A senior Maoist leader has urged the private sector to come out and invest openly assuring that their enterprises would not be privatized.

Addressing the 56th annual general meeting of Morang Trade Association in Biratnagar, Tuesday, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said, “Maoists will not implement any policy of nationalizing the private industry.”

At a time when Maoists appear poised to lead the next government, Dr. Bhattarai said his party will focus on strengthening domestic industries.

“We will adopt the economic policy of raising production by promoting domestic resources and of guaranteeing investment of investors,” he said.

Urging business community to refrain from conducting bandhs and strikes till the formation of new government, Dr. Bhattarai also called on them to improve pay package for workers. nepalnews.com sd May 14 08

The government has decided to provide Rs 800 million to state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to ease the supply of petroleum products.

The cabinet has decided to provide the fuel to the financially bleeding NOC after the latter requested for Rs 2.07 billion subsidy.

As the price of petroleum products has continued to soar in the international market, the NOC has been demanding that either the government provide it with subsidy or the government allow it to raise the fuel price.

Otherwise, the NOC has warned, the supply situation would not be smooth.

Meanwhile, the NOC has increased the price of aviation fuel by 12 percent. In the domestic aviation side, the price of the aviation fuel has been increased from Rs 80 to Rs 90 per liter. In the international side, the price has been increased from $ 1180 per one kiloliter to $ 1330 per kiloliter. nepalnews.com sd May 14 08

Leading human rights defenders have emphasised that the main priority of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) at the moment should be to ensure that the upcoming constitution makes human rights as one of its fundamental features.

Speaking at a discussion on the three-year ‘strategic plan’ unveiled by the NHRC Tuesday, they said that rights watchdog should reach out to all parts of the country and that it should lobby for a clear and strong mandate.

They also suggested the NHRC to sensitise the members of the Constituent
Assembly (CA) on human rights issues.

Chairman of the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee, Laxman Aryal, former NHRC members, former ambassadors, chairs of National Women’s Commission and National Dalit Commission were among the participants of the discussion. nepalnews.com May 13 08

A senior Maoist leader has accused the Nepali Congress (NC) of violating the understanding by putting forth conditions for cooperation.

Referring to seven conditions put forth by the NC Central Working Committee for lending support to Maoists, Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara has told Kantipur Television that the NC had violated pact with it.

“The NC has flouted the agreement by raising such conditions for cooperation,” he said, pointing at the demand of dissolution of Young Communist League (YCL) and other similar parallel outfits of the Maoists.

The NC had also demanded that weapons belonging to Maoist combatants be surrendered. The party has asked the Maoists to guarantee to keep judiciary, army, police and other institutions at bay – away from any kind of interference. It has said that only on such conditions will it extend its cooperation to Maoists in the formation of the government.

“Issues like dissolution of our army are a part of the entire peace process. The election itself is a part of that process. It was not appropriate to raise such conditions,” Mahara said.

He also urged the NC to become ‘democratic,’ by shedding off ‘autocratic’ elements. nepalnews.com sd May 13 08

Nepali Congress vice-president and peace minister Ram Chandra Poudel has said that his party would no longer tolerate the “uncivilised and hostile” behavior of the Maoist party and accused the former rebels of trying to push the nation towards totalitarianism.

Speaking at a programme in the capital Tuesday, Poudel, who also fulfills the role of Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, noted that Maoists are also going around making what he called “fascist remarks” which shall also not be tolerated by his party anymore.

He said the Maoists, who used to hail Girija Prasad Koirala as a “great leader” in the past, are increasingly getting contemptuous of him, but are hobnobbing with staunch pro-monarchist like Kamal Thapa, and that this has put a serious question mark on their intention. nepalnews.com ag May 13 08

Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2008, a pioneering and first-of-its-kind effort to promote professional golfing tour in Nepal, has kicked off with the Central Open. Central Open is the first in a series of professional golf events lined up for the Tour, apart from the most-coveted Surya Nepal Masters.

The tour-opening event will feature 25 Nepali professional golfers competing four days straight for total prize money of NPR 300,000 with top golfers like Deepak Thapa Magar, winner of the Surya Nepal Masters 2007, Deepak Acharya, Pashupati Sharma, Ramesh Nagarkoti, Toran B. Shahi, Shiv Ram Shrestha and Radheshyam Thapa participating, among others.

The Central Open is being held in Le Meredien Gokarna Forest Golf Resort &
Spa, also the host for Surya Nepal Masters since 1999.

Initiated from this year onwards, the Tour has already been signed up by six professional golf tournaments. Surya Nepal Golf Tour will eventually be developed into an umbrella for all the professional golfing events played within Nepal. nepalnews.com dr May 13 08

Maoist chairman Prachanda has revealed that he has sent a message to King Gyanendra, suggesting him to leave Narayanhiti Palace by May 27, a day before the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) formally abolishes monarchy and declares the country a republic.

