PM Koirala's health improving

Amidst rising concerns over his health condition in the country, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met with media-persons in his official residence in Balulwatar Wednesday.
PM Koirala who is under close observation of doctors from the past 11 days met three media persons including a television reporter and a photo journalist to dispel worries about his health among the people. "I am sure you are assured (about my health) now?" the ailing 84-year-old leader asked,"Now you can go."
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Sitting in a chair donning a overcoat, Daura Suruwal and his trademark Bhadgaule topi, Koirala was taking artificial oxygen through a breathing device as he spoke to the journalist.
Immediately after this doctors involved in his treatment held a press conference in Baluwatar and informed that the prime minister's health is improving.

Student union election postponded

The meeting of the Steering Committee of the Seven Party Alliance has decided to put on hold the election of Free Student Unions (FSU).
The meeting held at CPN-Maoist head office in Buddhangar decided to ask student organisations to suspend the FSU election as it could affect the constituent assembly elections. The CPN-UML leaders, however, insisted that the FSU polls should take place.
The Maoist side proposed to suspend the campus election taking into consideration the need to intensify the CA polls campaigning, emphasising that the students should also actively take part in it.
Nepali Congress and other smaller parties raised no objection to the proposal to stall the FSU polls.
however, student organisations have not yet reacted to the Steering Committee's decision.

33,000 refugees to be resettled by 2009

The Kathmandu-based representatives of the Core Group of Nations working closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to support the refugees from Bhutan has stated that in 2008 more than 13,000 refugees will be resettled from Nepal.
"By the end of 2009, we hope that an additional 20,000 or more refugees who have chosen resettlement will be starting new lives in the United States, Australia, Canada, and elsewhere," said a statement issued on Wednesday by US Ambassador to Nepal Nancy J Powell as Chair of the Core Group of Nations -- Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and the US.
The Core Group has emphasized that the offer of resettlement goes hand in hand with continuing efforts to urge the government of Bhutan to accept the return of the refugees. "Repatriation and local integration are recognized by all of us as being equally desirable durable solutions," said Powell in the statement.
The Core Group nations and other nations have extended the offer of resettlement as a durable humanitarian solution for the refugees only after many years of attempts by the governments of Nepal and Bhutan to negotiate a repatriation solution, Powell said.

पेट्रोलियम पदार्थको मूल्य बृ‌द्धि दुई दिनमै फिर्ता

तीव्र दबाबपछि सरकारले इन्धनको भाउ बढाउने आफ्नो निर्णय दुई दिनमै फिर्ता लिएको छ।सत्ताधारी दलहरुसँग सम्बद्ध विद्यार्थी संगठनहरुकै अगुवाइमा भएका विरोध प्रदर्शनहरु नियन्त्रणभन्दा बाहिर जाने स्थिति देखा परेपछि सरकारको यो निर्णय आएको छ। सोमबार मध्यरात देखि मट्टितेल, डिजेल र खाना पकाउने ग्यासको भाउ ९ देखि २० प्रतिशतले बढाइएको थियो। केही दिनदेखि अस्वस्थ रहेका प्रधानमन्त्रीको अनुपस्थितिमा बुधबार बसेको मन्त्रिपरिषदको अनौपचारिक बैठकले निर्देशन दिएपछि नेपाल आयल निगमले भाउ बृद्धि फिर्ता लिएको थियो।

निगमका कार्यकारी निर्देशक दिगम्बर झाले भने, “यो निर्णय व्यापारिक भन्दा राजनीतिक उद्देश्यले प्रेरित छ, अराजक तत्वले चुनाव बिथोल्न सक्ने भएकाले यो राजनीतिक फैसला गरिएको हो।“ तीन महिनामा इन्धनको भाउ दोश्रो पटक बढाइएपछि भएको विरोध प्रदर्शन प्रहरी नियन्त्रणभन्दा बाहिर जाने संकेत देखिएको थियो। भाउ बढेको समाचार सार्वजनिक भएको पहिलो दिनको बिहान सबेरैदेखि विद्यार्थीहरुले विरोधमा टायर र काठका मुढा बालेर सडक तताएका थिए। कतिपय ठाउँमा सामान्य मानिसहरुले पनि प्रदर्शनमा भाग लिएका थिए।

दोश्रो दिन बुधबार पनि त्यही दृश्य दोहोरिएको थियो। तर दिन ढल्किंदै जाँदा धेरै ठाउँमा स्थिति निकै तनावग्रस्त बनेको थियो।ठाउँ-ठाउँमा प्रदर्शनकारी र प्रहरीबीच झडपहरू भएका थिए।
अघिल्लो दिनझैं प्रदर्शनकारीहरुलाई तितर वितर पार्न प्रहरीले लाठी चार्ज र अश्रुग्यास प्रयोग गरेको थियो। प्रदर्शनकारीहरुले चाहीं ढुंगा प्रहार गरेका थिए।

