Mass Cosatu strike grips South Africa

against rising living costs on Wednesday, paralysing transport services and immobilising businesses. The Congress of South African Trade Unions's (Cosatu) countrywide strike against rocketing electricity prices affected a range of services and businesses, including buses, trains, taxis, schools, mining companies, shops and factories."It is looking excellent," said Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven. "Johannesburg looks like a Sunday."Tens of thousands of protesters had gathered for marches in Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Ladysmith, Klerksdorp, Polokwane and Witbank. Police had been deployed in all these areas to keep the peace.Gold mining operations were affected substantially, with AngloGold Ashanti saying no shafts were operating while Harmony and Gold Fields said its operations were limited.The strike has damaged South Africa's image, Efficient Group economist Dawie Roodt said. "You can't put a rand value on what it has done to our image. I believe the strike is the second story on the BBC today."He said that the strike hit both the mines and the vehicle industry. "There's a difference between a strike in manufacturing and a strike in services -- with manufacturing, the impact will always be more severe," he said.The strike's consequences will probably be more severe than he anticipated, Roodt said. However, he pointed out that South Africa has become used to strikes and that the mines know how to handle labour actions. "They have emergency plans."He said the only good thing that could be said for the one-day stoppage is that it provided an "emotional release", adding: "People are suffering with the high food, fuel and electricity prices -- being able to strike allows them to release their frustrations."
MisunderstandingHowever, Russell Lamberti, economic strategist at the Econometrix consultancy, said the one-day strike was unlikely to have a significant effect on the economy"Producers will gain back what is lost today. When production levels return to normal, they will work extra hard to make it up for the rest of the month. Only after a one-week or two-week strike, you will see a significant impact."Lamberti said the strike showed a misunderstanding of economic issues within the unions. "The unions are striking against something they can't control. Food and fuel prices are determined by global markets and not by policy. It's not a conspiracy against the poor."He added: "The only appropriate national policy in the long term is to encourage and incentivise people to produce more food and boost the agricultural economy. The global demand for food is growing, especially with the industrialisation of China and India, so make sure that you produce more food and be able to export it." According to Lamberti, there is no really effective short-term national-level solution to higher food prices. "If you put a price cap on bread for example, you mess with the supply chain. You will eventually face shortages of basic goods and commodities, as were seen in communist countries.""Now that the global economy is becoming so interconnected, countries are learning that they don't have as much policy autonomy as they thought. As a country you can choose to isolate yourself to create more policy autonomy, but then you miss out on the benefits and opportunities of free trade and rapidly growing foreign markets, as well as the benefits of strong global economic growth."He said there is no easy way to deal with inflation. The government's interest-rate policy has been appropriate, given the severe inflation pressures -- albeit somewhat painful. "If you don't respond with higher interest rates, you face potential runaway inflation that hurts the poor even more in the long run." He said the average Cosatu member "doesn't really care that much about global economic dynamics"."Many Cosatu members feel marginalised and believe that government should provide the solutions to their grievances. This, possibly, has something to do with an apartheid mindset where it was the state that played such a dominant role in denying many their economic opportunities."Strike may hinder coal productionMeanwhile, the Chamber of Mines warned that the strike would hinder coal production and ultimately affect electricity supply by Eskom.Deputy communications adviser Jabu Maphalala said the protest against the rise in electricity prices was counter-productive."A strike will impact on mining production, including coal production," he said. "Earlier in the year, when there was an electricity crisis, part of the problem Eskom had was the depletion of coal stockpiles, which formed part of the discussions between labour, Eskom, the government and the mining industry."But the strike today [Wednesday] by the people will affect the production of coal-mining companies, which ultimately has an impact on Eskom's success in generating electricity," said Maphalala.De Beers says effect 'minimal'Diamond miner De Beers said that the impact of the strike on its diamond production was "minimal". According to spokesperson Tom Tweedy, "Diamond production on the five mines De Beers operates in South Africa continued with there being minimal impact from today's stayaway."The protest was a protected industrial action in terms of section 77 of the Labour Relations Act and was therefore respected by De Beers, he added. Participation in the industrial action varied from mine to mine, department to department and shift to shift in the various mines.Based on an average across the mines, 25% of employees in the bargaining unit (being 2 612 employees of the 4 198 De Beers Consolidated Mines employees in South Africa) did not attend work on Wednesday."As one might expect to be the practice of the company and the union, the rights of employees have been upheld and we are pleased to say we have not received any report of intimidation on any of our mines," Tweedy added.De Beers operates mines in the Northern Cape, Free State and Limpopo province. The five mines are Namaqualand, Kimberley, Finsch, Voorspoed and Venetia Mine. Ministers 'should resign'Cabinet ministers who did nothing to prevent the current electricity crisis should be forced to resign if workers lost their jobs as a result, Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said in Cape Town.Addressing more than 3 000 demonstrators who had marched to Parliament in protest against the power crisis and the rising cost of living, Vavi said it was unfair to expect workers to pay for mistakes committed by others."Should a single worker lose a job, the ministers will have to go. They are making us pay for mistakes committed by other fellows," he said.The fact that the government had allowed Eskom to hike electricity prices by 27% demonstrated that it did not have the interest of the poor at heart, Vavi said. Workers have much to celebrate over the fact that a majority of serving Cabinet ministers will not be coming back after the expiry of their term next year. "The government ministers have proven their inefficiency beyond reasonable doubt."The crowd gathered at Keizergracht Street from early morning, before embarking on a 600m march to Parliament. Singing liberation struggle songs and chanting anti-government slogans, the marchers responded with excitement when Vavi bid farewell to President Thabo Mbeki, saying the workers would not miss him. Crowd swells in DurbanBy midday, a protest march had swelled to about 4 000 people in Durban. As they marched slowly along Pixley ka Seme Street carrying placards and posters, helicopters circled and police posted themselves at intersections along the route.Along the way, marchers sang songs about African National Congress president Jacob Zuma.The crowd carried placards reading: "Down with high fuel prices".Meanwhile, the South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union (Sactwu) by midday reported that 93% of its members had not gone to work.Andre Kriel, the union's deputy general secretary, said: "In KwaZulu-Natal, dozens of large factories including Lilanie Clothing (with more than 1 200 workers), Allwear (1 200 workers), Playtex (970 workers) and Profortune (700 workers) reported full participation of workers in the protest action."He said the union was proud that it managed the shutdown of the industry "in a manner that is sensitive to the needs off its customers".Gauteng actionIn Johannesburg, metro police dispersed 2 000 protesters who were burning tyres on the Honeydew stretch of Beyers Naude Drive.Spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said police addressed the crowd who had gathered in support of the Cosatu strike and asked them to disperse. The crowd complied and police removed the burning tyres. "We are going to monitor the situation the whole day because these protesters might return," Minnaar said. Earlier on Wednesday the protesters danced and sung in the road, blocking Beyers Naude Drive as far as Peter Road in Honeydew, said Minnaar."Beyers Naude has since been opened and the traffic is flowing freely," he said.In Pretoria, a Cosatu delegation delivered a memorandum of grievances to the Department of Minerals and Energy shortly before 1pm and said that electricity tax should not be borne by the poor. The memorandum -- which was received by departmental spokesperson Bheki Khumalo -- called on the government to invest in power generation and the launch of an energy-efficiency campaign.Khumalo gave his apologies to the protesters on behalf of the Minister of Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, who was not available. He said Sonjica was in the Democratic Republic of Congo to discuss electricity issues between the two countries. The protesters, wearing red T-shirts and some holding sticks, then continued peacefully down Visagie Street towards the Union Buildings while a police helicopter circled overhead. Bus and train services in Gauteng came to a complete halt in the morning. "There are no trains running in Gauteng, obviously due to no staff," said national Metrorail spokesperson Sibusiso Ngomane."We will review the situation at 2pm and we might be able to run some trains in the afternoon subject to staff availability," he added.Metrorail was running services on a "very limited scale" in the rest of the country."There are no buses running," Johannesburg City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane said. "Normally we try to make sure that we have a skeleton staff in the morning, but today the drivers did not show up."Effects felt countrywideListed retailer Foschini was hit by the strike, spokesperson Doug Murray confirmed on Wednesday. "We're still trying to establish how many branches have been closed," Murray said. "The closures are mainly in the Johannesburg CBD, Pretoria and Durban."Stores in the Edcon Group were also affected, said a spokesperson who did not wish to be named.Foschini stores include @home, American Swiss, Markham and Totalsports, while Edcon stores include Edgars, Jet and CNA. (Mail and Guardian Online)

