Nepal Highlights

Deuba could become the next Prime Minister in support of Maoists There are credible reports that Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba could become the next Prime Minister in support of UCPN-Maoist. It has been learnt, Deuba had proposed Maoists to support him as the next Prime Minister. He is planning to acquire the required 301 votes required in the parliament if the Maoists support him. The Maoists have 218 seats in the parliament, while NC has 110 seats. However, not all NC members will support Deuba. However, if the Maoists support him, he can still acquire a 301-majority, at the stake of dispute, possibly a split of his party. He needs to take some fringe parties, too, in confidence for this. According to the recieved reports, Deuba sent such message to the Maoists through his close aide and another party leader Gopal Man Shrestha. Shrestha talked to Maoist leader Khim Lal Devkota, and through Devkota there have been two rounds of talks with Maoist vice chairman Narayan ...

There are credible reports that Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba could become the next Prime Minister in support of UCPN-Maoist. It has been learnt, Deuba had proposed Maoists to support him as the next Prime Minister. He is planning to acquire the required 301 votes required in the parliament if the Maoists support him. The Maoists have 218 seats in the parliament, while NC has 110 seats. However, not all NC members will support Deuba. However, if the Maoists support him, he can still acquire a 301-majority, at the stake of dispute, possibly a split of his party. He needs to take some fringe parties, too, in confidence for this. According to the recieved reports, Deuba sent such message to the Maoists through his close aide and another party leader Gopal Man Shrestha. Shrestha talked to Maoist leader Khim Lal Devkota, and through Devkota there have been two rounds of talks with Maoist vice chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha on this. The Maoists have shown positive response o...

The democratic panel, considered close to Nepali Congress, led by Prem Bahadur Khanal swept the election for the new leadership of Nepal Bar Association (NBA), the umbrella organisation of lawyers across the country. The results of the election held on Saturday came out Thursday evening. Prem Bahadur Khadka Prem Bahadur Khadka was elected president of the NBA, defeating his nearest rival, Hari Krishna Karki of pro-UML progressive panel, by a wide margin of nearly 1000 votes. Maoist-backed candidate for president Ram Nath Mainali, who led the republican panel, finished third in the race. Likewise, Bijay Prasad Mishra of democratic panel was elected general secretary, defeating Hari Phuyal of the progressive panel. This was the first major victory of the democrats in NBA election in a decade. Almost 6000 lawyers including about 3100 from Kathmandu had cast their votes from three dozen polling stations across the country. 54 candidates contested for various 17 positions in the 22nd ...

Four persons including three pedestrians have been killed when a government vehicle going towards Baitadi from Dhangadi ran over them, alst night, Radio Nepal reported.   The deceased includes the vehicle driver and pedestrians Bam Dev Joshi, 55, Bhoj Raj Goit, 70, and Magaru Chaudhary, 40. Three others are injured from the accident. They are undergoing treatment at Seti Zonal hospital.

Unified CPN (Maoist), agitating, has burnt copies of some Nepal-India treaties they term unequal including the Sugauli Treaty, 1950 Treaty and the Mahakali treaty in Kathmandu and other parts of the country, Thursday. The Maoists, who have said they would focus their fourth phase agitation after they stepped down from the government in May following a controversy over sacking erstwhile Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal in national sovereignty, burnt copies of such treaties saying the treaties are against the welfare of Nepal and Nepalis. The Maoists had organised a function at Ratnapark in Kathmandu to burn treaties at about 4.30 pm, this afternoon. Earlier, Maoist leaders had visited various places on the Indo-Nepal border they considered encroached and addressed mass assemblies there. Coincidentally or as planned, Indian foreign minister SM Krishna is visiting Nepal on Friday.

Nepali Congress affiliated Prem Bahadur Khadka -- 1543 UML affiliated  Hari Krishna Karki --    1050 Unified CPN (Maoist) affiliated Ram Nath Mainali --    398

Mr. Stéphane Jaquemet has been appointed as the new Representative of United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nepal. Mr. Jaquemet presented the Letter of Credentials to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Nepal Sujata Koirala on Wednesday.  Before coming to Nepal, he served as the UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, Beirut. Having spent 17 years with UNHCR, Mr. Jaquemet has held a number of senior positions both at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva and in other UNHCR offices, including Indonesia, Togo and Croatia.  Mr. Jaquemet has a strong legal background, and served as Chief of Protection Capacity Section, Department of International Protection, at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva from 1997 to 2002. Upon assuming office, Mr. Jaquemet said, "I am happy to be in Nepal, such a beautiful and cultured country, and work for one of UNHCR's largest resettlement operations in the world." Since late 2007, UNHCR has helped more than 25,600 refugees from Bhu...