PM Prachanda begins Norway visit

Kathmandu, 30 March: Prime Minister Prachanda began a three-day official and rescheduled visit of Norway Sunday.
Norway, a small Scandinavian country, has been maintaining more than usual interest in Nepal even as an insignificant EU state.
Norway, using its oil money, has been supporting a communist movement in Nepal.
The prime ministers of the two countries begin official talks Monday.
Prachanda begins an official visit of Finland Wednesday.
The Prime Minister Sunday held discussions with non-resident Nepalis in Denmark Sunday during a stopover in the Danish capital en route to Oslo. Nnnn

Nepal Govt. launches protest in Geneva against UN chief remarks (BREAKING NEWS)

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 30 March: Nepal Government has lodged a protest against High Commissioner of UN High Commission for Human Rights Office Chief Nabanithan Pillay’s comparison of Nepal with Rwanda, Anil Giri reports in Annapurna Post.
Nepal’s Representative at the UN in Geneva Dinesh Bhattarai lodged the protest on order of Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya.
She said during a Nepal visit 22 March,” I met the near ones of the victims of the conflict and their families. Their experiences were the same as the victims of the conflict in Rwanda.”
A foreign ministry official said,” It’s learnt she made such a comparison to extend the mandate of the Kathmandu office of OHCHR for another three years.”
Accepting the protest letter, Pillay said she didn’t compare Nepal with Rwanda, according to the foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, discussions are on-going to extend the mandate of the OHCHR.
“Homework has started to extend the mandate of OHCHR for a short period to upgrade the capability of the national Human Rights Commission,” the newspaper said.
The office will be downsized.
(Note: Pillay had sought a three-year extension of the mandate while pushing for a regional office as well. The mandate ends June. The Commission entered Nepal in 2005 as western countries defamed the national Human Rights Commission pushed by major western countries and UN. The controversial and highly political Commission has only been monitoring protest demonstrations in the capital and preparing regular reports on the human rights situation in Nepal. Western countries are pushing a regional office in Nepal to watch activities of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.)
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Technical committee on integration seeks extension

Kathmandu, 30 March: A eight-member technical committee of integration of PLA and Nepal Army Sunday sought an extensionof its mandate.
The main special committee headed by PM Prachanda had directed it to complete work in three months.
It sought a six month extension saying work couldn’t be completed in three months.
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Capital receives 16.7mm rainfall

Kathmandu, 30 March: To the relief of residents, the capital overnight recorded 16.7mm rainfall.
A five-month dry spell was broken.
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Former defence secretry dead

Kathmandu, 30 March: Former defence secretary Mukunda Shumshere Thapa dies Saturday.
he was a diabetic.
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MEDIA WATCH

“Regional and ethnic slogans are being raised in Nepal as well. This won’t reinforce democracy.”

(President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Annapurna Post, 30 March)

“Though the legislative and executive bodies have been restructured as per democratic norms, the judiciary is yet to become democratic.”

(DR Baburam Bhattarai, The Himalayan Times, 30 March)
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