Pakistan towards democracy???

Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry warned against centralized power in a thinly disguised criticism of President Pervez Musharraf, without ever mentioning him by name. In a nationally televised address at a judiciary seminar Saturday, Chaudhry told the thousands of lawyers gathered, along with several diplomats, "The determination of the people cannot be resisted for long." "Centralization of power in one person or institution is dangerous," he added. Thousands of supporters rallied with anti-Musharraf slogans outside the court where the seminar, entitled "Separation of Power and Independence of Judiciary," was held. A large television set up on the street televised Chaudhry's speech. The speech came as Imran Khan, a popular opposition politician and key Chaudhry supporter, was banned by the Sindh province home ministry from entering Karachi, the province capital, a government official told CNN. Musharraf removed Chaudhry from his post as Pakistan's top judge on March 9, accusing him of misusing his powers. The dismissal initially sparked widespread, largely peaceful demonstrations by the country's attorneys and those who believe Musharraf abused his authority. However, nearly two weeks ago, clashes between government supporters and Chaudhry supporters killed 49 people in the southern port city of Karachi. The country's Supreme Court has yet to make a ruling on Chaudhry's dismissal and has put tight restrictions on Pakistan's media in their reporting about the case. Musharraf has said that he will respect the court's decision. Musharraf appointed Chaudhry to the court in 2005, but the judge fell from favor after exercising independence from the government in a number of cases involving the disappearance of terrorist suspects and human rights activists. U.S. officials have not weighed in on the matter; Musharraf is a key U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. Musharraf is a Pakistani army general who seized power and declared himself president in 1999 after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tried to dismiss him as head of armed forces. Musharraf's critics accuse him of removing Chaudhry in an effort to intimidate the judiciary ahead of crucial elections and a vote in parliament to extend his rule later this year.

Bush predicts bloody summer in Iraq; House OK's funding

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff | May 25, 2007

WASHINGTON -- President Bush yesterday predicted "heavy fighting" this summer in what he acknowledged was an unpopular war in Iraq, but said it would be "catastrophic" for the United States to leave before the country is stable.

Before the House approved a measure to continue funding for the war, the president warned that insurgent forces in Iraq would deliberately step up attacks against US troops and Iraqi civilians in advance of September, when administration officials are scheduled to deliver progress reports on the war to Congress .

"It could be a bloody, it could be a very difficult August," the president said in a Rose Garden news conference. "We can expect more American and Iraqi casualties."

Despite growing public discontent with the war, Bush won a key victory on Capitol Hill, where the House voted 280 to 142 for a measure that would continue funding for the war without imposing any schedule for troop withdrawals. Many Democrats voted against it -- including the entire Massachusetts delegation -- but strong GOP support ensured passage of the bill, which would provide $120 billion for the war and some domestic programs unrelated to the conflict.

The Senate last night approved the measure 80 to 14.

When the spending bill came to the House floor yesterday, lawmakers on both sides of the intense, heated debate exhorted their colleagues to think of the troops. Antiwar forces pleaded to bring them home, while supporters of the Iraq war accused their colleagues of damaging the morale of American servicemen and women.

"Think about the message we have sent them: We have undermined their efforts, lowered their morale, and clearly sent the wrong message" by fighting with the White House over the bill for more than three months, said the House minority leader, John Boehner , Republican of Missouri.

In a tearful speech on the House floor, Boehner recalled the thousands killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and said the United States needed to win the war in Iraq. "If we don't stand up now, and we don't have the courage to defeat the enemy, we will regret it," he said.

Representative John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who voted to authorize the Iraq invasion but has since become one of his party's most vocal war opponents, challenged his fellow House members to see the deteriorating situation in Iraq and move US troops out of harm's way.

"We're trying to change direction. We're trying to win this war," shouted Murtha, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, during the floor debate. "You can't win if you don't look at it objectively."

A New York Times-CBS News poll released yesterday indicated that 76 percent of Americans, including a majority of Republican voters, think the war is going badly, and 61 percent said the United States should never have started the conflict.

Yet the same survey found that 69 percent think Congress should continue to pay for the war, and a majority wants that spending tied to benchmarks the Iraqi government must meet. Sixty-three percent said Washington should set a 2008 deadline for a withdrawal of troops.

On May 1, Bush vetoed a bill that would have included a scheduled withdrawal of combat troops and the House was unable to override the veto, the second of his presidency.

The deal Democratic leaders worked out with the White House does not include benchmarks for the Iraqi government or deadlines for troop withdrawal. It does allow the president to withhold reconstruction aid to Iraq if the nascent government fails to meet political and security mandates, but Bush has the option of waiving that punishment.

Because the United States could opt out of paying for the country's rebuilding, the bill "tells the Iraqis that our presence or commitment in Iraq is not open-ended," said Senator Susan Collins , a Maine Republican who helped craft the legislation.

The measure also included money for domestic projects unrelated to the war, including an increase in the federal minimum wage, which Bush had opposed. The wage rises to $5.85 an hour 60 days after the bill becomes law, goes up to $6.55 next year, and reaches $7.25 an hour in 2009.

