Norway’s PM coming for suspicious visit


By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 2 Feb: Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stolenburg is also visiting Nepal 8 February when he comes later this month to India.
The faraway but oil-rich Scandinavian country has been maintaining a political interest in remote Himalayan Nepal disproportionate to its status in the world
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The Norwegian embassy confirmed the prime minister’s visit land said ‘the main purpose’ of Stoltenburg’s visit is to study ‘the effect of climate change and is effects in the Himalayan region and on the people’.
He will inspect a glacial lake.
He will hold political discussions with prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala; he is also holding discussions with communist leaders Maoist Chairman Prachanda and CPN-UML chief Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Norway has been funding and helping the communist movement in Nepal.
Norway is a frequent destination of Maoist leaders.
A Maoist military leader held discussions in integration of armies in Norway at a seminar when government and Nepal army has rejected it [with PLA] as an option even after mention in a peace accord.
Norway along with Denmark have been taking oversized interest in Nepal; such interest hasn’t been demonstrated by two other Scandinavian countries—Finland and Sweden.
The Norwegian government is also the first government chief to visit Nepal taboo to many leaders during a difficult transition.
Norwegian government are frequent visitors, including its foreign minister.
Stoltenburg is visiting ahead of assembly elections; Norway’s ambassador threatened recently to cut off Oslo’s assistance if a vote isn’t held even as people inside Nepal debate whether it should be conducted with lawlessness and daily murders prevailing.
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Tourism arrivals up, Soaltee Hotel distributes

Kathmandu, 2 Feb: After recording 500,000 plus arrivals in 2007 with the end of the Maoist people’s year, tourist arrivals continued to increase in the first month of 2008 indicating the industry will continue its growth and recovery if the tenuous peace prevails.
Altogether 26,064 tourists visited Nepal in January—an increase of 12.9 percent compared to the same month the previous year.
But arrivals from India fell 12.2 percent; 96.8 percent more Chinese came calling in the same month.
Neighbouring India dominates the tourism trade in Nepal.
Arrivals from Europe and USA jumped 24.8 percent.
“In one year after the end of the war, we were able to distribute dividend to our shareholders after three successive years of losses,” a top excutiver of Soaltee Hotel Crowne Plaza said.
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YCL target Indian truck in attack

Kathmandu, 2 Feb: Angry Maoist YCL attacked and destroyed an Indian truck in Biratnagar Saturday after Indian border guards the previous day abducted three dozen Maoists from Nepalese territory in Jhapa.
YCL announced and indefinite ban on the movement of Indian vehicles in the districts in east terai.
YCL demanded the return of seized item from Indian security personnel.
Indians retaliated by closing down the border at Jogbani and stopping the movement of goods into Nepal from India.
Nepal, India security talks broke down and ended inconclusively in New Delhi two weeks ago after India asked Nepali negotiators to accept YCL had trespassed into Indian territory at the disputed district of Susta in Nawalparasi.
YCL has started a campaign to monitor what it calls Indian encroachment of Nepal’s territory.
Main encroachments are at Kalapani and Susta.
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Silent King begins to show presence

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 2 Feb: Days before the third anniversary of his failed direct rule and ahead of the controversial and unlikely 10 April constituent assembly elections, the King broke his silence with a newspaper interview.
He met this week with politicians and several journalists as well.
The King this week held discussions with conservative politicians
Former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa and RPP Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The King also met Gobinda Raj Joshi who is leading a group of nearly 50 lawmakers challenging prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s policy to dovetail Nepali Congress policies to the CPN (Maoist).
The influential group says Koirala’s policy will kill the once centrist party.
The group not only boycotted the jus concluded seven joint rallies of seven ruling parties but held parallel meetings outside the Valley for constitutional monarchy.
Nepali Congress is divided on the fate of the 238-year-old institution even supported Sujata, daughter of premier Koirala, after her appointment as a minister without portfolio and virtual de facto prime minister as the government chief has fallen seriously sick.
Sujata not only defied and snubbed women lawmakers who thrice summoned her to question her for supporting monarchy but also reiterated for support for the institution over the Nepali BBC programme.
Sher Bahadur Deuba and peace minister Ram Chandra Paudel are leading the republican movement in the Congress as Koirala is largely incapacitated.
Saturday mark’s the third anniversary of the direct rule which the Kiong said was well-intentioned.
The King said Wednesday he won’t go into exile.
The King also warned he has an understanding with present government rulers which he will make public if the roadmap isn’t followed.
He didn’t divulge details.
But previous reports said an Indian government emissary worked out details of an agreement in which the king agreed to deliver power to parties in April 2006 for constitutional monarchy y reinstating a dissolved parliament.
The King, in the days and weeks ahead, will be seen and heard more; suspicious rulers of seven parties will launch a tirade against him.
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Army tells PM king not behind unrest; India behind flow of arms in terai

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 2 Feb: According to sources, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala asked [Army Chief Gen Rokmangud Katawal at a security meeting this week] on the King’s hands and he replied he wasn’t aware but said it was only a repeated charge of Maoists that the king was behind the terai unrest, Nepalpatra reports.
Katawal said he was sure the palace would not be behind the split of the country and massacre of people.
It’s learnt the army chief told the prime minister India was behind the continuous flow of arms into the terai.
He reported to the premier India will fuel the unrest in Nepal terai for some years according to information available.
Katawal told the premier India, with the instability created, wants to place troops in Nepal; the matter figured in bilateral discussions.
The army chief advised the premier while working to take into consideration criticism that will follow because India has infiltrated sections to weaken the nation.
Katawal said if army is entrusted with responsibilities cross-border criminal activities could be curtailed and it will be difficult for armed groups to sustain themselves in the terai.
Koiaral also held discussions with IGPs of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force.
After discussions with three security chiefs, Koirala ordered minister of state for home of terai-origin to work out details of work plan with police. He asked the minister to activate the police and take regular briefings from them.
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Maoists to capture power through ballot or coup: Prachanda

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 2 Feb: Preparing 3,500 workers for the 10 April assembly elections, including PLO fighters, Chairman Prachanda told them in Chitwan Friday Maoists will capture without through the ballot or a coup.
“We will capture power through elections. We will capture revolutionary power through a rebellion if elections aren’t held,” Prachanda said revealing the party’s two-pronged policy to capture Singha Durbar and usher in a republic.
He accused India and USA of conspiring against elections by naming them.
Prachanda said USA has spent Rs 20 million to defeat Maoists, Naya Patrika reports.
“Maoists are fighting imperialists. Nobody can defeat us in elections,” Prachanda said.
Prachanda said armed rebels in terai are being directed by India and USA.
“Rajabadis have been deployed in a planned manner by financing them; they have been deployed against the people of Madesh,” Prachanda charged.
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