News from Nepal

New Delhi, Dec 27 : Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Indian capital New Delhi on Wednesday amid the ongoing political crisis in Nepal. Yadav has had to repeatedly extend a deadline given to political parties in Nepal to agree on a new coalition government that would conduct elections in April. Leaders of the main political parties have failed to reach an agreement on the issue. Nepal's Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has been running a caretaker government since May when the constituent assembly expired. Opposition parties want a new government with representation from all the parties to hold the polls. The previous Constituent Assembly was elected in 2008. Its two-year term was repeatedly extended because it failed to finish drafting a constitution. Its final term ended in May when parties couldn't agree on another extension, leaving Nepal without a parliament. India, which borders Nepal on three side...

MOTIHARI: Protest over the Delhi gang rape has now reached the neighbouring country, Nepal. Girls and boys of National Medical college (NMC), Birganj, on Tuesday took out a rally and marched through the main thoroughfares of Birganj town, the second largest commercial city of Nepal, adjoining the Indo-Nepal border. Some housewives also joined the rally. The students marched from Tribhuwan Rajpath to Ghantaghar roundabout under the leadership of Dr. Vishal Pratik , professor in radiology department. The rally later converged into a public meeting near Ghantaghar. It was the first protest in Nepal against the Delhi rape case. The agitated students vent their anger and demanded capital punishment to the accused to teach a lesson to offenders. They also demanded special legislation for the security of girls and women in all the countries under SAARC. They were shouting slogans and carrying placards like 'hang the rapists', 'give social security to girls',...

NEW DELHI: Citing India's deep rooted ties with Nepal, President Pranab Mukherjee said New Delhi will continue to do its best to assist the neighbouring nation in its socio-economic development. It is in India's interest that Nepal progresses as a stable, secular, democratic republic, the President said welcoming his Nepalese counterpart Ram Baran Yadav at Rastrapati Bhavan here on Wednesday. Mukherjee said that people of India consider him a great friend and value his long-standing support for Indo-Nepal relations. "India attaches the highest priority to further strengthening its bilateral relations with Nepal in every sphere," Mukherjee was quoted as saying by a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson in a press release. The President said India's relations with Nepal are deep rooted and unique with no parallel. "As a close friend and neighbour, India will continue to do its best to assist Nepal in its socio-economic development," he said. ...

Itahari, Dec. 25: Chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Nepal Upendra Yadav has said Nepal is likely to be a failure state in the world due to growing differences among the political parties. Speaking at a press meet organised by the Reporters' Club at Itahari today, leader Yadav the incumbent government has already lost the people's trust and it was the responsible   behind the deepening political crisis in the country. "An exit of the present government is the final solution to the present political deadlock in the country", he added. Some political parties have taken the people's mandate for drafting the new constitution lightly, he said, adding that that the new constitution could not be drafted on time as the political parties concentrated themselves on power, he said. Yadav refuted the possibility that the incumbent government could be transformed into a government of national consensus. Accusing the government of promoting corruption, ...

Kathmandu, Dec. 25: The Election Commission has prepared a draft for amending the laws related to political parties with the objective of making the political parties responsible and accountable to their works and activities. The draft is related to the formation and registration of political parties and their inclusive structure, internal democracy, institutional development and transparency. The EC has proposed in the draft to remove the provision related to defection after making an analysis of the situation in which there were party defections and splits were rapidly increasing thereby creating negative impression about the political parties among the general public. The draft stresses the principle that there should be unity in parties and not splits. Accordingly, it has provision which stipulates that two or more than two parties can merge after reaching an understanding as per their respective party statute. Similarly, the provision requiring the signatures of ...

