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| NEWS FLASH 2000- LAST UPDATED : Monday, February 12, 2001 09:49 PM + 5:45 GMT | |
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Lauda Air issue rocks House Kathmandu, February 12:Today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Lower House of Parliament, was adjourned as all opposition parties in parliament boycotted the House demanding resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. As soon as Speaker Taranath Ranabhat announced the proceeding of today’s meeting, all opposition parties said that Prime Minister Koirala needed to step down to pave the way for impartial inquiry into the Lauda Air deal. In today’s meeting, KP. Sharma Oli of main opposition CPN-UML, Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Badri Mandal of Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Chitra Bahadur KC of National People’s Front and Narayan Man Bijukchhe of Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party announced the decision of their parties to boycott the meeting to press for resignation of Prime Minister Koirala. They said that the Council of Ministers was involved in the deal to lease a Boeing aircraft from the Austrian Airlines company, Lauda Air and the Prime Minister needs to resign over this issue. “ If Prime Minister has slightest of morality, we request him to step down and pave the way for impartial investigation into the issue”, said Oli. As all opposition parties boycotted the meeting, Speaker Ranabhat adjourned the meeting of the House of Representatives. Opposition parties became furious as the aircraft was brought against the instruction of Public Accounts Committee of parliament not to implement the deal. Prime Minister Koirala has publicly said that he would not step down under pressure. nepalnews.com yl Hotel Workers Extend Deadline for Strike OPEC Gives a Rs.743.5 Loan Nepal to Seek Full Membership of BMIST-EC Finance Minister Mahat takes Oath of Office Kathmandu, 12 February: Two infants were killed and eight others were injured, including six Kathmandu, 12 February: The first batch of 47 doctors and nurses graduated from the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan Sunday. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala presented certificates to 29 MBBS graduates and 18 nurses who graduated from the Institute built by India on the sprawling complex of the former headquarters of the British Gurkhas. Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest, renowned Indian medical scientist Prof MGK Menon, said that health workers should strive to provide services and be result-oriented. Nepalnews.com/br/at Six policemen injured Public transport at standstill Kathmandu, 11 February: Protests by transport workers and vehicle owners opposing a government move that bans 20-year-old vehicles from November turned violent as they tried to stop movement of public service vehicles not complying with the strike in Kathmandu Sunday. For the second day protestors tried to stop movement of micro and mini buses in several parts of the valley as operators of the vehicles objected. Several vehicles were damaged in the valley Saturday in the first day of an indefinite protest aimed to rescind the government move to improve the Valley’s air quality. Owners of old vehicles argue that the government move will not have the desired result because of bad road conditions, sale of adulterated fuel and bad maintenance of vehicles, although environmentalists welcomed the official action that will affect over 11,000 vehicles. Students owing allegiance to the Nepal Communist party (Marxist-Leninist) have launched a simultaneous protest demanding 50 percent fare concession for students using public transport. Vehicle owners however said they would not give in to the students’ demand.Nepalnews.com/br/at Sudip Pathak elected HURON chief Kathmandu, 11 February: The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) has elected one of its founding members Sudip Pathak as its President Saturday, an announcement said. Former foreign minister and author Rishikesh Shah was the first president of HURON founded during the Panchayat days. Pathak succeeds Kapil Shrestha who was appointed Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission. HURON was the first human rights group in Nepal but many others have since sprouted after the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1990. Nepalnews.com/br/at Opposition protests recent ordinances Kathmandu, 11 February: Three opposition parties registered their opposition Saturday to two ordinances for the establishment of the Armed Police Force (APF) and devolution of powers to five regional commissioners to combat a communist insurgency in the kingdom. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel tabled the ordinances for approval in the House of Representatives and the National Assembly on the opening day of the winter session of Parliament Wednesday. The main opposition Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) registered their opposition to the APF ordinance in the Lower House of Parliament. The RPP however is not opposed to the ordinance to devolve powers to regional commissioners. The UML, RPP and the Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) registered a similar protest against the ordinances in the National Assembly. The ruling party may easily push the ordinance through the Lower House with their majority voice but may face hurdles in the Upper House where it does not have a majority. This could turn into a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who has already appointed Krishna Mohan Shrestha to head the new police unit to combat Maoists. The five regional commissioners are yet to be appointed. Nepalnews.com/br/at Kathmandu, 11 February: Nepal will for the first time participate in the third ministerial level conference of trade and economic ministers of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand (BIMST-EC) in Yangon from Wednesday, an announcement said. Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola is leaving for Yangon Monday to attend the two-day meet at the invitation of Myanmar Foreign Minister U Win Aung. Nepalnews.com/br/at Dozen policemen injured in Maoist attack Kathmandu, 11 February: A
dozen policemen and a Chinese national were injured in two separate ambushes
laid by Maoists Saturday ahead of the sixth anniversary of the communist
insurgency on Monday. Seven policemen, two civilians and a Chinese national,
were injured in the ambush and shootout at Sitaini Khola in Sindhupalchowk
district when insurgents tried to seize a vehicle transporting explosives
destined for the Indrawati Hydel project being built by Chinese under contract.
The injured have been brought to the capital for treatment. In a separate
incident five other policemen were injured in another ambush laid by Maoists at
Luham in Salyan district Saturday. Kathmandu, 11 February: The bearish market trend continued as the NEPSE index fell again by over seven points at the end of five-day trading Friday. Opening at 462.52 points Monday, the market closed at 455.34 points Friday. Altogether 49,606 shares of 49 companies valued at Rs 49.8 million exchanged hands through 1,225 transactions during the week. 35,622 shares valued at Rs 26.98 were traded in the previous week. For the second successive week, Lumbini Finance
and Leasing Company topped the list in the number of shares traded as 5,400 of
its shares valued at Rs 1.43 million were traded. |
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