CHRONOLOGY-Mauritania gripped by another coup

Aug 6 (Reuters) - Presidential guardsmen seized Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in a coup on Wednesday after he sacked several top army officers, the president's daughter said.Here is a chronology of events in the largely desert Mauritania since independence:November 1960 - Mauritania becomes independent from France as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, with Moktar Ould Daddah as president.1964 - Daddah proclaims a one-party state and the next year all parties merge to form the Parti du Peuple Mauritanienne.1966 & 1971 - Daddah is re-elected as president.1975 - Mauritania is declared an Islamic Socialist Republic.July 1978 - Daddah is deposed in a bloodless coup by Moustapha Ould Mohamed Salek who assumed absolute power as president in March 1979.December 1984 - After a number of coup attempts, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya seizes power and proclaims himself president. Almost two years later, Taya imposes sharia law.January 1992 - Taya is elected president with nearly 63 percent of the vote under a 1991 constitution permitting multiple political parties, but opposition candidates denounce the victory as fraudulent.-- Taya is re-elected in 1997 and 2003 after another coup attempt in June that year.August 2005 - The army seizes power to end Taya's regime, and says it plans to rule for up to two years.November 2005 - 17-member junta pledges to hold presidential elections in March 2007.June 2006 - In a referendum meant to end decades of coup attempts, voters overwhelmingly back constitutional changes ensuring no president can serve for more than a decade.March 2007 - Former minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi wins a presidential run-off poll with 52.85 percent of the vote defeating his rival, opposition figure Ahmed Ould Daddah. Abdallahi was sworn in on April 19.July 2008 - Abdallahi asks Prime Minister Yahya Ahmed El Waghef to form a new cabinet after the prime minister and his government resign following criticism over the government's response to soaring food prices.August 2008 - Presidential guardsmen seize Abdallahi in a coup after he sacked several top army officers.Sources: Reuters/Europa:

President detained in Mauritania coup

NOUAKCHOTT (AFP) — Troops overthrew Mauritania's president in a military coup on Wednesday after he tried to sack senior army officers accused of being behind a political crisis destabilising the country.
President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was arrested as troops rolled through the capital Nouakchott and took over the presidential palace and the prime minister's office.
They chased staff from the headquarters of state radio and television, though there was no sign of fighting in the city.
A statement read on public radio said the coup was led by the head of the presidential guard, General Ould Abdel Aziz, who had been sacked earlier in the morning.
The coup leaders formed a Military State Council and immediately annulled the army appointments made by the president, according to an information ministry statement broadcast on the radio.
"The president has just been arrested by a commando, who came to fetch him, arrested him here and took him away," the president's daughter, Amal Mint Cheikh Abdallahi, told Radio France International from the presidential palace in Nouakchott.
"This is a real coup d'etat," she said.
Abdallahi said armed men had occupied the presidency and that she was being prevented from leaving the building, but that she had not heard shots fired.
The president's whereabouts were unknown, while Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf was taken to an army barracks near the presidency, security sources said.
A spokesman for the ousted president told AFP that the coup was in response to a presidential decree several high ranking army leaders including General Abdel Aziz.
The president "issued a decree naming several new officers as the head of the presidential guard, the head of the armed forces and the head of the national guard.
"These officers, three generals, refused to accept the presidential decree and are rebelling against the constitutional order," the spokesman Abdoulaye Mahmadou Ba said.
The capital of the nation of 3.1 million people was reported to be calm, with little evidence of the turmoil, witnesses said.
The coup came less than six months after Abdallahi came to power in elections hailed as a model of democracy for Africa, following a three-year transition after a bloodless coup in August 2005.
Mauritania has been facing a political crisis and on Monday 48 MPs walked out on the ruling party less than two weeks after a vote of no confidence in the government prompted a cabinet reshuffle.
Renegade lawmakers criticised Abdallahi's exercise of "personal power", adding that he had "disappointed the hopes of Mauritanians," a spokesman for the group said on Monday.
A decree read out on national radio early Wednesday replaced General Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed as chief of the army, as well as sacking Abdel Aziz as head of the presidential guard.
Both generals were members of the transition council which ushered in the elections which Abdallahi won in 2007.
Political observers in Nouakchott said the two generals were accused of being behind the mass walkout of ruling party MPs on Monday.
The breakaway MPs said they will form a new party to seek a change of direction in the country, which imports more than 70 percent of its food and has been hard hit by the global food crisis.
The Mauritanian president last month threatened to dissolve parliament after MPs filed a motion of no confidence in his new government, which then resigned.
A spokesman for the MPs who walked out said the president was "reaping the fruits of his bad decisions".
"By his decision to oust the generals he attacked the army had on, who reacted by deposing him and in some measure he is reaping the fruits of his bad decisions," deputy Sidi Mohamed Ould Maham told AFP.
The largely desertified country has a history of coups since its independence from France in 1960.
Mauritania was shaken between December 2007 and February 2008 by three attacks by extremists linked to Al-Qaeda which left seven people dead including four French tourists.
The attacks caused the organisers of the 2008 Dakar rally to cancel the race, which usually crosses the Mauritanian deserts. (AFP)

