Attack on CJ condemned
One more dead body of policeman found

Post Report

SURKHET, Feb 4 - Policemen and officials taking stock of the situation here today a day after the fatal attack by suspected Maoist rebels, found one more body of a dead policeman. With this, the death toll has climbed to six.

A team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ghanashyam Bhatta found the dead body of Constable Ganga Bahadur Dangi, of Dang district, in a field near Chhaisatthi, which lies 20 kilometers east of here. Suspected Maoist rebels ambushed a group of officials including the Chief Justice there late in the afternoon Saturday.

"Two pressure cooker bombs exploded five meters ahead of the vehicle we were in, and there was complete confusion for ten minutes," DSP Bhatta told The Kathmandu Post Sunday. "When we tried to fire, there was firing and socket bombs hurled from all sides."

According to the police, thereafter the rebels seized four 3-0-3 rifles and other ammunitions left by the dead and injured policemen from the site. While the two pressure cooker bombs went off, the pipe bombs did not fully explode.

Four policemen escorting the Chief Justice and other judges, and the Registrar of Surkhet Appellate Court died instantly after the suspected rebels opened fire and hurled bombs at the officials who were travelling along the narrow highway yesterday.

The attack came only three days after Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel visited Kalikot, Jajarkot and Surkhet, the three districts worst-hit by the five year old "People’s War" launched by the underground CPN (Maoist).

Meanwhile, according to Dang-based reporter, the body of Registrar of the Surkhet Appellate Court, Bal Dev Dhital was cremated today along the banks of the Babai river near his residence in Thikpur village, Dang.

Chief justice of the Supreme Court Keshav Prasad Upadhyay who had been to Dhital’s residence to pay condolence to the bereaved family said that he was too stunned by the incident to utter any words.

Upadhyaya later left for Butwal. The two-day programme scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Surkhet, which Upadhyay was expected to attend has been postponed.

Various human rights organizations, political parties and lawyers associations have condemned the attack.

In a press release issued today, the ruling Nepali Congress has called upon the civil society to "defeat acts of terrorism without deviating from the democratic norms."

"The attack is a barbarous act," said Human Rights and Peace Society in its press release.

Nepal Bar Association has demanded the government to improve the law and order situation and to ensure safety to all the citizens.

"The incident shows that the safety arrangement was not good enough during the trip of the Chief Justice," said the press release of NBA.

Chief Justice Upadhyay had narrowly escaped the fatal attack at Chhaisatthi, some 20 kilometers east of Birendranagar, the district headquarters of Surkhet.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Nepal Democratic Law Professionals Association and Appeal Court Bar Association have also condemned the attack.

CJ not disheartened by attack

BUTWAL, Feb 4 (PR) – Barely twenty-four hours after he was attacked with bombs and bullets, a steadfast Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyay today said that the attack has not "disheartened" him in any way.

Upadhyay who reached here from Surkhet today evening told his colleagues, "the attack was perplexing. I cannot say anything about it."

He thanked his fate for saving his life and that for him personally this was one of the various "accidents" that he has gone through in life. "A man does not die until his days are over," he told his fellow lawyers and others gathered at the training centre in Butwal. "But I am very saddened by the death of the police personnel who were there to provide security to me and my colleague," he said.

He said that he is attending all the previously scheduled programmes before he returns to the capital despite pressures from his family. "I will be here with you till tomorrow," said Upadhyay.

Nepal condemns attack on CJ

KATHMANDU, Feb 4 (RSS) - Main opposition party leader in the House of Representatives and CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that he is stunned by the news of violent attack on the team of Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyay yesterday and the death of five persons in that attack.

At a time when efforts should have been made from all sectors to having the concept of the rule of law materialized by establishing an independent and competent judiciary, a team of office bearers from judicial service have come under violent attack thereby giving rise to a question that needs to be seriously pondered, he said in a statement issued here today.

The armed attack on the team that included the Chief Justice also is a testimony to the present government’s failure to protect people’s life and property, he said, adding the government should take moral responsibility for that incident.

