King Reinstates Dissolved Parliament

His Majesty King Gyanendra restored the dissolved House of Representatives through a royal proclamation on Tuesday following a 19-day long general strike of the seven major political parties.  In his televised address to the nation on Monday, the King stated that the lower house of parliament dissolved in May 2002 has been reinstated as per the spirit of the ongoing people's movement and the roadmap of the opposition seven-party alliance (SPA). The King also called the session of the parliament on Friday (April 28) at 13:00 p.m. at the parliament building in Singh Durbar. He expressed hope that the SPA would become able to establish permanent peace and national unity and uphold total democracy in the country and extended his condolence to those who lost their lives during the ongoing people's movement, wishing speedy recovery of those injured. Sovereign and executive power rest on the Nepali people as per the constitution of the Kingdom, the King said. Reinstatement of the parliament has been on of the main demand of the SPA that has been carrying out nationwide general strike since last 19 days. Compiled from Reports.

Seven Political Parties Meet Likely To Call Back General Strike

The seven political parties are holding meting to discuss about the royal proclamation of Monday and to future strategy of the political parties. King Gyanendra through his royal proclamation reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives as per the demand of the seven agitating political parties. The seven political parties are holding general strike since last 20 days demanding restoration of complete democracy in the country and today's meeting is likely to call back the general strike and decide the future political strategy. Welcoming King Gyanendra's second proclamation leaders of the seven-party alliance (SPA) said the restoration of the House of Representatives (HoR), dissolved in May 2002, has opened the doors for resolving the current crises facing the country. The SPA is going to reschedule the protest rally scheduled for today. "Tomorrow's rally will be organized in a different way and all the top leaders will address the people," a leader of SPA said. The seven political parties were planning to organize a Ring-Road centered protest programme and the protest rallies were scheduled to led by the senior leaders of the SPA. The SPA had rejected the king's offer on Friday. The king had offered the parties the opportunity to form a government and recommend a name of their choosing for the post of prime minister though his first proclamation on Friday. Compiled from Reports.

Six Killed In Chautara Clash

At least six persons -- four Maoists, one civilian and a Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldier --were killed when the rebels launched simultaneous attacks on almost all security and government establishments of Chautara, district headquarters of Sindhupalchowk, Sunday night. Maoists began the attacks at 9 pm from the District Hospital (DH), which lasted till 4:45 on Monday morning. The 20-bed hospital was completely damaged in the clash. Among the 11 patients in the DH, four patients who refused obey the Maoists' order to leave, were buried in rubble after the hospital collapsed in the clash. They were later rescued on Monday morning only. Meanwhile, a press communiqué of Defense Ministry said that one RNA man, identified as Keshav Kandel of Gorkha district, was also killed in the clash. Nine other RNA men were injured, three of them seriously, in the overnight clash. The civilian killed in the crossfire has been identified as a local greengrocer Bhakta Bahadur Shrestha. He was hit by bullets inside his home. Various district level government offices including Administration Office, Nepal Telecom, Education Office, Post Office and Police Office have been damaged in the attack. The rebels also took away Om Thapa, an employee of the National Investigation Department, after the attack. Compiled from Reports.

Nepal DPRK Sign Info-Tech Agreement

Nepal and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) signed an agreement to promote assistance between the two countries in the field of information and communications. Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) Kumar Prasad Poudyal and Ri Ju Kwan, chief of visiting DPRK delegation, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments at the MoIC on Monday. The accord aims at enhancing bilateral assistance in the areas of radio, television and print media and exchange vital printed materials, stated a press release of the MoIC. The agreement to remain in force for the next three years will be renewed automatically for the following three years unless annulled by means of a written notice by any of the signatory. It is also subject to amendment or replacement on the basis of mutual agreement.  The Ministry hoped that the agreement would be instrumental in further cementing the friendly ties between the two countries. The two countries have also expressed commitment to work together in the intergovernmental committee of the ministers from the non-aligned nations. Compiled from Reports.

Government Starts School Enrolment Campaign

School enrolment campaign has been launched to increase access of children in the age group of 5-9 to school education. As per the school enrolment campaign launched by the Departmant of Education, students will be enrolled from April 15 to 23 while door-to-door visit campaign will be launched from April 16 to 30 to help enroll those children abstaining from the school. Director of the Department of Education Ramswarup Singh said the enrolment programme is aimed at enrolling those children of primary education who have no access to education. Initiated last fiscal year, the school enrolment campaign has succeeded to achieve 87 percent of enrolment. This year, the department aims to achieve 89 percent of enrolment. During this period, about 100 thousand children who have been deprived of education are expected to get enrolled in the schools while about 3, 70 thousand children are said to have no access to school, according to the Department of Education. Meanwhile, the Government has decided to offer scholarship to the children between five to nine years who come to enroll in school under the School Registration Campaign. It was decided to offer scholarship to the targeted group of children in those areas where are very few numbers of students of indigenous, Daltis and disables children studying. Of the total enrolled students in school, fifty per cent girls and all dalits, and disables will be provided scholarship, Director of the Department of Education Ram Sworup Sinha said. Rs. 100 will be provided to those children of targated group on May 7 as the first installment.  It is said that a total of Rs. 350 will be provided to those students in three different installments. Likewise Rs. 50 to 1000 will be provided to those disables children looking at their conditions. The Department has aimed to provide scholarship to the 800,000 girls, 900,000 dalits and 8,000 disables. Compiled from Reports.

Security Forces Used Excessive Force: NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that security personnel were found using excessive force without prior warning, to control peaceful and unarmed demonstrations of the seven-party alliance. A press statement issued by the NHRC said, "NHRC has recommended to the government to immediately stop excessive use of teargas, baton charging and even firing bullets without prior warning, while controlling unarmed and peaceful demonstrations." The national rights watchdog wrote a letter to this effect to the Office of the Prime Minister on Sunday, after it found abuse of human rights by security forces in the name of controlling pro-democracy demonstrations. Compiled from Reports.