Antiwar Democrats were clearly unhappy with the package. But with Bush threatening to continue vetoing any bills that include demands for a troop withdrawal -- and some Democrats worried that Republicans would accuse them of jeopardizing the troops if it took any longer to get legislation to the president's desk -- congressional leaders agreed to push a war spending bill without conditions.

"We faced the inevitability that we simply didn't have the votes to force the president to change policy" in Iraq, a dejected Representative David Obey , Democrat of Wisconsin, said on the House floor.

But he rejected GOP criticism that Democrats dragged out the debate -- knowing Bush would never approve a bill with troop withdrawals -- to score political points with antiwar constituents.

"It's the president's actions that have delayed getting anything to [troops] anywhere," Obey said.

Representative David Dreier, Republican of California, said the extended showdown over the war funding bill, including Bush's veto, emboldened Al Qaeda by suggesting Congress would consider "a surrender date."

"I understand that many Americans just want this war to be over. I want this war to be over, too," Dreier said. "The problem is that even if we were to withdraw from Iraq, the war would not magically be over," and sectarian-fueled bloodshed would continue in Iraq, he said.

Defending the war yesterday, Bush made repeated references to Al Qaeda and said the decision to oust executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was justified, despite the protracted war that has ensued.

"I assure you Al Qaeda has got plenty of patience and persistence. The question is, do we?" Bush asked.

The administration has acknowledged that Hussein was not involved in the 9/11 attacks, but the president repeatedly insisted that another assault from Al Qaeda is imminent if the United States does not prevail in Iraq.

"If we let up, we'll be attacked," Bush told reporters in the Rose Garden.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Democrat of California, said Democrats would continue to force the issue of a reduction in troops during the summer, as well as a change in strategy. One such piece of legislation would deauthorize the war, while another would change the nature of the mission in Iraq, moving away from combat operations.

"This is not the end," Pelosi said.

Democracy or ??? in Nepal

All schools shut down

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, May 17 - All public and private schools were closed on Thursday following the the Republican Teachers' Education Forum, a forum of seven teachers' union's, announcement for an indefinite closure of the schools across the country.

Although private school owners Tuesday publicized that they would not pay salaries to teachers and staffs as long as the latter continued to strike, the teachers' union announced an indefinite closure of all schools from Thursday.

Issuing a joint statement here Wednesday, All Nepal Teachers Union (ANTU) and All Nepal Free Student Union- Revolutionary (ANFSU-R) stated they had no option than to continue their protest programmes since the government “failed” to implement the tripartite agreement regarding teachers' demands that was reached last month.

"To get something we have to lose something; though we are aware that closing down all schools will hamper students' education, we have no option as the government has not acted responsibly regarding our demands," said the statement.

The statement further informs that starting Thursday, all schools across the nation will be shut down indefinitely. On Saturday, the union will hold interactions with all concerned stakeholders as well as carry out one hour of transportation strike in Kathmandu Valley, followed by various other programmes in the following days.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Sports issued a statement Wednesday urging the teachers union to call off the strike programmes and let schools run smoothly. "The problems can be sorted out through peaceful dialogue," said the statement. "The ministry is in the process of amending the necessary provisions in the Education Act as per the teachers' valid demands."

Similarly, by issuing separate statements, Parents Association Nepal and Private and Boarding School Employees' Union, Nepal have urged the concerned parties to solve the problem through dialogue and not paralyze the entire school education sector in a thoughtless manner.

NEPAL: Widespread disappearances still unresolved despite peace

KATHMANDU, 13 May 2007 (IRIN) - Shanta Bhandari says she has been desperately searching for her son, Bipin, since 2002 when he was arrested by government security forces and disappeared"We want to wage a war against this government," said Bhandari.

Thousands of families of missing persons have said that they will begin a nationwide demonstration for an indefinite period starting on Monday as they are frustrated by what they say is the government's apathy and negligence towards them.

"There seems to be no other way out. Now we are taking to the streets to pressure this government to take some initiative to find our sons and daughters," Bhandari told IRIN.

According to local NGO the Society of the Families of the Disappeared, there are more than 5,000 people still missing after their forced disappearances during the country's civil war, which lasted for more than a decade.

A November 2006 peace agreement brought a truce, ended the King's direct rule, and disarmed Maoist rebels who later joined a coalition government with seven other national parties.

The new government promised the families of missing persons that it would reveal the status of all their disappeared relatives, said Bhandari.

World's highest number of disappearances

During the breakdown of peace talks in 2001 and 2003, the government arrested or abducted anyone it thought was a Maoist. Maoist rebels did the same for anyone they deemed a government spy. During these years, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances said Nepal had the highest number of disappeared people in the world.

"The government's seriousness towards this issue is lacking and despite calls to form a higher level commission [to look into the matter of the diappeared] with members including the families of the disappeared persons, it has done nothing," said Shyam Bahadur Kafle, protection officer of the Disappearance and Abduction unit of Nepal's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

UN and aid agencies concerned

The United Nation's human rights agency (OHCHR) in Nepal said it was concerned about the government's delay in resolving the issue of the disappeared.

"Delays in setting up proper, independent inquiries to clarify the fate of all the disappeared is simply prolonging the agony of their families - who do not know the whereabouts of their loved ones or what happened to them - as well as denying them the right to truth and justice," said Lena Sundh, OHCHR Nepal representative.

