Minister for Local Development Dev Gurung has pledged to bring ‘relief package’ for the conflict-hit tourism industry once the new government under his party’s leadership comes in power.

Speaking at a function in Pokhara Friday, Gurung said efforts were being made to introduce a package programme to revive the tourism industry, but it could not materialise due to various reasons.

The minister further said the new government would also see to the problems of tourism entrepreneurs who failed to repay the loan due to political instability triggered by the decade long armed conflict.

Gurung also stressed the need to promote adventure tourism in Nepal and commercialisation of the local agriculture products to raise the economic status of the local people. nepalnews.com ia May 09 08

Nepali embassy in Myanmar capital Yangon has been damaged in the deadly cyclone, forcing the embassy officials to shift to a safer place, a hotel.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hira Bahadur Thapa, told Nepalnews that the embassy building, a rented property located at Natmauk Yeiktha in Yangon, was badly damaged by the cyclone, compelling ambassador Guna Laxmi Shama (BK) and other staffers to shift to a hotel in the city.

All the embassy staffers – four Nepalis including the ambassador and three local employees – are safe and are carrying out their official duties from the makeshift office at the hotel. Thapa informed that there were no reports of Nepalis in Myanmar being victim of the devastating cyclone that is believed to have claimed more than 20,000 lives.

Talking to BBC Nepali Service Thursday, ambassador Sharma had said it is very difficult at the moment to get food items and other commodities in the markets of the capital city while the communication network there has been almost entirely destroyed.

Only a few dozen Nepali citizens including monks studying in different monasteries are said to be living in Myanmar, but there is no official record of this.

Tens of thousands of Nepali-origin people live in the military-ruled country, especially in northern parts that are least affected by the cyclone. nepalnews.com mk May 09 08

The much awaited meeting of the top leaders of the ruling coalition partners concluded on Friday, agreeing to call the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly in a fortnight.

The first meeting of the top leaders of the ruling coalition after the April 10 polls was held at the Prime Minister’s residence today morning.

However, the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi), one of the constituents
of the seven-party alliance (SPA), stayed out of the meeting due to internal party wrangling.

As per the interim constitution, the first meeting of the CA, which is set to abolish monarchy and declare Nepal a republic, is to be convened within the next 20 days with the Election Commission publishing the final results of the election yesterday.

Apart from suggesting the Prime Minister to call the first sitting of the CA within May 25 to 29 after consulting with all the political parties both within the SPA and outside, the meeting also decided to constitute a taskforce of top leaders to submit its recommendation on pressing matters that includes power sharing in the new government, declaration of the country as a republic and prepare the working procedures and agenda for the first CA meeting, and nominating 26 CA members, according to Nepali Congress leader Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, one of the participants of the meeting.

He told Nepalnews.com that the taskforce will also recommend how to enhance cooperation among the parties and also accommodate new parties
like Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) and other Terai-centric parties in future meetings.

The taskforce constitutes Ram Chandra Poudel and Bimalendra Nidhi of NC; Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara of CPN-Maoist; Jhala Nath Khanal and Bhim Rawal of CPN-UML; C.P Mainali of CPN-ML, Lila Mani Pokharel and Ghanashyam Sharma of People’s Front Nepal and Prem Suwal of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP).

The taskforce would start its work from today but it hasn’t been given a fixed timeframe to submit its report. Dr Mahat said the next meeting of the top leaders of the seven parties would take place soon after the taskforce submits its report.

Maoist chairman Prachanda, his deputy Dr Bhattarai and top leaders of the six parties were present in the meeting.

While the meeting was in progress inside Baluwatar, physically disabled people had demonstrated outside the gates asking that one of its representatives should be in the list of 26 CA members to be chosen by the cabinet.

And interestingly, before entering inside the meeting venue for the discussion, CPN (ML) general secretary C.P Mainali told media persons present there that to assuage the present crisis the parties should also give a thought to the option of making King Gyanendra the first president of the republican Nepal. nepalnews.com ag May 09 08

A-10-day IAAF CECS level one coaches training programme conducted by Pakistani coach Nasarullah concluded on Thursday with 24 sports teachers from Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Nuwakot taking part in it.

At the end of the day, the organizer informed that 14 sports teachers are eligible for the level-2 course.

