RPP-Nepal Condemns Attacks
Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal president Rabindra Nath Sharma has condemned what he termed as “conspiracies to bar his party from taking part in the Constituent Assembly polls.” “The eight party syndicate does not want any other party to run in the polls,” said Sharma at a press meet on Sunday (March 18). “Where in the world is there a democracy where we cannot peacefully participate in polls by carrying our viewpoints?” Sharma asked. Sharma and his party colleagues were physically thrashed in Birtamode last week by cadres of eight parties. In Phidim, RPP-Nepal vice president Padma Sundar Lawati was also similarly thrashed. Eight party cadres attacked them claiming them to be pro-monarchists and engaged in hatching conspiracies to derail CA polls. Compiled from reports
OHCHR Has No Mandate To Mediate
In her meeting with journalists in Rajbiraj on Saturday (March 17), Lena Sundh, Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal , was asked why OHCHR had not accepted a request that it assist in getting talks started between the JTMM and the Government. The Representative responded that OHCHR had never received any such request, states a press release by the OHCHR-Nepal office. She also stressed that OHCHR did not have a mandate to mediate. “Its mandate is human rights and that is where its competence lies. Within that mandate, OHCHR would continue to support co-operation between political parties and civil society which would help the protection of and respect for human rights.” If the United Nations were to be requested to assist political dialogue, that would be a matter for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, she said. Compiled from reports
Dry Port And New Route To Increase Trade With China
Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has informed that a dry port and a new route will be developed to increase trade with China . He said the government considers mobilizing the Rasuwagadhi route for the purpose. He stressed the need to make trade with China export-oriented. Addressing a program organized by Nepal Trans-Himalaya Trade Association, Dr. Mahat said bilateral trade between Nepal and China should be made problem-free. Durga Bahadur Shrestha, president of association, urged the government to construct dry port in Panchkhal alongside Kodari highway. Kantipur daily reports
Eight Party Activists And Mjf Clash
The activists of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) intervened the rally of eight parties in Birgunj on Saturday (March 17). In the ensuing clash, one Maoist and one traffic policeman were injured. Likewise, in Bara district, 36 persons were injured when eight party cadres and MJF activists clashed. On Friday, demonstrators supporting the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) had vandalized the district Congress party office of Parsa and attacked its district president Rajendra Bahadur Amatya. Amatya as well as one security personnel Gyan Bahadur Rai were injured in the incident. Meanwhile, in Phidim of Panchtar district, eight party student activists thrashed Padma Sundar Lawati, vice president of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP-Nepal). The students disrupted a gathering of the RPP-Nepal and vowed to prevent ‘pro-monarchists’ from holding any program in the district. This incident occurred a day after RPP-Nepal president Rabindra Nath Sharma was similarly manhandled in Birtamode of Jhapa district. Compiled from reports
Palace Staffs Pulled Out
The cabinet meeting on Thursday (March 15) has decided to pull out 50 percent of the 774 palace staffs and place them under reserve pool of the civil service. Of the remaining 50 percent, 25 percent will be offered voluntary retirement and others will work in palace under the regular civil service job. Likewise, 51 over-age palace staffs will be subjected to compulsory retirement. Meanwhile, the cabinet meeting also decided to form Electoral Constituency Delineation Commission headed by former judge of Supreme Court Ram Nagina Singh and including members Dr. Noble Kishore Rai and Professor Surya Lal Amatya. Secretary at Council of Minister Swayambhu Man Amatya will be its member secretary. The cabinet also approved a Bill to hold the CA elections and it would be tabled in the parliament for ratification. The meeting decided to extend the tenure of citizenship distribution teams. Leading dailies report
Proposal To Disallow Repressors Of People’s Movement From Fighting CA Polls
The Bill on CA Member Election approved by the cabinet on Thursday (March 15) has proposed to disallow repressors of People’s Movement from taking part and fight the CA elections. This provision was inserted in the bill as per the suggestion of cabinet committee headed by deputy Prime Minister KP Oli – which was formed to study Rayamajhi commission report. Likewise, the proposed bill also bans the black-listed defaulters of bank loans from fighting the elections. The bill will soon be tabled at the parliament. Kantipur daily reports
PM Says Govt Will Take Action If Weapons Are Found Outside
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that the government will take strict action if weapons are found outside cantonments. Saying that it was natural for the Maoists to try to conceal some weapons, PM, however, vowed that all illegal weapons will be dealt with strictly. Talking to reporters at a program organized by Rastriya Janashakti Party to mark its second anniversary, Koirala also said that currently the situation in the country was abnormal. He, however, added that elections will go ahead as planned and the government till take necessary steps to normalize the situation. Leading dailies report