Earlier this month, OHCHR officials called on the Nepalese government to fulfill its commitment by holding broad consultations with civil society and other interested parties in order to establish an independent commission to look into the cases.

The Maoists, too, have failed to respond to the request of rights groups to reveal the names of people they had abducted, said NHRC officials.

"We don't want any more disappearances and we don't want more people to suffer like us," said Bhandari. She and other mothers of the disappeared recently met senior army officers dealing with human rights issues but the officers failed to give them convincing answers, said Bhandari.

When approached by IRIN, the army officers were unavailable to comment on the issue.

Human rights activists are appalled at the government's lack of action.

"It's shocking that despite such a high number of disappearances, not a single case has been tried or any perpetrators brought to justice despite evidence against them," said prominent human rights lawyer Mandira Sharma from Advocacy Forum, which has been actively fighting a system of impunity over the past few years.

nn/ar/ed

YCL friends or foes of Nepali people??

Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, May 7 - The Young Communist League (YCL), a newly created Maoist body, on Sunday seized "illegally imported" mobile phones and electronic goods worth more than Rs 30 million in Kathmandu. The goods include: 1,415 mobile phone sets, 25 LCD monitors and 30 photocopy machines, 288 units of memory cards, 387 units of chargers and 265 units of earphones. At least seven people, including three drivers, Navin Shrestha, Dilip Balami and Shekhar Bhattarai and others on board - Mahesh Karki, Mohan Karki, Shiva Raj Kandel and Navin Shrestha - were also taken in. They have been handed over to Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka for further investigation. Jwala, Kathmandu district chief of YCL, told The Kathmandu Post that the goods were brought into the country via Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and were captured at Shahid Gate. "We later handed over the goods to the Revenue Investigation Department (RID)," he said. Laxman Kumar Pokharel, deputy director general of RID also confirmed that the YCL cadres had handed over the handsets, LCD monitors, photocopy machines, memory cards, chargers and earphones to RID stating that the group had captured three vehicles full of mobile phone sets and other electronic goods at Shahid Gate. "We are currently investigating the matter," he said. Sources informed that the goods were brought into the country in the name New Hariyali Traders, Siddhi Binayak Traders and New Cyber International. "These companies had produced invoices for only two handsets, a charger and an adapt0r worth Rs 31,708, while releasing the goods," the source informed. YCL threat displaces locals Nine people including political leaders, activists and business entrepreneurs from Kusumba bazaar at Sanoshree VDC in Bardiya district have been displaced from the area due to threats by cadres of Maoist youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL). Former Member of Parliament Khag Raj Sharma and former chairman of Sanoshree VDC Tanka Oli are among those displaced. They are staying in the district headquarters, Gulariya. YCL cadres threatened them in revenge for the local business community and others had protested against Maoist-called frequent banda (general strikes), according to local businessman Dhana Nath Yogi. Oli said he came to the district headquarters for security "after YCL cadres threatened to kill us". "The Maoists blamed us for campaigning against their agitation," Oli said. However, Maoist area in-charge "Akash", refuted the charges. "This is a propaganda meant to disparage this organization (YCL)," he claimed. Meanwhile, cadres of Thrauwan National Liberation Front (TNLF) burnt an effigy of Chief District Officer (CDO) Shiva Prasad Nepal. Chunnu Devi, Treasurer of the Front, said they would stage sit-in protests at the offices of land revenue, district administration and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), if the authority did not immediately release all YCL members detained by police on Saturday. Also, Jhak Bahadur Malla, regional YCL chief, said they would launch nationwide agitation from Monday onward, if the government did not release them immediately without condition. However, CDO Nepal informed that the administration was planning to sue them for arson charges. Curfew lifted The local administration lifted curfew order in Sanoshree VDC of the district effective from 5 am on Sunday. Following clashes between Armed Police Force personnel and YCL cadres, the local administration had been imposing curfew in the area for security reasons since Monday. Parties concerned In Kathmandu, issuing separate statements on Sunday, various political parties have denounced the violent activities including arson, vandalism, beating and other excesses carried out by YCL members at Sanoshree in the name of freed kamaiyas (bonded laborers) and landless squatters. "Continuation of such activities by the wings of the ruling party (CPN-Maoist) is itself unreasonable behavior," said a statement issued by the Nepali Congress (NC). Likewise, issuing a separate statement, NC-Democratic denounced Maoists for issuing threats against nine local political activists including five members of NC-D. Also, National Human Rights Foundation (HURFON) denounced vandalism by the YCL.