KATHMANDU, DEC 10 -The Vice Chancellor selection committee of the Kathmandu University has recommended Dhulikhel Hospital Director Dr. Ramkanth Makaju Shrestha for the post on Monday. The VC post was vacant after Dr Suresh Raj Sharma tendered his resignation on Nov 9. The committee submitted the recommendation letter of Shrestha to KU Chancellor and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai today. The decision will be made by today, if not tomorrow, KU sources confirmed. The selection committee had Joint Chancellor Dina Nath Sharma with its member Daman Nath Dhungana and Dr Lok Bikram Thapa. Following Sharma's resignation, KU Education Department Dean Tankanath Sharma, former registrar Sitaram Adhikari, Management Department Dean Subash KC, former Dean of Education department Dr Man Prasad Wagle and Engineering Department Dean Bhola Thapa were the competitors for the post.

KATHMANDU, DEC 10 -Ailing actress Manisha Koirala will undergo surgery at the Manhattan-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centerin in New York on Monday night. She was flown to the United States for further treatment after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The actress was first admitted to Jaslok hospital, Mumbai. The 42-year-old Bollywood actress was taken to the hospital on November 28 after she reportedly fell unconscious.

PHUKET: Nepal’s ex-Crown Prince Paras Shah, was ordered by the Phuket Court on Monday (December 3) to report for a month’s drug rehibilitation treatment at Bang Jo Prison after being found guilty of possession of marijuana. However, the prince never made it to Bang Jo because of chest pains the following day which necessitated a visit to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, after which he went to Thalang Police Station to explain why he had missed his appointment for rehabilitation. At the police station, more bad news awaited him. Police told him that an arrest warrant had been issued against him in Bangkok for another charge, that he smashed up a hotel room in Sukhumvit, caused B2 million in damage. He was immediately put on an aeroplane to Bangkok where he was taken to Thonglor Police Station around midnight on Tuesday, to answer the charge. The Phuket Court has now ordered him to report for rehabilitation at Bang Jo next Tuesday (December 11). The Phuket News...

KATHMANDU, DEC 06 - The government has decided to propose an ordinance to President Ram Baran Yadav seeking appointments in all the vacant posts of the constitution al bodies including the Supreme Court justices without parliamentary hearing. The Cabinet meeting held Thursday afternoon took decision to this effect, Minister for Information and Communications Raj Kishore Yadav informed. As per the interim constitution, there is a provision of appointments in the constitution al bodies and the justices only after the parliamentary hearing. There is vacancy in the SC following the retirement of the justices after two years of their appointments. The Election Commission will also be vacant after Jan 10. The government is all set to float the proposal with the alternatives for the appointment procedure as there will be difficulties in parliamentary hearing in the absence of the parliament. According to Minister Yadav, the government decided to propose the...

KATHMANDU, DEC 06 -The Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA), a coalition of parties supporting the ruling alliance, on Thursday said they will not quit the government in the present context. It also said that the resignation of the government would move ahead only after consensus is agreed in package. The meeting FDRA held this morning concluded to move ahead with the resignation of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai only after the thorny issues are agreed in package . Minister for Information and Communications Raj Kishor Yadav informed that the formation of the new government will go ahead only after consensus in package  . "In the present context, PM Bhattarai will not resign. The formation of the new government may move ahead only after the package deal," he said speaking to eKantipur. Yadav said that the meeting decided on consensus in a package deal that includes a roadmap regarding amendment of the Interim Constitution and formulation of elect...

In a spillover of India's economic slowdown, Nepal's growth rate is expected to drop to 3.8 in 2012-13 against 4.5 percent of the previous year, the International Monetary Fund has said, amid a political deadlock in the country. "The outlook for 2012/13 is challenging. Real GDP growth is projected to decline to 3.8 percent, reflecting a weaker monsoon, and slower services activity as remittance growth may slow," said the IMF Executive Board following the conclusion of its consultation with the Himalayan nation. "Spillover effects from declining growth in India (through lower export demand, weaker inward investment, and possibly less remittances), and the dampening effect of continued political uncertainty will also present further challenges to growth in Nepal. Inflation is also on the rise, and upward pressure on prices may increase in line with projected developments in India over the next few months," it said. The IMF Executive Board noted t...