Hundreds in Australia protest papal visit

SYDNEY, Australia — Australian protesters denounced Saturday what they called Pope Benedict XVI's antiquated and discriminatory views, holding a contest for a slogan that would most annoy Roman Catholics and chanting: "The pope is wrong, put a condom on!"
The burlesque, boisterous protest by about 300 demonstrators in central Sydney was in sharp contrast to the solemn papal Mass held earlier at a nearby cathedral, and came as tens of thousands of Catholics marched through the city on a World Youth Day pilgrimage.
Inflated condoms floated like balloons above the crowd of demonstrators - some dressed as nuns and others as priests - as they listened to speeches by activists in support of sex education and safe sex practices at Taylor Square.
"It's good that people protest against the pope's homophobia and misogyny," Alex Bainbridge of the Socialist Alliance told the crowd. "We don't want a war against sex, we want a war against sexually transmitted infections. We're here for the people who could be saved if they had adequate sex education and access to condoms."
Police on horseback and on foot patrolled, but there were no signs of trouble.
The demonstrators also held a "most annoying T-shirt" competition, which was judged by the crowd who picked a crude reference to Mary, Christ's mother, as the winner.
The protest drew attention before it was even held after state government officials passed regulations earlier this month that banned anyone from causing "annoyance or inconvenience" to participants in the Catholic festival.
Offenders faced fines of up to US$5,300.
Activists from the NoToPope coalition argued that the regulations infringed on their free speech rights and challenged them in the federal court and won, clearing the way for Saturday's protest.
The controversy about the regulations led to dozens of T-shirts popping up for sale with slogans aiming to challenge authorities to use the regulations.
Tens of thousands of World Youth Day pilgrims marched on Saturday through Sydney, where the landmark harbour bridge and other key roadways were closed to accommodate them on a trek to a horse race track in the city where they will camp out for the night.
Benedict was due to join them on Saturday evening for a couple of hours, then return to the track on Sunday morning to lead a Mass before an estimated crowd of some 250,000. (The Canadian Press)

Strike halted in India tea region

A strike called by a regional political party which paralysed life in India's tea-producing Darjeeling area has been postponed, officials say.
They say the strike - called by the regional Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) political party - has been halted for 60 hours to allow tourists to leave.
They say that the delay will also help shopkeepers to stock up on essentials.
The GJM is demanding a separate state and fairer treatment for Darjeeling's Nepali-speaking Gorkha community.
It has warned that the strike will resume indefinitely from Saturday.
The GJM has also asked employees from the West Bengal state government to leave Darjeeling. On Tuesday, they asked all tourists to quit the area.
Officials say that at least 15 people were wounded when Gorkhas and Bengali and Hindi-speakers clashed on Tuesday.
At the beginning of the week the GJM alleged that its supporters were attacked by activists of the state's ruling Marxists on Sunday.
The communists have denied the charge.
Darjeeling is in the north of the eastern state of West Bengal.
The region is home to hundreds of tea gardens and produces Darjeeling tea which is coveted for its flavour.
The Gorkhas fought for a separate state through the 1980s but they later settled for regional autonomy.
The recently-formed GJM has revived the struggle for a separate state.
The foothills are dominated by Bengali and Hindi speakers, while the Darjeeling hills are dominated by Nepali-speaking Gorkhas. (BBC)

Gorkha unrest cuts, tears & curls Darjeeling crop

Demand for Gorkhaland state leads to losses of Rs 4 crore per day across 87 estates
KOLKATA: Dhanraj Thapa, Biresh Bahadur, Rohit Gurung and Sonali Pawn are among the 80,000 labourers working in the 87 lush tea estates across Darjeeling.
But their livelihood has taken a backseat to their need for a separate Gorkhaland state. Their demand has hit the world’s ‘muscatel-flavoured finest teas’ hard. In the last few days, Darjeeling’s tea industry has suffered badly due to the agitation, losing an estimated Rs 4 crore a day.
Making matters worse is the fact that the best of Darjeeling-summer and second-flush tea —are produced in June. They command high prices in both domestic and global markets and comprise almost 25-30% of the total production of Darjeeling tea, 90% of which is exported.
Planters across Darjeeling, Dooars and the entire North Bengal belt, which churns out about 25% of the total tea produced in India, are a worried lot.
A planter from Darjeeling, who did not wish to be named, said the call for indefinite closure has sparked panic. “There seems to be no solution in sight. We anticipate huge losses... We are at the mercy of the government.”
Industry estimates say the Darjeeling tea industry would lose 25% of its best produce and 40-45% of revenues because of the current strife.
Ashok Lohia, chairman of Chamong Group, the largest planter in Darjeeling owning 14 gardens, finds the situation untenable. “Business is badly hit. Indefinite closure of the district means dispatches would be impossible. There would be no rations and we can’t send samples to auctions.” (DNA)

GJM crumbles on popular pressure calls off Indefinite strike until Saturday evening

BREAKING STORY!
Darjeeling: After a marathon meeting, the Central Committee of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to call off the Indefinite Strike starting today 6pm until Saturday 6 pm. The decision was taken over mounting pressure from people and citizen’s group requesting Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leadership to allow people to prepare themselves for the long strikes and shut downs. Hotel Owners have lamented that if the Strike was to be as suddenly called off as it was called for, why had the tourists been forced to leave the hills. There were no clarifications from the leadership. However, Bimal Gurung, GJM President lamented on the hardship the Tourists had to suffer.lamented on the hardship the Tourists had to suffer. (Beacononline)