Ancient Buddhist mural discovered in Nepal

A team of explorers and scholars says it has found a cave in remote northern Nepal with a spectacular Buddhist mural unseen for centuries and discovered only because a shepherd took shelter there.
"The most exciting find we had was a cave that was clearly intended for religious purposes. It appears it was reserved as an assembly room for Buddhist teachings," team member Broughton Coburn, an environmental and cultural conservation expert, told AFP. The local shepherd led the team to the cave in the Mustang region of Nepal, bordering Tibet. He had sheltered in it decades earlier during a rainstorm.
The cave contains a stunning, seven-metre (23-foot) long mural that the team believes dates from around the 14th century. "We felt that it was unusual that a wall painting as intricate and delicately executed and intact could be found for the first time in this millennia," said Coburn, who returned to Kathmandu from the expedition earlier this week.
The Mustang region, which opened to tourists in 1992, is a visually stunning but often dry and harsh alpine terrain adjoining Chinese-controlled Tibet. Much of the population of the region migrates for the winter to the lowlands of Nepal or India, as snowfall makes large parts of Mustang uninhabitable.
Its geographic isolation means that the region has maintained Tibetan culture and tradition to a much greater extent than Tibet itself to the north, the conservation expert and author said.
The team spent March exploring dozens of caves that had not been visited by humans for centuries. "Initially, it appeared there were around 30 or 40 of these cave complexes but now upon travelling further afield, one can easily say there are between 100 and 150 of these cave complexes, individual cave cities," said Coburn.
Two world-class mountaineers assisted the team, leading it along perilous, steep routes into the caves in Upper Mustang. For Pete Athens, leading the climbs into the previously unexplored territory knocked the experience of climbing Everest into the shade.
"I can unequivocally say that climbing into the caves was greatly more exciting than any emotions I had on Everest," said Athens, who has reached the top of the mountain seven times.
Athens and fellow climber Renan Ozturk had to invent new climbing tools to anchor the team to the poor quality, crumbling rock at the cave sites. "We had to exercise extreme caution to enter the caves.
We designed and made a number of prototypical tools to make climbing on high angle, poor quality rock possible," Athens said by telephone from his home in Seattle.
For him, the experience was unforgettable. "Mustang's stark beauty, arid other-worldliness and opportunity for exploration render it a must visit for all explorers," the mountaineer said.

UN Criticises Nepal's Maoists

The United Nations says Nepal's former Maoist rebels have failed to keep a promise to allow people displaced by a decade-old civil war to return home.

The Maoists, who joined an interim government earlier this year under a peace deal, had promised to allow thousands of displaced people to return home, and to hand back property including land, homes and cattle seized by the rebels during the war.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal says the rebels are not allowing the safe return of internally displaced people.

It says there are reports that people who are trying to return are being chased away and says there are also cases in which returnees are being beaten by local Maoists.

The UN says it has observed an absence of neutral and independent law enforcement in many areas, and says there is widespread de facto Maoist control of government and society as well as limited freedom to associate with political parties other than the Maoists.

New Nepal New US Envoy

The United States Thursday said that it plans to appoint Senior Foreign Service member Nancy J. Powell as its new ambassador to Nepal.
The outgoing ambassador James F Moriarty's tenure ends on July 15.
Issuing a press release today, the US Embassy said that US President George W. Bush intends to nominate Nancy J. Powell, of Iowa, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Nepal.
According to the release, Powell--a career member of the Senior Foreign Service--is currently serving as the National Intelligence Officer for South Asia at the National Intelligence Council.
"Prior to this, she served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the Department of State," the statement said.
Powell, who has served as US ambassador to Pakistan, Ghana and Uganda earlier in her career, received her bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa.
It is said that she likes to put her priorities in a very strong manner.

Nepal: Is there any altranative than posponding CA elections?

MJF dismisses addition of constituencies

A senior leader of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) has dismissed the whole constituency delineation exercise claiming that it does not meet their demands.

On the day the government-formed commission submitted report advising to increase number of constituencies by 35 – including 28 for Terai districts - Kishore Kumar Biswas, vice president of MJF, told BBC Nepali Service that their demand was not for re-constitution of constituencies of Terai, hill or mountains but that for "fully proportional representation-based elections."

"We never demanded this Electoral Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC). We had, in fact, called for its disbanding," said Biswas, adding, "Instead of solving Terai problems, this will further flare-up the agitation."

Biswas said that MJF had three major demands – fully PR based elections for Constituent Assembly; guarantee of ethnic self determination rights with the formation of Madhes autonomous region; and declaration that Nepal is oriented towards federal democratic republican set-up.

He also termed Prime Minister's two addresses to resolve Madhes agitation as "incomplete, inadequate and unclear." Biswas said that the MJF still wants to resolve the problems through dialogue.

He also refuted charges that MJF was heading towards criminalisation of politics on the backdrop of March 21 Gaur carnage when 28 Maoist activists were killed. He accused the Maoists' arrogance of weapons and government's indifference as being responsible for all the incidents of "Nepalgunj, Lahan, Bhairahawa leading up to Gaur."

The MJF leader's reaction to the reconstitution of electoral constituencies has come in the wake of submission of report by the ECDC, which has advised increasing the number of constituencies for the "First-Past-The-Post (FPTP)" system to 240 from existing 205.

The Commission headed by former judge of Supreme Court Arjun Prasad Singh has fixed 116 constituencies for Terai districts and 124 constituencies for hilly and mountainous districts. Earlier, in Terai districts there were 88 constituencies; in hilly districts there were 95 constituencies; and in mountain districts there were 22 constituencies.

Mountain Region Also Piqued

Singh Commission, however, did not increase the number of constituencies in mountain districts. This has also touched the nerves of leaders from mountain region. A UML leader from Humla district Gorakh Bahadur Bogati told Kantipur FM that this has "devalued" the geographic distinction of mountain region. "Even in my constituency, it takes me three months to visit all villages," he said, adding that these difficulties were ignored while increasing the constituencies.

