PM, VICE-PRESIDENT EXTEND SHIVARATRI GREETINGS Kathmandu, 10 March: Vice President Parmananda Jha has wished that the Mahashivaratri festival would promote mutual goodwill among the Nepalis leading to tolerance and amity. In a message of best wishes on the occasion of the Mahashivaratri festival, one of the great festivals of the Hindus dedicated to lord Shiva, the Vice President said, "Peace, prosperity, and forward-looking change is today's need. May this holy festival inspire one and all to move ahead on the path of consensus, cooperation and unity." In his message of best wishes on the same occasion, Prime Minister (PM) Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that since Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-religion, multi-lingual and multicultural nation, every ethnic community and religion has their own special festivals and customs. He said Mahashivaratri is one of the festivals of the Hindus and that different festivals, traditions and religions have been giving continuity to the culture of unity, brotherhood, peace and goodwill. Similarly, Nepali Congress(NC) president Sushil Koirala, in a message of best wishes on the same occasion, stated that Nepal being a country with a mélange of different festivals, religions and cultures and customs, we Nepalis have the unique tradition of respecting all the religions and cultural traditions. "The country today stands in the midst of a very complex problem and the history has entrusted upon us the greave responsibility of resolving these problems properly and maintaining sustainable peace, promoting national interest and drafting a federal, democratic, republican constitution," Koirala said in the message. nnnn