PM Nepal continuing consultations to save govt.

Kathmandu, 1 April: Beleaguered Prime Madhav Kumar Nepal is consultations with political party leaders for the fifth consecutive day Thursday to save his 10-month-old government amid mounting Maoist pressure to form a national government under its leadership.
There’s been a call within UML-the prime minister’s party- to make way for a national government.
Nepal, who held consultations with three Madesh parties Wednesday, is holding discussions with four small communist parties.
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Girija being remembered on 13th day Thursday

Kathmandu, 1 April: Nepali Congress has invited people to participate accept ‘prashad’ at Bankali in Pashupati from 11 in the morning to four in the afternoon on the 13th day of former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala’s death Thursday.
Diplomats have been invited as well.
Koirala is being remembered in all 72 districts where special meetings ae being held and his ashes will be immersed in rivers there.
Girija, 85, died at the residence of his daughter Sujata at Mandikatar after a long battle with a lung ailment.
Girija dominated national politics from 1990 with the toppling of partyless panchayat system until his death.
Commemorations will be held in three Valley districts Sunday.
Sujata has asked well-wishers to come to her home Thursday.
Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Thinely is flying in Thursday to offer condolences of the Bhutanese government.
to coming to Kathmandu
Persons remembering Koirala in writings revealed Girija on the pretext of medical treatment in New Delhi held negotiations with Pachanda and other Maoist leaders at Noida in the outskirts of the Indian capital to bring Maoists into the political mainstream New Delhi.
Other Congress leaders involved in the talks with Maoists were nephew Dr Shekhar Koirala, Chakra Bastola, Krishna Prasad Shitaula and Narahari Acharya.


Foreign ministry stops issuing hand-written passports

Kathmandu, 1 April: Persons who don’t have passports be will be inconvenienced after foreign ministry decided not to issue hand-written passports from 1 April Thursday.
ICAO had asked member countries to issue machine readable passports (MRPs) from 1 April to curb growing menace of terrorism
Foreign ministry is considering alternatives.
One alternative is to ask ICAO to extend the deadline.
The ministry is considering issuing hand-written passports valid for six months for very urgent international travel.
The ministry of also considering issuing a travel document for one journey.
There was a big crowd at offices nation-wide to get a passports Wednesday.
MRPs will be available after 10 weeks only.
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Three children drown in Argahanchi

Kathmandu, 1 April: At the mercury soars with the onset of summer, three children aged between 12 to14 years drowned in a river in Argakanchi Wednesday while swimming.
Their bodies have been recovered.
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Decision on presidential action 13 April

Kathmandu, 1 April: The supreme will give its verdict on the legality of President Dr Ram BaranYadav ’s decision 10 months ago to retain sacked Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal 13 April.
Final discussions challenging the legality of the Maoist decisionto sack the army chief were concluded Wednesday before a two-man bench of justices Damodar Prasad Sharma and Rajendra Koirala.
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British officials pressured premier to extend UNMIN mandate

Kathmandu, 1 April: Lack McConnell, visiting special envoy of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Wednesday pressurized Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to extend the mandate of UNMIN that ends 15 May.
He also asked the premier to extend the mandate of OHCHR-Nepal that ends 9 June asking its to expand its role.“
“The special envoy asked the mandates and roles of UNMIN and OHCHR-Nepal should be extended and expanded,” Rajan Bhattarai ,foreign affairs advisor said, according to Annapurna Post.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Feudals who want to revive the 1990 constitution are organizing. There’s need for high-level unity between three parties to crush them.”

(UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Nepal Samacharpatra, 1 April)

“Nepali Congress will now won’t be run by a leader of a person; the party will now run institutionally and collectively.

(Nepali Congress Acting Sushil Koirala, Gorkhapatra, 1 April)

After Girijananu, it’s me; I drove one party.”

(Sher Bahadur Deuba, Nagarik, 1 April)

“HLPM was formed for Girijababu; it’s no longer needed,”

(UML leader KP Sharma Oli, Chalphal, 1 April)

‘Both [presidential or military rule] the provisions are not specified in the constitution, The president is only to endorse the recommendation of the council of ministers by assessing whether it is within the constitutional parameters or not.”

‘We’ve decided to take people’s action against those against federalism and talk of a Hindu state”

“’Limbuwan Rashtriya Morcha General Secretary Mukesh, Rajhani, 1 April)

“If anyone [read India] wants to remove UNMIN or the presence of the UN to fulfill, it can’t be done.”

(Maoist leader CP Gajurel, Rajdhani, 1 April)
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