Senior justice of the Supreme Court Kedar Prasad Giri has said absolute press freedom is not possible even in the most democratic societies of the world.
Giri inaugurating the function
Giri inaugurating the function
Addressing the inaugural of the five-day training for legal beat journalists organised by Freedom Forum in the capital on Tuesday, justice Giri stated the Nepali court always given its verdict in favour of press freedom and right to information of the Nepali people and urged journalists to take caution while disseminating news of legal issues to ensure that the people are not given unclear information.
Speaking at the same programme, President of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) Bishwa Kant Mainali criticised the way Nepali journalists reported on legal issues. Mainali cautioned the journalists to be serious towards protecting right of the child enshrined by the Nepal’s constitution and laws and urged media persons to be selective on the use of words.
Former NBA president Shambhu Thapa came down heavily against the controversial news coverage regarding the chief justice.
General secretary of the Federation on Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Mahendra Bista stressed on the need to demarcate the extent to which journalists can write.
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The National Planning Commission (NPC) has finalised the approach paper for the upcoming annual budget and the interim three-year plan.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala a meeting of the NPC held at Baluwatar Tuesday, which finalised the approach paper. Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, NPC vice chairman Jagadish Chandra Pokharel and NPC members were present at the meeting.
On the occasion, PM Koirala directed the NPC officials and finance minister to prioritise the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed during the period of insurgency in the upcoming budget.
The upcoming budget will give special focus on construction of road networks, education, expansion of telecommunication facilities and establishing peace, it is learnt.
The meeting also decided to call the meeting of the National Planning Council soon to finalise the upcoming budget and interim three-year plan.
Meanwhile, PM Koirala today met former Chief Justice Bishwop Nath Upadhyaya and asked him to lead the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Reports quoting sources said that Upadhyaya turned down the PM’s proposal.
The CPN (UML) has urged the government to make inclusive its budget programme for the upcoming fiscal year.
Organising a press conference at the party’s central office in Balkhu, UML leaders said the upcoming budget programme should be prepared after extensive discussion on the priorities. Criticising the Finance Minister for not initiating debate with the ruling allies on the upcoming budget, they said the budget must address the aspirations of different sections.
CPN-UML leaders in a press conference publicizing their proposed economic policy and program for the upcoming budget at their party office, Tuesday, June 19 07. nepalnews.com/rh
Addressing the press conference, UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari said the annual budget should announce special programmes for Dalits, women, indigenous nationalities and landless people. He also said the budget of the royal palace should be downsized.
“The number of army personnel at the royal palace has been reduced while other officials have been brought under the civil service. Therefore the budget for the palace must come down,” he said.
Adhikari, a former finance minister, informed that his party was in favour of doubling the Rs 1 million annual grant provided to each Village Development Committee.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala traveled to the residence of former Chief Justice Biswo Nath Upadhyaya in Gyaneshwore on Tuesday in an attempt to persuade him to accept the position of chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) but in vain.
Upadhyaya, who had been named as NHRC chief last year, has consistently declined to take up the position saying he was appointed without his consent and without his agreement on the team.
On Tuesday, too, Upadhyaya rejected PM’s offer, say reports.
Although PM Koirala tried to persuade Upadhyaya to accept the offer and help him, Upadhyaya declined.
This is the second time PM Koirala had gone to Upadhyaya’s residence to persuade him.
The rivalry between the Maoist-aliened Young Communist League (YCL) and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) seems ever rising with both sides labeling each other as criminal groups.
The MJF today demanded that the YCL be outlawed. Talking to reporters after the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the MJF central committee in Janakpur Monday, party chairman Upendra Yadav even said the Maoists should immediately be expelled from the coalition government and there should be a ban on the YCL.
After the killing of its cadres in confrontation with the MJF activities, the CPN (Maoist) had earlier asked the government to outlaw the MJF.
Yadav said also his party was ready to hold talks with the government but accused the latter of not taking any initiative to for talks on the demands of the party.
The meeting dismissed the old central committee and re-organised an ad hoc committee until the general convention, which is scheduled for October.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala (File Photo)
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
(File Photo)
A day after he made a controversial statement suggesting King Gyanendra and Prince Paras to abdicate to pave the way for a ‘minor King’, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today said the constituent assembly polls would decide the fate of monarchy.
The Prime Minister said this while talking to a delegation of Nepal Teachers Union at his Baluwatar residence this afternoon.
Members of the delegation quoted Koirala as saying that the country would see ‘disaster’ if constituent assembly polls were not held on time. He said he was committed to hold election in November-end.
