Kathmandu, March 15, 2008

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said today that the seven-party alliance should be retained in the same composition for ten years after the Constituent Assembly election as the country was still in a critical situation.

“The unity of the seven parties should be maintained for up to ten years after the election in the same composition,” Koirala said at an interaction with members of cultural and media organisations at his official residence in Baluwatar.

Prime Minister Koirala, who is also the President of the Nepali Congress party, added: “Even if the Nepali Congress secures majority, it will make a coalition government.

The others must do the same.” He admitted that he was apprehensive about the future of the alliance in the face of claims of the major SPA constituents that they would win the election. “Let’s move ahead without any contention and ill desire in the manner we arrived at this point with mutual trust. Institutional development of democracy at the grassroots level is more important than winning or losing the election,” he said.

Koirala further said the SPA must also be sustained to set an example for the world that the Nepalis are capable of resolving their problems on their own by holding the CA election in a free manner.

Tibetans take to protest against Lhasa crackdown

Lalitpur, March 15, 2008

Tibetan refugees today staged a protest outside the United Nations building in Pulchowk against the violence that erupted in Lhasa yesterday.

Police clashed with angry demonstrators when the latter caused disruption in vehicular movement at Pulchowk and attacked security forces.

At least 12 Tibetan refugees were detained for a few hours. “The demonstrators, who were disrupting vehicular movement, resorted to violence when we tried to bring the situation under control,” said superintendent of police at the Metropolitan Police Range Lalitpur Pashupati Upadhyay. They also forwarded a six-point charter of demands to the United Nations complex. “We are demanding an end to killings in Tibet,” said Thupden Lama, a monk from the Tibetan refugee community in Kathmandu. Their demands include religious freedom in Tibet, release of all political prisoners.

They also demanded that the International Olympics Commission bar China from hosting the 2008 Olympics. Another Tibetan refugee Lodoe Lama said the Tibetan refugees will continue to stage protests unless the Chinese government stops atrocities in Tibet.

They condemned the Chinese government for using excessive force to quell peaceful demonstrations in Tibet.