Her Majesty inaugurates art show

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KATHMANDU, March 10: Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah inaugurated the solo art exhibition of artist Shilupyari Karmacharya amidst a function here today on the occasion of the 93rd International Women's Day.

Her Majesty the Queen observed with keen interest the paintings on the occasion.

Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha said the Royal Family has played an important role in the promotion of arts, literature, culture and music in the country.

Such painting exhibition helps endconflict and tension in the society and guides towards progress and prosperity, he said.

Academician Bijaya Thapa shed light on the paintings while the artist Karmacharya said new innovative art is possible from the tradition of eastern civilisation.

A total of 56 paintings of Rs. 2,000 to 50,000 reflecting culture, religion, natural beauty, women, life style and rural environment are kept in the exhibition.

Some of the amount collected from the paintings is said to be provided to the Nepali women artists for the development and upliftment of women.

Crown Prince opens trade fair in Pokhara

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POKHARA, March 10: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev inaugurated the Western Industrial Trade Fair 2003 amidst a function held at Basundhara Park Baidam Pokhara today.

HRH the Crown Prince observed with keen interest the exhibition of the trade fair.

HRH the Crown Prince granted audience to the businessmen on the occasion.

Her Royal Highness PrincessHimani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was present on the occasion.

The trade fair was jointly organised by His Majesty's Government, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Export Promotion Centre, Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Pokhara Chamber of Commerce on the occasion of Export Promotion Year 2003.

The trade fair was organised with a view to promoting the industry, education, health and tourism of this region and consolidate the internal market and export promotion.

There are a total of 242 industrial, handicrafts, information technology, flowers, agriculture and tourism related stalls in the five-day trade fair.

There will be folk dance, national folk song competition and cultural programmes of renowned bands throughout the trade fair.

On the occasion Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Mahesh Lal Pradhan said the government and the private sector should unitedly move ahead for the overall economic development and the promotion of Nepalese products and attract foreign investment in the country.

Acting president of the FNCCI Binod Bahadur Shrestha said the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Maoists is a sigh of relief to improve the situation of commerce and industry sector.

PM convened all party meeting discusses code of conduct for talks
Govt to use suggestions of parties: Pandey

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 10: An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand today discussed about the preparation of the code of conduct for talks between the government and the CPN (Maoist).

The meeting, the second within a month called by the Prime Minister, was participated by Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP). Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the two big parties that represented in dissolved House of Representatives, were absent in the meeting.
"The meeting was useful in connection with preparing the code of conduct so as to transform the cease-fire currently in place into permanent peace," Minister for Information and Communications and government spokesman Rameshnath Pandey told the media after the meeting.

Minister Pandey said that the government would utilise the useful suggestions in drafting the code of conduct so that a lasting peace will be restored in the country.

Replying to a query, Minister Pandey said that the government would soon make public the code of conduct.

About the absence of the major political parties in the meeting, Pandey said that the government had requested all the parties represented in the dissolved House to take part in the meeting.

"But, unfortunately, they remained absent at the meeting," he said, and added that the government would make continued efforts to involve them in the all-party meeting to be held in future.

"We want that the major parties to play a role in restoring permanent peace in the country. I believe that they will extend cooperation to the government in its bid to make the peace talks successful," he added.

Pandey said that the government has been requesting the political parties to eschew petty self-interest for the larger interest of the nation. "The media and the civil society should play the role of pressure groups."

RPP President Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana said that his party suggested the government to hold peace talks on the basis of broader national consensus.

"There still is need for adequate works to create an amicable environment for talks. First of all, there should be a peaceful atmosphere in the country. The displaced people are still afraid to return to their villages. There are reports that the rebels are raising funds and organising meeting bydisplaying weapons in different parts of the country. These types of activities must be stopped if the talks are to be successful," said Rana.

The RPP president said that the government should take into consideration the needs of the victims of insurgency while preparing the code of conduct.

The government should also take initiatives so that the major political parties participate in the peace process.

"If the parties are ignored it could be another problem. Thus, the government should take the political parties, constitutional bodies, the civil society and other concerned parties into confidence to keep the cease-fire intact, to make the talks successful and to implement the decisions of the talks," he added.

For a lasting solution to the Maoist problem, the government should launch broader reforms in the social, political and cultural sectors, he said.

Joint general secretary of NSP Devendra Mishra said that the government should carry out development works to rehabilitate people affected by insurgency and reconstruct the infrastructure damaged by the rebels.

The government should unveil relief packages for the victims and provide compensation to the families of dead security personnel. "This is necessary for security to the victims of the insurgency and to bring normalcy in the affected villages." He stressed for the role of major political parties in the peace process.

Prime Minister Chand has also called another all-party meeting of the political parties, which do not have representation in the dissolved House of Representatives at his office Singhdurbar tomorrow afternoon.

Nepal home to hundreds of rare animals

By Our Correspondent

KATHMANDU, March 10: The recent finding of rare animals like red panda, charibagh (a small tiger) and snow leopard in the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area (KCA), has enriched Nepal's wildlife resources, and this has proved that Nepal is home to hundreds of rare animals.

KCA Project recently discovered a red panda, three snow leopards and a small tiger in the conservation area. "This, we believe, must be a great achievement in the conservation history of Nepal," said manager of KCAP Aangphuri Sherpa.

Conservation officer of the Project Yugal Kishor Thakur said that there could be as many as half a dozen red pandas in the conservation area that is spread over 2,035 square km area in the northeastern Himalayan region that adjoins India and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. To its greatest surprise, the KCAP had found a wounded red panda last year.

