Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Paras and Crown Princess Himani left for Vienna, capital of the Republic of Austria today.

Their Royal Highnesses are visiting at the invitation of Wolfgang Schusel, Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria.

Crown Prince is scheduled to address a programme to be organised at Zoo Schonbrunn on March 22, according to state run news agency Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS).

The Royal couple are scheduled to grace the launching of King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC) Austria Chapter on March 22.

The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess will also grace the presentation by the Institute of Applied Science Analysis on March 24.

On March 27, Crown Prince is scheduled to chair the meeting of the French Chapter of KMTNC, the RSS adds.

En route home, the Royal couple will visit the Republic of France and Dubai of the United Arab Emirates.

Their Royal Highnesses are scheduled to return home on 3rd April, 2006.

According to reports, Crown Prince Paras will gift a pair of rhinos to Austria, during the visit.

However, the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) on Saturday expressed concern over gifting of the rhinos to Austria, saying the gesture is not justifiable.

”Nepal ratified the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) in 1975. The convention prohibits any country from exporting and importing any rare species except for scientific experiments,” the NEFEJ added.

The seven-party opposition alliance and the CPN (Maoist) on Sunday made public the second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) following hectic negotiations since last few days.

Both the sides made public the MoU through separate statements while the Maoists withdrew their blockade imposed in district headquarters and the capital, Kathmandu, since the last six days, supporting the four-day nationwide general strike called by the parties beginning April 6.

While the parties demanded restoration of the dissolved parliament (through people’s movement), formation of a powerful all-party government, peace talks with the rebels and a new constitution through elections to the constituent assembly, the Maoists demanded a national political conference of all democratic forces, formation of an interim government and elections to the constituent assembly.

The MoU, issued after a meeting of the top leaders of the seven-party alliance said the parties and the Maoists would continue their dialogue regarding their respective positions. Maoist chairman Prachanda in his statement appealed to people of all walks of life to actively participate in the ongoing peaceful agitation to give outlet to the present political impasse of the country and to return state power to the people.

The parties and the CPN (Maoist) had reached an understanding in New Delhi in November last year.

Earlier, the parties had called for a major peaceful demonstration in Kathmandu on April 8 while the Maoists had called for an indefinite strike beginning on April 6. The peaceful demo on April 8 will be held as per the schedule, a press statement issued after the meeting of the SPA said.

In the meantime, a group of civil society activists met with the leaders of the SPA at the residence of Nepali Congress leader G P Koirala this morning and urged them to stand by the 12-point understanding with the Maoists.

“We told the top leaders to maintain unity of the SPA and issue a joint statement with the Maoists on issues related to ceasefire, withdrawal of blockade and the pro-democracy movement,” Prof. Krishna Khanal, one of the leaders of the Citizens’ Movement for Peace and Democracy told Nepalnews.

The Movement is scheduled to organise a sit-in at Ratna Park, a prohibited area, on Monday calling for release of political and civil society leaders and restoration of civil liberties in the country.

Economic experts have said that the recent agreement between Nepal and China is a positive development for economic sector of the country and pointed out the need to do more homework to get benefit from the agreement.

Speaking at an interaction at the Reporters’ Club on Sunday, former Finance Minister Badri Prasad Shrestha said that the decision of the Chinese government to provide zero percent custom tariff to 1,550 items for export is positive, but the Nepal government should form suitable policies to get maximum benefit from it.

Stating that Chinese investment in Nepal is very negligible, he urged the government to make supportive policies to attract Chinese investment in the Country, as China was on its way to become the world’s largest economy by 2035.

“The concept of making Nepal as a transit between India and China is very positive and will create more opportunities for Nepal, but the country should develop capacity to exploit the opportunities,” Shrestha added.

Speaking at the same programme, former vice-chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC) Dr Narayan Khadka said that though the recent visit of State Councilor of China, Tang Jiaxuan, was positive from an economic viewpoint, he added there would not be any development in the economic sector unless democracy is restored in the country.

Saying there is substantial change in Chinese foreign policy, Dr Khadka said that China is in favour of early restoration of democracy in Nepal and further Chinese assistance will depend on the political situation of the country.

He also said that Nepal should form long-term policies and develop competitive strengths of Nepalese goods to benefit from the trade with China.

He pointed out the need of bringing policies to attract Chinese investment in hydropower and other projects to benefit from the high growth rate of China.

According to statistics, the volume of export of Nepalese goods to China is less than three billion while import is more than 13 billion.

Another speaker, Dr Shankar Sharma, Vice Chairman of NPC, said exports to China is increasing gradually and the government was working to narrow the trade deficit.

He further said that developing Nepal as a transit economy between India and China would create more opportunities to Nepal. He further said that the government is actively working to prepare infrastructures for developing Nepal as a transit economy.