GJM relaxes indefinite bandh in Darjeeling for few hours

Siliguri, Jun 11 (PTI) As the indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills entered its second day today, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha declared a 15-hour relaxation to enable locals to stock food and essential commodities.
The relaxation, from 0300 pm onwards today, was announced by GJM President Bimal Gurung at a public meeting at Mal in Darjeeling town.
A GJM source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the relaxation period might be extended further as a crisis in food and essential commodities was already being felt in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district — Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong.
If the bandh was resumed from tomorrow, the spontaneous support that the GJM enjoyed, might be affected, the source said.
A meeting of the GJM central committee would meet in the evening to evaluate the situation and take “practical decisions”, the source said.
Gurung, meanwhile, said that a memorandum had been faxed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing deployment of the CRPF in Darjeeling, “which will lead to panic” among the locals.
GJM General Secretary, Roshan Giri told PTI that his party had rejected the call of West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to give up its demand for creation of a separate state of Gorkhland.
“Gorkhaland is our demand. There is no question of giving it up. We are open for talks provided Gorkhaland is on the agenda for discussion,” he said over telephone from Darjeeling.
Darjeeling District Magistrate Rajesh Pandey said around 10,000 tourists had departed from the hill station yesterday and only 100 to 150 visitors were left. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, North Bengal, K L Tamta said the six companies of CRPF to be deployed in the hills, were yet to arrive at Siliguri.
He said even though the GJM supporters blocked the road to Assam passing through the Dooars region for two hours before dispersing, the situation was peaceful, .
Sikkim continued to remain cut off for the second consecutive day, with GJM supporters picketting the National Highway 31A, the sole link between Gangtok and the rest of the country, Tamta said. PTI UBR PC VU 06111736 DEL (Beacon online)

Maoists Give Up Claim To Nepal President's Post

Thursday 05th of June 2008Faced with steadfast opposition from the other major parties, Nepal's Maoists Thursday decided to abandon their claim to the post of president but said they remained firm on the other contentious demand for an amendment to the constitution.The political deadlock that had gripped Nepal since the election two months ago eased slightly following the former rebels' announcement that they would not demand the two top posts in the government.The central secretariat of the party, with its front-ranking members, held a five-hour meeting at party chief Prachanda's residence in the capital Thursday and decided to make the concession.'We had wanted an executive president,' Maoist lawmaker Post Bahadur Bogoti told the media after the marathon meeting. 'However, since the other parties insisted on a ceremonial president, we decided to concede the post.'However, the Maoists are ready to oppose any bid by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala or his Nepali Congress party to grab the post for him.'Since the president is ceremonial, the top party leaders shouldn't be given the post,' Bogoti said. 'We are proposing that the president be chosen from the civil society or prominent citizens.'On May 28, Nepal's newly elected constituent assembly formally abolished monarchy, proclaiming Nepal a federal republic.Since deposed king Gyanendra had been the constitutional head of state in the past, with his ouster, the nation has been without a head.The appointment of a president was halted with the Maoists staking claim to the post, saying that as the largest party after the election, they should be given both the posts of president and prime minister.The deepening feud led to the former guerrillas finally threatening that they would quit the coalition government if Koirala did not resign.Though the deadline given to Koirala has expired, the Maoists have not carried out their threat to start a new street agitation since the newly elected constituent assembly is scheduled to hold its second meeting later Thursday and any disruption would go against them.But while capitulating on the issue of president, Bogoti said his party had not changed its view that the current constitutional proviso about removing the prime minister should remain the same.Currently, the premier can be sacked only if two-thirds of the lawmakers agree.But the other parties are demanding that it be brought down to simple majority so that they can keep a Maoist government on a tight leash.'The focus of this constituent assembly should be drafting a new constitution,' Bogoti said. 'We don't want it to drift away with the parties beginning their old trick of trying to topple the government.'The persisting differences have come in the way of giving full shape to the much-awaited assembly.It needs to have 26 more members nominated. Though the nominations were to have been made by May 28, the parties failed to do so due to their squabble over power-sharing.Consequently, the chief of a fringe party has moved Nepal's Supreme Court, asking it to strike down the republic proclamation, contending that it was unconstitutional since the assembly did not have the full 601 members.With the parties remaining at loggerheads, it is doubtful if the assembly would be able to draft a new, pro-people's constitution in two years. (News Post India)

Musharraf 'ready to go with dignity'

Islamabad: President Pervez Musharraf, threatened by possible impeachment, is reconciled to stepping down before he is hounded out of office, according to a senior adviser to the new government.
Musharraf, who came to power as a general after a coup in 1999, has probably got a matter of weeks, at most a few months, before the curtain falls, political insiders say.
"He is prepared to go and go with dignity," said the source close to the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which heads the two-month-old coalition government.
"We will try to make it very dignified," the PPP source said, adding it was politically difficult to be seen helping the disliked president as such a stance risked losing popular support.
The United States has good communications with Musharraf's successor as army chief, General Ashfaq Kiyani.
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Foreign allies, including the United States, are pressing for a transition to civilian-led democracy which avoids further upheaval in the country.
In the post-Musharraf era, the country faces challenges beyond the constant threat from Islamist militants linked to the Al Qaida and the Taliban.
Package
PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, the widower and political successor of the late Benazir Bhutto, has proposed a constitutional package that would strip Musharraf of power, but possibly afford him legal protection from foes who want to see him humiliated.
The PPP hopes to buy time to settle terms for the president's departure and steal the thunder from coalition partner Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf overthrew. Sharif wants his usurper impeached or tried for treason.
Officials say Musharraf wants indemnity for his actions of November 3, 2007, when he suspended the constitution and imposed emergency rule to purge the judiciary before it could rule illegal his re-election the previous month while still army chief.
Mass protest
Some segments of the media have intensified calls for Musharraf to resign, and a lawyers movement that sprang up last year in defence of the judiciary plans a mass protest on June 10, the same day the government is due to present its budget.
Independent analyst Nasim Zehra saw few options left for Musharraf.
"I think he has no cards left," she said. "General Musharraf may be compelled to think of resigning sooner rather than later."
A general election on February 18 swept away Musharraf's parliamentary support and resulted in an uneasy alliance between Zardari and Sharif.(Gulf news)

