Amid sporadic protests against the government in the capital and other parts of the country, Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula has urged people to maintain restraint.
Addressing a press conference at his ministry on Tuesday afternoon, Minister Sitaula said the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) was committed to present the declaration before the House of Representatives on Thursday’s session.
“The delay had taken place due to the SPA agreement to get the proposal first endorsed by the Cabinet,” he added.
He also refuted reports that the delay was due to the former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s proposal that allows the King to remain Supreme Commander in Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army.
Deuba also refuted such claims adding that he is in favour of bringing the RNA under full control of the Parliament.
Responding the query of journalists, Minister Sitaula said the government would announce a talk team to hold talks with the Maoists soon.
He said talks with the rebel’s leadership would begin as soon as possible.
He further said that the government had already started the process of releasing the Maoist detainees.
Maoist detainees are continuing protest in various jails of the capital and other parts of the country demanding early release of all detainees.
He further said that the government is in direct contact with the Maoist leadership. He however did not provide details.
People organized protest programmes in various parts of the capital, vandalized government vehicles and forced shops to remain closed to protest against the delay in the proclamation of the HoR that would curtail the king’s political and military powers.
The government and the agitating tourism entrepreneurs, the Democratic Tourism Society, have finally agreed to sit for negotiations today to end the week long row at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).
Spokesperson of the tourism ministry Sarada Prasad Trital told Nepalnews that dialogue has begun from today with the protesters. “I cannot comment at the initial phase but they are positive to allow the regular functioning of the NTB,” Trital said. “We hope the strike will end this evening itself,” he added.
The tourism ministry informed the agitators that they cannot decide on the suspension of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tek Bahadur Dangi, their major demand. The Board of Directors (BoD) is the authority to appoint or suspend the CEO. After the decision of the cabinet to suspend the political appointments made after the royal takeover, the board does not have enough members at present to take the decision. The fate of the CEO will be finalized only after BoD is constituted, Trital said.
Meanwhile, in response to the appeal submitted by various tourism related organizations to Prime Minister on Monday, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said they were not the appropriate authority to look into the row arising at the NTB.
Various tourism-related organizations like Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN), Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO), PATA Nepal chapter, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal, Everest Summiteers Association and Tourists Guide Association of Nepal had urged the prime minister on Monday to direct the authority to take initiative to end the strike yesterday.
Talking to Nepalnews on Tuesday, joint secretary at the PMO, Purusottam Ojha said, “We are not right authority to look into the matter. The concerned ministry is there to look into the issue.”
He said they have directed the Ministry of Tourism to finalise the issue at the earliest possible after they received the appeal urging the end of the strike.
Other entrepreneurs have also opposed the continued strike at the NTB.
Chairman of the CPN (Maoist), Prachanda alias Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has urged Maoist cadres—currently in detention in various jails in the country—to call off their fast-unto-death protests.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Maoist supremo stated that his party was in constant discussion with the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government and have been assured of the release of all prisoners at the earliest possible.
He further said that the government was positive to release all the Maoist cadres after fulfilling some formal procedures.
The Maoist chairman said his party would not sit for talks unless all arrested cadres are released and whereabouts of disappeared people made public. “Our party will be forced to announce strong protest programmes if our demands are not met,” Prachanda said in the statement.
Over 200 Maoist inmates have been taking part into fast- unto- death protests in over 70 prisons across the country demanding immediate release of all Maoist detainees, among others.
Maoist sources said nearly 1,500 Maoist detainees are still behind bars all over the country.
Meanwhile, replying to a query by Nepalnews this afternoon, Home Minister Krishna Sitaula said the government had already started process to release the Maoist detainees. He said the government was in touch with the Maoist leadership in this regard and that a solution would be worked out soon. He did not provide details.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed various sectors to participate in a walk being organised on 21 May 2006, starting at 8:00 am from the Dasrath Stadium to the Patan Darbar Square in order to support and raise fund for Nepali children suffering from hunger.
The WFP organizing a press conference in the capital Monday called to support the Walk that aims to serve more than two million children in Nepal facing chronic hunger everyday and more than one million children who have been unable to go to school due to lack of food.