“Though the volume of trade is very low, we are very optimistic as the volume has increased considerably in last five years,” Sharma added.

Talking about overall economic situation of the country, Dr Sharma said though the economy is passing through a difficult situation, maintaining macroeconomic stability of the country is a major concern of the country.

He further informed that the government is making the service delivery in rural areas intact to avoid humanitarian crisis.

Speaking at the same programme, Chairman of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chandi Raj Dhakal and Surendra Bir Malakar, Vice Chairman of Nepal Chambers of Commerce also described the recent agreement between Nepal and China as positive but added that some policy related issues should be resolved seriously to benefit from the agreement.

They said that it is challenging to compete with China even if it provides duty free access to Nepalese goods as China has very high potentiality of production and added that Nepalese industries should develop competitive strengths of goods to penetrate Chinese market.

Maoist insurgents have set ablaze two oil tankers at Belbhanjyang on the Prithivi Highway.

A group of armed Maoists stopped the milk tankers that were returning to Chitwan from Pokhara, got the drivers out at gunpoint and set fire to the tankers this morning, reports said. The tankers were completely destroyed by fire.

The rebels also vandalised another milk tanker in the same area. There were no reports of violence, however.

The Maoists have imposed blockade in highways and district headquarters around the country since last week, disrupting the transport and supply system.

As political crisis deepens in the Himalayan kingdom, a six-member British parliamentary delegation has arrived Kathmandu on Sunday on a six-day visit to Nepal.

Talking to reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) immediately upon their arrival, leader of the delegation and Conservative MP Sir John Stanley said, “We come here as friends of Nepal. …We are here to listen and to learn, and we shall be reporting back to our Government and our Parliament on our return.”

Sir Stanley further said Nepal is a sovereign country and the resolution of the serious problems Nepal faces must lie with the people of Nepal. “However, if we can make some contribution, however, small, to the peaceful re-emergence of stability and multi-party parliamentary democracy in Nepal, our visit will have been worthwhile,” he added.

In a written statement, Sir Stanley—who has served as a minister in Conservative government– said, “Our two countries have a unique relationship, stretching back now over nearly 200 years, but still very much alive today. After Japan, Britain is the largest bilateral aid donor to Nepal. Gurkha soldiers remain an integral and highly valued element in the British armed forces. There have been observers from the British Parliament at each of the elections held in Nepal since 1991. Nothing symbolizes Britain’s support for parliamentary democracy in Nepal more clearly than the fact that the Speaker’s Chair carved in oak in each House of Nepali Parliament—the National Assembly and the House of Representatives—were gifts from out Parliament at Westminster to Nepali parliament in Kathmandu.”

Sir Stanley clarified that the present parliamentary visit was initiated by the British government. “However, though we have come under the British Government’s auspices, we speak in our personal capacitates as British parliamentarians and the views expressed are our own. Having said that, the deep concern of the British Government about the suspension of parliamentary democracy, terrorism and violations of human rights in Nepal is a concern shared throughout our parliament and by all political parties in Britain,” he added.

Responding to a query, Sir Stanley said the delegation had placed a request to call on His Majesty King Gyanendra and waiting for an appointment. He said the delegation would also be visiting Biratnagar to see the international aided development programme in the eastern town.

Other members of the British parliamentary delegation include Earl of Sandwich, Conservative lawmakers Geoffrey Cliff-Brown and Richard Ottaway, Liberal Democrat MP Baroness Northover and Labour MP Tom Levitt.

Maoists on Sunday withdrew the blockade they had announced in the capital and district headquarters since last six days.

Issuing a joint statement, CPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda and senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattrai said the party has called off the blockade and all other protest programmes with effect from March 20 (Monday).

The Maoist leaders said the party has withdrawn the blockade and other programmes of struggle after an understanding with the seven agitating political parties that has announced a four-day nationwide general strike and ‘no-cooperation movement’ beginning April 6 to pressure the ‘autocratic royal government’.

Stressing the need to intensify the movement against ‘royal autocracy’, the rebel leaders also pledged support to the protest programmes of the seven-party alliance.

Their statement came hours after the seven parties and the CPN (Maoist) issued their second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), separately, after hectic negotiations in New Delhi, India.

The parties and the Maoists had signed an understanding in November last year.

Dozens of foreign tourists, mainly trekkers, who have been stranded at different places country the country due to the blockade imposed by the Maoists, are expected to return to the capital from Monday after the withdrawal of the blockade.

Several trekkers were forced to walk long distance to reach urban areas while many others were stranded in highways and district headquarters with no vehicles playing on the road since last six days. There were reports of tourists being stranded in Syafrubesi of Rasuwa, Beshi Sahar of Lamjung, Jiri of Dolakha and on different sections of the Prithivi Highway.

Trekking agents said they had not been able to rescue the stranded trekkers for fear of Maoist attacks. Even as there are no reports of Maoist attacks on tourists, the rebels barred all types of vehicles, including the ‘Tourist Only” buses and jeeps, in highways during the blockade.