Father of Pakistan bomb denies passing on secrets

By Saeed Shah in Islamabad
The founder of Pakistan's nuclear bomb is bristling with indignation. After four years of enforced silence, the scientist described by the CIA as "at least as dangerous as Osama bin Laden" and on a Time magazine cover as the "merchant of menace", is finally getting a chance to fight back.
The voice is a little faint but his mind is clearly still razor-sharp. Now aged 72 and suffering from prostate cancer, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, characterised as a Dr Strangelove figure by critics but regarded as a hero by most of his fellow Pakistanis, wants to set the record straight. A bookshelf-worth of titles have painted him as a greedy pedlar of nuclear technology to some of the world's most dangerous regimes.
"They [the allegations] are bullshit and concoctions," said Dr Khan from his villa in one of Islamabad's leafiest residential areas, where he remains under house arrest. "Now I have become the black sheep."
Dr Khan spearheaded Pakistan's clandestine nuclear programme from its inception in the mid-70s until he was forced to make a humiliating confession about his proliferation activities on national TV in 2004 under huge pressure from Washington.
In a telephone interview, Dr Khan said the confession had been made "in the national interest" but denied its contents were true. Mysteriously, he said that others "got away scot-free" as a result of him taking all the blame. Experts believe that he worked in collaboration with the Pakistan army.
Dr Khan stands accused of helping Iran, Libya and North Korea establish secret nuclear weapons programmes, a legacy the world community is still struggling to deal with today in the case of Iran and North Korea.
Dr Khan admitted helping Libya and Iran but insisted his aid was limited to pointing these countries in the direction of suppliers. He flatly denied providing any assistance to Pyongyang but said that Pakistan had acquired missile technology, for nuclear bombs, from North Korea.
He said he used companies he knew from his days working in the nuclear industry in Europe as suppliers when he shifted back to Pakistan. The businesses, based in Europe's most advanced economies – including the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Holland – provided the Pakistani programme with all it needed, he said. This was done openly in the 1970s; later the trade went underground, partly funnelled through subsidiaries of European companies operating from apartheid-era South Africa.
"When Iran and Libya wanted to do their programme, they asked our advice. We said 'okay, these are the suppliers, who provide all'. This was very small advice," said Dr Khan.
"I advised them. What's wrong with it? I became the 'ringleader' of the network. But the suppliers were there already for 20 years."
Dr Khan said he had been to North Korea twice and insisted that the reclusive communist state did not need any help from Pakistan, which has a nuclear programme based on uranium enrichment rather than the alternative plutonium technology.
"The North Korean programme is totally based on reactor reprocessing plutonium. They had mastered this technology even before we started."
According to other accounts, North Korea later sought to also acquire uranium technology by swapping its missile systems for Pakistan's know-how. A recent book even claims that the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was involved in the barter arrangement during a trip to Pyongyang.
Dr Khan's protestations of innocence do not impress Western experts, however. David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector, who now heads the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, said: "He's just lying, the facts are established."
In the last couple of weeks, the conditions of Dr Khan's detention have been relaxed – with unofficial phone contact tolerated, a few visitors allowed and one brief outing. Some members of the new coalition government have even called for him to be freed.
Dr Khan himself is in no doubt why he and Pakistan have been singled out for international condemnation.
"Muslims were the only religion which threatened the Western civilisation. They hate Muslims, they hate Islamic culture. Every Muslim is a terrorist.
"The West will never forgive you. I broke their monopoly. I am the black sheep for them."
Pakistan and the bomb
In May 1998, Pakistan and India shocked the world by carrying out a series of tit- for-tat nuclear tests, raising the spectre of nuclear conflict between the two neighbours. Pakistan is thought to have produced enough highly enriched uranium fuel for up to 55 weapons, although it claims the weapons are not assembled. In addition to uranium enrichment at the AQ Khan Kahuta facility, Pakistan also developed plutonium production at the Khusabresearch reactor withChinese assistance atJoharabad in the 1990s. According to commercial satellite imagery, Pakistan appears to be building a third production reactor at the site. Experts say it could be intended to improve the quality of the Pakistani nuclear arsenal and build a new generation of more powerful weapons. Pakistan is estimated to have produced a small amount of weapons-grade plutonium for up to five nuclear weapons. (The Independent)

Now bring on McCain: Epic struggle ends with victory for Obama

The most expensive primary campaign in US history ends with Barack Obama claiming the Democrat crown – and Hillary Clinton's camp in turmoil

By By Leonard Doyle in St Paul, Minnesota, David Usborne in New York and Rupert Cornwell in WashingtonWednesday, 4 June 2008