The participants presented a token of appreciation to the Pakistani coach.

Nepal amateur Athletics Association with help of the Nepal Olympics Committee organized the course. nepalnews.com bt May 09 08

The Pakistan National Cricket Academy (PNA) team defeated the Nepali national cricket team by 7 wickets in a rain-hit-friendly-match at TU Cricket Ground Thursday.

The Nepali team made 152 runs losing all wickets in 46 overs. Gyanendra Malla alone contributed 45 runs. Skipper Binod Das, Mehboob Alam and Shakti Gauchan couldn’t deliver their potential.

The target was reduced to 112 runs from 29 runs after rain, which was easily accomplished by the visiting Pakistani team. Rahul Majid scored 60 runs for winning team. Binod Das, Shakti Gauchan and Sanjam Regmi took one wicket each. Both teams are playing the second friendly match on Friday.

Nepal is preparing for upcoming Division V World Cup Qualifying Round to be played in Jersey, England. nepalnews.com bt May 09 08

As the dispute deepens in Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) over the alleged kidnapping of its party president, one of its senior leaders Shyam Sundar Gupta, has said Anandi Devi Singh is currently in Patna, India.

Party’s general secretary and Minister for Industries, Commerce and Supplies Shyam Sundar Gupta said she was taken to Patna by her relatives for treatment but was not abducted as his rivals alleged.

On Thursday, party’s vice president Khusi Lal Mandal and spokesperson Sarita Giri met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to express dissatisfaction over his mute action against the incident. They sought PM assistance for freeing Singh.

Gupta and Mandal are acting as leading rival factions of the NSP (A) for quite some time. nepalnews.com ia May 09 08

A day after the Election Commission announced the final results of the CA polls, dispute has surfaced over how the 26 members should be nominated.

According to the interim constitution, the cabinet would nominate these members but what is not clear is whether it is the current cabinet or the new one.

In a Law Day function on Thursday, Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri opined that new cabinet is entitled to take decision on that matter while justice Anup Raj Sharma clarified there are no constitutional hurdles on the current cabinet to take the decision. Sharma heads the Constituent Assembly Court.

Speaker Subash Nemwang also hinted in favour of the current Koirala cabinet taking the decision. He said the new government should be formed only after the first sitting of the constituent assembly.

According to constitutional provisions, the first sitting of the assembly need to be called by May 28.

Nemwang also said the sitting of the CA would be impossible unless the assembly becomes complete. nepalnews.com ia May 09 08

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who had announced to retire from politics after the constituent assembly elections, revised his stand to remain active in the field.

During his meeting with party members elected to the CA and presidents of the district committees on Thursday, Koirala said he would remain active in politics all through his life.

His interest for being active in politics came following the shocked defeat of the party in the CA polls.

Koirala admitted that his failure on being active in the party and electioneering and ineffective leadership of the new generation led to electoral defeat.

He said the current central committee will be dismissed immediately to form a new one. nepalnews.com ia May 09 08

Top leaders of the ruling seven party alliance (SPA) are meeting on Friday to discuss the formation of new government, implementation of republican agenda including other pressing matters. The meeting to be held in Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar is expected to prepare the working procedures and agenda for the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly that is to be convened within the next 21 days.

The first meeting of the top leaders since the April 10 polls is also expected to take up the issues of enhancing cooperation with new parties which have emerged as influential political forces in the recently concluded polls, nominating 26 CA members and power sharing. nepalnews.com ag May 09 08

Maoist chairman Prachanda has said the process to form a new government will start from Friday when a meeting of the seven-party alliance will take place at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar.

Speaking at a programme organised in the capital on Thursday to felicitate the ten Constituent Assembly members from Rolpa district, Prachanda informed that Friday’s seven-party meeting will discuss the likely composition of the next “Maoist-led government”. He said the new government would come into being in the next two or three weeks.

Insisting that the formation of the government has been delayed with some parties trying to go against the mandate of the people, the Maoist chairman said the new cabinet is likely to be announced on the very day the Constituent Assembly convenes, within the next 21 days.

Prachanda, who has already declared that he would take the reins of the incoming government, also said that hundreds of thousands of people will take to streets on the day the first CA meeting takes places — to warn against possible attempt to thwart the implementation of republic. nepalnews.com mk May 08 08