The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan on Monday successfully held its first parliamentary polls aimed at transforming the country from absolute monarchy to constitutional democracy. Bhutanese authorities claimed that the polling ended with “overwhelming response” and it was a positive start for the country’s hopes to “embrace democracy”.

Altogether forty-four candidates contested for the 15 seats of the National Council (NC). Of 312,817 registered voters for the NC election, 269,963 people from 15 districts were eligible to exercise their franchise at 723 polling stations to elect 15 members to the upper house of Parliament Monday. However, the final turnout was not immediately available

Men in traditional bakus — full sleeved robes tied at the waist, and women dressed in ‘kiras’, sarong-like wraps, were seen lined up at polling stations in Sarpang constituency waiting to cast their votes.

All Bhutanese citizens must compulsorily wear their national costume and are penalized if found dressed otherwise in this country which is often called a protectorate of India.

India also looks after Bhutan’s foreign affairs and defense.

“Polling has ended with overwhelming response. It was a positive start for democracy and no problems were reported,” Bhutan’s chief election commissioner Dasho Kunzan Wangdi told AFP by telephone from the capital Thimphu after polling stations closed.

Elections were held for the 25-member National Council, or upper house in parliament, although Monday’s vote was for just 15 seats with another five due for polls in late January. Eight Nepali speaking candidates also contested in the election monitored by international observers including India and the UN.

The NC has 20 seats to be filled up through direct election by the voters and five to be filled up by five eminent nominees of the king.

Results to be gathered from electronic voting machines used for the first time in the country are expected later Monday or early Tuesday, Wangdi said.

The elections represent a dramatic shift of power in Bhutan orchestrated by former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

The monarch abdicated in December 2006 in favor of Oxford-educated son King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck as part of plans to introduce a constitution and hold direct elections, a break with a century of royal rule. nepalnews.com ag Jan 01 07

Nepal beat Singapore by eight wickets in the U-15 Youth Asia Cup Cricket Tournament in UAE Saturday, reports from the Gulf said.

Singapore batted first and scored 95 runs in 39 overs. Chasing a low target, Nepal easily scored 96 runs for the loss of only two wickets in 19.2 overs.

Nepal was playing its first match of the tournament.

Public transport in the far-western region has come to a grinding halt since yesterday due to fuel shortage.

Reports coming in say that bus service in far-western districts has been shut with the transporters announcing indefinite strike against the shortage of petrol and diesel.

The Seti-Mahakali Transport Entrepreneurs Committee and the Far-western Bus Entrepreneurs Committee have announced strike while the microbus and jeeps operating in short routes also remain off the roads due to fuel shortage.

The Dhangadi-based regional office of the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said the shortage of fuel will continue until the NOC head office does something to normalise the supply.

Nepal ranked 142 out of 177 countries in UN’s 2007 Human Development Index (HDI), which measures achievements in terms of life expectancy, educational status and standard of living.

The Global Human Development Report (HDR) for 2007/08 released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tuesday states that enrollment in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Nepal is up to 58.1 percent from 56.1 percent last year and life expectancy of Nepalis has increased to 62.6 years from 62.1 years of last year. Similarly, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased by one third and purchasing power parity in US dollar terms has also increased.

Although in 2006 Nepal was placed at 138th spot, major adjustment was made in the index later due to shift in the statistics and Nepal ended at 144 th spot among the 177 countries on the HDI .

But despite positive changes in key indicators Nepal trails behind all the South Asian countries in terms of HDI. Sri Lanka (99 th) is the top among South Asian countries in terms of HDI, It is followed by Maldives (100th), India (128th), Bhutan (133rd), Pakistan (136th), Bangladesh (140th ) and Nepal.

Iceland has left Norway behind to take the top post this year. Norway had held the number one rank for the past six years.

The report notes that over a period of fifteen years, Nepal’s life expectancy at birth increased by more than eight years, GDP per capita increased by one third and adult literacy rate grew by 18 percentage points.

But on the flip side, in terms of Human Poverty Index (HPI) the country ranked 84th among 108 developing countries. Furthermore, 17.4 percent of the population has probability of not surviving past the age of 40, adult literacy rate is merely 51.4 percent, 10 percent people are without access to safe water and 48 percent of children are underweight.

The report also states that the gender inequality is high in the country. In terms of gender related development index (GDI), Nepal ranks 134 th. Similarly, Nepal’s HDI of 0.534 is well below the regional average of South Asia and substantially below the average of HDI for all developing countries.

The theme of this year’s HDR is ‘Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World’ and seeks to draw attention to the devastating effects of climate change. It says that climate change has already led to rise in exposure to droughts, floods and storms and is destroying opportunity and reinforcing inequality in mainly third world countries.

“Avalanches and floods pose special risks to densely populated mountain regions. One of the countries facing severe risks today is Nepal, where glaciers are retreating at a rate of several meters each year. Lakes formed by melting glacier waters are expanding at an alarming rate – the Tsho Rolpa lake being a case in point, having increased more than sevenfold in the last 50 years”, states the report.

The HDI forms part of the Human Development Report 2007, a flagship study produced annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It was released simultaneously in Brasilia and at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

The state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) officials have said that they will not be able to ensure smooth supplies of petroleum products unless the market price is increased again at par with the rise in international market.