After an epic five-month battle that has transformed American politics, Barack Obama claimed the Democratic nomination last night, continuing his extraordinary quest to become the first African-American president in his country's history.
It was the most important milestone yet, in the meteoric political journey of Mr Obama, the son of a black intellectual from kenya and a white anthropologist from Kansas who only four years ago was an almost unknown state senator from Illinois.
He finally vanquished Hillary Clinton in a campaign to lead the Democratic Party into battle against John McCain - a campaign that has transformed the political landscape of America by energising tens of millions of voters who are demanding radical change in Washington and an end to the excessive influence of lobbyists over the machinery of government.
"You chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations," he told a delirious victory celebration for 17,000 supporters in a sports arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Another 15,000 gathered outside the arena and in nearby pubs where a "primary happy hour" carried on into the night.
"Tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another," he said declaring that without nuance or hesitation he would carry the flag and oust the Republicans from the White House.
"Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States," he said
A last-minute flood of support from Democratic superdelegates and a split result in the last two primaries in Montana and South Dakota, gave Mr Obama the necessary 2,118 delegates to claim the nomination at the Democratic Party's convention in Denver in August. He paid generous tribute to Mrs Clinton she was warmly applauded by the audience, an indication that at least one side the bitterly divided party is ready to move on.
But even in defeat Mrs Clinton was not prepared to leave the race just yet. While she too paid tribute to her opponent saying "It has been an honour to contest the primaries with him, just as it has been an honour to call him my friend". She also said: "This has been a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight."
Rather than bow to the inevitable and unite the party against the common enemy, Mrs Clinton declared to an audience in New York that she was the stronger candidate and had won more votes than Mr Obama.
"I want the 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected," she declared to raucous cheers.
Mr Obama made his announcement in St Paul, in the very venue where Republicans will crown Mr McCain their nominee in September, a clear message that the general election has already begun. It was his moment also to focus his divided party on the challenge of beating the Republicans in November.
The signals from the Clinton camp were mixed all day. The most intriguing report concerned a conference call with congressional colleagues during which she said she was "open" to being Mr Obama's vice-presidential candidate if it would help the party's chances. In reviving the "dream ticket" speculation, the former first lady appeared to be coming to terms with the fact that her own personal dream of returning to the White House as President was over.
It was a mostly doleful crowd of supporters who gathered in a basement gym of a college in Manhattan last night to hear her own response to the day's dramatic events. There was no longer disguising reality. This will not be the election that delivers the first female Commander-in-Chief to the Oval Office.
Mr Obama waited for the last primary results to come in – five months to the day from when the contest opened – superdelegates who have remained neutral in the Obama-Clinton struggle began jumping to his side. The most important of these were South Carolina's James Clyburn, the most senior black politician in the House of Representatives, and the former president Jimmy Carter.
The superdelegate flow started with a trickle in the morning, gathered pace and became a flood by evening. A California congresswoman, Maxine Waters, even switched from Clinton to Obama, saying, "Now is the time for us to unite so that real change is possible in November".
The presidential campaign quickly moved to a new phase as Mr McCain bickered over the airwaves with Mr Obama's claim that a McCain presidency would be a rerun of George Bush's policies. Speaking in Louisiana Mr McCain put distance between himself and Mr Bush while dismissing Mr. Obama as a greenhorn politician.
"The American people didn't get to know me yesterday, as they are just getting to know Senator Obama," Mr. McCain said.
The fierce and sometimes ugly struggle between the first black candidate and first woman with a solid shot at the White House has already earned a unique place in the history of US politics. It was the most costly, the most competitive and the greatest in terms of voter enthusiasm and registration. But it arguably also damaged the Democrats' chances of victory in November, by fanning the flames of racial prejudice against Mr Obama.
America's university-educated elites as well as black voters have been dazzled by his unflappable style, thoughtfulness and rhetorical flair. But he remains an elusive figure for many white working-class Americans. This could be dangerous in the swing states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, where Mr McCain can be counted on to deploy the narrative of his military service.
Meanwhile, most of Mrs Clinton's campaign staff are being released, and paid only until 15 June. Her tone has become far more conciliatory. Her aides have made clear they will accept the outcome of last weekend's rules committee decision to award her only a small majority of the delegates from disputed primaries in Michigan and Florida.
Whatever the public posturing, the most important decisions will be taken behind the scenes, as the candidates and their aides work out the choreography of this astonishing campaign's denouement, and lay the groundwork for a united convention.
Feelers to that end are already out. Mr Obama has said he is ready to meet Mrs Clinton at the place and moment of her choosing. In these talks, her future role will be settled.
Dick Morris, the former Clinton adviser turned political enemy, warned that Putting Mrs Clinton on the ticket for vice president would create a ménage-à-trois. "Bill will be the unexpected roommate. Even if a President Obama can discipline Hillary and get her to play second fiddle, there is not the remotest chance that he can get the former president to accept such rules."
For rolling comment on the US election visit: independent.co.uk/campaign08

Maoists threaten to quit govt in two days

BY GHANASHYAM OJHA
KATHMANDU, June 4 - CPN-Maoist has threatened to quit the government in two days if it is not allowed to form the next government by tomorrow.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, during a meeting with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter's official residence in Baluwatar on Tuesday urged the PM to immediately step down to facilitate the Maoists to forming the next government.
"If Nepali Congress and UML don't withdraw their conditions and don't allow us to form the next government by tomorrow, we will quit the government," said senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai, who was present at the meeting.
He charged that the NC and the UML were obstructing Maoists from forming the next government by putting forth 'meaningless' conditions.
During the meeting Dahal told Koirala that CPN- Maoist, being the largest political party, has the legitimate claim to form the next government. He also told Koirala that Maoists can't initiate consultations on forming the government until the Prime Minister resigns.
"The Prime Minister must resign and should call us to form the next government," Dr Bhattarai said, adding, "Otherwise, we will be morally compelled to quit the government."
Maoist Chairman Dahal, during the meeting, reiterated the Maoist position that it (Maoist) will not share the top posts - President and Prime Minister with NC or UML.
"We will never share the top posts -President and Prime Minister with any of the two loser parties -NC and UML," said Dr Bhattarai, adding, "Losers can't claim any of the top posts."
The Prime Minister, during the meeting, agreed to call a meeting of three major political parties - NC, UML and Maoist - to seek political consensus tomorrow.
Today, the Maoist leadership discussed the current political stalemate with leaders of UML, Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) and Terai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP).
"We basically made our position clear and informed them that we will quit the government if political consensus is not reached by tomorrow evening," said Dr Bhattarai.
Meanwhile, NC and UML today decided to stand over their previous positions -amending the two-third provision in the interim constitution and sharing the top posts. In a meeting held at PM Koirala's residence, the leaders decided to urge Maoists to agree on amending the two-third provision to form and remove the government and share the top posts during tomorrow's meeting.
"We both (NC and UML) reiterated our position and decided that both the top posts can't be given to a single party," said NC General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi, who was present during the meeting. (Kantipuronline)

Nepal Maoist chief refuses to renounce armed struggle

TOKYO, June 3: Nepal’s Maoist chief has ruled out renouncing armed struggle but said a return to violence was unlikely after the former rebels achieved their goal of ending the world’s last Hindu monarchy.The Maoists, who waged a decade-long insurgency that left more than 13,000 people dead, won a convincing election victory for a special assembly that last week voted to dethrone King Gyanendra.In an interview published on Tuesday, Prachanda, whose nom de guerre means “The Fierce One,” said that the election showed that the Nepalese people wanted “peace and change.” “I don’t think there will be any kind of necessity to use arms again,” he told Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun.But he refused to renounce the right of armed struggle by the Maoists, who have 31,000 fighters in UN-monitored camps across the land of Mount Everest.“It doesn’t mean nobody should take arms to resist oppression of the government or something like that. I can’t predict that,” he said.The Maoists have called for their guerrillas to be brought into Nepal’s army, formerly a bastion of royalist support.But Nepal’s army, while pledging to respect the decision to abolish the monarchy, has said it would be impossible for indoctrinated leftist guerrillas to integrate into the 90,000-strong force.The United States, which supplied arms to Nepal to fight the rebels, continues to classify the Maoists as terrorists, thereby restricting the group’s travel and financial transactions.Washington has repeatedly called on the Maoists to stop violence and intimidation and rein in their dreaded youth league.But in a shift, the United States has held talks with Prachanda, a former schoolteacher whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal and who spent more than two decades underground.Prachanda, whose rebels were long sharply critical of the West and neighbouring India, said he wanted “a diplomatic relationship” with the United States.“I think the US is going to change its attitude and policy. They are trying to understand the real dynamics of our country,” he said.“Slowly, gradually, they are taking more pragmatic steps.” (The Dawn)

