BHATTARAI'S STATE FUNERAL SUNDAY

KRISHNA PRASAD BHATTARA’S CREMATION LATER SUNDAY

Kathmandu, 6 March: Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s body was taken from his residence at Badegaon, Lalitpur, to the party office of Nepali Congress (NC) Sunday.
Party leaders will bid farewell to the only surviving founding leader of th oldest party for two hours.
Bhattarai was the only surviving founding member of NC which he quit after the country’s oldest political party adopted a republican agenda under Girija Prasd Koirala.
Bhattarai was a firm believer of constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy.
‘An era has ended,” Ram Chandra Paudel, NC parliamentary party leader said.
Bhattarai’s body will be taken to Dashrataah Rangashaka from NC party office at Sanepa and general public will pay their last respect to Bhattarai.
The funeral procession will start from the national stadium at two in the afternoon and wade through the capital’s main streets for Pashupatinath where he’ll be cremated with full state honour at Aryaghat.
NC top leaders made to reference to Bhattarai’s principled support for constitutional monarchy and while honouring him,
The attempt to institutionalize a declared republic hasn’t been institutionalized as yet through promulgation of a constitution.
It appears the second 28 May deadline to promulgate a republic declared by lan unelected and self-appointed parliament may not be met again.
A republic laws declared by a parliament restored by a ‘political decision’; of King Gyanendra under intense pressure of political parties and world capitals.under heavy international pressure.
The same world powers and political leaders who charged Gyanendra for regressive action to limpose ldirect rule lfour years ago forced him to act illegally and restore a parliament that had completed its fixed elected tenure.
nnnn

TERSE BRITISH REACTION

Kathmandu, 6 March: Britiish embassy, on behalf of the British government, Saturday issued a terse one paragraph statement remembering Krishna Prasad Bhattarai who died Friday night..
"On behalf of the UK Government I would like to send my sincere condolences on the passing of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. As an activist and as Prime Minister, Mr Bhattarai long served the cause of democracy in Nepal,." Ambassador John Tucknott said.
Japan was the firs foreign country to condole Bhattarai’s death.
Britain abandoned its traditional support for constitutional monarchy and multi-party and lent support to the republican agenda four years ago when the 238-year-old Shah dynasty was toppled.
nnnn