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Mongolian President welcomed 

Kathmandu, 5 January 2001 The Mongolian President Natsagiin Bagabandi who arrived here today with his wife A Oyunbileg began his three-day state visit of Nepal. The visit also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two land-locked Asian states. President Bagabandi is the first Mongolian head of state to visit Nepal.

Their majesties King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya accorded them a ceremonial reception at Tribhuvan International Airport upon their arrival here from India. Crowds lined up along the streets and cheered as the dignitaries accompanied by the King and Queen, drove past in two open four-horse drawn carriages through the city beginning from Kasthamandap temple to the Narayanhiti Royal Palace. 

The President was also presented with the Keys to the City by Kathmandu Mayor Keshab Sthapit in the presence of the royal couple. President Bagabandi also held a brief discussion with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola, an official said. 

A business delegation accompanying the President will also discuss promoting business relations with Nepali counterparts. The King and Queen will host a state banquet for the visitors Friday evening.  Nepalnews.com/br/at

Mongolian President arrives 

Kathmandu, 5 January 2001: President of Mongolia Natsagiin Bagabandi, accompanied by his wife A. Oyunbileg, arrived here today on a three-day state visit to Nepal at the invitation of His Majesty King Birendra. The King and Queen received the dignitary-the first Mongolian President to visit Nepal-at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

During his stay the Mongolian President will meet with His Majesty the King, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, opposition leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and other leaders to discuss bilateral relations and possible areas of co-operation. 

The Mongolian president is also accompanied by a business delegation seeking to expand trade relations with Nepal. The business team will hold talks on expansion of trade, joint investment and other areas of co-operation with Nepalese businessmen today at an interaction programme organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI). Despite more than 32 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations there has been very little trade. The President will leave for Mongolia on 7 January. Nepalnews.com/yl/br/at

Arms cache unearthed

Kathmandu, 5 January 2001: Police have recovered a large arms cache destined for underground Maoists at the border town of Birgunj Thursday and arrested two Indians. According to the police report, the arms and ammunition, including several grenades and a loaded revolver, were found at the printing press of an Indian national, Khurshid Alam, who is currently at large.

The report also said police exchanged gunfire with insurgents for more then 30 minutes at police posts in Irkhu and Melamchi in Sindhupalckowk district Wednesday, while in another incident police posts were torched at villages in Jhapa and Tehrathum. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Nepal-Bhutan joint verification team formed

Kathmandu, 4 January 2001 : A joint verification team has been formed to recognise and repatriate the 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Jhapa and Morang of eastern Nepal, as agreed upon in the tenth round of ministerial level talks held between December 24 to 28 in Kathmandu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

Usha Nepal, Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry heads the five-member Nepali team comprised of representatives from the Ministries of Home, Law, Justice and Foreign Affairs while the Bhutanese team will be led by Sonam Tenzing, Director of the Department of Home of Bhutan.

The team is expected to start work within a month in Jhapa where the UNHCR run refugee camps are situated. At the talks held to solve the issue five years ago both sides had agreed to divide the refugees into four categories but Bhutan has been insisting that all those living in the refugee camps are not Bhutanese nationals. Nepalnews.com/br/at

UML holds peace rally

Kathmandu, 4 January 2001 : The opposition Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) held a peace rally in the capital Thursday afternoon to help restore communal harmony between ethnic communities following violent protests that claimed seven lives and injured hundreds last week. 

The rally led by UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other politburo members called for the resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s government blaming it for the use of excessive force and also chanted slogans for the restoration of peace.

While the UML rallied in the capital supporters of the regional Nepal Sadbhavana Party in Saptari district stopped the screening of a Nepali movie, Darpanchaya, claiming that the movie depicted anti-tarai community sentiments. Even as other national parties plan peace rallies to restore communal harmony, the Nepal Sadbhavana party has called for strikes in towns bordering India next week to protest the recent violence. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Seven killed in road accidents 

Kathmandu, 4 January 2001: Police have confirmed the death of four persons Thursday when their vehicle travelling to Rolpa from Pyuthan met with an accident at Nayagaon in Pyuthan. The four died on the spot, while six others who were seriously injured are being treated at Pyuthan hospital.