Maoist supremo Prachanda and senior leader Dr Baburam Bhattrai issuing a joint statement Sunday evening announced to withdraw the blockade with effect from March 20.

Nil Hari Bastola, managing director of Asian Heritage, a trekking agency based in Thamel, said two Dutch trekkers had been stranded in Syanfrubesi, Rasuwa, since last week. He said the company did send jeeps to rescue the trekkers but the Maoists forced the driver to return back.

The Dutch trekkers who had gone for 10 days trekking in Rasuwa and were on their way back to Kathmandu when the blockade started. “They are not in a position to walk all the way from Syafrubesi to Kathmandu nor the Maoists have allowed rescue vehicles,” he told Nepalnews, lauding the Maoist decision to call off the blockade. Hopefully, they will return to Kathmandu by Monday evening, he said.

Along with the Dutch trekkers, there are few more tourists stranded in the area for some days due to the blockade, according to him.

Coby Kunst, the Dutch general advisor of Asian Heritage, complained that the Maoists have failed to observe their commitment not to target the tourists. “We have been campaigning in Netherlands to encourage our countrymen to visit Nepal but the situation here is getting very difficult.” “I want to request the Maoists to keep their words,” she said.

Officials at the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN) said though no formal complaints were registered about the stranding of trekkers there were reports of some trekkers being stranded in Jiri, Annapurna trekking route and some other remote areas.

Dozens of tourists were stranded due to Maoist obstructions at difference sections of the Prithivi Highway on Sunday, reports said.

Instead of meaningless street protests that are not going to yield any substantial gain, political parties should change their role from challenger to the royalist government to facilitator encouraging all stakeholders to join the peace process

By Dr Shailendra Sigdel

Bitter Reality

Nepalis should feel ashamed of the fact that we are struggling to survive when two of our neighbours, India and China, are becoming the fastest growing economies in the world. Another neighbour, Bangladesh, is on track to achieve its Millennium Development Goals. And Pakistan has recorded an average of 6% GDP growth for the last couple of years.

Who is responsible for this sorry state of affairs in Nepal? We can partly put the blame on the present royalist regime, and also on the Maoist insurgency of the last ten years. However, the major culprits are the political parties who ran the country between 1990 and 2005. We should not forget the fact that our neighbors achieved significant development in those 15 years when political parties under the multi-party system were governing Nepal. Instead of achieving economic prosperity the political parties created an environment that fed the Maoist insurgency through corruption, bad governance and in-fighting among themselves. This also eventually created the scenario for the palace to meddle in the politics.

In the past, political parties (NC, UML and RPP) never attempted to work in harmony for the sake of the country while they were in power. While coming back from an international conference in the UK in 2001 I remember I had to walk from the airport to my house in Dhapasi because UML had called a three-day strike against the then Nepali Congress Prime Minister G P Koirala for the infamous Lauda scandal asking for his resignation. This was just one example of protests, boycotting of parliament, political party in-fighting, and countless bandhs and strikes that are still fresh in the minds of the silent majority of Nepalis.

When Nepal achieved democracy in 1990, political parties were not seriously concerned about the socio-economic transformation of the country. Their sole aim was to achieve power for power’s sake at any cost. In 15 years of parliamentary history, no government was able to complete its full term. There were 11 governments in a 13-year period. What does this indicate? This suggests nothing more than a hunger for power and the rewards of office.

The undemocratic character of the so-called democratic parties is known to those who are familiar with Nepali politics. Nepotism and favoritism have frustrated many sincere and hardworking party workers. Corruption has become a culture for political leaders with the exception of a few clean and committed ones. To date, parties have been slow in attracting talented minds in the political process both at the central and local levels. Political parties have become so polluted that there is virtually no possibility of co-opting talent from the wider society. This is a great loss to the nation and it appears that the political parties have not realised this.

Baseless Claim for Popular Support

The undemocratic character of the so-called democratic parties is known to those who are familiar with Nepali politics. Nepotism and favoritism have frustrated many sincere and hardworking party workers
The silent majority constitute the largest segment of the population. They are confused and baffled by the ongoing political drama in the country. Currently, it would be naive to assume that political parties still assume popular support in Nepal. They have considerably lost their credibility since 2001. I think this fact is also well known to political parties. In the absence of other alternatives in the past, people have by compulsion voted for the political parties. In reality people are sick of the current political parties and their non-performance. They are looking for some change in terms of approach and visionary leadership to take the country forward. Since there is little prospect of the emergence of visionary leaders from the current political parties, change may have to come through civil society or some radical parties. So dear leaders, please be prepared to face this bitter reality.

Restoring Parliament for What?