Benazir Bhutto 'gave' North Korea nuclear data

June 04, 2008
WASHINGTON: Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, on a state visit to North Korea in 1993, smuggled in critical data on uranium enrichment - a route to making a nuclear weapon - to help facilitate a missile deal with Pyongyang, according to a new book by a journalist who knew the slain politician well.The assertion, reported in The Washington Post, is based on conversations author Shyam Bhatia had with Bhutto in 2003, in which she said she would tell him a secret "so significant that I had to promise never to reveal it, at least not during her lifetime", Bhatia writes in Goodbye, Shahzadi.
Bhutto was assassinated in Pakistan in December.
A spokesman for the Pakistani embassy in Washington denounced Bhatia's account as "an absurd and baseless claim".
Bhatia said he first met Bhutto at Oxford University in 1974 and kept contact with her until just before her death. (The Australian)

Militants blow up video, music market

MILITANTS blew up two dozen video and music stalls today in a Pakistani region on the Afghan border where supporters of al-Qaeda and the Taliban have tried to enforce strict Muslim rule, witnesses said.
No one was hurt in the attack on the market in the northwestern town of Miranshah in the North Waziristan region, part of an ethnic Pashtun tribal belt in northwest Pakistan that has never come under the control of any government.
"About 25 masked militants came at about 1:30am (3.30pm AEST yesterday) planted explosives and blew up the entire market," said Mohammad Sakhi, who runs a workshop next to the market.
The stalls offered pirated Indian and Hollywood films as well as music discs of Pashtun folk music. Some kept more racy movies under the counter, a resident said.
There have been numerous attacks on video and music shops in remote northwestern border regions by Islamists who see all music, film and television as unIslamic.
But the attacks have spread to towns in North West Frontier Province in a process referred to as Talibanisation.
Last year, hardline religious students from a radical mosque even tried to press video shops to close in the capital, Islamabad.
Authorities have largely turned a blind eye to the attacks on markets, and similar attacks on girls' schools, to the dismay of the moderate majority of Pakistanis.
"I've lost everything. This was my only source of earning for my family," said Ahmed Gul, whose shop was destroyed in the blast.
A new Government has begun negotiations with the aim of bringing an end to militant violence that has killed hundreds of people since the middle of last year.
But analysts say peace pacts are unlikely to stop the militants' efforts to impose their austere version of Islam. (The australian)

UN chief calls for food output hike

UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for a huge rise in food production today as world leaders opened a summit on the food price crisis that threatens hunger, poverty and conflict worldwide.
In talks clouded by controversy focused on the presidents of Zimbabwe and Iran, the UN secretary general said food output had to rise 50 per cent by 2030 to meet rising demand.
"We have a historic opportunity to revitalise agriculture," Mr Ban told some 50 heads of state and government, gathered for the three-day summit.
"I call on you to take bold and urgent steps to address the root causes of this global food crisis," he said at the Food and Agriculture Organisation headquarters in Rome.
With food prices at a 30-year high, the UN secretary general warned that while the world must "respond immediately", it must also put the long-term focus on "improving food security."
Prices have doubled in three years, according to the World Bank, sparking riots in Egypt and Haiti and in many African nations. Brazil, Vietnam, India and Egypt have all imposed food export restrictions.
Rising use of biofuels, trade restrictions, increased demand from Asia to serve changing diets, poor harvests and increasing transport costs have all been blamed for the price rise.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick has said two billion people across the world are struggling with high food prices, and 100 million extra people in poor countries may be pushed into poverty by the crisis.
The UN chief said it was also essential for the Doha round of World Trade Organisation talks to be completed as quickly as possible to alleviate the crisis.
UN agencies have launched appeals for more than $US1 billion ($1.05 billion) to alleviate the food crisis. Saudi Arabia has already given $US500 million ($523.62 million) to a World Food Program appeal.
But the charity Oxfam has accused the international community of spending a "pittance" on supporting agriculture in developing countries compared to the huge support given to farmers in rich Western countries.
Oxfam stressed that European and North American biofuel policies are only one of several factors causing higher food prices.
Estimates vary on the extent to which demand for biofuels has pushed up food prices, ranging from 30 per cent by some experts to less than three per cent according to the US Agriculture Department.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defended biofuels, saying they could be an "important tool" against food insecurity.
"Biofuels are not bandits ... We must remove the smokescreen of powerful lobbies that blame ethanol production for the rise in food prices. It's a mockery, an affront," he said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda urged fellow leaders to release excess stockpiles of food to ease shortages in poorer countries, offering more than 300,000 tonnes of imported rice held by Japan.
The president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, voiced disappointment with the UN food body.
"We can't continue to be helped like beggars," he said. "I have been disappointed ... Don't keep imposing institutions (and) experts on us. Africa is not what it was 20 years ago. Stop this farce."
The summit opened amid controversy over the presence of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, whose attendance at the talks was described as "obscene" by Britain's International Development Minister Douglas Alexander.
Mr Mugabe defied the criticism when he took the podium at the Rome meeting, claiming that Britain was seeking to "cripple Zimbabwe's economy and thereby effect illegal regime change in our country".
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad meanwhile slammed the West over its handling of the food crisis, accusing certain "big powers" of acting with sometimes "devilish" motives.
He also questioned whether the crisis should be handled within the UN system at all.
"How can the mechanism of the UN improve the situation when some of these powers decide for the Security Council which is the highest decision-making body and make instrumental use of it?" he said. (The Australian)

