THT 10 years ago: Accord on interim govt in a week

Kathmandu, March 7, 2007

Leaders of the CPN(Maoist) and the NC today reached an understanding to form an interim government by the the second week of March and on taking action against the king.

A high-level meeting of the eight political parties, scheduled for Saturday. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s close aide Dr. Shekhar Koirala told the media that it would be impossible to conduct the constituent assembly elections in mid-June if the interim government was not formed within a week.

“Today, we discussed the ways of forming an interim government and returning the property confiscated during the conflict and the nature of action against the king,” Dr Koirala said following an informal and “cordial” meeting between the NC leaders and Maoist leaders Prachanda and Dr Bhattarai at the PM’s residence.

Dr Bhattarai said their discussion with the PM focused mainly on early formation of the interim government, returning of the seized- property and action against the king.

“But we have told the NC leadership that we will soon register a proposal in the interim legislature-parliament seeking declaration of the country a republic,” Bhattarai told this daily.

Bhattarai also said that they took up the issue of releasing political prisoners still in government jails with the PM. PM Koirala asked the NC and Maoist leaderships to settle the contentious issues.

PM inaugurates helpline for missing kids,women

Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala today inaugurated a three-digit (104) toll-free telephone line, set up to disseminate information about missing children and women, by calling up from his office in Baluwatar.

The Bhrikuti Mandap-based National Centre for Children at Risk will operate the service. In a telephonic conversation with Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Urmila Aryal, Koirala said he is eager to support the newly-introduced system.

He expressed gratitude to the government and non-governmental organisations, civil society for helping set up the toll-free line. Minister Aryal told the PM over phone that such a service was felt necessary after the kidnapping and murder of Bibek Luintel.

She said the system will trace children and women missing from all over the country. Additional Inspector General Dipak Thangden said police receive complaints about women and children, who have freshly arrived in the valley, going missing. 639 children went missing in four months and 302 children were found.

Eighty per cent of the missing children were traced within 24 hours, 11 per cent within two to seven days, six per cent in 8-15 days, 2.5 per cent in 15-30 days and 0.5 per cent in 30 days.