Hundred of thousands of people across the globe are expected to attend the Walk the World to Fight Child Hunger on that day.
According to the WFP, around 12 million people in Nepal face hunger on a daily basis, which is approximately 47 percent of the total population among which 2 million are children.
Addressing the program country representative of the WFP, Jean Pierre deMargeri, said the WFP helps fight hunger, which is one of the root causes of poverty. “WFP takes education as a major tool to reducing poverty,” he added.
The WFP is directed by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) set by the United Nations (UN) that targets to reduce the hungry population throughout the world by 50 percent till 2015.
The WFP has appointed the famous comedian duo of MAHA jodi as its goodwill ambassadors to support the program.
Addressing the program goodwill ambassador Madan Krishna Shrestha said the country, currently in the phase of democratic transformation, needs food that can be an effective means to provide education for poor children as the education is a tool for democratic practice.
Similarly, addressing the meet Haribamsha Acharya in his trademark humorous lines thanked the WFP for granting them opportunity to serve for the humanitarian purpose.
Meanwhile, Mark Squirrel, a WFP official, is currently on an expedition to the Mount Everest hoping to scale it on the 21st May itself. His bid is aimed at raising awareness in the region about child hunger.
Likewise, a popular Nepali rock band 1974 AD is all set up to perform at the Patan Durbar Square at the end of the Walk on 21st May.
Maoist politburo member Matrika Yadav and central leader Suresh Ale Magar, who were released from government custody last week, have entered India to participate in the party’s central committee meeting.
The Maoist leaders-duo arrived in Dhangadi by a Sita Air plane Monday afternoon and crossed the border after spending three hours there, according to reports.
Their van was stopped by the border security officials but the Maoist leaders were allowed to go ahead after the officials recognized them. Reports said the security officials even begged pardon for not recognizing them at first.
Few other Maoist cadres were also with them.
Yadav and Ale Magar are said to have gone to India to attend the central committee meeting but the venue of the meeting has not been disclosed.
Yadav is one of the 13 speakers appointed by the Maoist party to speak on the party’s policies. Maoist supremo Prachanda is set to participate in what is described as ‘summit talks’ with the government’s dialogue team likely to be headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
Maoists have extorted money from businesspersons and ordinary people in various parts of the country, the army has said.
A statement issued by the Directorate of Public Relations of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) said Tuesday that the Maoists collected Rs. 1500 to 2500 from each household in various VDCs in Khotang district on Sunday.
On the same day, the rebels forced local businessmen of Phidim in Paanchthar and the local residents of Rangsi VDC in mid-western Rolapa district to pay donations to their party. They took food grains from the Rangsi locals.
Simiarly, the rebels have also intensified their extortion campaign in Bhedetar area of eastern Dhankuata district and parts of the far-western district of Kanchanpur, according to the DPR statement.
Meanwhile, the rebels have forcefully recruited some 400 youths in far-western Darchula district, saying that they may have to go to fight if the [proposed] peace talks fail, the DPR statement said.
Unruly demonstrators have targeted vehicles – both government as well as private—in different parts of the capital, Kathmandu, Tuesday evening.
According to latest reports, dozens of vehicles have been damaged and ordinary people manhandled by unidentified groups of people at Banasthali, Ring Road, Imadol, Dilli Bazar and Basundahara area this evening. Details are still awaited.
Businessmen pulled down their shutters early in the evening and people were seen rushing to their houses.
Earlier in the day, demonstrators had targeted government vehicles and burnt tyres along Balkhu-Kalanki section of the Ring Road.
The demonstrators were chanting slogans asking the reinstated House of Representatives to curtail royal privileges without further delay and they also protested against reported statement by former premier Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Reports on Monday quoted Deuba as saying that he was in favour of the king remaining as “supreme commander-in-chief” of the army. Deuba has refuted such reports.
Security sources said they suspected infiltration of anti-social elements in Tuesday’s late evening protests. They said additional security personnel had been deployed at Deuba’s residence.
