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RSS Kathmandu, Feb. 21. His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly-appointed chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee Parasu Narayan Chaudhari at a ceremony held at Narayanhity Royal Palace today. On the occasion in the presence of His Majesty the King, Chairman Chaudhari administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly-appointed members of the Rajparishad Standing CommitteeDr. Swami Prapannacharya, General (retd.) Satchit Shumsher JB Rana, Kul Raj Sharma, Ganesh Bahadur Gurung, Chakra Bahadur Shankar and Yagya Prasad Acharya.His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev was present on the occasion.Also present were Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Chief Justice Kedarnath Upadhyay, Speaker Taranath Ranabhat, National Assembly Chairman Dr. Mohammad Mohasin and heads of constitutional bodies.Talking briefly to RSS after the oath-taking ceremony, Chairman Chaudhari said that he would always be committed to enhancing the glory of the institution of the crown and the monarchy. Stating that he takes this honour bestowed upon him as a matter of glory, he said he would work with the disposition suitable to the glory of the post.He also expressed the commitment that he would dedicate himself to working toward enhancing the glory and importance of the venerated post as chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee. RSS Kathmandu, Feb. 21. His Majesty the King has, in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 and upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, appointed Krishna Ram Shrestha the Attorney General of the Kingdom of Nepal. This is stated in a notice published today by the press secretariat of His Majesty the King. RSS Kathmandu, Feb. 21.Chairman of Rajparishad Standing Committee Parasu Narayan Chaudhari assumed his office at the Rajparishad Building this evening. On the occasion, he expressed gratitude to His Majesty the King for appointing him to the post of Rajparishad Chairman. Chairman Chaudhari sought cooperation and advice from one and all to abide by the directives given by His Majesty the King and exercise the rights provided by the Constitution to raise the glory of the Rajparishad. Rajparishad Standing Committee members, Rajparishad members Miss Bhadra Kumari Ghalay and Bir Bahadur Lam, and employees of the Rajparishad secretariat were also present on the occasion. RSS Kathmandu, Feb. 21. Minister for Finance Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha will, upon the recommendation of Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, hold the additional portfolio of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the absence of Foreign Minister Narendra Bikram Shah who today left for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, to take part in the delegation to be led by the Prime Minister at the third summit of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM). This is stated in a notice published today by the press secretariat of His Majesty the King. Defence Ministry appeals not to carry weapons RSS Kathmandu, Feb. 21. The Defence Ministry has published a statement here today calling upon all concerned not to carry arms while conducting political programmes to ensure law and order in the country and convert the present cease-fire into durable peace. The Ministry has stated the security forces have welcomed the cease-fire and talks process as it was the desire of the Nepalese to live peaceful life after the restoration of peace in the country. It has also been stated in the statement that conducive atmosphere has to be created for the success of cease-fire and peace process, and efforts have always been made to convert the cease-fire into lasting peace. Though practising healthy politics is a fundamental right, it is not possible in the absence of peace and security, it has also been mentioned in the statement. Code of conduct will be made public soon' RSS Itahari, Feb. 2l.: Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun has pointed out the need of cooperation from the civic society, political parties, intellectuals and journalists to resolve the Maoists' issue. Inaugurating the fifth national conference of the Kirat Yakthung Chumlung at Dharan today, Minister Pun said that as the Maoists were also equally sensitive for durable cease-fire in the country, the government had exchanged the draft code of conduct with them and agreed on it that will be made public in the next few days. Stating that the government was active on finding out the root cause of the insurgency in the country, he said that the subversion was also the result of the errors in conducting the affairs of the country and the inefficiency among the leaders. He disclosed that talks between the government and the Maoist
