“The King’s announcement, in my view, is totally unconstitutional and this will further distance him from the people.”
Girija Prasad Koirala, former prime minister and president of Nepali Congress, addressing a press meet organized after the announcement of the dates for municipal elections, at his residence.
* * *
“Who can say that we cannot go to the people? What is the basis? Let’s see if those who say we are scared to go to the people can walk in public alone.”
Amik Sherchan, president of the Janamorcha Nepal, in Bimarsha.
* * *
“This (the attack on the studio of Kantipur F. M.) is a pre-planned attack in the form of state terrorism to impose autocracy, which was also seen during the September 1, 2004 incident.”
Arjun Narsingh K. C., leader of Nepali Congress, speaking at a face to face program at the Reporters’ Club Nepal.
* * *
“Raw proposal for election alone does not fulfill one’s responsibility toward the country.”
Surya Bahadur Thapa, former prime minister and president of Rastriya Jana Shakti Party, in a press statement after the party’s meeting.
* * *
“We are trying to establish contact with the Maoists and we will hold dialogue with them as soon as possible.”
Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Unified Marxist – Leninist (UML), in The Kathmandu Post.
* * *
“The officials of the bar (Nepal Bar Association) are seeing everything as unconstitutional as the (Nepali) Congress and the Communists (UML) are not in the government.”
Shushil Pant, former Attorney General, in Jana Bhawana
* * *
“The media ordinance is brought not to control but regularize the media.”
Tanka Dhakal, Minister for Information and Communications, in Gorkhapatra.
* * *
“If the elections are held without the participation of the political parties, it will only be an election for the sake of election. It will not be a real representation of the people.”
Surya Prasad Shrestha, former chief election commissioner, in a television talk program.
* * *
Transition
LEFT: Ramesh Nath Pandey, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on an official visit to Pakistan and the Russian Federation.
Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of the Unified Marxist – Leninist (UML), for India, to meet with the Indian leaders, to garner support for the agitation of the seven party alliance.
ELECTED: Nepal, as a member of the UNESCO executive board, for four years, by the election held during the 33rd session of UNESCO General Conference.
Durga Prashad Bhattrai, Nepal’s ambassador to Sri Lanka, as the president of the Colombo Plan Council (CPC), for the year 2005/06, by the Council's 249th session.
AWARDED: Krishna Pahadi, a leading Nepali human rights activist, with the honorary citizenship of Italy, by the Italian city of Termini Imerese.
ESTABLISHED: Samana Banking Award, to encourage the writers and researchers who contribute to the banking and financial sector, by the Samana Bank.
APPOINTED: Sushil Koirala, as the vice-president, K B Gurung as the general secretary, Krishna Situala, as the spokesman and in-charge of the Publicity Department, Dr Ram Saran Mahat and Dr Ram Baran Yadav, as the joint-general secretaries, Mahantha Thakur, as the treasurer, Baldev Sharma Majagainya, as the head of Organization Department, Arjun Narsingh KC, as the in-charge of the Policy and Program Department, Sujata Koirala, as the in-charge of the International Relations Department, Chakra Prasad Bastola, as the in-charge of the Investigation and Evaluation Department, Dilendra Prasad Badu, as the in-charge of the Coordination Department, Man Bahadur BK, as the in-charge of the Training Department, Sunil Kumar Bhandari, as the in-charge of Parliamentary and Local Bodies Department, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, as the Intellectual and Professional Department, and Suprabha Ghimire, as the in-charge of Women Department, of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee, by the party president Girija Prasad Koirala.
NOMINATED: Gobinda Raj Joshi, Sunil Kumar Bhandari, Laxman Ghimire, Shyam Lal Shrestha, Suprabha Ghimire, Padma Narayan Chaudhary, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Din Bandu Shrestha, Dil Bahadur Gharti, Ram Krishna Tamrakar, Gopal Pahadi, Binaya Dhoj Chand, Formulla Mansur, Arjun Joshi, Purna Kumar Sherma, K. B. Gurung and Narahari Acharya, as the members of the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress, by president Girija Prasad Koirala.
DIED: Bimal Koirala, eldest son of former prime minister Matrika Prasad Koirala, at the age of 70.