The situation in other parts of the city remains normal.
By Pratibedan Baidya
The absence of parliament and lack of accountable governance result in misuse of scarce resources of one of the poorest countries in the world. That was what was shown by the “White Paper” presented by Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat before the reinstated House of Representatives in Kathmandu on Monday.
According to the report, under the heading non-budgetary expenses during the 14-month-long direct rule of the King beginning February 1, 2005, over Rs 1.72 billion was spent on the visits of King Gyanendra and Crown Prince Paras to various countries, and providing loans to the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation, among others.
Similarly, under the contingency expenses, the royal government spent over Rs 1.43 billion on purchasing helicopters and for recruiting additional security personnel, said the Paper.
During the period, the foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey—now under detention– spent over Rs 13.3 million on visits to Qatar, Geneva, Pakistan, Russia, China and United Nations. Officials said he did not provide even notes of his visits to his ministry, let alone organising briefings to highlight the outcome of his trips.
The sole mission of minister Pandey was to garner international support to the direct rule of the King.
Similarly, the government had to incur additional liability of Rs 1.21 billion due to the recruitment of 10,000 security personnel during the period.
After the dissolution of parliament in September 2002, security expenses increased to over Rs 16.44 billion in the current fiscal year. The security expenses stood at Rs 12.08 billion in the year 2002, according to the Finance Ministry.
The royal government doled out taxpayers’ money to media organisations and media persons in order to buy their support for the royal regime. Over Rs 12.6 million was gifted to individuals and media organisations since February 1, 2005 up to the third week of April 2006—when the anti-king demonstrations were reaching the climax, according to the “White Paper.”
During the royal proclamation, King Gyanendra said his government would give priority in maintaining fiscal discipline and good governance. But, in practice, the royal government did just the opposite as revealed now.
Most of the donor agencies and countries suspended their assistance as soon as the king seized powers. After the return to democratic rule, most of the donors have expressed positive response but are still adopting “wait and watch policy,” according to sources.
In his statement, Minister Mahat urged the international community to assist Nepal including immediate direct budgetary assistance and long-term aid for reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes.
According to Dr. Lohani, by failing to mention any specific request before the donor community, the government has made its demand weak, while at the same time it has failed to assure people that the government was working on to provide some relief to them.
“The government lacks any programme for generating employment and increasing investment in the country. The White Paper lacks clear vision about giving new direction to the economic reforms,” he added.
Economist Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri said that the government needed to identify sectors that could give immediate return and invest in such sectors for employment generation. “The government should increase capital expenditure and announce economic programmes and policies based on reality,” he said.
Commenting on the White Paper, Vice-chairman of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Rajendra Khetan, said the White Paper portrayed the difficult situation the economy was in.
“Rather than asking for some aid from the donors, the government should prepare a mega reconstruction and rehabilitation package and persuade the donor countries for long-term commitment. Such package would help creating employment opportunities and give pace to development activities in the country,” he said.
According to Khetan, the government needs to pay its attention to issues of custom reforms, reforms in banking sector, and revenue administration in the short term while it should address the agenda of economic empowerment and social inclusion in the next budget.
When contacted by Nepalnews, former finance minister under the royal-appointed prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha, said he was not keeping well and was yet to go through the White Paper made public by the new government.
Similarly, Dr. Roop Jyoti, minister of state for finance during the royal regime, was not available for comments. Dr. Jyoti—an industrialist– has been alleged of providing tax concessions to his own industries and other businessmen who supported the royal regime.
The real struggle comes when a movement succeeds
By Daniel Lak
Personally, I blame Gandhi. He’s the one who started the South Asian cult of the freedom struggle, the hartal, the banda, the andolan, the righteous use of the street. After all, it was the Mahatma’s vision of nonviolent civil disobedience that drove the British out of India–with a little help from the Second World War and the way it ravaged the Imperial bank account.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and even Nepal got their freedom from Gandhi’s glorious revelation that the people could triumph without weapons against the military might of a state. Might wasn’t right. But what remains of Gandhi’s noble vision in today’s Nepal? A culture where struggle is venerated more than outcome. Where the noble means of Gandhi can be used time and again to achieve democracy and, yes, freedom, but where few seem to realise that the real struggle comes when the andolan succeeds.
