News from Nepal

Kathmandu, Nov. 30: Chief of Department of External Affairs of Indian ruling party Congress-I, Karan Singh, has arrived at Kathmandu this afternoon in course of his two-day visit to Nepal. Indian leader Singh is set to call on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai and representatives of various political parties. It is learnt that top leaders of various political parties including Indian leader Singh are attending a dinner reception hosted by Chairperson of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairperson Pashupati Shumsher Rana.

Actress Manisha Koirala was discharged from Mumbai's hospital Friday morning. She was admitted to the city's Jaslok Hospital Wednesday after she reportedly fell unconscious. However, the reason behind her illness was not made clear. "Manisha was discharged today (Friday) morning. She has requested not to disclose anything about her health... so I am not allowed to speak about it," Krishnakant Dasyam, spokesperson of Jaslok Hospital, told IANS. Manisha, 42, hails from an influential family in Nepal, has worked in several films . She made her debut with "Saudagar" in 1991, and recently made a comeback with Ram Gopal Varma's "Bhoot Returns". http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

KATHMANDU , NOV 28 - The Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), Sanothimi, has made public the examination routine of School Leaving Certificate exams. The eight-day exams will begin on March 14. The exams will be conducted from 8-11 am. Students will have to take the Compulsory English exam on the first day followed by Compulsory Nepali on March 15. Mathematics exam will be conducted on March 17, Science on March 18 followed by Social Studies on March 19. The students will have to sit for Environment, Health and Population on March 20 and the optional first paper and second paper on March 21 and 22 respectively. The OCE has said that there will be same question papers for regular and exempted students. Routine March 14 Compulsory English March 15 Compulsory Nepali March 17 Mathematics March 18 Science March 19 Social Studies March 20 Environment, Health and Population March 21 Optional First Paper March 22 Optional Second Pape...

KATHMANDU, NOV 28 - The major two opposition parties – Nepali Congress and CPN-UML – on Wednesday decided to request the president to extend the deadline to forge consenus. The prominent leaders of the parties took the decision to this effect after the parties failed to arrive at consenus to nominate the common candiate to lead a national unity government even on the eve of the seven-day deadline set by President Ram Baran Yadav. The meeting was convened at the UML headquarters at Balkhu in the Capital. Last Friday, President Ram Baran Yadav had issued a formal call to the political parties to form a national unity government, within a week, as per the Article 38(1) of the Interim Constitution. The deadline expires on Thursday. Also during a meeting at the president's residence, Sheetal Niwas, in Lazimpat in the Capital yesterday, President Yadav had discussed with UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal about the situations that could arise ...

BAGLUNG, NOV 28 - Student leaders affiliated to various political parties showed black flags during a programme attended by Primeminister Baburam Bhattarai here in Baglung district on Wednesday. The cadres of Nepal Students Union (NSU), All Nepal National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU), and All Nepal National Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) (close to CPN-Maoist) showed black flags to PM Bhattarai during the inauguration of Dhaulagiri Zonal Hospital. Police took to baton-charge to disperse the protestors, leaving seven of them injured. The injured are NSU District Chairman Harihar Sharma, ANNFSU Chairman Narayan Poudel, ANNISU-R central member Padam Khatri, NSU cadres Jog Lal Buda, Purna Prasad Acharya, Bal Krishna Sharma, and Hem Raj Sharma. Meanwhile, the three student unions have issued press statements condemning the police brutality. They claimed that it was a violation of their democratic right to protest.

  Bhadrapur, Nov. 28:   Two police officers working in Jhapa district have been suspended and detained for forwarding action against them. Police Inspector Chhabiman Bhattarai and Assistant Sub Inspector Kalicharan Panjiyar were suspended and detained, said DSP Mohan Sharma. Inspector Bhattarai had made a fake document of a stolen motorcycle and sold at Rs. 40,000, while he was chief at the Area Police Office, Anarmani, in the district.    He will be filed case against on cheating, said DSP Sharma. ASI Panjiyar had married for the second time a 15-year old girl of Lohajara VDC in Saptari district. Panjiyar, who is a father of two daughters and one son, had married the girl two weeks ago, the District Police Office said.  

KATHMANDU, NOV 27 - UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday said there are four leaders who could possibly be named as prime ministerial candidates. Talking to reporters at his residence in Lazimpat, Dahal said his first priority is a unity government under Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai after also offering “lucrative” ministries to the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. According to Dahal, his party can try out Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha if parties fail to agree on the first option. The other possible PM candidate s that Dahal mentioned are Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik and Mahanta Thakur, the chairman of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Nepal. Dahal also revealed that President Ram Baran Yadav called upon the parties to form a unity government as per  an understanding with him. “I had expected a political statement, but the head of state issued a statement citing clauses of the Interim Co...

KATHMANDU, NOV 27 - The UCPN (Maoist) has concluded that the current Baburam Bhattarai should be transformed into a national unity government. A joint meeting of the party office bearers and bureau in-charges held at Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's residence in Lazimpat on Tuesday decided that the consensus candidate to lead the national government should be picked from the ruling coalition in case the parties insist on going for alternative. Maoist spokesperson Agni Sapkota said the proposed national consensus government should be formed under the leadership of Baburam Bhattari as he represents the single largest party. He said that his party has decided to exhibit flexibility in the reshuffle of responsibilities while giving the current government a shape of national consensus. "Baburam ji is the first alternative," said the Maoist spokesperson. "We are also open to other alternatives but the candidate should be picked from the Fe...