Condemning the attack, Nepal has expressed deep condolences those killed in the incident and has wished the injured speedy recovery.

trating their insanity by attacking the monarchy, which is a symbol of democracy, judiciary and national unity."

He also accused the rebels for masterminding last month’s incidents of communal riots in the country. "I strongly suspect their involvement in that (communal riots in the wake of anti-Hrithik Roshan demonstrations) as well," he said, adding, "the Maoists are out to attack the monarchy, which is also the symbol of communal harmony".

Cabinet reshuffle before the Winter Session

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 4 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today said that the much awaited reshuffle in the cabinet will take place before the Winter Session of Parliament convenes.

Addressing the Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) at his residence, Baluwatar, Koirala said he would hold discussions on the matter with senior NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

"The reshuffle in the cabinet will take place in the next couple of days so that the party can face the upcoming Parliamentary Session as a united force," Koirala said at the meeting.

After the PP meeting, Koirala and Bhattarai met briefly for about 10 minutes and held discussion on the matter. No decision has been reached yet.

The reshuffle was scheduled to take place last week and Koirala had even approached the rebels in the party to hand over the list of people they wanted included in the cabinet.

However, the rebels refused to hand over the names citing the controversial Lauda Air deal that has already cost the job of one cabinet member and has dragged the entire government into a fresh controversy.

The opposition parties have already teamed up to demand Koirala’s resignation over the controversy and are expected to pressure him to quit.

The rebels in the party however assured the prime minister today that they would not join the opposition to bring his government down.

"We do want to remove the government but under the present situation we will not do anything that will help others," Bhattarai said.

The rebels had filed a motion of no confidence against Koirala at the PP few weeks back but were defeated. And again they challenged Koirala’s leadership at the party’s 10th General Convention at Pokhara. There too their candidate Sher Bahadur Deuba lost to Koirala.

The PP meet also condemned Saturday’s attack on Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhayay by suspected Maoist rebels and demanded that action be taken against those guilty of the crime.

Civil code bill to be table

KATHMANDU, Feb 4 (RSS) - The Bill designed to amend the Civil Code is to be presented for reconsideration at the forthcoming 19th Session of the Parliament.

The Bill was under consideration of Parliament after the 16th Session of the Parliament sent it for clause-wise discussion to the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

The Bill to be presented at the forthcoming session of the Parliament also includes the suggestions collected from all five development regions regarding the legal provision for ensuring women their right to paternal property.

This was disclosed at a programme organised here today to collection suggestions regarding women’s right to paternal property. The programme was hosted by the House of Representatives Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

Inaugurating the programme, Speaker Taranath Ranabhat said that as no political parties have come up with clear opinion about whether or not the Bill should be passed by parliament it has been essential to hold inter-party discussion in that regard.

It has already been proved that women too can excel if they are given responsibility, Speaker Ranabhat said, adding that necessary homework should be done right away in view of the possible problems that may arise after the passage of the Bill.

Main opposition party leader in the Lower House Madhav Kumar Nepal stressed the need to finalise the Bill designed to amend the Civil Code in the coming session of Parliament.

Stating that the CPN-UML will play a lead role in approving the Bill for women rights, Nepal said we should not hesitate in giving equal rights to women, rather we should be prepared to face upto any resultant disturbances in the social structure.

Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Kamala Panta said stressed the need to pass the Bill.

National Assembly Vice-Chairman Chiranjibi Rizal expressed the view that giving paternal property rights to women can spoil the structure of the society.

Women should be provided with equal opportunity of education rather than giving them a share in property, he added.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Mahendra Yadav expressed confidence that the suggestions to be received from this programme would make it easier for the committee to reach a specific conclusion.

Committee Member Prem Bahadur Singh shed light on the objective of the programme.

Acting residential representative of UNDP Alexandra Tissot said as Nepal has already ratified article 15 of the UN convention which provides for property rights to women equal to that of men all sectors concerned should assist in approving the Bill.