Meanwhile three persons died in separate accidents in the Valley yesterday. Two of the dead were knocked down by trucks while the third was killed in a hit and run case involving a bus. The drivers of the two trucks have been taken into custody while the bus driver remains at large, police reports said. Nepalnews.com/br/at 

World Bank Nepal Country Director appointed

Kathmandu, 4 January 2001: Kenichi Ohashi, a former Country Co-ordinator for the World Bank in Nepal and Sri Lanka, has been appointed the Country Director for Nepal with effect from 17 December 2000. Ohashi, a Japanese national, joined the Bank in 1979 as an economist in the Treasury Department where he was involved in management of the Bank's portfolio of liquid assets.

In 1996 he was transferred to the Africa Region as Country Program Co-ordinator for Kenya and again as Country Co-ordinator for Nepal and Sri Lanka in 1999. An economist by training, Ohashi holds a BA from the University of Tokyo and a PhD from Cornell University. Although he will only be taking up residence in Kathmandu this summer, Ohashi will be making extended visits to Nepal before that. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Police Recover Large Arms Cache

Kathmandu, Jan.5: Police recovered a large arms cache destined for underground Maoists at the border town of Birgunj Thursday and arrested two Indians, police said.

The arms and ammunition, including grenades and a loaded revolver, were found at a printing press of  Indian national, Kurshid Alam. Alam is at large.

Nobody was injured when insurgents hurled socket bombs followed by a 30 minute exchange of gunfire at police posts in Irkhu and Melamchi in Sindhupalckowk district Wednesday, police said.

Insurgents also torched police posts at villages in Jhapa and Tehrathum. The communist insurgency that enters its sixth year has claimed more than 1500 lives. nepalnews.com br

Mongolian President arriving today

Kathmandu, Jan 5: President of Mongolia Natsagiin Bagabandi, accompanied by his wife Madame A Oyunbileg, is arriving today for a three-day state visit to Nepal at the invitation of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.

Bagabandi is the first Mongolian President to visit Nepal. Their Majesties the King and Queen are to receive Mongolian President and Madame Oyunbileg at the Tribhuvan International Airport today.

Mongolian President will meet with His Majesty the King, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, opposition leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and other leaders and discuss Nepal-Mongolia relations and cooperation. 

Official talks would also be held between the delegations of the two countries. President Bagabandi and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala would lead the Mongolian and Nepalese delegation respectively during the official talks, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

President Bagabandi is also scheduled to visit Lumbini and other important places during his three-day's stay in Nepal. A team of Mongolian businessmen has also accompanied President Bagabandi seeking expanding trade relations with Nepal.

The Mongolian business team would hold talks with Nepalese businessmen today. The interaction was organized by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI).

According to FNCCI, expansion of trade, joint investment and other areas of cooperation would be discussed during the talks. At present, there is nominal trade relation between Nepal and Mongolia despite establishment of diplomatic relations between these two Asian nations more than 32 years ago. President Bagabandi is to leave for Mongolia on January 7. Nepalnews.com. yl

Four Killed, Six Injured

Kathmandu, 4 January 2001 Police have confirmed the death of four persons and six seriously injured, Thursday when a vehicle travelling to Rolpa from Pyuthan met with an accident at Nayagaon in Pyuthan. The four persons died on the spot and the injured are being treated at Pyuthan hospital.

Kathmandu, Jan.4: A no trust motion against Girija Prasad Koirala was defeated Thursday after 41 legislators of the ruling Nepali Congress boycotted a crucial meeting of party's parliamentary party meeting to oust the Prime Minister. 

Sixty-nine Congress legislators voted for Koirala in the absence of dissidents, one abstained and two stayed neutral, party spokesman Narahari Acharya said. Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai abstained. Fifty-six legislators out of the 113 Congress legislators in the powerful House of Representatives signed the original no confidence motion against Koirala last week while Bhattarai gave it outside support. 

" We would have participated in the vote if it was secret and fair. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has failed to maintain law and order. There has been no effort to unite the party. The government has derailed talks with Maoist insurgents," another former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said as he led the boycott. 

Deuba is trying to topple Koirala as government head and party president. The vote was originally scheduled for 8.30 AM but was delayed until 3 PM to find a unity formula, party sources said. 
The meeting was held under tight police security at the Singha Durbar where entry to journalists was restricted. 

