Nepal Highlights

The Supreme Court (SC) has scrapped cases against Nepal Army's recruitment on Wednesday saying the issue does not fall under its jurisdiction.  A joint bench of Justices Gauri Dhakal and Bala Ram KC scrapped four separate cases against NA recruitment saying SC is not the agency to decide on the legality of army recruitment.  The joint monitoring and coordinating committee comprising of representatives from the government, the Maoists and UNMIN have the authority to decide on legality of the recruitment, said the justices.  Earlier, on May 13 the apex court had refused to issue a stay order against the recruitments.  The SC decision to scrap the cases has paved way for NA to go ahead with the recruitment process begun in April  Advocates pleading on behalf of Maoists have interpreted the ruling as a green signal for the Maoist army also to go ahead with recruitments.  Advocates Sri Krishna Subedi and Abhaya Raj Joshi on behalf of International Institute For Human Rights, Environm...

United Missions in Nepal (UNMIN) has denied charges of exceeding its mandate, seeking to prolong it and favouring one party by sharing an unofficial document on army integration and rehabilitation.   In an article published on the Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post dailies Wednesday, UNMIN chief Karin Landgren has said, the the paper has no official status or attribution and that it was intended to float thoughts as a contribution to the discussion.   "The document is not a "blue-print", a "calendar", a "work plan", a "road map" or "UNMIN proposal," Landgren has written in the article. "It is drawn on Nepali experience and expertise, and is heavily hedged with cautious assumptions: a "best guess"", as it says."   Langren has claimed the document was prepared in consultation with senior political leaders and technical experts and basically dwelt on: technically, how long would it take the parties to im...

United Madhes Front comprising of four Madhes-based parties, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), MJF-Loktantrik, Terai Madhes Loktantrik Parties (TMLP) and Nepal Sadbhawana Party has decided not to vote for any candidates at the election for the post of Prime Minister today.   A meeting of the Front held at TMLP parliamentary party office, Singha Durbar decided not to vote for any candidate and stay neutral during the election.   The four parties have a total of 82 seats in the parliament.   UML canidate Jhala Nath Khanal cannot secure a two-thirds majority without support of the front or at least one of them.

Chief District Officer (CDO) of Morang Shashi Shekhar Shrestha, alleged of manhandling chief and four other employees of Biratnagar Customs Office, has been recalled to Kathmandu for inquiry. The Ministry of Home Affairs called back Shrestha to the ministry after customs employees throughout the country resorted to agitation bringing the customs offices across the country to a halt demanding action against Shrestha. Shrestha has already come to Kathmandu Thursday afternoon following the ministry directives. Assistant CDO of Morang Surendra Poudel has been delegated the acting CDO. Shrestha is alleged of detaining Biratnagar Customs Office chief Man Bahadur Poudel with his family Tuesday midnight and harassing them. He was miffed with Poudel and the customs office employees for speaking against his favour at court in a case regarding Bishal Chemicals leading to a verdict against the District Administration Office.

Journalist Jasuda Pradhan has passed away in Kathmandu due to cardiac arrest last night. She died while being rushed to hospital after a sudden attack at about 11 pm, Monday. Pradhan was the managing editor of vernacular English weekly People's Review. Fifty-year old Pradhan is survived by her husban Pushpa Raj Pradhan, a son and a daughter. She was born in Ilaam. Pradhan and her tabloid is considered close to the monarchy.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has summoned the budget session of the legislative Parliament at 3.00pm, July 5 as per the recommendation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal. PM Nepal had requested President Yadav to summon the budget session from July 5. Earlier Speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang and PM Nepal had agreed to call the budget session from July 5. The Unified CPN (Maoist) has already said it will disrupt the parliamentary session called without its consent. Sources say, PM Nepal had called Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to discuss about the budget session after the meeting with Speaker Nemwang. Dahal told, his party would not cooperate as the session had been called unilaterally. PM Nepal told Dahal he was compelled to call the budget session as the nation could not continue in a situation of indecision for a long time. President Yadav has not mentioned the dates when the policy and programmes of the government would be presented at the parliament. In the previou...

Dr Bhakta Man Shrestha, executive director of BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, who was abducted on May 18, has been released safely Saturday morning. Dr Shrestha called his brother DSP Jagat Man Shrestha from Majimtar at the border of Chitwan and Dhading at 3 am, today. A police team led by DSP Shrestha, who was in Chitwan in the course of investigation on his brother's disappearance, immediately left for Majimtar and rescued him. Dr Shrestha arrived at his residence in Bharatpur at about 7 am. Large number of well-wishers, journalists and public had gathered outside his residence to see him. Reports say, Dr Shrestha looked very grim when he appeared before the crowd. He did not speak anything, and only waved at the well-wishers. Tears were falling down his eyes as he entered his house. Reports say, Dr Shrestha looked exhaust and pale. His clothes were soiled and beard was grown.