According to NOC spokesperson Ichha Bikram Thapa, when the NOC made the recent price hike decision on October 24, the international market price of crude oil had stood at US$ 82 per barrel (159 liters) of crude oil. This price, he said, has already increased and is reaching near $100 per barrel in recent days. He said that in the last one month, the NOC’s monthly losses have increased from Rs 70 million to Rs 370 million due to rise of price in international market.

“As our import price with the Indian Oil Corporation has increased, we are in difficult position and compelled to hike price again,” said Thapa.

He said that in order to resolve the fuel crisis once and for all, the government should explore the option of involving private sector in the sales and distribution of petroleum products, fix market price at par with international price and consider giving tax discounts.

The NOC had paid Rs 8 billion as revenue to the government in the fiscal year 2063/64. The government says that revenue collected from petroleum products are being used in social sectors like education and health and cannot be done away with for the time being.

Meanwhile, economist Dr. Raghab Dhoj Pant believes that since the people have been paying tax, the government must ensure smooth supplies. “People have paid Rs 8 to 9 billion tax last year. And they are still forced to stand in long queues to get petrol,” Dr. Pant said.

Dr. Pant asked the seven parties to come up with clear policies on petroleum and warned that economic problems would become far worse than political problems, if not addressed immediately.

Former minister and the leader of disgruntled faction of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi), Rajendra Mahato, has said that the soon-to-be-formed Madhesh Rakchhya Bahini (or Madhesh Defense Brigade) will “take action” against the frauds and corrupt to secure the legitimate rights of the Madhesi people.

He also said that the Bahini would be non-violent in nature, however.

“It has now become necessary to take action against the frauds and the corrupt to secure the Madheshi people their rights,” Mahato said speaking at an interaction organised by the Reporter’s Club in the capital Tuesday, adding that the Rachhya Bahini would be unarmed but would deal with them in its own way.

He also said that the Rakchhya Bahini would “lead the struggle to bring the ruling class, which has been oppressing the people of Madhesh since centuries to its knees”, adding that it would act out peacefully.

Point out the fact that a large number of Madheshi youths are starting to take up arms on the calling of various armed groups, he said that the Bahini is going to be formed to make those youths “raise arms on behalf of the state” and carry out “peaceful struggle”.

He, however, also accused the state of repeatedly betraying the Madheshi people.

Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai Tuesday said that the country might see another conflict if the government failed to implement the parliament’s directives, on announcing republican order and adopting a voting system based on proportional representation.

“If the Nepali Congress-led government fails to implement the parliament’s directives another conflict may erupt in the country,” he said, adding, “However, it will not be an armed conflict.”

Bhattarai also declared that his party would not join the constituent assembly elections unless monarchy got abolished. He claimed that conspiracies were being hatched in the dark rooms of Narayanhiti Palace to scuffle CA polls.

The Maoist no. 2 was speaking at a programme organised by Nepal Dalit Liberation Front (Unified) in Kathmandu.

During a meeting earlier today, Bhattarai had directed the leaders of various sister organisations of the party to launch pressure campaigns to ensure implementation of the proposals on republic and proportional voting system.

Nine civil servants have been killed since the month of Magh (January/February) last year, according to a report.

In a working paper presented by Punya Prasad Dhakal, general secretary of Nepal Civil Service Employees Organisation, it has been revealed that nine government officials were killed, particularly in Terai by various armed outfits.

The paper was presented at a function organised by the organisation on Tuesday.

Chief Secretary of the government Dr. Bhoj Raj Ghimire admitted that the civil servants were working in very difficult situation.

Meanwhile, addressing the function of the civil servants, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala urged the government officials to expedite the public service delivery.

The Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD) staged an hour-long sit-in at the main entrance of Singh Durbar, the seat of the government, Monday morning as part of the previously announced protest programme to pressure the government into starting a probe into the kidnapping and manhandling of the promoters of Biratnagar-based Nobel Medical College, and action against the guilty.

Addressing a gathering at the Singha Durbar main gate, representatives of various professional organisations demanded resignation of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula saying that he has failed to provide security to them. They also warned that they would be forced to wage a stronger protest movement if action is not taken against the guilty.

Singha Durbar area falls under the prohibitory zone where the government has barred all kinds of protests including sit-ins, strikes and rallies. On numerous occasions in the past police have used force to prevent demonstrations in the area. However, today no such untoward incident was reported.

Bal Krishna Chapagain, chairman of Press Chautari Nepal said professionals have increasingly starting to feel insecure because of the Maoists. He said the home minister should resign for failing to provide security to them.

He said the protests are aimed at drawing the attention of the government and the Maoists towards growing insecurity in education institutions and workplaces.

Echoing Chapagain’s views, Dr Kedar Narsingh K.C, general secretary of Nepal Medical Association (NMA), said that if the Maoists don’t publicly apologise for the incident all the doctors and health professionals of the country would halt all work.

N-PABSON’s Subhash Neupane and representatives of various teachers’ organisations said that they would be forced to wage a strong protest movement if the home minister doesn’t resign soon. They also announced a nationwide closure of all the educational institutions of the country from Thursday to pressure the government into fulfilling their demands.

Prior to the sit-in, hundreds of teachers, doctors, journalists, professors, lawyers and owners of educational institutions had marched from Maitighar to Singha Durbar.

Organising a press conference in the capital on Sunday, representatives of a number of professional organisations had announced various protest programmes. On November 27 and 28, they will submit memos to the Prime Minister, Speaker of the parliament and leaders of various political parties, demanding tough measures to check threats, abduction and extortion. Similarly, a protest rally has been planned for Nov 29.