The Commission has made the recommendations as per the decision of eight parties and subsequent amendment of interim constitution to increase the number of electoral constituencies in Terai as per the first amendment of the interim constitution. The first amendment was made in the wake of agitation in Terai led by MJF in January and February this year.

As per the first amendment of the interim constitution, the CA elections will be held on mixed system – half the seats through FPTP and other half through the PR system. In addition to them, 17 seats would be nominated to include personalities from various walks of life. This actually means that there will be 497 seats in total for the CA.

Martin doubts of timely CA polls

It is not only the election commissioner even the Chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Ian Martin reiterated his doubts regarding the prospect of holding the elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) on June 20. During a meeting with CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal Tuesday in Kathmandu the UNMIN chief wondered how the CA elections could take place in such a short time frame since a lot of concerns had to be fulfilled before going to the polls.

Martin inquired as to how the elections could take place by the stipulated time even when the arms storage process, formation of necessary laws related to the elections were still not completed.

Everybody including the eight party alliances agree at this moment a sense of security is yet to be instilled in the nation.

Nepal’s reply in this tregard seems to be like conducting the CA elections by hook and crook in the stipulated time. The UML chief said that timely elections would take place since the interim government's primary duty was to hold the CA elections.

Kantipur reported that Nepal argued the elections would have to take place on time "if just to prevent the nation from going through a difficult situation by the protraction of the present transition phase."

It is learnt that the two people in the half hour meeting at Nepal’s residence in Koteshwore discussed various aspects of the CA polls.

The duo held discussions on the peace process after the formation of the interim government and various other political issues as well.

Can CA polls be conducted on the stipulated Time?

The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) led by Jaya Krishna Goit has said it has kidnapped District Education Officer (DEO), Nibh Raj Joshi of Saptari district as part of its campaign to disrupt the upcoming constituent assembly (CA) poll.
According to media reports, JTMM-Goit, Saptari coordinator Shyam, informed Joshi was abducted as a signal not to conduct constituent assembly polls by Nepal Government in the Tarai as the region has been declared independent.
Saying that there is no need of a constituent assembly for the people of Tarai origin, Shyam said they abducted Joshi after he did not meet their demand of providing Rs. 5 million donation for the JTMM’s people’s war.
However, the ruling eight parties ruling alliance have agreed to hold the elections of the constituent assembly on 20th June.
The JTMM has been involved in violent protests in Terai region demanding independent Terai state. It is the splinter from the Maoists party.
With such uncertainty in the Terai region and lack of proper arrangement necessary to conduct CA election how can the forthcoming CA poll be free and fair and conducted in the stipulated time?
Even the election commission has publicly demanded the speedy actions from the government regarding the needed policy clarifying the modalities of the election as well as the number of constituencies for CA.
Why do we need the election of CA? Is not it for sake of sustaining peace and democracy and to guarantee the people their rights? If it is conducted without proper arrangements and in a hurry can not it become a bone of contention to flare up further bloodshed? Can Nepal just conduct CA election for sake of conducting election only? Did not we watch election conducted by the King's regime last year?
Does not the eight party alliance government need to act seriously to solve problems of the terai, chure vaber and other areas before conducting CA election?

Who to lead Nepal after Koirala's six decades of politics?

Girija Prasad Koirala, the leading figure of Nepal's democratic movement, has been elected the Prime Minister of Nepal unanimously from the interim Parliament. This is the sixth time.

Koirala Prime Minister Koirala was born in 1925 in Tediya of Saharsa district in India while his father Krishna Prasad Koirala was in exile.

GP Koirala has been active in the democratic movement of Nepal for more than six decades. He was the commander of last year democratic movement. Koirala, who is also the President of Nepali Congress, was appointed Prime Minister of the Interim Government by the Parliament Sunday as per a political consensus in accordance with the Interim Constitution.

He had also been collectively elected the Prime Minister of the Government constituted under the leadership of the Seven Party Alliance following the success of the historical movement last year.

Koirala has become successful to bring the Maoist Party who was indulging in the decade-long bloody conflict for capturing state power to establish one party communist rule to a political mainstream for competitive multiparty politics.

Prior to this, Koirala had become the first elected Prime Minister following restoration of democracy in 1990 and served as Prime Minister many times.

Koirala is the youngest son of renowned social worker of Nepal, Krishna Prasad Koirala. His two brothers Matrika Prasad Koirala and BP Koirala have also served as the Prime Minister of Nepal.

Prime Minister Koirala, was attracted to politics in an early age due to political environment in the Koirala family and with the inspiration of BP Koirala who was considered as the most popular and the charismatic leader of Nepal.

Koirala led the historical Biratnagar Jute Mills strike held in Falgun 20, 2003 B.S. and was later unanimously elected President of Biratnagar labour union. He is also the founder member and President of Nepal Trade Union Congress.

Following the dissolution of parliamentary system in 2017 B.S. Koirala along with then Prime Minister BP Koirala, NC leaders Ganesh Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai were imprisoned. He served a seven-year jail sentence before being released following a 21-day hunger strike in 2024 B.S.

Popularly known as 'Girijababu', Koirala was a source of inspiration for thousands of revolutionaries dedicated to the long struggle against the autocratic king’s direct rule.

