Newly appointed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koriala has called on the Maoists to come to the peace process.

Addressing the 2nd meeting of the reinstated House of Representatives (HoR) on Sunday, Koirala said, “The desire of Nepali people is peace and the democratic atmosphere is all about an environment whereby people could leave fearlessly. The process for this has already begun. Let’s all of us cooperate in this process. “In the meantime the CPN (Maoist) has declared three-month ceasefire. I call upon the Maoists to shun violence and come to the peace dialogue at the earliest.”

He also urged the parliament to take timely decision on his proposal tabled on Friday to hold election to the constituent assembly, informing that the government would soon make public its agendas.

The PM further said his government would work as per the aspirations of the people and the spirit of the recent democratic movement. He also urged the international community to cooperate the government in its rehabilitation and relief activities.

Deputy Speaker Chitra Lekha Yadav chaired today’s meeting.

Koirala who was sworn in by the King at the Narayanhity Royal Palace in the morning assumed his office as the Prime Minister at the Singha Durbar in the afternoon. His swearing in had been delayed due to his frail health.

Meanwhile, speaking at the parliament, CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said the government should move ahead in line with the roadmap of the seven-party alliance and the 12-point understanding with the Maoists. Election to constituent assembly and peace talks with the Maoists should be the top priority of the government, he said.

Nepal also demanded that the government set up a commission to investigate into the murder of CPN (UML) parliamentarian Hem Narayan Yadav and form a committee to compensate the families of those killed during the pro-democracy movement and help the injured activists.

Addressing the House, Nepali Congress (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba said the parties would not repeat the past mistakes. He also demanded that the Article 127 of the constitution should be immediately removed.

Similarly, addressing the parliament session, Janamorcha Nepal vice-chairman and MP Lilamani Pokhrel and chairman of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party Narayanman Bijukchhe stressed on implementation of Mallik Commission to bring to justice those working against the people.

HoR session was underway until 6:15 p.m. Decision on the Prime Minister’s proposal to go for constituent assembly will be taken after the MPs give their views. nepalnews.com mk Apr 30 06

An agreement has been reached between transport authorities of Nepal and the Tibetan Autonomic Region of the People’s Republic of China to continue the Kathmandu-Lhasa-Kathmandu direct bus service, which had been in operation on trail basis.

The agreement was reached after a meeting held from April 19-21 in Lhasa between a team led by Joint Secretary at the Ministry Dinesh Hari Adhikari and Party Secretary-General of the Communications Department of Tibet, Paba Cicheng, official new agency RSS said quoting the Ministry of Labour and Transport.

The direct bus service launched amidst a grand fanfare on the first of May 2005 got caught up time and again. Both the sides now have agreed to make the service more effective.

It was also agreed at the meeting to sort out the obstacles in ensuring smooth running of the bus service including visa processing, visa for tourists from the third world countries, visa fees for Nepali tourists, hotel facilities in Lhasa, garage and ticket counters for the Chinese side in Nepal, RSS reported.

Sajha Yatayat has been operating the bus service from Nepal side while Himalayan Transport has been operating on behalf of the Tibet government in the 970-km route.

A high-level team of the Chinese government is scheduled to visit Nepal this year in order to discuss ways to making the bus service more effective, according to the ministry. nepalnews.com mk Apr 30 06

National Planning Commission (NPC) vice-chairman Dr Shankar Sharma and the members have resigned from their posts.

Vice-chairman Sharma and the members went to the Prime Minister’s Office at Singha Durbar Sunday afternoon and tendered their resignation to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

The House of Representatives (HoR) on Sunday unanimously endorsed the proposal to go for the election of the constituent assembly tabled by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

Apart from the seven party alliance, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Janashakti Party also supported the proposal.

Discussion was held on Sunday on the proposal after the opening speech of Prime Minister Koirala, before passing the proposal unanimously.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala addressing the 2nd meeting of the reinstated House of Representatives, Sunday, Apr 30 06. nepalnews.com

Prime Minister Koirala filed the proposal to go for election to constituent assembly on the first session of the HoR on Friday.

Deputy speaker Chitra Lekha Yadav, read out the sankalpa prastab (memorandum) sent by PM Koirala, who could not attend the parliament session due to his frail health on Friday.