will be held in various stages. Central president of Kirat Yakthung Chumlung Manjul Kumar Yakthumba presided over the function. By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, Feb.21: CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said that his party would call an all-party meeting and a mass mobilisation at all levels in a bid to steer the country towards positive direction. Nepal said that the party would initiate for an interaction among all communities in society for restoring peace and to consolidate democracy. "Although the UML has not yet prepared itself for the roundtable meeting and constituency assembly, the key demands of the Maoists, it is ready to discuss on them with the other political parties," Nepal said at a face-to face programme organised by the Reporters' Club here today. The UML chief reiterated the party's demand for a powerful all-party government, as per Article 128 of the Constitution, to break the deadlock besetting the nation. "This all-party government may also be called a national or reconciliation government to resolve the crisis," Nepal said. He said that all parties including Nepali Congress and
Rastriya Prajatantra Party had agreed for the formation of such government. "Now it
is up to His Majesty the King to decide," Nepal added. Stating that the announcement of the cease-fire by the government and the Maoists is the positive step towards restoration of the peace, Nepal stressed that both the sides must be honest in its implementation. Although three weeks have passed since the announcement of
the cease-fire, no significant achievements have been made, he said. "The cease-fire
must be reflected in practice." He said that the government and the Maoists should draft a code of conduct and abide by it. There should be effective monitoring to make the talks result-oriented, he added. Nepal said that two Maoist leaders- Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Dinanath Sharma recently met him and asked the UML to play a constructive role to make the peace-talks fruitful. "They said that the Maoists are committed to multi-party democracy," Nepal said. Nepal said that this time the Maoists seemed to be honest to restore a lasting peace in the country through a meaningful dialogue with the government and other political parties. They also agreed to form probe body to look into murder of the innocent UML's cadres, said Nepal. Now, there is a need for trust and confidence-building measures among the political parties to obtain fruitful results from the ongoing political processes, Nepal said. Role of Shah dynasty kings highlighted RSS Kathmandu, Feb. 2l. On the occasion of the 53rd birthday of Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajyalaxmi Devi Shah, the auspicious birthday main celebration committee organised a symposium on "The Contributions of the Queens in Various Fields." Speaker Taranath Ranabhat, declaring the symposium open, referred to the contributions of the kings of Shah dynasty in the unification of the country and the protection of it free existence and sovereignty. History has made it amply clear that the role of the queens were encouraging in the continuance of the importance of monarchy, the symbol of national unity, and the success of the contributions of the kings of Shah dynasty, he added. National Assembly member Yangkila Sherpa, Prof. Dr. Ratna Kamal Baidya, reader Dr. Sushma Acharya, Prof. Dr. Mohan Prasad Lohani, Pratibha Rana and a host of other speakers expressed their views at the programme chaired by chairman of the main celebration committee Indira Malla. 'NAM should work for poor nations' RSS KATHMANDU, Feb. 20: The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) needs to be more effective in favour of the small and economically poor nations.This was pointed out by experts on foreign affairs and intellectuals taking part in a talk programme on 'The role of NAM in the changing world context' organised by the Russian Science and Cultural Centre here today.On the occasion, the speakers expressed the hope that the 13th NAM Summit going to take place in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on Feb. 24, will play an effective role in making the NAM more effective and giving a strong voice on behalf of the weak nations at a time when the entire world has been beset by terrorist activities and globalisation. The speakers were of the view that the NAM has greater role to play specially in the context of the growing atomic arms race and the increasing possibility of the threat of excesses and interference like the one currently being perpetrated by the only superpower in the world-the United States of America-on Iraq, being superimposed on other countries also. The speakers also expressed concern that the existence of other least developed countries in the world except 25 such states would be in jeopardy if the current situation, in which the economic sphere of the least developed countries has completely diminished and has been confined only in the political realm, persisted. Former minister Hari Bahadur Basnet said there was a possibility that some of the economically weaker states might take recourse to rebellion in future owing to the oppression of some of the richer and developed countries in the context of rampant globalisation and liberalisation as is having sway across the globe today. Chief of the Central Department of Political Science at the Tribhuvan University Mohammad Habibullah said the least