Madesh Mukti Tigers, govt. hold talks


Kathmandu, 20 March: Government and Madesh Mukti signed a four-point agreement Friday with the terai rebel group agreeing to suspend insurgency in the south bordering India.
Rebel leader Bhola Prasad Mukhiya said government agreed to treat the rebel group as a political group while agreeing to provide security to rebels and release its arrested activists.
Government had earlier held talks with six groups separately without much headway.
Peace Minister Janardhan Sharma Prabhakar and Education Minister Renu Yadav held talks with the rebels.


CPN-UML student supporters maintain lead

Kathmandu, 20 March: Student supporters of CPN-UML continue to lead in Friday vote counting for Thursday’s elections to student union elections under Tribhuvan University and Sanskrit University.
CPN-UML supporters have captured 78 student campus unions; Congress and Maoists have won in 59 and 46 campuses respectively so far.
Counting of votes continues amid clashes in some centers.
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Three-year renewal sought by Pillay

Kathmandu, 20March: Visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay Friday sought a three-year extension for its Nepal office at meeting with PM Prachanda, the PM’s Press Secretary On Sharma said.
The mandate ends June 2009.
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More than 48 forest fires rage in hills, terai

Kathmandu, 20 March: Forty-eight forest fires have broken out in national parks and conservation areas, Kantipur reports.
Satellite photographs Thursday showed fires have broken out in Langtang, Makalu Barun, Kangchenjunga, Chitwan, Shiupapuri, Bardia National Park, Parsa Conservation Area and Dhorpatan hunting reserve.
Besides these areas, 48 other jungle fires have broken in different parts of the country.
This is probably the century’s worst fire.
Previously, fires were confined only in the terai.
Eleven persons have lost their lives in fires this year.
Government has asked for foreign assistance.
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Nepali Ambassador to Great Britain told to vacate embassy in 15 days

Kathmandu, 20 March: Foreign ministry Wednesday told Nepal’s Ambassador Murari Sharma to vacate the embassy by 31 March, Annapurna Post reports.
A letter was sent after he ignored repeated orders to return home within one month.
This is the first time a ambassador has been asked to return within a fixed deadline.
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Maoists to construct roads around camps

Kathmandu, 20 March: Maoists PLA combatants who hare in camps for more than 2 and ½ years will be deployed in development work, Annapurna Post reports.
PM Prachanda has agreed to the proposal.
Maoists are making budgetary preparations for construction of roads around camps.
PLA Deputy Commander Chandra Prasad Khanal Baldeb said a proposal will be forwarded to government soon.
Discussions had earlier been held with the prime minister’s office, defence, finance and home ministries.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Political parties have reached an agreement in principle to move ahead with understanding. On this basis, indication has been received Congress will join government.”

(Maoist Spokesman Dinanath Sharma, Kantipur, 20 March)

“…after Koirala [Girija] was directed by India, on the condition of the ’defence of democracy’, indications are available [Nepali Congress] will join government. There are rumours inside Congress efforts are on to establish daughter Sujata as party general secretary and deputy prime minister.”

(Gopal Khanal, Kantipur, 20 March)

“Half a dozen committees [constitution drafting] didn’t receive any recommendations. Only lawyers can understand questions prepared by the main constitution drafting committee. People didn’t fill in the question forms because they couldn’t understand the questions.)

(Rajdhani report, 20 March)
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