Sushil blames Maoists for deadlock, polls delay

Acting president of the Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala has blamed the Maoists of their resistive stand on demands that brought deadlock in the political process.
Speaking at the national gathering of the Nepal Press Union on Friday, Koirala said his party now has no inch to go ahead for consensus on the issues raised by the communist parties.
Koirala also blamed Maoists for the failure of holding the CA polls for the second time in pretext of Nepali Congress not agreeing with republic and their other agendas. He said his party was not an obstacle to establishing republic.
Expressing concern over the increasing attacks and intimidation of journalists, Koirala appraised that journalists are the first pillars to institutionalising democracy.
Speaking at the same programme, President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Bishnu Nisthuri urged the journalists for unity for security. He flayed the government for failure to bring those involved in targeting journalists to book.

No bird flu here, say officials

At a time when bird flu has hit parts of West Bengal of India, which also borders Nepal, officials here have said that the dreaded disease has not arrived in the country.
But they have warned that the disease could enter into the country if proper precautions are not taken.
“Bird flu has not been seen in Nepal. But we cannot be complacent,” Dr. Baikuntha Parajuli, director of Livestock Health Directorate, told today.
He said that experts would immediately be dispatched to any area reporting unusually high mortality of birds and chicken.
He informed that chicken that recently died in hundreds in Jhapa district had not suffered from bird flu but quite another disease.

CA election is the most important step: Mukherjee

The Indian ambassador to Nepal has pointed out that upcoming election for the Constituent Assembly (CA) is ‘the most important step’ in the current journey, which Nepal is taking.
“A free and fair election to the Constituent Assembly, which will give Nepal and its people their new social, economic and political future, remains the most important step in this journey,” Shiv Shankar Mukherjee has said in a statement he issued on the occasion of 59th Republic Day of India, on Saturday.
“As Nepal turns a new chapter in its history, India has expanded its existing cooperation with Nepal and is rendering all possible assistance for the success of the peace process,” he said.
Ambassador Mukherjee also reiterated India’s commitment to contribute to meeting ‘the requirements of Nepal and the friendly people of Nepal in their historic quest and endeavour.

EU troika delegation to visit Nepal

With the objective of pressing the political parties to work together to meet the demands that people of Nepal have expressed for change and peace an EU troika delegation will visit Nepal from December 3 to 6.
"The aim of the visit is to express continued EU support for Nepal's peace process and to encourage the parties to work together to meet the demands that the people of Nepal have expressed for change and peace. An essential part of this will include free and fair elections," states a press release by the EU.
"The Troika will offer its support to the Government to put in place the key building blocks of the peace process to enable credible elections at the earliest opportunity. These include improvement of public security, discussion on the future of Maoist combatants, an end to impunity for human rights abuses, progress on development and dialogue with marginalised groups," it adds.

UML MPs criticise their leaders for divergent views

The lawmakers of UML, on Friday, took their leaders to task over the ‘divergent’ views regarding the issue of implementation of proposals on republic and PR system.
At the meeting held at the party’s parliamentary party office, the MPs urged the leaders to clarify the actual wordings and intention of the proposal on republic passed by the special session of the parliament. They complained that the Maoists were making their own interpretations about the proposal. The UML’s proposal on republic was supported by the Maoists while the Maoists’ proposal on PR system was supported by the UML during the special session.
“The MPs have urged to shed light on the UML’s proposal in straight manner,” said UML standing committee member Jhal Nath Khanal, adding, “They also urged the leadership to reach to political resolution soon and pave the way for election.”

Don't ask for leadership change ahead of polls: NC

A day after the major four communist parties agreed on reshuffling the current cabinet including replacing the government leadership, Nepali Congress has asked not to raise any other issues ahead of the constituent assembly polls.
The party has asked the communists groups to concentrate on holding polls at the earliest to achieve the mandate given by Jana Andolan II.
During an informal meeting of the party leaders held on Saturday morning, NC leaders criticised the Maoists and the UML for raising issue of leadership change that would put the agenda of constituent assembly polls under shadow.
The Congress leaders held the meeting ahead of the seven party meeting to discuss the political impasse. The top leaders of the ruling alliance and the Maoists are scheduled to meet this afternoon to make another round of effort to end the deadlock.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who attended the meeting briefly, expressed hope of solving the impasse after the meeting of the top leaders.