"After visiting the wildlife reserve last month, a fact finding team led by Chyume Sherpa from the Himalayan district of Manang has concluded that there could be at least four snow leopards in the area," Thakur informed.

In a brief meeting with this correspondent, project manager Sherpa said that charibagh, a rare tiger, was found in the area for the first time a couple of months back. "The finding of these rare animals show that there could be many other such animals in the conservation area."

The conservation area is home to other rare animals like deer, bears, foxes and hundreds of rare birds.

'Code of conduct at final stage'

By Saroj Adhikari

KATHMANDU, March 10: Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun today said that the preparation of the code of conduct to facilitate the peace talks was in the final stage and that it would come into effect from Wednesday.

"The forthcoming peace talks would be successful as it is the wish of 23 million people," Pun, who is coordinator from the government's side for the talks, said while speaking at an interaction programme on "The role of various parties for resolving the crisis and maintaining lasting peace through talks." The programme was organised by Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) here this afternoon.

Pun said that the need of the day was not to debate whether the present government was constitutional or not, but to solve the problem that has marred the nation since the last eight years.
The government has been seeking every support from all the political parties and civil societies to make the peace talks fruitful, he said, adding he was longing to hear "peace at last by the effort of all", and not that it was successful because of Narayan Singh Pun and Baburam Bhattarai.
"We have completed all the necessary homework needed for talks and I would like to ask all the people to rest assure about the success of the talks," Pun maintained.

Leader of the Nepali Congress Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that the NC was also in favour of peace in the nation as its party workers were the ones to suffer the most from the seven-year-long Maoist insurgency.

"However, it is sad to note that the political and constitutional differences between the government and the party are yet to settle down," Dr. Mahat said.

Leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Kamal Thapa said that it was high time all the parties and civil societies show solidarity for resolving the crisis without creating unwanted, irrelevant and make-believe arguments.

"The Maoist problem cannot be solved by undermining the major political parties. However, it is also the role of the political parties to participate in the peace initiative," said Thapa.

Also the spokesman of the RPP Thapa said that without the participation, coordination and consent of the political parties there could be no permanent peace. "Thus, involvement of the parties to herald lasting peace in the country is inevitable."

Leader of the Nepali Congress Gopal Man Shrestha said that their party would provide every support to the peace talks, 'provided that there would be lasting peace'.

Gopal Shakya of the CPN-UML also said that the party has lobbied for peace. "But it is necessary that the government and the Maoists be clear about the agenda of talks.

Other speakers including president of Nepal Bar Association Sindhu Nath Pyakurel, president of NCC Rajesh Kaji Shrestha, ex-presidents of NCC Mahesh Kumar Agrawal and Banawarilal Mittal, President of RPP (Nationalist) Rajeshwor Devkota, human rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar and others lobbied for the peace talks and wished for the success of the upcoming talks.

Royal step shows right direction: Rana

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 10: When the democratic system in the country has weakened because of irresponsible conducts of the political parties, His Majesty, as head of the state, has provided an able leadership to the country, said senior litterateur and former member of the parliament Jagadish Shumshere Rana.

In an interview with the Chintan-Manan programme of the Nepal Television on Saturday, Rana said political parties have tried to cover-up their failures by putting all the blames on the head.
He said that His Majesty the King had consented to the recommendation of Sher Bahadur Deuba, the elected Prime Minister, for the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and for fresh polls. "Was it responsible on his part to escape from his responsibility after failing to hold the election within the stipulated time?" Rana asked.

It was natural for the King to give the responsibility to a new government after the previous one failed to carry out its duty, he said.

He made it clear that after the House of Representatives was dissolved, its authority passed to the Royal institution, the traditional power and that power has been utilised for the common good.
He also said the initiatives taken by the political parties to make their leaders Prime Minister by making demands for the restoration of the parliament or for a national government were irrelevant.
Instead, he suggested the political parties that they should correct themselves, and make a soul searching on why they lost people's support and they divided and wrangle amongst themselves.
It would be inappropriate for the political parties to hinder the efforts of transforming the cease-fire into a permanent peace for their partisan interests, he said.

He said all should work to make the royal step to bring in peace a success.

He argued that there can be no constituent assembly without monarchy, and said that monarchy has become a part of democracy, and it is indispensable for its protection.

Rana, who is the winner of the much coveted Madan Puraskar, said that the thinking of development of the country and social reforms are found in literature.

Dixit blames politicians for predicament

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 10: An international seminar organised by Centre for Nepal and Japan Studies deliberated on issues related to Nepal's security, foreign policy, economy and politics.

The seminar, entitled 'Perspectives of Nepal's Foreign Policy', organised at the Benaras Hindu University (BHU), Benaras, India, from March 3-4 was participated by scholars from India and Nepal, according to a report received here today.

Former Foreign Secretary of India J. N. Dixit said that 12 years of multi-party exercise in Nepal was a disappointment and the politicians of political parties have themselves to blame for their current predicament, the report states.

Eminent scholars like Prof. BC Uprety, Prof. Dr. MD Dharamdasani, Dr. Madan Kumar Bhattarai presented papers.

Likewise, Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs Nishchal Nath Pandey while presenting a paper "Nepal's Foreign Policy with India and China: The Security Imperatives" pointed out that "Nepal's stability and security is not only for the security and stability of itself but also for guaranteeing that its volatility is not utilised by elements that are either inimical towards India or China."

He further said, "It is in the interest of both these Asian giants to make it a point to see and to make all concrete efforts to help Nepal itself".

The Centre for Nepal and Japan Studies of the BHU is a centre devoted for the study of Nepal. Hundreds of eminent Nepalese have or are studying in various disciplines in the BHU.