Schools across the country have been shut down due to strike imposed by Nepal Educational Republican Forum (NERF).

School teachers participating in a protest programme organised by the Nepal Educational Republican Forum at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu Wednesday, Feb 06 08. The Forum announced a three-day shut down strike in schools across the nation from today. nepalnews.com/NPA

School teachers participating in a protest programme…
The Forum has imposed three-day school bandh beginning Wednesday to press for their demands including betterment of facilities for teachers.

The Forum has accused the government of not fulfilling earlier agreements regarding making the temporary teachers permanent, improving conditions for teachers, rehabilitating displaced teachers and making temporary school staffs permanent.

The Forum went ahead with its school bandh despite appeals by guardians’ association and civil society organisations. They had said that the action by the Forum was depriving the children of their basic rights to education. nepalnews.com sd Feb 06 08

Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri.
Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri has said Supreme Court would soon initiate projects to improve the relation between judiciary and media so as the deliver right information about decisions in court to the general people.

Addressing the inaugural session of reporting training on legal issues organised by Freedom Forum in the capital Wednesday, Giri said that regular interaction between media and judiciary was essential for promoting human rights and civil liberties in the transitional phase.

Former attorney general Badri Bahadur Karki said journalists writing news on legal issues have to be more responsible in disseminating correct information, adding that court reporting in Nepal has been minimal.

Former president of Nepal Bar Association Shambhu Thapa said the journalists must distinguish between legal and judicial aspects of the any verdicts given by the court while writing news.

Senior journalist Harihar Birahi, Gokul Pokhrel, president of Press Chautari Bal Krishna Chapagain, chairman of Freedom Forum Tara Nath Dahal highlighted the importance of court reporting in Nepal and necessity for improving the relation between media and judiciary. nepalnews.com ia Feb 06 08

Dilendra Prasad Badu.

Activists of Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-Maoists clashed in remote far-western district of Darchula Tuesday after the latter tried to disrupt NC’s election campaign in the village. Although no casualties were reported, the condition of NC parliamentarian Dilendra Prasad Badu including a dozen NC activists is still unknown.

Two Maoist activists were also injured after police used force to foil any untoward incidents during the clash between the two sides that started after

Maoists began pelting stones at NC activists in Latinath VDC. Reports said that police also had to open fire to control the unruly crowd.

“We have received information that there has been clashes in the village,” Chief District Officer Yagyaraj Bohora said, adding, “but we don’t have full details of it since the village doesn’t have any phones.”

NC had started the village campaign from the past one week as part of the party’s election publicity program. In the course, Badu including many NC activists had been organizing assemblies and publicity programs in the rural areas of the district. nepalnews.com ag Feb 06 08

Related news

Even though the seven parties’ steering committee has advised the Tribhuwan University (TU) to defer the Free Student Union (FSU) election slated for February 28, the TU Vice Chancellor has said that the university will have to stick to the polls calendar.

“We are under compulsion to hold the election of FSU on the stipulated date,” Professor Madhav Sharma said, at an interaction programme in the capital, Tuesday.

Otherwise, the FSUs will have to be dissolved, he added.

Professor Sharma said the TU will now proceed as per the wish of the student unions.

The seven party steering committee had decided to advise for postponing the FSU election saying it would disturb the environment for CA election.

Their decision, however, has received flak from student unions affiliated with Nepali Congress (NC) and Unified Marxist Leninist (UML).

The UML- affiliated union has even questioned the intention of the parties saying their decision had sent a wrong message regarding their sincerity towards CA polls. nepalnews.com sd Feb 06 08

Mahara warns of unimaginable consequences if CA polls not held

Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara
A senior Maoist leader and a minister has warned of unimaginable consequences if the Constituent Assembly (CA) election is not held on April 10.

“If this election is not held on fixed date and if it is obstructed, it will be difficult even to comprehend what kind of situation will come in the country,” Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara said.

Addressing a programme organised by Kathmandu chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Tuesday, Minister Mahara urged the journalists to share their responsibility in ensuring successful CA election.