The SPA reached to an agreement with the Maoists in last November to bring Maoists into mainstream of politics by holding the election of the constituent assembly.

Earlier, Maoists announced protest programme immediately after the royal proclamation of reinstating the dissolved HoR, saying that election of the constituent assembly is a must to resolve the current political problems of the country. They later called back the decision after Prime Minister Koirala assured them in this regard. nepalnews.com pb Apr 30 06

A senior Indian politician, Sitaram Yechuri, has said joining of peaceful democratic process by the Nepali Maoists will have positive impact across South Asia.

Addressing a ‘Face to Face programme’ organized by the Reporters’ Club in Kathmandu on Saturday, politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechuri said reinstatement of the House of Representatives in Nepal is a good beginning. He said the 12-point understanding between the Seven Party Alliance and the CPN (Maoist) is the basis of present democratic changes in Nepal.

Yechuri, who is also the acting chairman of Nepal Democracy Solidarity Committee in India, said (Nepali) Maoists were ready to join the democratic process in the country. “Their participation in the democratic process will have a positive impact on entire South Asia,” he added.

“Whatever the Nepali people decide regarding the fate of monarchy through constituent assembly elections, we will support that,” said Yechuri. He said now there was a need of economic rebuilding in Nepal and that the international community including India should come forward to help Nepal in that regard.

General Secretary of the Nationalist Congress Party of India, D. P. Tripathi, said he, along with his colleagues, had arrived Kathmandu to salute and greet Nepali people for their great revolution, democratic upsurge and success. He also congratulated Maoist chairman, Prachanda, for the success of ‘people’s movement’ and advised media to refer to him by his original name Pushpa Kamal Dahal. “This spirit of ‘jana andolan’ will ensure the success of democratic movement in Nepal,” he added.

A leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Atul K. Anjan, said there was no room for what he called royal anarchy as well as social anarchy in democracy. “We want stable democracy in Nepal and we will impress upon the Indian government to provide more assistance to Nepal in future,” he added.

Journalist and leftist writer, Anand Sworup Verma, said Nepali people had rejected advice by the Indian and US authorities to bring the king and parliamentary parties together so as to isolate the Maoists. He said people’s movement had also afforded an opportunity to the SPA to regain their lost ground over the last 12 years.

Human rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar alleged that the SPA was trying to undermine the role of CPN (Maoist) in the people’s movement. He said Nepali people were not happy to see that Indian premier Dr. Manmohan Singh had sent a ‘maharaja’ (Dr. Karan Singh) as his envoy to Nepal.

Nepali Congress leader Narahari Acharya said with SPA agreeing to hold elections for the constituent assembly, the main agenda now was to decide the fate of monarchy. He claimed that Nepali Congress to would not stand in favour monarchy during the constituent assembly elections. nepalnews.com by Apr 29 06

Following the new political development in Nepal, a senior official with a leading donor agency has expressed commitment to extend full scale support to the Nepal government to help in peace building and development process of Nepal.

Dr Sultan Hafeez Rahman, country director of the Asian Development Bank-Nepal Resident Mission (ADB-NRM), on Friday expressed pleasure over the recent political developments here and hinted at increasing aid to Nepal if the new government placed its priorities on socio-economic development of the nation, reports said.

Dr Rahman commented that the forthcoming government has to inform donors about its development priorities, following which international donors can take a coordinative approach.

“What is crucial is that the government has to work out ‘plans and programmes’ to address the root causes of poverty,” said Dr Rahman.

He further said that the ADB has identified poverty, exclusion, inequality and unbalanced regional growth as among the root causes of conflict in the country and urged the government to be formed to address these issues.

“People want democracy because they believe democracy will bring them their basic human, socio-economic and political entitlements. The government should ensure that those are delivered to people,” he added.

“Talking about the tremendous potential Nepal has, Dr Rahman said, “There is a need to expand development activities and take reform measures. Immediately, the service sector and the tourism sector will see better days in days to come.”

He said that ADB is waiting for the government, which has the job of articulating development priorities. “I hope donors’ group will respond positively,” he added.