Kathmandu, 4 Dec.- The meeting of the major three parties – UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN-UML – on Tuesday could not yield any conclusion on nominating a leader for the next national government. The leaders had convened at the Special Committee office in BICC in the Capital for a meetingjust two days before the deadline set by President Ram Baran Yadav for forging agreement is to expire. Emerging from the meeting, Nepali Congress General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula said that the other parties are ready to accept the leadership of Nepali Congress. He said that the UCPN (Maoist) and UML leaders in the meeting requested NC to finalise the candidate for the premiership. Sitaula informed that the Central Working Committee (CWC) would choose the candidate in the next meeting slated for Wednesday. Likewise, UCPN (Maoist) Vice Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Naran Kaji Shrestha said that the leaders have agreed for a package-agreement fo...

Kathmandu, Dec. 4: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has directed leaders of the major four political powers to form a national consensus government within the second deadline given by him. During his meeting with the leaders of the UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front, an alliance of Madhes-centric parties,   at the Presidential Palace, Sheetal Niwas, today, President Dr. Yadav directed them to take the issue seriously as there would be bad impact if consensus was not forged among political parties this time also. The meeting took place just two days before the termination of the deadline given by the President to the political parties second time for consensus. On the occasion, the President urged them to forge consensus on the issues relating to Constituent Assembly (CA) election and appointment of office-bearers at the constitutional bodies. He also suggested the political parties cooperate for bringing an ordinance related to an ...

Pushpa Basnet, a Nepalese woman who supports children so they don't have to live behind bars with their incarcerated parents, was named the 2012 CNN Hero of the Year on Sunday night. Nepal is one of the poorest countries, and space is very limited in the few group homes affiliated with the government. So when a parent is incarcerated and no other guardian can be found, children have little choice but to live in prison as well. Basnet, 29, is determined to give these children another option. She started a home in kathmandu where children can receive education, food, medical care and a chance to live a more normal life. She also runs a day care program for children who are too young to be separated from their parent. "These children have done nothing wrong. They are simply caught in something they do not understand," Basnet said during "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," which took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and honored her ...

KATHMANDU, DEC 02 - Nepali Congress (NC) leader Bhim Bahadur Tamang was laid to rest at Swayambhu in Kathmandu on Sunday. His final rites were performed as per Tamang tradition. Leader Tamang died of heart attack at the age of 78 on Saturday. Tamang's body was taken to Swayambhu from NC party office in Sanepa after President Sushil Koirala offered his last tribute to his mortal remains. NC President Koirala and Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel accompanied Tamang's body while it was being ferried to Swayambhu. NC leaders, cadres and thousands of well-wishers have thronged Swayambu to attend the final rites of Tamang. CPN-Maoist General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, Vice Chairman CP Gajurel and Secretary Dev Gurung, among other leaders, paid floral tributes to Tamang's body before it was taken to Swayambhu.  The government had decided to accord the state honour to Tamang.

KATHMANDU, DEC 02 - The opposition parties--Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist--have remarked that the resignation of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is the first condition for agreement. The opposition parties said that they would not sit for talks to seek other alternative unless the prime minister stepped down. The parties' stand came in the wake of UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's claim that Bhattarai is the one and only appropriate candidate and that the NC-UML were positive about it. A meeting between the NC and CPN-Maoist held on Sunday as part of the efforts to forge consensus within the deadline given by the president decided to intensify the demand for PM Bhattarai's ouster. The meeting concluded that they could not accept Bhattarai's leadership for the national consensus government. The meeting attended by NC President Sushil Koirala and CPN-Maosit Vice Chairman CP Gajurel and leader Deve Gurung at Koirala...

KATHMANDU: Ex-UCPN-Maoist fighters, who were disqualified by United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) during the verification process, today protested outside their party’s central headquarters in Paris Danda on Saturday. The ex-PLA (People's Liberation Army) demonstrated at UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal's office after their talks with the Peace Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi failed to make a headway over the disqualified fighters' demand to provide a special package for those who were injured during a deacade-long people's war. Earlier, government had decided to award a cash of Rs. 200, 000 to each unverified Maoist combatants. The government had even decided to provide money to the minors who were earlier released from PLA cantontments, which actually had agitated and riled the opposition parties.