KATHMANDU, NOV 27 - President Ram Baran Yadav has had a discussion with UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal as to what he ought to do if the parties do not forge consensus within the deadline. During the meeting at the president's office in Sheetal Niwas in the Capital on Tuesday, President Yadav and Dahal discussed about the situations that could arise after Thursday, when the deadline stated by President Yadav for consensus ends. "What will the parties do after Thursday if there is no consensus? What should I do?" Dahal quoted the president while talking to the media persons after the meeting. "There would be no alternative than to increase the deadline," said Dahal. Dahal had reached Sheetal Niwas after a meeting with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar at his resident in Lazimpat. Dahal also said that the president has asked him to coordinate for consensus. Moreover, D...

KATHMANDU: The Central Bureau of Statistics, on Monday, released the final result of the 11th National Census and said that Nepal' population stands at 26,494,505. In the report of National Population and Housing Census 2011 published by the CBS, the population of the country has grown to 1.35%,since the last census. Report says the male population stands at 12,849,041 while population of female is 13,645,463. Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai made public the 2011 census report at a programme in Singha Durbar. The sex ratio is 94.16 compared to 99.8 of 2001 census. Terai constitutes of 50.27 percent (13,318,705) of the total population.Similarly, hilly and mountain areas constitute 43 percent (11,394,007) and 6.73 percent (1,781,792) respectively.

Kathmandu, Nov. 26: A meeting was held between President of the Nepali Congress, Sushil Koirala, and Chairman of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Mahantha Thakur, to discuss about the political situation after the call by the President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to form a national consensus government.   During the meeting held at Koirala's residence at Maharajgunj, they discussed about the formation of a national consensus government and its leadership. Thakur said that they discussed about the formation of a national consensus government as per the announcement of the President. On the occasion, Thakur had demanded the view of NC towards Madhes and Koirala had urged Thakur to help NC for the leadership of a national consensus government. Koirala and Thakur held the meeting after the announcement of the President on November 23 for the formation of a national consensus government by declaring a deadline for November 29. Major political parties could not expedite meetin...

Kathmandu, Nov. 26: Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has said there was no reality in the news reports that the President and he have a conflict. Talking to media persons after the inauguration of the Primary Child Development Fourth National Conference at Jawalakhel in Lalitpur today,     the Prime Minister refuted the rumours that he, President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' have disputes over political matters. "Such news stories disseminated with ill-intention have no reality", he said, adding that party Chairman Prachanda was making   efforts for consensus with honesty and full dedication. He claimed that the nation will get an outlet to the existing crisis with consensus, cooperation and unity with him and Dahal. "We are heading towards consensus and I, in my address to the nation on November 22, told that the new election should be held in April-May, forging consensus as quickly as possible and for t...

राष्ट्रपतिको आहृवान नमान्ने मन्त्रिपरिषद्को निर्णय (पूर्णपाठ)   राष्ट्रपतिको कार्यालयको प.सं. स.०६९/७०, च.नं.३७, मिति २०६९।०८।०८ को पत्रबाट “सम्माननीय राष्ट्रपति डा.रामवरण यादवले संवत् २०६५ साल जेठ १५ गतेदेखि प्रारम्भ भएको संविधानसभाको कार्यकाल २०६९ जेठ १४ गतेपश्चात समाप्त भई व्यवस्थापिका-संसद समेत नरहेको अवस्थामा नेपालको अन्तरिम संविधान, २०६३ को धारा ३८ को उपधारा -९) बमोजिम अर्को मन्त्रिपरिषद् गठन नभएसम्म सोही मन्त्रिपरिषद्ले कार्यसञ्चालन गरिरहने व्यहोरा समेत मिति २०६९।०२।१६ मा जानकारी गराइएको र मुलुकमा विद्यमान राजनीतिक एवम् संवैधानिक गतिरोधको अन्त्य गर्दै जनताको चाहना बमोजिम संविधानसभाद्वारा नयाँ संविधान निर्माण गरी निकास दिने सन्दर्भमा सम्मानित सर्वोच्च अदालतको आदेशसमेतलाई ध्यानमा राखी सरकार, राजनीतिक दलका नेता, तथा प्रतिनिधिहरूसँग सामूहिक एवम् व्यक्तिगत रुपमा पटक पटक छलफल गर्दा पनि संविधानसभाको अवसान भएदेखि हालसम्म राजनीतिक सहमतिको निरन्तर प्रयास रहे तापनि राजनीतिक सहमति कायम भई राजनीतिक एवम् संवैधानिक निकास निस्कन र प्रधानमन्त्रीको चयन हुन नसकेकोले नेपाल...

KATHMANDU, NOV 25 - The government has concluded that President Ram Baran Yadav's  call to form a consensus government was against the spirit of the Interim Constitution. A special cabinet meeting convened on Sunday agreed that it was unconstitutional for the president to write letter to the government. "The steps taken by the president regarding the government, in the past and now, were against the spirit of the constitution," said Information Minister Raj Kishor  Yadav after the meeting. He said the president's office would be informed about the cabinet decision. President  Ram Baran Yadav on Friday called on the parties to pick a common candidate to lead a national consensus government within a week. Earlier, the president had remarked that the current Baburam Bhattarai-led had automatically become a caretaker one after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly (CA). The president's statement was against the interim constitution as the curr...