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VOL. 27, NO. 17, January 04, 2007 (Paush 20 2064 B.S.) |
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PRIME MINISTER GIRIJA PRASAD KOIRALA has said he was stunned by the tragic assassination of Pakistan 's opposition leader and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He has extended heartfelt condolences to Bhutto's family and her Pakistan People's Party (PPP). Likewise, the interim parliament passed a condolence proposal and observed a moment of silence in the honor of the slain leader. Bhutto was assassinated Thursday evening in a suicide attack that killed at least 20 others at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi , Pakistan , reports said. Eyewitnesses said Bhutto was fired upon at close range before the blast, and an official from her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said she was further injured by the explosion, which was apparently caused by a suicide attacker. She breathed her last at around 7:01 pm NST at the Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack. CNN reported that witnesses at the scene described the assassin as opening fire on Bhutto and her entourage, hitting her at least once in the neck and once in the chest, before blowing himself up. In October, Bhutto had narrowly escaped a suicide attack in Karachi when she returned from exile to
Pakistan . Pakistan 's president Pervez Musharraf has condemned her killing and has announced three days of mourning in the country.
AS THE INTERIM PARLIAMENT prepares to discuss and pass the Third Amendment to the Interim Constitution Bill on Friday (Dec 28), a number of lawmakers from various parties have registered 11 separate amendment proposals. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Rastriya Jana Morcha (RJM) and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Mahato) have also registered their amendment proposals. The RPP and RJP have sought for retaining the Article 159 unchanged (the Third Amendment Bill seeks to change it to insert democratic republic). The NSP-Mahato has demanded there be fully proportional representation system by having only 240 member Constituent Assembly. Likewise, major parties have also sought to insert a provision regarding appointment of general secretary of the parliament in the constitution itself. The RJM has demanded that the country remain unitary and not opt for federalism. The major parties have already issued whips to their lawmakers to be present on Friday's meeting and vote in favor of the Third Amendment Bill, which intends to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic. This declaration will, however, be implemented by the first sitting of the elected CA.
THE HOME MINISTRY HAS ANNOUNCED national holidays in various festivals of indigenous nationalities and religious groups. According to sources, Home Minister Krishna Sitaula has decided to announce holidays in festivals like Lhosar of indigenous nationalities, Chhath of Madhesis, Eid Bakr-Eid of Muslims, Christmas of Christians, Maghi of Tharus and Ubhauli Udhyauli of Kirant community. Likewise, local holidays have been announced for Pawani festival observed by Rajbanshi and Tajpuriya community in Morang, Jhapa and Sunsari districts. Earlier, only people of the respective communities used to enjoy holidays in such festivals.
FINANCE MINISTER DR RAM SHARAN MAHAT said adopting a federal system was a tough challenge and a lot of debate should be initiated before adopting such a system. Speaking at a program titled 'Restructuring of the State and Financial Decentralization National Consultation Seminar" he said Nepal should remain a common market because the nation can only be competitive internationally if our exports were cheap. "Recent reports about business being taxed twice or thrice firstly by the state and then by regional groups are worrying. This significantly raises the price of our exports and in the era of globalization, this is very worrying," said Mahat. He said local level needs massive capacity building, if decentralization was to be effective. "We have failed as this exercise was not properly undertaken in previous decentralization efforts.
NEPAL OIL CORPORATION (NOC) has announced hike in the price of petrol pointing at its burgeoning losses and growing oil prices in the international market. In a press statement issued on Tuesday (Dec 25) evening, the NOC has said that the price of petrol will be increased, effective midnight of Wednesday, from Rs 73.5 to Rs 80 per liter in Kathmandu . Earlier the NOC had increased the price of all petroleum products on October 25. This time it has only increased the price of petrol. The NOC has said that it had to increase the price of petrol to ensure its smooth and easy supply. Currently, consumers have been complaining that the NOC has failed to supply petrol in adequate volume. Serpentine queues in front of petrol pumps have become commonplace in the capital valley. The NOC has said that it will gradually adjust domestic prices of petroleum products to match with the international price.