A skilled organizer, Koirala along with other congress leaders served many jail sentences and house arrest during the struggle for restoration of democracy in Nepal.

Koirala played a decisive role in all struggles such as "satyagraha"(peaceful movement) of 1985 and the historical popular movement of 1990.

He has been continuously elected member of parliament from Constituencies 1 and 5 of Morang district in the General Elections-2048 B.S., mid-term elections in 2051 B.S. and general elections in 2056 B.S.

GP Koirala’s mission to transform Nepal in a full-fledged democracy with the participation of all seems heading towards its goal. After the formation of the interim government including the Maoists, Nepal has crossed a great leap forward in the process of Peace and Democracy. However, there are still a lot of challenges ahead.

Majority of the people in Nepal believe that in the able leadership of GP Koirala country will achieve its stipulated objectives. But at the same time people fear about his aging body and ill health. At this juncture and the dire time of the nation everybody in Nepal wishes for Koirala’s long life and sound health.

Continuation of Koirala’s leadership is necessary for the country for some years to come for the logical conclusion of all the political questions that has come in Nepal for centuries.

Although the people of Nepal do not want to discuss on whom to lead the country after Koirala right at this time, but is not this the right time for this discussion? Nobody can predict the health of an aging leader. The effort of Koirala should not go in vain. If his direct leadership interrupts because of his ill health his legacy is a must.

Therefore Nepali congress cadres must be very smart to elect one who can succeed GP Koirala and lead the country with a full legitimate legacy of Girijababu. There can be many leaders who would claim to continue the legacy of GP but among many one has to be elected who knows him from in and out and can carry out his mission without any interruption.

Who can be this? Can we name a few? Can we start this debate now? Is it necessary that someone should be out from the Koirala family? Can someone from the family be acceptable? Who can be ones from out and in the family? What are the positive points of the entire aspirants?

India's support to MJF affects revenue collection in Nepal !!

Seema Jagaran Manch (SJM) of Bihar organised a sit-in at Indo-Nepal transit point at Jogbani on Wednesday stopping all export and import activities in support of the on going movement of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum.
The SJM activists expressed their solidarity with the agitation launched by MJF in Nepal, reports Kantipur daily. In a statement SJM has stated that they organised the sit-in to protest police atrocities against Indian nationals during Terai agitation launched by MJF.
The SJM has also accused the Maoists of expanding their organisation by staying in Indian territory and of unleashing atrocities against Indian nationals in Biratnagar, Gaur and Biratnagar with the help of police.
The daily quotes Bhanu Prasad Raya, president of SJM, as saying that the Maoists were expanding their organization in Indian territory and that the sit-in was held to exert pressure to stop it
Due to the sit-in, the collection revenue at the Biratnagar customs office was seriously affected on Wednesday. On an average, the office collects Rs 18 million revenue daily and around 300 cargo trucks move to and fro the Jogbani point.

When will Nepal declared Republic? PM says king should abdicate!

A swift turn in the political development of Nepal has created a new dimension in the fate of the tiny Kingdom. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala says it would be good if King Gyanendra were to abdicate. He also says the unpopular crown prince should abandon his claim to the throne.

What are the political implications to these most outspoken remarks against the monarch made to date by Koirala who has always been shouldering a ceremonial monarchy? The King was forced to restore parliamentary democracy last April after weeks of street protests against his unconstitutional direct rule.

Although, few Nepalese politicians from the ruling alliance have expressed so much as a word of support for the monarchy, the veteran prime minister, Koirala, has been an exception. He was condemned for saying there should still be space for a ceremonial monarchy.
But he has now shifted his ground. It does not require much thinking and arguments on why Koirala has changed his previous stand on the Monarchy. It seems clearly in response to a controversial royal statement on Democracy day in which king Gyanendra justified his takeover of absolute power two years ago.
Mr Koirala has now said this statement had made Nepal more likely to become a republic.
However, it was not clear whether Mr Koirala was recommending the king hand power to his grandson. There has been a wild rumor for a while about the king vacating the throne for his grandson in Kathmandu. Some Pundits have urged to do so in order to have a peaceful transition in Nepal.
But he said the abdications would put an end to the current chorus of demands, notably from the Maoist former rebels, that a republic be declared immediately.
Under last November's peace accord the future of the monarchy is supposed to be decided by Constitutional Assembly elected later this year.
In the meantime, BBC reports, “A recent opinion poll suggested more than half of Nepalis still want a monarchy of some kind, but parties in the ruling coalition firmly support a republic".
Can Nepal be declared a republic even before CA election?

Can Carter Center ensure free and fair CA election in Nepal?

The US-based Carter Center has launched election observation mission in Nepal with prime objective to ensure free and fair Constituent Assembly Election without violence and fraud.

According to the news release by the Center in Kathmandu, the long-term observers come from eight countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.

"The Carter Center welcomes this opportunity to support the Nepalese people in their transition to sustainable peace and multi-party democracy and encourages all parties to the process to participate actively and ultimately to respect the will of the people," said David Carroll, director of the Carter Center's Democracy Program.

The Atlanta based Carter Center representatives have met with political parties, election officials, civil society, domestic observer groups, and the international community, all of whom have encouraged an international observation presence by the Center in order to help build confidence in the electoral process.