Meanwhile, Minister Mahara conceded the failure of the government to fully implement the Right to Information Act and the Working Journalists Act. nepalnews.com sd Feb 06 08

There are anti-election elements in NC and UML, claims Bhattarai

Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai.

Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai has claimed that some leaders of the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) have been trying to complicate the political situation in an attempt to scuttle the constituent assembly polls.

Speaking at a programme in the capital on Tuesday, Bhattarai said “secessionist elements” within the NC and the UML have been trying to consolidate their influence within their respective parties, and they have been trying to disrupt the April polls.

The Maoist leader didn’t, however, pinpoint who those “anti-election elements” and “secessionists” were.

Saying that his party has been internally discussing this issue, Bhattarai said the Maoists would put up strong resistance if attempts were made to spoil the election atmosphere. nepalnews.com mk Feb 05 08

The Election Commission (EC) Tuesday appointed electoral officers in all 75 districts to oversee the matters related to the constituent assembly election.

There will be 75 chief electoral officers and 165 electoral officers.

All the appointees belong to legal service at different government departments. nepalnews.com mk Feb 05 08

Deuba tells Terai people: CA polls a must to solve Terai problem

Former Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Nepali Congress leader and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is currently presiding over the party’s election assemblies in Terai districts, has said that constituent assembly election is a must to address the problems facing the Terai people.

Addressing a mass meeting organised by the NC in Jaleshwor, Mahottari district, Tuesday afternoon, Deuba said that most of the demands put forth by the agitating Terai groups have already been met by the government, and expressed confidence that the remaining demands would be fulfilled after the CA polls.

Deuba called upon the Terai people to actively take part in the election and also urged the agitating groups to come to the negotiating table and resolve the problems amicably.

Thousands of NC party workers and ordinary people participated in the gathering despite a shutdown strike called by the United Madhesi Front (UMF), an alliance of Rajendra Mahato’s Sadbhawana Party and Upendra Yadav-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum.

Reports said a dozen people including three Armed Police Force (APF) personnel were injured in a scuffle between the police and the UMF cadres. Police had intervened when the UMF men were trying to prevent the local people from attending the NC programme.

A series of bomb blasts had taken place in Jaleshwor last night, ahead of the NC mass meeting, but there were no reports of human casualty.

Armed groups like Madhesi Mukti Tigers have carried out bomb attacks targeting the NC’s programmes in Sunsari and Saptari districts over the past few days. nepalnews.com mk Feb 05 08

Bhutanese authorities have blamed the Communist Party of Bhutan, reportedly based in Nepal, for having hand in the second blast that took place in south-west Bhutan on the night of February 3.

The communist party is alleged to have been formed by Bhutanese refugees who have been denied repatriation to their homeland for the last 18 years.

Bhutan government’s mouthpiece Kuelsel’s online version quoted a press release by the Royal Bhutan Police as stating a second blast in Samtse exploded behind the Renewal Natural Resources (RNR) office in Ghmauney area after midnight.

The police investigation team also found two unexploded bombs, one behind the RNR office and another behind the gup’s (village headman) office in the same compound.

On the other hand, apfanews.com, a refugee run website said the Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist Leninist Maoist) has declared its hand in the blast.

The party had denied its hand in four blasts two weeks ago, including one in the kingdom’s capital Thimphu. The United Revolutionary Front of Bhutan (URFB) had claimed the responsibility for those blasts.

Reuters from Gauhati reported that the second blast has also been owned up by URFB. The rebel group warned of more attacks unless the March 24 elections were cancelled.

Bhutan plans for lower house elections on March 24. nepalnews.com ia Feb
05 08

At least five people have died in a bus accident in the eastern district of Saptari on Tuesday.

The passenger bus heading towards Biratnagar from Marder of Siraha district met with the accident at Bhardaha of Saptari, near Koshi Barrage.

Around five dozen passengers were injured in the accident and they have been taken to B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan for treatment, report said. nepalnews.com ia Feb 05 08