Thapa to form a new government with the support of the opposition "as far as possible." Speculation is rife on the inductees in the Thapa Government. Thapa could bring in Col. Narayan Singh Pun to give continuity to the Government Maoist talks; Col. Pun brought rebels to the negotiating table and was a member of the government negotiating and talks spokesman in the outgoing administration; Col. Pun resigned from the government and staked an unsuccessful claim to succeed Chand. The outgoing Chand Government consisted of representatives of the RPP, Nepal Sadbavana Party, both national parties represented in the dissolved parliament, and smaller parties after the opposition boycott of the Chand government as well. The opposition boycott forced Chand's ouster after eight months in office. nepalnews.com br June 5 Youth protest Thapa's appointment Five youth organizations affiliated with opposition parties Thursday demonstrated in the capital protesting what they call "unconstitutional and undemocratic " appointment of Surya Bahadur Thapa prime minister. They later staged a sit-in at Bhadrakali disrupting vehicular traffic for 30 minutes. In the morning, the Nepal Student's Union, affiliated with the Nepali Congress, brought out an independent demonstration against Thapa's appointment. nepalnews.com br June 5 Students padlocked more than 30 Valley campuses Thursday protesting arrests of two student leaders last week under the public security act during anti-government demonstrations. Local administration arrested and charged Shanker Dangi of the Nepal Student's Union affiliated with the Nepali Congress and Krishna Sharma, a communist student leader, under the stiff law. Students have threatened nation-wide protests if they are not released later Thursday. The protesting students boycotted scheduled negotiations with Tribhuvan University administrators Thursday to resolve student union demands. nepalnews.com br June 5 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has "informally" extended an amnesty for illegal expatriates until the end of the month, AFP reported from Dubai Wednesday quoting a newspaper. Many Nepalis are likely to be affected by an expulsion order, earlier reports said. Gulf News quoted official sources for the report saying embassies had requested the extension. "Illegal residents can still come and have their documents processed so they can leave without punishment," AFP reported quoting one source. "The new deadline expires at the end of the month. We want to make sure all of them leave." Officials announced a crackdown from Sunday after the amnesty, opened on January 1, failed to weed out more than 300,000 estimated overstates, most of them Asians. As many as 85
percent of the 3.1 million UAE population are foreigners, with Bangladeshis,
Filipinos, Indians, Iranians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans accounting for the
bulk of the expects. Nepal's mother dead, meet postponed Thursday's meeting of five opposition parties to discuss anti-King protests and his appointment of Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, was postponed after the death of Durga Debi, 78, mother CPN-UML General Secretary Madav Nepal, the parties said. They will meet again at the Bhaktapur residence of Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party leader Narayanman Bijukakchaya Saturday 8 AM, the opposition said. Madav Nepal did not attend the meeting because of his mother's death. The meeting condoled her death. Durga Debi, who died while undergoing treatment at Teaching Hospital, was cremated at the Pahsupatinath Aryaghat. nepalnews.com br June 5 Thapa takes oath, other details King Gyanendra administered the oath of office to newly appointed Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace Thursday afternoon one day after his appointment. Retired two-time President of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Thapa succeeded another RPP The King has asked the 77-year-old veteran politician to assemble a government by including "as far Thapa snatched the premiership from CPN-UML General Secretary Madav Nepal-a common choice of five opposition parties now meeting at the residence of Nepal Majdoor Kishan party leader Narayanman Bijukakchhaya in Bhaktapur to discuss Wednesday's government change. Earlier, a meeting of the
CPN-UML standing committee Thursday decided not to support the Thapa Thapa assumed office at the Singha Durbar Thursday. He reiterated political demands of five opposition parties had been met after the King transferred executive powers through an order to the government Wednesday. "The serious economic, political and Maoist problems facing the nation cannot be resolved without the understanding and support of political parties," he told reporters at the Central Secretariat. The government will
push peace with the Maoists, he said. He said he is will assemble a
government with representatives of political parties without saying when.
Rabindra Nath Sharma, Thapa's close colleague, told journalists at the
Reporter's Club Thursday the new government chief had begun work to assemble
an administration. Sharma asked the five opposition parties to call off
their protests. Activists of the five opposition parties Thursday began the fourth phase of week-long anti-King protests by obstructing the movement of government vehicles in the capital and the rest of the country. Reports from the districts were not immediately available. Protesters snatched keys of moving motorcycles defying the ban and delivered them to police. Violence erupted as police stopped opposition party members marching to Singha Durbar to attend a similar session of the House of Representatives last week. Speaker Taranath Ranabhatt also refused to preside over its session which he called illegal; the Speaker's rejection earned him the wrath of his Nepali Congress Party. Premier Surya Bahadur Thapa says "there is now no political dispute" now that the King has handed over executive powers to his government which will exercise full executive powers under article 35 of the constitution unlike his predecessor. nepalnews.com br June 5
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