His Majesty King Gyanendra granted audience to former Prime Ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Surya Bahadur Thapa at the Naryanhity Royal Palace as seven opposition political parties continued their agitation for ‘total democracy’ on12th straight day on Monday.
Talking to reporters after the royal audience, Bhattarai said, “The process of dialogue has started. Democracy will certainly return in the country.”
The veteran Congress leader who is out of active politics for sometime said he was against the idea of election to the constituent assembly as well as the roadmap of the seven opposition political parties for ‘total democracy’. He said his interaction with the King was focussed on how the constitution of the 1990 could be activated.
Asked if the King was ready to cede power, Bhattarai remarked in his token light-hearted manner, “No one in power would want to give up power.”
He also made clear that he was a royalist. “I am a royalist. I am here to listen to what the King has to say,” he said before entering the palace.
Meanwhile, talking to journalists after the royal audience former Prime Minister and chairman of the Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP), Surya Bahadur Thapa, said, he informed His Majesty about the current scenario of the country.
Asked whether he will be the next Prime Minister, Thapa said, the present need of the country is to address current problems not the issue of post.
Thapa also served the post of Prime Minister for a term after the King sacked elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on October 2002. However, RJP is stressing the need of consensus among all constitutional forces (the King and political parties) to resolve current political stalemate of the country.
The King appointed three Prime Ministers since October 2001 to February 1, 2005 before forming the cabinet under his chairmanship.
The King had given separate audiences to cabinet vice chairmen and the ambassadors of India, United States and China on Sunday. Reports said the current political crisis in Nepal and its possible outlet was discussed in the meetings.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukharjee, who received royal audience on Sunday, called on Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala on Monday morning.
According to, NC sources, the duo discussed about the royal audience and current political situation of the country.
King Gyanendra has called upon all political parties to join in a dialogue to bear the responsibility of activating the multiparty democratic polity and contribute towards the same in his message on the occasion of Nepali New year on Friday.
International communities have been pressurizing the King to initiate dialogue with the seven political parties to resolve the present problems of the country. But it is not clear whether the monarch will call the seven agitating political parties for talks or not. nepalnews.com pb/mk Apr 17 06
Ministers of Nepal and Bhutan will meet for delayed 12th ministerial meeting soon in Kathmandu, Foreign Minister Narendra Bikram Shah Sunday.
Shah said this Sunday after returning from Bhutan following meetings with King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk, the prime minister and foreign minister. Shah flew to Thimpu quietly last week.
Shah said he discussed the Bhutanese refugee issue and the delayed 12th SAARC summit with Bhutanese leaders in a quiet low-key effort to resolve a 12-year refugee issue. “It is not wise to keep wounds fresh for such a long time, ” Shah said.
The two countries are trying to draw a mechanism for the repatriation of the refugees whose status at one camp in Jhapa was verified by a joint team last year; there are seven such camps in Jhapa and Morang administered by UNHCR.
Nearly 100,000 refugees charge Bhutan for forcible expulsions while ignoring calls for early repatriation.
KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Council (NHRC) has said its attention has been drawn toward the strike by doctors at government hospitals.
Issuing a statement on Tuesday, NHRC has urged the concerned authorities to be serious as thousands of lives could be at stake.
The commission has called upon the government and Government Doctor’s Association of Nepal (GODAN) to address the issues prevailing in the profession through talks.
GODAN, which is dissatisfied with the government’s decision to adjust doctors under the federal structure, has been halting all the health services in the government health facilities since last Friday except for the emergency services.
BIRATNAGAR: Chief Minister of State-1 Sherdhan Rai has said that the State’s permanent capital will be announced soon.
Chief Minister Rai said that the decision would be taken within two weeks on the basis of political consensus.
Speaking at a program here on Monday, Chief Minister Rai said that the agenda would be discussed in the provincial assembly in a few days.
TRIPOLI: At least 32 people have been killed and around 50 wounded in fighting with strongman Khalifa Haftar’s troops near Tripoli, the UN-backed government said.
Health minister A’hmid Omar gave the updated death toll in an interview with Libya’s Al-Ahrar television station late Sunday. Haftar’s forces have so far said 14 of their fighters have died.
The two sides also exchanged air strikes days after Haftar — who backs an administration in eastern Libya opposed to the GNA — launched an offensive Thursday to seize the capital.
The clashes came despite calls by the United Nations and the United States for an urgent ceasefire.
Pro-GNA forces on Sunday announced a counteroffensive named “Volcano of Anger”.
Spokesman Colonel Mohamed Gnounou said the operation was aimed at “purging all Libyan cities of aggressor and illegitimate forces”, in reference to Haftar’s fighters.
Libya has been riven by divisions since the NATO-backed uprising in 2011 that killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival administrations and armed groups vying for power and control of the country’s oil.
Haftar’s offensive has threatened to plunge the country into a full-blown civil war and once again thwart diplomatic efforts to find a solution to Libya’s woes.
BHAKTAPUR: Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Dr Shashank Koirala has claimed that nobody could beat NC in the next election if it would be united.
Speaking at an interaction in Bhaktapur today, General Secretary Koirala said that there was no alternative to move ahead with a united Nepali Congress party.
Dr. Koirala stated that he was currently active in unifying NC and taking it forward. “I am endeavoring to bridge the gap between President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel to ensure party unity. NC would once again emerge as the largest.”
He also argued that it was wrong for Prime Minister KP Oli to centralize power at a time when the country has adopted and implemented a federal set-up.
RUPANDEHI: Former Prime Minister and Coordinator of the Naya Shakti Party Nepal Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has stressed on all-inclusive participatory development.
He was addressing the 2ndMagar National Council Conference in Butwal on Saturday. The former prime minister stressed on a development environment should be enabled in such a way that all sections of the society can realize a change in society.
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress lawmakers have decided to provide their two day salary and allowance to the victims of deadly storm occurred in Bara and Parsa districts Sunday evening.
The freak storm pulled down houses, cowsheds and overturned cars and trucks as it ripped through southern belt in the country killing at least 27 people and leaving more than 600 injured.
KATHMANDU: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central bank of Nepal, has incinerated Nepali bank notes worth Rs 476,091,900,000 so far. The NRB destroyed the bank notes which had been already tattered, soiled and damaged.
According to NRB, it destroyed Rs 58,281,997,333 bank notes as of April 1 in the ongoing fiscal year 2018/19. Similarly, in the fiscal year 2017/18, it destroyed bank notes worth Rs 40,5770338 while Rs 25,754,210,495 were incinerated in the fiscal year 2016/17.
Likewise, in the fiscal year 2015/16, the bank destroyed Rs 26,277,843,000 old, tattered, soiled and damaged notes.
NRB destroys such kinds of old, tattered, soiled and damaged notes so as not to let them come into use.
KATHMANDU: Nepali leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane of Delhi Capitals took wicket of Kings XI Punjab’s batsman on Monday.
Sam Curran of Punjab made 20 runs of 10 balls smashing three fours and a six before falling to a lbw trap to Sandeep at 3.5 overs of the match.
Earlier, Delhi won the toss and elected to field first. Both the teams will vie for their third win in the match being held at Punjab’s home cricket ground.
Earlier, both the teams have won two matches and lost one each of the three games played. Delhi and Punjab have equal 4 points each at points table and are placed in fourth and fifth position respectively on run rate.