Even if the parliament is reinstated it is safe to assume that very little will happen in terms of change. Given the recent history, it is likely that all the sycophants who are close to party leaders will get into power. Once again they will start the process of plundering the already scarce resources of the country. The reinstatement of parliament is not going to solve the current problems. This has been aptly demonstrated in the past when democratically elected governments failed to start a meaningful dialogue with the Maoists. Therefore, political parties have to find new alternatives for promoting peace in the country.

Ways Forward for the Political Parties

Create a Conducive Environment for Dialogue

The time has now come for political parties to win the trust of the people. This can be done by creating a conducive environment for peace. They are now in a unique position to do this. Since the political parties have already started a dialogue with the Maoists this should be expanded. Added to this it should be noted that the King has also expressed his desire to start a dialogue with the political parties. Instead of asking the King to reinstate parliament, the political parties should act as a mediator between the King and the Maoist to facilitate a peace process. This would help them to restore their lost credibility. Trying to gain power again at this juncture would be detrimental for the political parties. The political parties and Maoists should agree on brokering peace in the country and not focus on doing away with monarchy. The decision regarding the political system for the country should rest with the people and should be managed by a neutral, highly respected and non-controversial personality.

Development should not be shut down in a conflict situation. Some mechanisms must be found by political parties to ensure that development at the national level continues even when the efforts to resolve the political crisis are underway.
Establish an Interim Government

Instead of meaningless street protests that are not going to yield any substantial gain, political parties should change their role from challenger to the royalist government to facilitators encouraging all stakeholder to join the peace process. They could take a lead role in the formation of a powerful interim government represented by all stakeholders including King, Maoists and political parties. All stakeholders would need to select clean, committed and visionary representatives to help form a new government of national unity focused on development. The time has come to show courage and to bypass the docile and aged leadership and recommend some neutral, committed and credible personalities to lead the interim government. By taking this route there could a chance to establish a peaceful settlement of all current political issues.

Carry Out Internal Reforms

Overhauling political party internal management and focusing on transparency and accountability is critical if credibility is to be restored. Political parties must develop their long term plans to focus on aspects of nation building. These should include effective and relevant policy making, implementation and evaluation, the ability to conduct sound foreign relations and its allied policies, the ability to attract the cream of the society into politics, and a strategic element for long term human resource development within the political parties. These basic ingredients for organisational success are currently missing in all major political parties in Nepal. And as of now, no one has given serious thought to this.

Senior leaders must ready to give power to a new and younger generation. They should learn lesson from the likes of the dignified Nelson Mandela who gave up power in his prime for the long-term benefit of his country. The craving for power among the elder political leaders is very difficult to understand. Great leaders are remembered for the sacrifice they have made for the country, not by how many times they became a minister or prime minister. Dignity is a foreign word for our political leaders.

Implement Social Development Programmes

We are all aware that main sufferers of the present stalemate are the poor. It is mainly the poor who are dying in the conflict. It is the poor who are displaced. And it is the poor who need the benefits of development programmes. Time has come therefore to forge an understanding among all democratic forces that the welfare of the poor must not be sacrificed whilst debating the political system of the country. The time has now come to have a common understanding for the implementation of programmes that will benefit the poor. Development should not be shut down in a conflict situation. Some mechanisms must be found by political parties to ensure that development at the national level continues even when the efforts to resolve the political crisis are underway.

(Currently based in Thailand, Dr Sigdel is governance and capacity building specialist. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected])

(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])

Four houses have been gutted by fire in Dhulikhel bazaar on Friday night.

According to reports, fire broke out from the house of former deputy mayor of Dhulikhel municipality Subash Makaju and later spread to nearby houses.

The fire was brought into control with the help of three fire engines sent from Kathmandu, local residents and security forces.

The actual loss incurred in the incident is yet to be calculated, according to reports.

Home Minister Kamal Thapa has claimed that major parliamentary parties in the country are trapped in a Maoist-hatched conspiracy.

Inaugurating the 16th district council of the district development committee of his home district Makawanpur on Friday, the interior minister said, “Nepalis are not positive towards the talks going on between the Maoists and the political parties in New Delhi for the past two weeks.”

“The coalition of seven parties is forging an alliance with the Maoists in New Delhi with a clear goal of toppling ‘rajya satta’ (the state authority),” reports quoted Minister Thapa as saying.

“To demand constituent assembly at gun point is nothing but pure terror,” he said, adding, “The state will never make any compromise with terror.”

Meanwhile, the official RSS news agency quoted Minister Thapa as saying that the government was serious in improving the security condition and restoring peace within a year in the nation in order to conduct parliamentary elections.

“The main intention of His Majesty the King is to restore sustainable peace in the nation and giving continuity to democracy, and not to bring autocracy and the Panchayat system,” he added.

A largely peaceful popular movement had toppled the Panchayat system in 1990 thereby ending the three-decade-old direct rule of the monarchy.