During a meeting with Pakistani journalists at Baluwatar yesterday, Koirala said he had suggested the King and his son to abdicate before CA polls if they wanted the monarchy to stay in the country. Koirala reportedly said the two should do so in order to shift the crown to a minor royal member.
Koirala’s remarks have invited sharp reaction from the Maoists.
Maoist chairman Prachanda today said Koirala’s views ran counter to the interim constitution and that they were unacceptable.
The tea farmers of Ilam have demanded that the government immediately release about Rs 275 million as financial support for setting up 11 more tea processing plants in their district.
Representatives of tea farmers of Ilam who had come to the capital city to lobby for this met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and members of agriculture and cooperative committee of the interim parliament and put forward this demand, the Kantipur Daily reported.
They have also warned that if the government doesn’t set up processing plants in Ilam, the 5.2 million kilograms of green tea produced this year would all go waste and through this the tea business of Ilam may collapse completely.
Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hisila Yami (File Photo)
Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hisila Yami (File Photo)
Responding to last Wednesday’s letter from the Asian Development Bank, Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hisila Yami has expressed firm commitment to fulfill all the conditions put forth by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) except for hiring Severn Trent for the management of drinking water supply. Asking time till October for this, she also proposed ‘revised rebidding’ for selecting a management contractor for Kathmandu Valley’s water utility.
In the letter she wrote to the Director General of the Manila based bank, Minister Yami proposed hiring technical experts, most preferably Nepali or Non-Resident Nepalis, for the about two years ‘interim’ period that would take for appointing a new contractor through rebidding.
The main objective behind hiring the technical experts is to strengthen Kathmandu Upatyeka Khanepani Limited (KUKL), according to experts.
Minister Yami has in the letter also asked the bank till August 30 to complete institutional reforms in Kathmandu Valley’s water utility.
The Kathmandu Post reports that by that time Yami is seeking to hand over the assets of Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) in the valley to Kathmandu Valley Water Supply Management Board, lease out the asset to KUKL for 30 years, set up a Water Tariff Commission, and effect transfers and retirement of NWSC’s valley staff.
The ADB had last Wednesday written to Minister Yami asking the timeframe of completing institutional reforms in Kathmandu Valley’s water utility including options for Severn Trent.
The Supreme Court (SC) has summoned three journalists including the editor of Jana Astha weekly to face the contempt of court charge filed against them.
The charge was filed in response to a news report by the weekly last week linking Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel to a sex scandal.
SC judge Pawan Kumar Ojha issued the summons to editor Kishore Shrestha, managing director Rajendra Sthapit and sub-editor Chudamani Bhattarai, along with acting chief of the Jaisideval prison office Rajendra Adhikari to attend the court on June 25. The bench has said that defendants can neither seek the extension of time given to them to attend the court not can they send their representatives to the court.
Meanwhile, Nepal Bar Association has regretted the publication of news in which the journalists themselves were not totally confident regarding its truth.
Prime Minister, with the consent of Speaker, has ended the ongoing session of the legislature parliament beginning 9 pm on Sunday.
The winter session, which began on January 15 by endorsing the Interim Constitution, went on through tumultuous period for five subsequent months before the PM called for its end on Sunday.
“Now the parliament will be called by the PM as per the constitution,” said Speaker Subas Nemwang.
The budgetary session of the parliament is expected to be called beginning Asar 18 (July 2) by the Prime Minister.
“The parliament has fulfilled its major responsibilities. And now the lawmakers can visit their respective districts and villages and spread the message of Constituent Assembly elections,” said Nemwang.
In the five months, the legislature parliament – an assembly of 330 nominated MPs including Maoists that replaced the earlier elected House of Representatives that was restored after successful Jana Andolan II – has passed a number of important legislations including two amendments of the interim constitution as well as a number of electoral bills. Just two days ago it passed the crucial CA Members Elections Bill.
The parliament’s regular sitting had to be suspended for seven times after Maoist MPs, Terai MPs and RPP MPs stalled the proceedings raising their respective demands.
On the closing day, the parliament formed six special committees – Parliamentary Special Hearing Committee; CA Elections Monitoring Committee; Peace Agreement Implementation Monitoring Committee; Conflict Victims Relief Committee; State Restructuring Committee; and Socio-economic Restructuring Committee. Likewise, it also formed a committee headed by MP Tek Bahadur Chokhyal to probe the killing of RPP MP Krishna Charan Shrestha – who was killed in September reportedly by cadres of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha. The parliament also amended its regulations.