Alma mater of kings recounts ‘royal’ days

Darjeeling, May 29: One of them has been voted out of kingship, the other has wilfully given it up for democracy.
The kings of the two Himalayan countries, Nepal and Bhutan, may be diametrically opposite in handling their national affairs, but they share a common alma mater: both have walked the corridors of St Joseph’s School (Darjeeling) or North Point during their formative years.
Old North Pointers who are still associated with the institution remember the “good times” that King Gyanendra of Nepal had during his school years. The 60-year-old has from today ceased to be the king of Nepal. Yesterday, political parties in the Himalayan nation had voted at a special assembly to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy and declare the country a republic.
“Every one passes through good and bad phases. I would like to remember only the good times associated with King Gyanendra,” said M. Coutinho, who had taught English and elocution to the king. Many royal family members from Nepal, including Gyanendra, were in North Point for the decade starting 1960.
A family photograph of the king, taken at North Point in 1969, hangs on the school corridor. “Among all of them, King Gyanendra was the most polite and well behaved. He was extremely down to earth as well,” said Coutinho, who has now retired.
North Point remembers Gyanendra as a student who excelled in elocution and was a very good hockey player, making it to the school team. “There were hardly any speakers who could match Gyanendra in those days. He not only won the inter-school elocution competitions with ease but was also the inter-Jesuit elocution contest in the entire Northeast,” said Coutinho.
According to him, even crown prince Paras, who would have been the king had it not been for the people’s uprising, had studied for a brief period at North Point.
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king of Bhutan, was also a quiet student. “He was here for only a year. In 1962 when the Indo-Chinese war broke out he was taken out of school for security reasons,” said Fr Kinley Tshering, the rector of the school and a former North Pointer.
Wangchuk’s decision to usher in parliamentary democracy in Bhutan has earned him accolades from the international community.
Under him, the tiny Himalayan kingdom underwent many changes, a significant one in 1981 when the king introduced 20 elected district committees. The latest change and probably the most dramatic was the general elections held this year to bring in democracy in a country where people measure their success by the intangible yardstick of Gross National Happiness.
The GNH is a political philosophy that seeks to balance material growth with spiritual well-being. (The Telegraph)

Pakistan dampens Musharraf resignation rumour

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistani army and President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman moved to dampen speculation on Thursday that the beleaguered president was about to quit.
Rumours that U.S. ally Musharraf was close to resigning were one of the reasons for falls of more than 4 percent on the Karachi stock market on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Ever since a February general election robbed him of parliamentary support, speculation has abounded that the unpopular president, who came to power as a general in a 1999 coup, would be driven from office.
A front page story in the News newspaper on Thursday focused on a late-night meeting between the army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, and Musharraf.
The military issued a statement saying Kayani 'regretted that a section of press is trying to unnecessarily sensationalise routine functional matters'.
A spokesman for Musharraf rebutted the newspaper article's assertion that Musharraf had agreed to leave his official residence in Rawalpindi.
'Neither has there been any discussion of the president moving out of the President's Lodge, nor is there any plan for him to do so,' said Rashid Qureshi.
Formerly known as Army House, the Rawalpindi residence was renamed the President's Lodge after Musharraf quit as army chief last November and opted to continue living there for security reasons.
Another close aide to Musharraf said any suggestion that the army had asked him to step down was 'totally wrong'.
Despite pressure from several sides to quit, Musharraf has sat tight and watched cracks develop in the new coalition over how to tackle him.
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), leading the two-month-old government, has drafted a 62-point constitutional amendment that will reduce the president to a figurehead.
The constitutional package will take many months to debate, but it could persuade Musharraf to leave gracefully in the meantime, according to a senior PPP official.
Coalition partner Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf overthrew, is impatient to see his usurper hounded out of office.
Sharif aims to contest a by-election next month for a seat in the National Assembly, having been barred from contesting the February election.
At a meeting of his party in Lahore to mark the 10th anniversary of Pakistan's nuclear tests on Wednesday, Sharif said Musharraf should be tried as a 'traitor'.
Political analysts say that while the army has taken a more constitutional role since the election, its top brass would be unlikely to stomach the humiliation of a former chief.
The army has ruled Pakistan for more than half the country's history since it was carved out of British-ruled India in 1947. (Khaleej Times)

CHRONOLOGY - Milestones in political history of Nepal

Nepal's King Gyanendra was dethroned after a special assembly abolished the country's centuries-old monarchy. Here is a chronology of the history of Nepal and its monarchy - Medieval period - Nepal is divided into many small kingdoms. 1768-90 - The present Shah dynasty begins after King Prithvi Narayan Shah conquers Kathmandu, Patan and Bhadgaon in Kathmandu valley and unites Nepal's eastern and western kingdoms. 1846 - Jang Bahadur Rana takes over as prime minister and establishes the hereditary rule of the Ranas as prime ministers which lasts for another 104 years. The Shah kings are reduced to figureheads with no authority. 1946 - The Nepali Congress party is formed. 1948 - The country's first constitution is promulgated. 1950 - King Tribhuvan seeks asylum in India after falling out with the Ranas, who implicate him in a conspiracy against them. The Ranas install Gyanendra, then a toddler, as king. 1951 - King Tribhuvan is restored to the throne and the monarchy once again becomes an important centre of power. 1955 - King Tribhuvan dies and is succeeded by King Mahendra. 1959 - New constitution is promulgated, first general elections are held. Nepali Congress party wins absolute majority. 1960 - King Mahendra bans all political parties. 1972 - Mahendra dies. He is succeeded by his son King Birendra. 1990, April - King Birendra, under pressure from the pro-democracy movement, lifts 1960 ban on political parties. Nov - King proclaims a new constitution establishing a multi-party democracy under a constitutional monarchy. 1996 - Maoists launch an armed rebellion from remote Himalayan foothills to try to topple the monarchy. 2001, June - King Birendra and most members of the royal family are killed by then crown prince Dipendra, who also dies after the shoot out. Prince Gyanendra becomes king. 2005, Feb - King Gyanendra takes absolute power vowing to crush the Maoists. 2006, April - King Gyanendra gives up absolute power after widespread protests. Veteran politician Girija Prasad Koirala, sworn in as prime minister, invites the rebels for talks. Nov - Prime Minister Koirala and rebel chief Prachanda sign a peace deal, ending a war that killed more than 13,000 people. 2007 - The ruling alliance and the Maoists agree to abolish the monarchy after elections. 2008, April - Nepalis vote in historic constituent assembly elections in which Maoists emerge as the largest political party. 2008, May 28 - Special assembly elected in April agrees to abolish the monarchy to make Nepal a republic. (tvnz.co.nz)