"It is our hope that the political leadership of Nepal and all actors in the process will continue to seek open dialogue and compromise in the pursuit of a transparent, inclusive, and credible electoral process that best enables the people of Nepal to exercise their democratic rights," said Darren Nance, Carter Center Nepal field office director.

In spite of good will and support from many national and international forces there still remains unanswered questions. Can CA election be held in free and fair atmosphere without any violence and fraud?

Mortars hit airport as peacekeepers arrive in Somalia

The first peacekeepers to arrive in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu in more than 10 years were met with a surge of violence today, as mortars hit the airport during a welcoming ceremony and a deadly gunbattle broke out on the city’s crumbling streets.

The street battles involving masked gunmen killed three people and mortars wounded one, all of them civilians, witnesses and police said.

The violence is the latest example of the volatility peacekeepers face in a country that has seen little more than anarchy for years, and where the government backed by Ethiopian troops toppled an Islamic militia only months ago.

“I saw around 100 gunmen engaging in a fierce battle. They used heavy machine guns and rocket propelled grenades,” Hassan Abukar Sidow, a Mogadishu resident, said.

He said the fighting began after police went house-to-house looking for suspects in the attack on the airport.

The bloodshed came as about 400 Ugandan peacekeepers arrived in the capital to protect the Somali government and to allow for the withdrawal of troops from neighbouring Ethiopia, which helped the administration topple a radical Islamic militia that controlled much of southern Somalia for six months.

The Ugandan troops are the vanguard of a larger African Union force authorised by the United Nations to help the government assert its authority in one of the most violent and gun-infested cities in the world.

Peacekeepers have kept clear of Mogadishu for more than a decade, while much of the country was ruled by violence and clan law. The US sent troops in 1992 as part of a UN relief operation for tens of thousands of starving civilians, but in 1993 clan militiamen shot down two Black Hawk helicopters and killed 18 American soldiers.

US forces withdrew in 1994 and the UN peacekeeping operation in Somalia was eventually abandoned in 1995.

Uganda’s Deputy Defence Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said the peacekeepers understand the dangers of working in Somalia.

“We have not just dropped our troops there without knowing the situation,” Nankabirwa said in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. “We will be the first people to make sure that they are safe so they can carry on to other missions.”

Insurgents believed to be the remnants of Somalia’s Council of Islamic Courts have staged almost daily attacks against the government, its armed forces or the Ethiopian military. On Tuesday, gunmen launched eight mortars at the airport during a ceremony to welcome the Ugandans. Two shells hit the airport; the others dropped to the sea.

People attending the ceremony scattered at the sound of the first blast. Somalia’s deputy defense minister, Salad Ali Jelle, refused to comment afterward, saying officials were investigating.

In the ensuing gunbattle, masked gunmen travelling in vans fought Somali and Ethiopian troops looking for suspects.

“The gunmen reminded me of the insurgents in Iraq, especially the way they covered their faces and carried the RPG on the shoulders,” said resident Salah Yabarow Wardhere.

Just hours earlier, overnight, gunmen killed seven people, including a police commander and a leading cleric, government officials and witnesses said. The police commander and another officer were ambushed at a major intersection, said Mohamud Burale Coon, a tea shop owner.

Maslah Mohamed Abdi said his brother, who was the top cleric in one of Mogadishu’s main mosques, was killed outside his home. The gunmen then killed four businessmen who were chewing qat, a mild stimulant, in their home, a neighbour said.

“The men stood at the door of a room ... and then opened fire,” Halima Hashi Adow said.

The cleric and the four men had been trying to hire gunmen to protect them, their homes and their neighbourhood. But the insurgents use the neighbourhood to launch mortar attacks on Ethiopian bases and did not want any private security forces in the area, residents said.

African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit said the peacekeepers are allowed to defend themselves if attacked, but would not launch attacks on anyone.

“Our mission is to support all Somalis and the political process, which is based on dialogue and reconciliation,” Djinnit said in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

A Somali government spokesman, meanwhile, said local police are prepared to fight the insurgency and crime wave.

“Security is paramount for the country to attain a lasting peace, and law enforcement mechanisms such as the prisons and police force are now ready,” Hussein Mohamud Hussein, the spokesman, said.

China's leaders shift focus of spending

The Chinese leadership has made big promises on the environment and poverty at the opening of parliament - the National People's Congress - in Beijing. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao also pledged greater support for education and health. His budget priorities reflect Beijing's recent focus on shifting spending to social programmes.

They were neglected while the communist government concentrated on boosting investment and trade. That has fuelled unprecedented economic growth in the country but not all have benefited. The Prime Minister made a further commitment to close the gap between the rich and the poor. Analysts question whether all these goals can be achieved.

Maoist rebels' shoot Indian MP

A member of parliament belonging to a prominent regional party in eastern India has been shot dead by suspected Maoists, officials have said.

Sunil Mahato of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha was killed while watching a football match in Jharkhand, which has been the scene of a Maoist insurgency.

Two security guards and a party leader were also killed in the shoot out.

More than 6,000 people have died during the rebels' 20-year fight for a communist state in parts of India.

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government in the state has called for India's top federal detective agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to lead an investigation into Sunday's murder.