Talking to reporters in Ilam after inaugurating a meeting of the party’s Limbuwan State Council on Tuesday, Prachanda warned that the King could face forceful eviction from the palace if he refused to quit voluntarily.

Saying that the first CA meeting would declare the country a republic, the Maoist strongman made it clear that his party would not accept any form of monarchy. If the King cooperated with the political process he would be given the rights enjoyed by ordinary citizens, Prachanda added.

Prachanda’s ‘ultimatum’ comes a day after he met former royalist minister and chairman of Rasatriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, Kamal Thapa, and, through him, reportedly conveyed his message to the King. nepalnews.com mk May 13 08

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has asked the government to grant 2.07 billion rupees to avert its impending bankruptcy.

Managing Director of NOC, Digambar Jhapa, confirmed that the Ministry of Finance has been asked for Rs 2.07 billion, but no official response has come regarding the request.

Talking to Nepalnews, he said there was hardly any option before the cash-strapped corporation than to seek grant from the government to adjust soaring losses and that the ministry officials have informally revealed that around 800 million rupees could be granted.

The loss-making government venture currently owes Rs 2 billion to its Indian supplier, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which had frequently cut down the supply of petroleum products in the past as the NOC failed to clear the dues on time. According to Jha, total loss of the NOC stands at Rs 13 billion.

Meanwhile, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies has said he was not aware of the NOC seeking grants from the government. Quoting him, a report said that there was no possibility of immediate review of petroleum prices even as the price in the international market has constantly soared in recent weeks.

Minister Gupta, who is likely to lose his post once three is a new government, further said he was unable to take any decision without the consent of the seven-party alliance. nepalnews.com mk May 13 08

Vehicular movement in most parts of eastern Nepal has come to a grinding halt on Tuesday due to a strike called by transport operators of the region.

The transporters have demanded that the government fulfill their 10-point demand if the transportation service is to resumed.

No vehicles were seen plying on the main and inner roads in Mechi, Koshi, Sagarmatha and Janakpur zones while the East-West Highway traversing through it wore a deserted look since today morning.

This is the first time after the Constituent Assembly election that transportation system in eastern Nepal came to a grinding halt.

Issuing a statement on Monday, the joint struggle committee of around half a dozen transport operators demanded fulfillment of 10-point demands which include guarantee of security to vehicles and the operators, proper investigation of road accidents, compensation to owners of vehicles burnt or vandalised during agitations, withdrawal of hike in fuel prices and implementation of the agreement done between the government and transport operators last year, among others. They warned that they would be compelled to wage a nationwide strike if their demands are not met immediately.

A week ago four vehicles belonging to transport operators of Mechi zone were seized after one Yuddharaj Rai of Ramitekhol-2, Morang died after falling down from the roof of a bus. The locals had demanded compensation of 15 lakh rupees to the family of Rai, but the transport operators said they couldn’t give such a hefty compensation amount and launched a strike. A day later transport operators of Sagarmatha, Janakpur and Koshi also expressed solidarity to this strike and stopped plying their vehicles in the region.

However, reports said that the transport operators have allowed long-distance vehicles to ply on the highways without any disruption. nepalnews.com ag May 13 08

In a sign that the Maoist leadership is fast losing their patience against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-M’s senior leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai has said the octogenarian leader should immediately resign from his post in order to give “a political outlet” to the confusing situation that prevails in the country.

Addressing a programme organised by the Kaski chapter of the Maoist aligned Revolutionary Journalist’s Association (RJA) in Pokhara today that after the PM tenders his resignation to the speaker “the door for the formation of a new government would immediately spring open”.

This is the first time that a top Maoist leader has publicly asked for the resignation of PM Koirala, making clear of their discontent towards him and his party. The remarks also come at a time when Nepali Congress and another mainstream left CPN-UML have decided not to join the new government and have set preconditions – dissolution of Maoist people’s army, and youth organisation YCL – for their support to a government led by Maoists.

Bhattarai was also of the opinion that Nepali Congress has blocked the political outlet by belittling the election result which came in favor of his party CPN-Maoists.

At a time when it is being said that the king is expecting that he would be afforded some sort of ceremonial role, Bhattarai said that his party won’t accept any form of monarchy. He also lambasted the media for misquoting his earlier statement. He said that he never meant that the party will allow him to remain as a “cultural king”, but had instead said that if abdicated then he would be given all the rights enjoyed by any citizen of the country.

Bhattari said that no challenge remains for the implementation of republic and that the country would be declared a republic by May 28.

“But if the King still doesn’t agree leave the palace after this declaration then force would be used against him,” he said, adding that along with the institution of monarchy the pro-monarchist would also bite the dust, clearly hinting at the recent statement of Kamal Thapa that the country would face a grave accident if it is declared a republic. nepalnews.com ag May 13 08