ADB had already approved $110 million per year for 2004 to 2007 on a yearly basis through its Country Strategy Paper (CSP). ADB will not lag behind in joining donors’ group to increase aid to Nepal. However, the government has to clearly spell out its programmes and priorities, focusing on poverty reduction strategy, said Dr Rahman.

He expressed confidence that Nepal can register even a seven per cent economic growth at par with other South Asian countries in about three years’ time, provided the security situation in the country remains stable. nepalnews.com pb Apr 29 06

A day after Maoists declared three-month unilateral ceasefire, Maoists abducted 11 RNA soldiers on Thursday from Ramdittha bazaar of Leguwa VDC of Dhankuta.

The rebels had abducted 16 soldiers, but some of them managed to escape, said locals.

Twenty-seven RNA men deployed at RNA’s 2nd brigade in Hile were heading home on leave. The soldiers are from Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur and Dhankuta districts. The brigade has confirmed the abductions.

Those abducted have been identified as Shree Kumar Tamang, Dinesh Rai, Aitaraj Rai, Harka Bahadur Bishwakarma, Tek Raj Rai, Bhakta Bahadur Rai, Lal Bahadur Rai, Govinda Joshi, Dilli Ram Shrestha and Tek Bahadur Sherpa.

Issuing a statement on Friday, Ministry of Defense has said the rebels abducted 11 unarmed soldiers while they were on their way home.

Meanwhile, reports quoted Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara as saying that they will release all the abducted soldiers soon, adding they were abducted due to miscommunication.

He informed that the party did not have the policy to abduct soldiers. nepalnews.com pb Apr 29 06

Thousands of people, protested in front of the Singh Durbar gate, demanding announcement of elections to a constituent assembly in order to ensure equal participation of all and inclusive democracy in the country.

Various rallies started from different parts of the city and converged at the Singh Durbar, where the first session of the reinstated House of Representatives was taking place.

People from various indigenous and backward communities and some representatives of NGOs called for elections to a constituent assembly so as to ensure their participation in the making of new constitution and the subsequent process of nation-building.

Buddhists, Dalits, disabled people, human rights activists, civil society members and journalists were also present on the occasion.

Prominent rights activists, journalists and ethnic rights activists staged a sit-in outside the Singh Durbar main gate for over two hours while others chanted slogans for an end to monarchy, creation of a constituent assembly and assurance of ethnic rights.

The Civic Movement for Democracy and Peace, Human Rights Organisation of Nepal, National Dalit Journalists’ Organisation, Families of Citizens Disappeared by the State, Newar Forum for Political Rights, United People’s Movement Committee of Gongabu, and several other organisations participated in the programme. nepalnews.com pb Apr 29 06

Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Bijaya Nath Bhattarai has said that the central bank would come up with new financial policy to suit to the present requirement of the country.

“The new financial policy will revolve around the broader benefits for the people and the country as a whole,” said he.

Speaking at the 51st anniversary of the central bank on Friday, he said the role of the central bank needs to be made more effective in the changed political context for the broader development of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Basanta Raj Pandey, president of NRB Employees Association stressed on the need to make the central bank more accountable and transparent. “The NRB must be freed from all anomalies and malpractices,” said he. nepalnews.com pb Apr 29 06

The US embassy in Kathmandu is resuming from May 1 certain services provided by its consular section, and full services by May 15, while the American Center Library will also reopen on May 1.

Issuing a press statement on Friday, the American Embassy in Kathmandu has asked Nepali visa applicants scheduled for interviews at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi before May 15 to keep those appointments, after which interviews will be taken at the consular section in Kathmandu.

“The Nabil Bank, Maharajgunj branch, will begin scheduling non-immigrant visa appointments on May 1. Interviews will begin on May 15. The Consular Section will contact persons earlier scheduled for interviews who were unable to be interviewed because the section closed and who have not yet been interviewed in New Delhi. Applicants with interviews scheduled for August in New Delhi may now go to Nabil Bank, Maharajgunj branch, to schedule a new appointment date at the Consular Section in Kathmandu,” the statement adds.

The embassy has also asked Diversity Visa winners with interview dates scheduled for May to contact the Consular Section at 4445577 as soon as possible.

The consular section and the library were closed from April 19 owing to the security and political situation in Kathmandu. nepalnews.com pb Apr 29 06