Rajendra Kharel and Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat stayed neutral. " I will try to take the party forward unitedly," Koirala later said. nepalnews.com br 

No Trust Motion against PM Koirala to be put to Vote

Kathmandu, Jan.4: Amid charges of widespread misuse of power, a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will be put to vote at the parliamentary party office in the capital Thursday at 8.30 Am (2.45 GMT).

Fifty-six  rebels in the ruling Nepali Congress party with the outside support of former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai registered the no trust motion against Koirala last week.

Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba- leading a rebellion against Koirala- is trying to topple the Koirala government and wrest the party presidency from him this month at a party convention.
Rebels are charging Koirala for failure to maintain law and order in the county and corruption.

Koirala needs just one vote from the  rebel camp to defeat the motion against him; several Congress legislators who first signed the no trust motion said they will vote for Koirala.The Nepali Congress has 113 seats in the 205 member House of Representatives. Parliamentary party secretary Benup Raj Parsai rejected a rebel call for secret voting.

Meanwhile, senior leader Ram Hari Joshi said Wednesday he will also contest the party presidency "to clean the party," he said. Joshi is a former Minister for Tourism. nepalnews.com br

Peace March on Jan.7 for Communal Harmony

Kathmandu, Jan.4: A nation-wide peace march will be held Sunday to restore communal harmony shattered by  anti Indian riots in the capital and elsewhere last week after a purported derogatory remark by a Bollyhood actor against Nepal and Nepalis.

The riots  also killed seven persons, injured hundreds, destroyed property worth millions of rupees.
Actor Hrithik  Roshan said he never made such a statement.

Politicians, businessmen and leaders of civic society met in the capital Wednesday to bring back normalcy as the Nepal Sadbavana party, the regional terai based organization, threatened to hold strikes in their stronghold protesting the riots. " The march will demonstrate that we are sensitive to protect national unity and to do away with recent anomalies," former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai said.

"All communities and races constitute the nation and when one nation community is at risk, the whole nation suffers," another former prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said. Chand is senior leader of the conservative Rashtriya Prajatantra party.

Nepal Communist party ( Unified Marxist Leninist ) , the main opposition in parliament, will hold a  separate peace rally in the capital and elsewhere Thursday to foster peace. Ten UML legislators said in a statement Wednesday " creating tension, distrust and animosity are deplorable and not in the interest of anyone."

Protesters targeted Indians, their businesses and Nepali marwaris in their attacks; the headquarters of the Nepal Sadbavana party in the capital was torched.

Government has formed an inquiry committee to find how the rumour and the resulting riots started.
Roshan movies were banned in Nepal while protesters in several towns in India stopped the screening of Nepali actress Manisha Koirala's movies in retaliation. nepalnews.com br

Mongolian President Arrives Friday

Kathmandu, Jan.4: Mongolian President Natasagiin Bagabandi arrives on a three-day state visit at the invitation of King Birendra Friday-- the first to Nepal by a Mongolian President.

Bilateral ties are nominal although the two land-locked countries signed a trade agreement in 1992 and a cultural agreement in 1995 when Prime Minister Man Mohan Adhikary visited Mongolia.
Bagabandi is currently in India. King Mahendra visited Mongolia in 1961.

The Mongolian President will visit Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, during his Nepal visit. Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist state, has shown interest in building a monastery at Lumbini like other Buddhist nations. nepalnews.com br

Joint peace rally to be held in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Jan 4:A meeting of representatives of major political parties, intellectuals, professionals and artistes has decided to stage a peace rally in Kathmandu on January 7 appealing to people to maintain peace and communal harmony in the country.

The main opposition party CPN-UML organized the meeting Wednesday in which participants agreed to stage a peace rally for peace and communal harmony.

People from all walks of life would participate in the peace rally, according to organizers.

This move came following the last week’s communal violence in Kathmandu and other parts of the country mainly in terai districts.

In the meeting, former Prime Ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana and main opposition leader Madhav Kumar Nepal addressed the meeting.

Speaking about the meeting, opposition leader Madhav Nepal said that CPN-UML is a responsible party, which took initiatives to solve the present crisis in the country and develop social and communal harmony.Similarly, CPN-UML is also staging a peace rally in Kathmandu Thursday.nepalnews.com yl