Nepal Political Economic News In Brief (19 -25 August 2013)

Shah, Ghale Announce NRN President Candidacy

Rameshwar Shah announced his candidacy for the post of president of the Non Resident Nepali Association (NRN). Shah, currently a vice-president of NRN, made his announcement of candidacy public amid a press-meet in the Capital last Wednesday. Earlier this month, Shesh Ghale, an NRN tycoon in Australia, had also announced his candidacy for the same post. Issuing a press statement to announce candidacy, he has pledged to attract investment in Nepal. The General Convention of NRN, an association of the Nepali Diaspora, is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu on 19 - 22 October this year.

 

Apex Court Stays Victim ID Card Distribution

The Supreme Court (SC) issued an interim order to not implement the distribution of identity cards to victims of the conflict and their families. A division bench of Justice Kalyan Shrestha and Baidhyanath Upadhyaya last Monday has stayed the decision of the government to distribute the Identity Cards to the families of those who were killed and disappeared during the conflict.The apex court has ordered the government to stop the implementation of the directive related to the Distribution of Identity Card to Conflict Victims 2069 until its final order. Making the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction his defendants, conflict victim Suman Adhikari had filed a writ petition at SC on July 24, 2013 with the demand of abrogating the directive.

 

Seven Killed in Landslide

Landslides triggered by incessant rainfall killed seven persons in Khimti of Ramechhap district last Tuesday. Among the dead, three are from the same family.  The police have informed that Mithu Thapa, 55, his 13-year-old son Kedar and 23-year-old daughter Swasthani from Khimti of Ward No 4 in the district have died in the incident. Sita Sunar of Khimti-3, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, 55, of Rasnalu-1, his wife Batuli Maaya and a woman, whose identity was not ascertained, were buried to death in the landslide. 

 

Govt Orders Investigation into Adhikari Murder

The government last Monday ordered District Police Office (DPO), Chitwan to investigate into the murder case of Krishna Prashad Adhikari. Adhikari, 19, was allegedly killed by former Maoist rebels in 2004. Following the government’s instruction, the DPO has said that it has begun the investigation process.  On the first week of this month, the National Human Rights Commission had also recommended the government to promptly probe into the case. Nanda Prashad Adhikari and Ganga Adhikari, parents of the deceased, have been fasting at the Bir Hospital premises a one month demanding action to investigate the murder.

 

Sarita Giri in a sit-in protest 

Chairperson of Nepal Sadbhawana Party Sarita Giri, staged a sit-in protest at Shantibatika last Tuesday onward protesting against the report of the Constituent Delineation Commission (CDC). The government has not made the report submitted by the CDC a few weeks ago, public as yet.  Giri demanded the election constituencies to be delineated on the basis of the population.