developed states expect assistance from the capitalist and developed world. But he added that these states would not accept interference in their national integrity. At the talk programme presided over by patron of the Nepal-Russia Friendship Association K.P. Bhandari, association general secretary Dr. Gopal Shivakoti, second secretary at the Russian Embassy Alexsavalia Chenko, spokesman of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Hom Nath Dahal and others also expressed their views. Snowfall disrupts life in Humla, Dolpa By Our Correspondent Nepalgunj (Banke), Feb 21: Continuous snowfall since last Wednesday has made life miserable for people in Humla and Dolpa districts in mid-western Nepal. Schools are closed, there are high absentees in offices, and people have been forced to remain indoors. Simikot, district headquarters of Humla, witnessed a six-feet deep snow and the Dolpo airport has been covered with a one-foot deep snow. Flights from Nepalgunj to Humla has been postponed because of the snow.Life in Mugu, Ligi, Simikot, KhagalGaun, Bhedka, Bargathe, Mitra and Syada Village Development Committees of Humla district is badly affected, according to Hum Prasad Adhikary, Chief District Officer of Humla.In Dolpo, communications between the district headquarters and many villages of upper Dopla such as Phoksundo, Gho, Lawan, Chaki, Lindo and Vijer have been cut off because of 2 to 3 feet deep snow. However, the life in lower Dolpa is normal. Because of the postponement of flights, hundreds of passengers have been stranded at Jhufal airport. Chandra Kant Koirala, a staff at the district administration office Dolpa said that the number of sick people has increased and they has not been able to go out because of the lack of flights. But there are signs of improvement of weather from today. Koirala said that if the snow begins to melt the flights could start by tomorrow. Vulture deaths raise fears of looming extinction By Bhimsen Thapaliya Kathmandu, Feb. 21: Vultures, man's clean-up servants who live by scavenging on filth, face critical fatality in Nepal raising fears of extinction, studies have revealed. The phenomenon of dying vultures goes beyond Nepalese borders and stands as a peril for the whole Indian subcontinent. Though the causes leading to their deaths are yet to be confirmed, researchers suspect the loss of tall and large tree species, outbreak of parasitic disease and poisoning. As the rise in mortality has led to breeding failures, the large birds face a dire future. An ornithological (the science of birds) research conducted in different regions across the country have come up with "dangerously shocking results". The White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), the most common species found in Nepal, have suffered the highest casualties. "Vultures have almost disappeared from the Royal Chitwan National Park, once a fertile breeding stronghold," a study conducted by ornithologists Hem Sagar Baral, Narayan Poudel, Jeet Bahadur Giri, Rick Watson and Munir Virani has revealed. The vulture survey was conducted in 2001-2002 in association with Bird Conservation Nepal, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Himalayan Nature. The survey report says that the breeding populations of both the White-rumped and Slender-billed vultures have been totally wiped out from Chitwan. Studies carried out in Koshi have also shown an alarming decline. Only 20 White-rumped vultures were observed in this bird haven in eastern Nepal in January 2002 as compared to 128 in May of the same year. The population of the Slender-billed vulture was also found to have dropped with only two birds sighted in Koshi at any time of the year, the report said. Declining breeding patterns were also seen in Koshi after monitoring nest numbers during successive breeding seasons. As against 67 vulture nests recorded in 2000-01 season, only 13 White-rumped vulture nests were located in 2001-2002. Chicken mortality also signals a dangerous trend with only three nests bringing up chicks successfully in the latter season as compared to 19 successful raisingin the former season. In December, a total of White-rumped vulture nests were sighted in the eastern side outside the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. By February, only nine nests were found occupied. By the end of March, all nests except three had been deserted. In March, the surveyors found a dead adult vulture near a nest. In April, another adult was found dead. The local people in the Ekrai area also reported seeing several dead vultures. In one nest, a chick was found to have died due to the death of its parents. "These evidences prove that vultures are heading rapidly towards extinction," warns the study report. Vulture surveys were also conducted in the Annapurna, Langtang and Sagarmatha National Parks to take stock of the population and breeding trend of the Himalayan Griffon, a high altitude vulture. "We found diminished numbers of the birds in all the three places while comparing with previous records," said Hem Sagar Baral, one of the surveyors. In the Kali Gandaki valley, west of Pokhara, the surveyors found only five