Thus we see the new government in Kathmandu embarking on mythmaking exercises, establishing more martyrs, nominating more villains to the pantheon of blame for past failures. In the 1950s, it was the Ranas. For awhile in the 1990s, it was the Mandales. Now it’s the Chhetris, various people named Thapa and the Shahs, including that villain sent straight from central casting, Crown Prince Paras.
We have a ‘high-level probe commission’ to find out who told what cop to fire what bullet at which particular demonstration at a certain time and so on. It’s all just part of the permanent andolan mindset that grips most members of the restored parliament. In fact, Prime Minister Koirala, once admitted to me in our first interview for the BBC in 1998, that he and his ilk were better at freedom fighting than nation building.
At the time, political instability and the Maoist uprising seemed real challenges to Nepali democracy but no one knew just how horrible things were going to get. Now, with the Shahs and their bungling cohort sidelined, the victorious political parties are following and all too familiar script. Let’s vilify the past. Let’s glorify the struggle. Let’s do little or squabble over how to build a coherent, stable future for Nepal.
Yes to truth and reconciliation and yes to justice for victims of war, abuse and violence. A free society may decide that a few of the worst violators need to be punished as an example to those still lurking in dark rooms plotting another war, another takeover. Perhaps there could be UN war crimes proceedings against those who planned the outrage at Doramba in 2003 when the army killed 19 people as the government and rebels were meeting for peace talks. The Maoists too might just have stern justice to face.
But frankly, in the end, the blame game is for losers. Nepal’s interim government should be proceeding with energy and dispatch towards setting up the institutions that will move the country on. That means a Constituent Assembly, a body of transitional law that fixes sovereignty with parliament, the people, the courts, and not with some uniformed autocrat of royal descent, that means making the army obey civilian orders and getting the Maoists to live up to promises made last year to submit to international scrutiny and decommissioning of weapons. That means rescuing the ravaged economy with fast track development spending and emergency loans to pay for it all. It means governing, taking freedom seriously as a legacy that must be left to future generations.
Can we set Gandhi aside for the moment? Lose the obsession with democracy’s myths and martyrs? With time-tarnished monarchies or Maoist peoples’ paradises that never were or never will be. The Nepali people want a modern, stable, prosperous welfare state with health and education for all, with jobs, schools and the rule of law and justice throughout the land. For the sake of the future Messrs Koirala, Oli, Mahat, Sitaula, Shreshta, have to get going now. The real andolan has just begun.
Courtesy : Nepali Times
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])
By Pratibedan Baidya
The absence of parliament and lack of accountable governance result in misuse of scarce resources of one of the poorest countries in the world. That was what was shown by the “White Paper” presented by Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat before the reinstated House of Representatives in Kathmandu on Monday.
According to the report, under the heading non-budgetary expenses during the 14-month-long direct rule of the King beginning February 1, 2005, over Rs 1.72 billion was spent on the visits of King Gyanendra and Crown Prince Paras to various countries, and providing loans to the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation, among others.
Similarly, under the contingency expenses, the royal government spent over Rs 1.43 billion on purchasing helicopters and for recruiting additional security personnel, said the Paper.
During the period, the foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey—now under detention– spent over Rs 13.3 million on visits to Qatar, Geneva, Pakistan, Russia, China and United Nations. Officials said he did not provide even notes of his visits to his ministry, let alone organising briefings to highlight the outcome of his trips.
The sole mission of minister Pandey was to garner international support to the direct rule of the King.
Similarly, the government had to incur additional liability of Rs 1.21 billion due to the recruitment of 10,000 security personnel during the period.
After the dissolution of parliament in September 2002, security expenses increased to over Rs 16.44 billion in the current fiscal year. The security expenses stood at Rs 12.08 billion in the year 2002, according to the Finance Ministry.