Prachanda Says ‘Grenades Not Weapons’ Are Outside
Correcting his earlier remarks that thousands of weapons remain outside the cantonment, Maoist chairman Prachanda said, on Wednesday (March 14), that thousands of grenades remain outside cantonments. “I had said thousands of grenades remained outside but it was reported by media later that thousands of weapons were outside. That has only created confusion,” he told reporters on Wednesday in Kathmandu after addressing a conference of All Nepal Revolutionary Journalists Association. On the issue of his allegations of royalists’ plot, Prachanda said they were still collecting evidences and would make them public soon. Earlier, talking to reporters American ambassador James Moriarty said he was still waiting for evidences from Prachanda over the latter’s allegations of royalists’ plot to kill Americans. Either he should provide evidence soon or he should retract the statement like he did about the weapons, Moriarty said. Compiled from reports
13 Army Trucks Seized And Freed By Maoists
On suspicion that weapons were being ferried, Maoist cadres on Wednesday (March 14) seized 13 trucks of the Nepali Army (NA) for two and half hours in Nawalparasi’s Rajhar. Colonel Sagar Thapa at the Nawalparasi-based NA’s Aridaman battalion said those trucks were transporting logistic materials for the army’s barracks from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi. The Maoist cadres wanted to check all those vehicles. The military officials, on the other hand, said that those vehicles were heading for their destination from Kathmandu after clearance from the joint security coordination committee. They also claimed that the Maoists mobilized their PLAs under the fourth division for intercepting the vehicles. However, the Maoists released those vehicles at 8 pm after the UN Arms Monitoring Team, which coincidentally arrived at the scene, checked the vehicles and found nothing except foodstuff and clothing. The Himalayan Times daily reports
Maoists Thrash A Businessman In The Capital; Another Abducted
In breach of the peace pact, the Maoist cadres have brutally thrashed a businessman in the capital on Sunday (March 18). Hari Shrestha, 59, the proprietor of Durbarmarga-based Hotel Woodland was abducted in the evening and was thrashed for two hours. He was later admitted to Bir Hospital where he received treatment for two hours. The Maoists had been pressuring Shrestha to pay extortion of Rs 2 million for the past four months. According to Shrestha, Maoist cadres led by one Kuldip Rai abducted him in a blindfolded condition and took him to Surya Carpet Factory in Buddhanagar where he was beaten by rods and pipes. He has sustained serious wounds in eyes, back, and legs. He said he was released under condition that he would give Rs 10 million donation and provide 10 rooms in his hotel for free to Maoist cadres. He was also threatened not to inform police and administration about this. Meanwhile, Suresh Malla, proprietor of Malla Press has been abducted by activists of Maoists’ Young Communist League (YCL) from his office in Chhauni. He was thrashed and abducted by the YCL group led by Bishal Dangol. His whereabouts are unknown. In another incident, Maoists abducted Netra Bahadur Shahi, member of NC-democratic from Humla, a week ago. His whereabouts are unknown. According to central member of NC-D Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, there are suspicions that he might have already been killed by the Maoists. Furthermore, in Baridya on Sunday, Nepali Army (NA) soldiers detained Maoist lawmaker Narayan Prasad Sharma for entering into Bardiya national park carrying SMG and pistols. They were released after two hours. Leading dailies report
Flower Exports Increase By 8 Fold In 5 Years
The volume of exports of flowers has increased substantially in recent years. According to a study by the Floriculture Association of Nepal (FAN), flower exports increased by eight-fold in the past five years. Loknath Gaire, vice president of FAN, informed that the study has revealed that while in 2001/02 Nepal used to export flowers worth Rs 4 million, the volume increased to Rs 32.6 million in 2005/06. Nepalese flowers are exported to places such as Japan , United States , Netherlands , Denmark and India . In Nepal , commercial production of flowers started only one and a half decade ago. Currently there are 550 entrepreneurs engaged in this profession which has drawn investment of Rs 375 million. The study has shown that in the next five years, area of field where flowers are planted for commercial purposes could be increased from existing 80 hectares to 1000 hectares and provide jobs to 25,000 people. This sector, however, suffers from weaknesses such as lack of government policy, lack of commercial information, lack of adequate investment etc. Kantipur daily reports
United Transporters Determined To Defy Bandhs
After their two biggest federations were united, the transport entrepreneurs have vowed to defy calls of bandhs in future. Two biggest umbrella organizations of transport entrepreneurs have united on Wednesday (March 14). The Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs Federation have united and formed the single Nepal Transport Entrepreneur National Federation. “The united federation will now move ahead by focusing on consumers’ interest,” said Dinesh Bhandari, president of the combined federation. At a program organized on Wednesday, entrepreneurs vowed to defy all kinds of bandhs and strikes imposed by political parties or other groups in the coming days. They also asked the government to formulate necessary laws to ban such bandhs and demanded that roads be declared bandh-free zone. Compiled from reports