nests attended by parents. Majority of the nests spotted had been deserted for still unknown reasons. The number of Himalayan Griffons had started to fall in the Annapurna area since the late Nineties. White-rumped vultures were reported to be breeding in the Kathmandu valley as recently as 1950. But the birds have rarely been spotted in this valley in the last five years, the report says. In the early Eighties, anywhere between 30 and 40 of these vultures were recorded while only three were sighted in Gokarna in 1991. The highest number of White-rumped vultures are now found in Rupandehi district in western Terai, but here, too, the population is declining. A Bird Conservation of Nepal (BCN) survey found 310 birds in April 1993, 160 in July 2000 and 64 in March 2002. The bird specialists involved in the survey blame a combination of factors that may have taken a toll of the vulture population. Poisoning, use of pesticides, diseases and food shortage are possible causes for the widespread decline in the Indian subcontinent, the report says. The Rupandehi study tested the stool of dead vultures and found the presence of intestinal parasites. Vultures here mainly feed on the Neelgai carcass. But, not only has the population of this animal fallen lately, the local people have also been poisoning the carcass to get rid of the scavengers. Simal is a tree popular among vultures which is also disappearing. Long living Religious conferences vital to enhance faith, says PM RSS Kathmandu, February 21. Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has said that the religious conferences could play a vital role in making the people oriented towards spiritual tendency and enhance faith and inclination to god. Wishing success to the first general conference of the month-long World Sanatan Religion Unity Federation that got underway at Pashupati area today, Prime Minister Chand has expressed the confidence that the general conference would inspire everyone towards peace and religion. Nayab Badaguruju Dr. Madhav Bhattarai, inaugurating the general conference, said that religion had been successful in bringing the religious community under one umbrella. Rajparishad Standing Committee member Dr. Swami Prapannacharya, president of World Hindu Federation General Bharat Keshar Singh and a host of other speakers expressed their views on the occasion. Mahapuran Path Parayan will be solemnised and various scholars would give discourses at the general conference, it is learnt. By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, Feb. 21: If democracy is to take roots in the country, leaders of political parties, who have expressed faith on constitutional monarchy, multi-party system and parliamentary democracy, should focus on moving ahead by accommodating the wish of His Majesty the King and the aspirations of the people, instead of entering into a debate with the King. This was pointed out by speakers at talk programme organised by Radio Nepal on the occasion of King Tribhuvan Memorial and Democracy Day Tuesday. The participants were Ramhari Sharma, founding member of Nepal Praja Parishad, the country's first political party, and former ambassador; Harikrishna Shrestha, the then member of the Praja Parishad and freedom fighter; and Sribhadra Sharma, former General Secretary of the Nepali Congress. They viewed that the conflict between the King and the democratic parties would not do any good if democracy is to be stabilized and the achievements of democracy are to be kept intact. Sharma said that democracy could be institutionalized and forwarded only if there is cooperation between the political parties, civil society and the King. He called the views expressed by His Majesty the King in
Biratnagar on January 3 was highly appropriate, and suggested that the political parties
and the people to give a clear thinking about it. Saying that the King needs people and the people need King, Sharma added if the Maoists, the political parties and the civil society put monarchy at the central point, we would be able to solve all the burning problems of the country. Harikrishna Shrestha said that the views expressed by His Majesty the King at Biratnagar are highly relevant, and all should pay attention to them.He said that the main cause of the distortions and the problems faced by the country is the failure to understand by the political parties that in democracy the parties are only the means and not the ends, and their thinking that partisan interests stand higher than the country's interests.Former General Secretary of the Nepali Congress Sribhadra Sharma said that the country's politics could run just only by the King or the people wanting it. But, he said, if both the sides want it everything is possible.Sharma said there is no room for debate in the address made by the King at Biratnagar."In our context, we cannot imagine democracy without monarchy and monarchy without democracy," said Sharma, adding all the concerned sectors should understand this. The present need is to establish coordination and cooperation between king, people and the political parties, he said. |
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