The royal government doled out taxpayers’ money to media organisations and media persons in order to buy their support for the royal regime. Over Rs 12.6 million was gifted to individuals and media organisations since February 1, 2005 up to the third week of April 2006—when the anti-king demonstrations were reaching the climax, according to the “White Paper.”
During the royal proclamation, King Gyanendra said his government would give priority in maintaining fiscal discipline and good governance. But, in practice, the royal government did just the opposite as revealed now.
Most of the donor agencies and countries suspended their assistance as soon as the king seized powers. After the return to democratic rule, most of the donors have expressed positive response but are still adopting “wait and watch policy,” according to sources.
In his statement, Minister Mahat urged the international community to assist Nepal including immediate direct budgetary assistance and long-term aid for reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes.
Misuse of state fund: Who received how much?
Organization
Amount
National Federation of Nepalese Journalists (Jasuda Pradhan)
Rs. 126,000
National Federation of Nepalese Journalists (Jasuda Pradhan)
Rs. 495,000
National Federation of Nepalese Journalists (Nirodh Raj Pandey)
Rs. 10,00,000
Nepal Cable Television Sangh (Harisaran Lamichhane)
Rs. 200,000
National Federation of Nepalese Journalists (Yagya Dhakal)
Rs. 20,000
Association of Literary Journalists (Radheshyam Lekali)
Rs. 200,000
Nepal Film Artistes Association (Ramesh Budhathoki)
Rs 300,000
National Press Club Nepal (Ram Krishna Karmacharya)
Rs. 20,000
Media for Socio-Economic Awareness
Rs. 30,000
Information Department
Rs. 125,000
Rastriya Samachar Samiti
Rs. 600,000
Nepal Buddhijivi Evam Samparka Manch (Shree Krishna Poudel)
Rs. 60,000
Jayanti KC (Janakpur)
Rs. 10,000
Manoj Singh (Jaleswor)
Rs. 10,000
Ram Kishun Yadav (Rajbiraj)
Rs. 10,000
Suman Karki (Itahari)
Rs. 10,000
Bishnu Kumar Das
Rs. 10,000
Shambhu Dahal (Ramkot)
Rs. 10,000
Mahendra Thapa (Bhojpur)
Rs. 13,000
Mohan Shrestha (Gorkha)
Rs. 17,000
(Source: The ‘White Paper’ on the state of economy, Finance Ministry, May 2006)
Talking to Nepalnews, former Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani said the White Paper showed how irresponsible the previous government was and to what extent it neglected the norms of fiscal discipline.
“The White Paper has, however, failed to provide any new approach or programmes. It only shows the problems existing in the economic sector,” he added.
According to Dr. Lohani, by failing to mention any specific request before the donor community, the government has made its demand weak, while at the same time it has failed to assure people that the government was working on to provide some relief to them.
“The government lacks any programme for generating employment and increasing investment in the country. The White Paper lacks clear vision about giving new direction to the economic reforms,” he added.
Economist Dipendra Bahadur Chhetri said that the government needed to identify sectors that could give immediate return and invest in such sectors for employment generation. “The government should increase capital expenditure and announce economic programmes and policies based on reality,” he said.
Commenting on the White Paper, Vice-chairman of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), Rajendra Khetan, said the White Paper portrayed the difficult situation the economy was in.
“Rather than asking for some aid from the donors, the government should prepare a mega reconstruction and rehabilitation package and persuade the donor countries for long-term commitment. Such package would help creating employment opportunities and give pace to development activities in the country,” he said.
According to Khetan, the government needs to pay its attention to issues of custom reforms, reforms in banking sector, and revenue administration in the short term while it should address the agenda of economic empowerment and social inclusion in the next budget.
When contacted by Nepalnews, former finance minister under the royal-appointed prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha, said he was not keeping well and was yet to go through the White Paper made public by the new government.
Similarly, Dr. Roop Jyoti, minister of state for finance during the royal regime, was not available for comments. Dr. Jyoti—an industrialist– has been alleged of providing tax concessions to his own industries and other businessmen who supported the royal regime.