Kathmandu, December 4, 2007

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today reassured a Chinese team that a fresh date for election to constituent assembly would be finalised soon after meetings with the constituents of the ruling alliance.

The reassurance to this effect was given to Wang Jianrui, who is minister in the Foreign Departement of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and had called upon Prime Minister Koirala before closing the five day visit to Nepal. “The Prime Minister has assured the Chinese leader that a date for election will be fixed soon after holding talks with members of the ruling alliance. The new date will be based on consensus,” Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya, who had accompanied the Chinese delegation to Baluwatar, said while talking to reporters.

The Chinese delegation, which had come on a visit to Nepal following a visit to India to discuss issues related to the Nepalese peace process, had taken up issues raised by other political parties, including the Maoists and CPN-UML, concerning repeated bids to hold an election and pave the way out of the transitional phase.

The Chinese is learnt to be in favour of an early end to the transitional phase to restore political stability. The delegation has “clubbed all assistance with an early end to the conflict”.

Check crimes, Sitaula tells cops

Rastriya Samachar Samiti

Kathmandu, December 4, 2007

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said today that the security personnel should work with more creativity, discipline and dedication in order to bring under full control the major challenges like abduction, illegal arms and extortion seen in the present situation.

Giving directives to security officials in connection with a special security plan at a function held here today, Home Minister Sitaula said though the police have been gradually checking the crimes being committed by various groups since the restoration of democracy in the country, the police personnel should become more active and make the ongoing work more effective.

The Nepal Police, Armed Police and affiliated police employees should regard it as their main responsibility and duty, and respond to the questions of law and order being raised in the society. “The people should get guaranteed law and order within 15 days of the enforcement of the special security plan,” he said.

On the occasion, Home Secretary Umesh Prasad Mainali made it clear that the special security plan enforced in eight districts of the Tarai and three of the Valley was not any operation, but an additional mobilization of security force.

The tendency of some groups taking the law in their hands should be checked, he added. Metropolitan Police Commissioner, AIGP Hem Bahadur Gurung, said the police would continue to maintain law and order.