Tourist Arrival Likely To Decline In April

After three healthy months of tourist arrivals in 2006, the month of April is indeed likely to be a cruel one. With the political unrest of the country and countries advising their citizens against travelling to Nepal unless they have ‘important’ reasons for travelling here, the tourism industry which was undertaking new endeavours to attract more tourists is likely to be hit hard. According to the data compiled by the ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation, the industry has witnessed an increment of 14 per cent in January, 12.5 per cent in February and 27 per cent in March in tourist arrivals through air this year. Tourist arrivals in April 2005 had decreased by 38 per cent as compared to the figure of tourist arrivals by air in Nepal in April 2004. Compiled from reports.

Many Children Participated In Stir: CWIN

A study report has presented an alarming picture that Children working in the transportation sector, the school-going children and the street children were involved in protest programmes. A report prepared by CWIN, an NGO working in the field of children after monitoring children in Kathmandu Valley from April 6 to 20 said that a total of 182 children below 18 years of age are been injured in Kathmandu Valley; and among the 81 children below 16, three are severely injured. According to the report the children were involved in activities like burning tyres, blocking roads, and shouting slogans. Thirty-four injured children were provided treatment in Kathmandu Model Hospital, 50 were taken to the Community hospital, Gongabu, 22 to the Binayak Hospital, Gongabu, 10 to the Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, eight to the Om Hospital, 17 to the Patan Hospital, 21 to the Bir Hospital, seven to the Friends of Patan, two to the Nepal Medical College, four to the Medicare Hospital and four to the B and B Hospital. Additionally, 27 children were injured in demonstrations outside Kathmandu Valley . Compiled from Reports.

Vitamin A And Deworming Tablets Distribution Campaign Held

Children between the age of six months and five years were administered Vitamin A capsules and deworming tablets throughout the country on Wednesday. However, on Thursday (April 19), although the campaign went smoothly in rural parts of the country, it was affected by the daytime curfew imposed by the government in many urban areas including capital Kathmandu . 3.7 million children above six months and below five years were supposed to be administered with Vitamin A capsules and 3.9 million children above one year and below five years were supposed to be provided deworming tablets across the country. 5,000 women volunteers were mobilised across the country. Vitamin A capsule and Deworming tablets were provided from every wards, VDC's health institutes and municipalities. This is the first round programme of 2006 and will be conducted in two phases this year. “This distribution, which saves some 12,000 lives a year, is the largest exercise in child survival in Nepal ,” said UNICEF Representative, Dr Suomi Sakai, in a press statement issued on Tuesday. Children who don’t receive Vitamin A capsules have four times higher risk of dying than those who do receive it. Compiled from reports.

SAARC Ministers To Meet In Dhaka On Thursday

Ministers from South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries are meeting on April 20 in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh , in a bid to chalk out strategies for effective implementation of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). This is the first time that a ministerial meet is being held after the treaty came into force from January 2006. Meanwhile, a two day meeting of the committee of experts (CoE) started on Tuesday to discuss certain issues at the joint secretary level with representatives from all SAARC member countries. SAFTA came into force after SAARC member countries namely Bangladesh , Nepal , India , Bhutan , Sri Lanka , Pakistan and Maldives agreed on the framework. Report quoted, Naindra Prasad Upadhyay, joint secretary at the ministry of Industry, commerce and supply, who is participating in the meeting of the CoE as saying that the ministerial meeting will discuss as to how all SAARC countries can move effectively to implement the SAFTA framework to boost South Asian economy as a whole. The meeting would also review the sensitive list of products, discuss about the trade in services which was not discussed during the earlier CoE meetings, said Upadhyay. As per the provisions of SAFTA, agreed by seven member countries of SAARC, LDCs are supposed to get revenue compensation for the first four years beginning January 1, 2006.

Foreign Ministry Summons US Envoy Moriarty

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday summoned US Ambassador, James F Moriarty on Tuesday for his comment against the King. According to sources, he was summoned for his sharp comment if the king further delays returning power to people in an interview to CNN. According to report Moriarty in his interview with CNN said, "The US did not want the see King Gyanendra forced to flee clinging on the wings of a helicopter." Foreign Secretary Hira Bahadur Thapa reminded the envoy about diplomatic norms while making comments on Nepal ’s King and other internal affairs. According to reports, an official at the American Centre confirmed that Moriarty was summoned by the Ministry, but he refused to explain. Moriarty received royal audience on Sunday. Compiled from reports.

Karan Singh To Visit Kathmandu As Special Indian Envoy

As the nationwide general strike and opposition protests are to complete the second week, India is sending Karan Singh as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy to convey New Delhi 's message to the monarch.  Former Union Minister and member of parliament Singh will visit Kathmandu on Wednesday and is expected to meet King Gyanendra. He is also expected to meet opposition leaders in Nepal . Singh, who is said to have excellent relations with the Nepalese royal palace, is also the president of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). The decision comes two days after Indian ambassador to Nepal, Shiv Shanker Mukherjee, met the King and conveyed India's message underlining the immediate need for dialogue with political parties and restoration of multi-party democracy, the news report said. India and rest of the international community has also been building pressure on the monarch to relinquish power that he seized by removing an elected government 14 months ago. Expressing "concern" over the situation in Nepal , Mukherjee urged Nepalese monarch on Sunday to initiate dialogue with political parties aimed at reconciliation and evolving national consensus, according to reports. Indian premier Singh also held a high-level meeting on Sunday night to review the latest developments in the neighbouring country.   Compiled from reports.