Nepal a federal state

Press Trust of India

Wednesday, February 7, 2007 (Kathmandu):
Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Wednesday night declared that Nepal will be a federal state.

Koirala said the major political parties, including the Maoists, have unanimously agreed to meet the key demands of the protesters of Terai region.

In his address to the nation on conclusion of the eight-party meeting, Koirala said the government will immediately amend the Constitution to fulfill the genuine demands of the Terai people.

Koirala also called the agitating groups in Terai to withdraw their movement and come to the negotiating table for resolving the issue through peaceful means of dialogue.

He said the government will delineate the constituency on the basis of population and geographical specialty and increase the seat for Terai during the Constituent Assembly election on the basis of increased population.

The prime minister said that arrangement will be made to give equal share to all sections of society including Madhesis, Dalits and various ethnic groups in all the structures of the state.

EU expresses concern over Nepal violence

By DPAFeb 7, 2007, 15:27 GMT

Kathmandu - The European Union has expressed concerns over the escalating violence in southern Nepal that has claimed at least 22 lives so far.

A statement issued by the German EU-Presidency in Nepal said it was deeply concerned by the violence in Terai and called on the parties involved to meet for negotiations.

The German EU-Presidency recognized that there were genuine grievances, but violence would not achieve anything. It called for calm and urged all sides to seek a peaceful solution, according to the statement.

The German EU-Presidency also urged all sides to show respect for human rights and shun violence, and the police to show the necessary restraint avoiding the excessive use of force.

The statement came as violence showed no signs of slowing down with more deaths reported from south eastern Nepal.

On Wednesday, police shot dead at least two protestors belonging to the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) in the city of Biratnagar, about 180 kilometres south-east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The Madhesi people are an ethnic group in Nepal.

Meanwhile, a four-member European Commission exploratory mission arrived in Nepal Wednesday to assess possible European assistance for the elections to the Himalayan nation's constituent assembly.

The team will hold meetings with political leaders as well as security officials to discuss logistics and assistance during the elections scheduled for mid-June.

The team is in Nepal at the invitation of the Nepalese government.

2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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