CA Is A Key To Change: PM Koirala
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) is going to be the key to change. Talking to reporters in Baluwatar, Saturday (Mar 22), PM Koirala said that the goodwill of the international community is an asset to Nepal. He also said that the foreigners were coming to Nepal not only to observe but also to learn lessons about peace process. "If we show them by holding CA, that will be a model at an international level," he said. Indicating to inter-party clashes, he said that no one is going to be a loser in this election. Meanwhile, PM Koirala, who is also the president of Nepali Congress (NC), is scheduled to set out for election campaign from March 25. Eighty-three-year old Koirala is preparing to participate in election campaigns in major cities, despite the doctors' advice to take rest. "Prime Minister Koirala will participate in the election programs, organized at major centers of all five development regions," said Home Minister Sitaula. He said Koirala will participate in election programs in Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Pokhara and Mahendranagar. Compiled from reports
BJP Leader Advani Backs Constitutional Monarchy In Nepal
As the country is only weeks away from voting the Constituent Assembly (CA) whose first meeting is expected to formally implement the decision to remove monarchy, a senior leader of India has backed the necessity of constitutional monarchy here. Lal Krishna Advani, senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in his book "My Country, My Life" - released a few days ago in New Delhi - has stated that constitutional monarchy is a symbol of Nepal's sovereignty and independence. He has written that the constitutional monarchy should be preserved in Nepal like in many other countries of the world. Advani has further written that Naxalites of India and Nepali Maoists have ties. "Everyone knows this. However, the United Progressive coalition central government headed by Congress-I has ruled out this," he has said. The BJP has been traditionally favoring the constitutional monarchy and Hindu state in Nepal. Compiled from reports
Dr. Bhattarai Warns Of New War
Senior leader of the CPN-Maoist Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Saturday (Mar 22) warned that his party would launch a new kind of people's war if it lost in the constituent assembly polls scheduled for April 10. Addressing a public meeting in Constituency No 5 of Kailali district, Bhattarai said, "The new people's war will be a peaceful one, and urban-centered. No one needs to fear on any score." Claiming that the Maoists would secure a comfortable majority in the CA polls, he said reactionary forces had engineered to coop up 20,000 soldiers of the People's Liberation Army so that the Maoists would lose the polls. "Ever since Maoists raised the issue of a democratic republic, even the parties that were indulging in terrorism have turned republican," said Dr Bhattarai. He added that the CPN-Maoist was the progenitor of the constituent assembly. "Only a parent knows what labor pangs are and what trauma she has to go through to bring the child into this world and bring it up," he said. Bhattarai also warned other political parties not to be smug in the belief that they would win this time too just because they won in the past. He added that only the party raising the issue of the constituent assembly deserved to win. Describing CPN-UML as opportunist, Bhattarai said the UML had hardly played any role in the peace process. He also said the UML had never taken a clear political stand at any time. Condemning the UML for not agreeing to an electoral alliance with the Maoists, Bhattarai said the UML was trying to forge an alliance with reactionary forces. Recalling that the NC had launched a decisive agitation 57 years ago to end the Rana hegemony, he said that now the NC would not be able to glean any dividend from that agitation. Compiled from reports
Nepalis Spend Rs 350 On Average A Month On Mobile Phone
A study by the Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) has shown that, on average, a Nepali spends Rs 350 per month on mobile phone. There are people who pay minimum of Rs 621.5 on postpaid mobiles and those who keep the Rs 500 minimum balance in prepaid mobiles and spend it in six months. The NTA has said that every three months, the average spending on mobile bills has been changing though. Sic months ago, this amount had stood at Rs 396.55. Meanwhile, the average spending on CDMA and PSTN (landline) phones are relatively higher. The NTA report says people spend, on average Rs 963.51 on these phones. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports
NSP, ML Unveil Manifestoes
Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) unveiled its election manifesto on Tuesday (Mar 20), proposing executive powers to the Prime Minister and giving ceremonial head-of-state status to the President. NSP chairman and former minister Rajendra Mahato unveiled the party's election manifesto at a press conference in Kathmandu. Like its UMDF ally, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), has said in its manifesto that there will be chief ministers in various autonomous provinces, adding that the state should be restructured by dividing the country in mountain, hilly and Terai provinces and that factors like language, ethnicity and culture should be considered while granting autonomy in these provinces. The manifesto further states that the president shall be elected by the members of provincial and central parliamentary assembly and that the Prime Minister should be the top leader of the party forming a majority in the parliament. Meanwhile, CPN (Marxist Leninist) also publicized its election manifesto for Constituent Assembly election amidst press conference at the party's headquarters today, proposing Prime Minster with executive powers and ceremonial status to the President. The manifesto further says that Prime Minister will be elected through direct voting and will be able to serve a maximum of two terms while the President will be appointed by the parliament. CPN (ML) has also proposed seven states in federal Nepal, while saying that the election is meant for progressive democratic transformation. Compiled from reports
No Ban On Everest Climbing, Govt Says
Refuting earlier reports, the government has said no ban on climbing the Mt Everest has been imposed as requested by the Chinese government. In a statement on Tuesday (Mar 20), Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) dismissed media reports that it had suspended the mountaineering expedition to Mt. Everest on the request of Chinese government. The Ministry said its attention had been drawn by the dissemination of false information quoting the ministry on the issue. MoCTCA further said it had not banned climbing expedition on Mt. Everest and other peaks and that the policy related to mountaineering expeditions remained same as previous. It was reported that the government had decided to restrict mountaineering on Mt. Everest for 10 days beginning May 1. China has already announced a ban on mountaineering expeditions from its side until May 10 and had asked Nepal not to issue any permits until that day. However, the Ministry officials have said that they are facing difficulties in issuing mountaineering permits since they are unable to dispatch liaison officials without the permission of Election Commission as the election is approaching. Compiled from reports
MJF, NWPP, NJM Release Their Manifestoes
Three parties, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and Naba Janabadi Morcha (NJM) released their election manifestoes on Sunday (Mar 18). All three of them have proposed directly elected president as the chief executive. The MJF has said that the party will go for federal republican system of governance with right to self-determination and is against any form of monarchy. It also says that Nepal shall be a secular country. MJF has proposed that even people from the Madhesi community shall be able to hold the portfolio of the all-powerful President, who would be able to serve a maximum of two terms. It also proposed for Chief Ministers in provinces to be elected through adult franchise. Speaking at the press conference, MJF coordinator Upendra Yadav said, "The West-Minister style of governance has completely failed. This is why we have proposed President as the chief executive to be elected through direct voting." The MJF in its election manifesto mentions two chambers of parliament at the center, one would be House of Representatives and another 'Ethnic Assembly' comprising of people from various communities in Nepal. Similarly, it states that that there would be legislative assembly in the states, pretty much like in the Indian federal system. Another important thing mentioned by the manifesto is of conducting a census in the country before the drafting of new constitution. The NWPP manifesto proposes to turn the country into a 'socialist republic' with popularly elected President as the executive head. According to the NWPP manifesto, parliamentarians cannot hold ministerial berths. It also proposes compulsory military training to the citizens. Saying that delineation of federal units on the basis of ethnicity would lead to the disintegration of the country, the NWPP proposed that the existing 14 zones be recognized as federal units. The NJM led by Ramraja Prasad Singh has proposed electing presidents from mountain, hill and Terai region turn by turn. Compiled from reports
Prachanda Fears Conspiracies To Defeat Him
Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that foreign elements are hatching conspiracies to defeat him from Rolpa 2 constituency. Saying that the conspirators think that defeating him from Rolpa – the place from where the Maoists launched their people's war – would end all kinds of movement, Prachanda accused that they were busy plotting his defeat. He did not elaborate who he meant by the conspirators. He made those comments talking to 'revolutionary journalists' in Libang of Rolpa district on Sunday (Mar 189). Prachanda is contesting the April 10 election from Kathmandu 10 and Rolpa 2 constituencies. Compiled from reports