The incident happened when Mr Mahato turned up in Kishanpur village to watch a local football match.

Ghatshila senior official Ramesh Dubey told the Press Trust of India news agency that about 15 Maoists came to the match and moved close to where Mr Mahato was sitting on the pretext of giving him a garland.

'Revenge'

He said Mr Mahato and his security guards died instantly after the men opened fire, while a local party leader died on his way to hospital.

Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda said he did not rule out the Maoists killing Mr Mahato in "revenge" for the government's drive against the Maoists in the region.

A spokesman for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha said a general strike has been called in the state on Monday in protest against the murder.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party is an ally of the governing Congress party.

The Maoist movement which began more than three decades ago has spread to a number of Indian states.

The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless workers.

Story from BBC NEWS:

Senior Taliban leader arrested in Pakistan

Declan Walsh in Islamabad Friday March 2, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

Pakistan has made its first arrest of a senior Taliban commander, it emerged today, apparently bowing to intense western pressure to get tough on militant leaders sheltering inside its borders.

Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, a former Taliban defence minister, was captured in the western city of Quetta. He is the most senior Taliban official to be apprehended since US-led forces ousted the Islamist movement from power in late 2001.

Western diplomats hope the arrest marks a turning point in policy by Pakistan, which until now has bristled at demands to crack down on Taliban safe havens.

"We are very pleased," said a western official who confirmed the arrest. "It's precisely the sort of thing we have been pressing on the Pakistanis for some time."

Akhund is a leading figure on the Taliban leadership council and is reportedly one of the few confidants of Mullah Muhammad Omar, the fugitive Taliban leader.

His capture in Quetta on Monday lent further credence to suggestions that the city has become a headquarters for the Taliban, claims which have been heatedly denied by Pakistani officials. In January a captured Taliban spokesman said that Mullah Omar was hiding in Quetta. The Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf, later retorted that he was "500% sure" Omar was inside Afghanistan.

Mulllah Akhund had been under surveillance in Quetta for some time, the western official said, but it "wasn't clear" why Pakistani law enforcement had not swooped earlier. A crackdown in Quetta could provide an immediate benefit for British forces across the border in southern Afghanistan, who are braced for an expected Taliban spring offensive in the coming weeks.

Today, the Pakistani government appeared to have been caught off guard by leaked reports of Akhund's arrest. Interior minister Ahmed Khan Sherpao said five Afghans had been arrested but he would not confirm if Akhund was among them. The chief military spokesman said he had "no information".

Speculation was rife that the capture had been triggered by Monday's visit of Dick Cheney. The US vice-president urged Gen Musharraf to crack down on militant havens in the tribal belt and Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is the capital.

"Pakistan and the US are in a perfect patron-client relationship where service delivery is very important. Our service is to capture militants," said Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, a defence analyst in Islamabad.

Mr Musharraf is finding it increasingly difficult to balance the demands of his allies with sensitive domestic constraints. The Cheney visit involved some tough talking, said a source familiar with the conversation.

Mr Cheney pressed Gen Musharraf to be more forceful in Waziristan, the lawless tribal area where the US believes al-Qaida is regrouping. The general rejected the demand, saying that a militaristic approach to the tribal areas had failed in the past and could spark a civil war in the future.

Hours later, after Mr Cheney had left for Afghanistan, Mullah Akhund was captured. On Wednesday Gen Musharraf warned foreign "terrorists" to quit the mountainous tribal areas. "They should leave or they will be dealt with," he said.

Gen Musharraf is also under stiff internal pressure. A spate of suicide bombings in the past six weeks has killed almost 50 people.

Today, a bomb seriously wounded a senior anti-terrorist judge in the Punjabi city of Multan and killed at least three people.

Combined with veiled American threats to cut Pakistan's multi-billion pound aid package, the attacks are hardening anti-American sentiment even among moderates.

"We have to look out for ourselves," wrote commentator Ayaz Amir in Dawn newspaper, which broke the news of Mullah Akhund's capture. "We need to close ranks and stop portraying a picture of a house divided and almost at war with itself."

"There is a growing feeling in Pakistan that this is just not working, that we have gotten ourselves trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea," said Talat Masood, a retired general and analyst.

Koirala, Indian envoy discuss Maoists' inclusion in Nepal Government

There have been a lot of rumors floating in the streets of Kathmandu regarding inclusion of the Maoists in the present government and conducting Constituent Assembly. However, before every substantial development the intense consultations start with all stakeholders in Nepal including the foreigners.

It is believed in the same connection the in Kathmandu on Mar. 1 Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala held discussions with the Indian ambassador to Nepal, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee.

The 20 minute meeting at Baluwatar official residence of PM also discussed the current political situation in Nepal. This meeting comes in the wake of larger consultations between the Seven Party Alliance government and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M). Maoist Chairman Prachanda is scheduled to meet Prime Minister for the same purpose within one or two days.

Earlier in the day, US Ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty met Interim Parliament Speaker Subhas Nembang on the same issue.On Wednesday, Moriarty told CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal that he had doubts over the number of Maoist weapons registered with the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the meeting to decide the dates for the Constituent Assembly elections has been postponed till Friday. The Constituent Assembly elections are slated for mid-June