INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO INTERACT WITH BUSINESS COMMUNITY LEADERS
Kathmandu, 21 April: Visiting Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna will interact with leaders of the business community Thursday at a meeting sponsored by Nepal India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI).
On the second day of his visit, he’ll hold discussions with NC President Suhil Koirala.
Krishna held discussions with his host Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Madeshbadi parties on a busy first day Wednesday.
During official talks, India proposed opening a consulate in Nepalgun in the far-West; New Delhi has one in Birgunj.
Four Maoist ministers in government didn’t attend a lunch organized for the visitor Wednesday.
The visitor will hold discussions with Maoist Chairman Prachanda before flying back home Friday.
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ENERGY MINISTER ASSUMES OFFICE THURSDAY
Kathmandu, 21 Aril: Energy Minister Gokarna Bista, injured the same night he was appointed, formally assumes office Thursday.
He’ll start attending office after taking his oath of office and secrecy administered by Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal in the presence of President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav.
It’s still not know who shot and injured Bista outside his home.
Bista was appointed in the third round of government expansion by Khanal by inducting members from his own UML party.
The appointment of two state ministers have had a backlash on Khanal.
Mrs. Radha Geywali rejected her appointment as minister of state for education saying the prime minister hadn’t given women adequate representation in government in which two UML women were appointed.
Newly appointed State Minister for Finance Lharkyal Lama has been asked by the prime minister to respond to charges he holds passports of three countries and is an activist of the Free Tibet Movement of which China is sensitive.
“It’s come to light China is angry with the appointment of a state minister who favours independent Tibet and holds three passports and visas. This has negatively affected foreign relations. Governmentis wavering on a one Chna policy,” charged Ram Chandra Paudel, NC parliamentary party leader.
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SUGAT RATNA KANSAKAR JOINS OFFICE
Kathmandu, 21 April: CEO Sugat Ratna Kansakar of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) rejoined office Wednesday after he was cleared by a special court of CIAA charge he irregularly advanced $750,000 to acquire two Airbuses to operate international flights.
Five senior executives also cleared of the charges joined office Wednesday.
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BANGLADESHI NATIONAL ARRESTED
Kathmandu, 21 April: Bangladeshi Hasis Alam 23, was arrested with a Nepali citizenship and a passport Tuesday from Dhapasi.
He acquired the citizenship illegally from Sunsari district office and the passport from the foreign ministry.
Two Nepalis who helped him acquire the documents have also bee arrested.
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MEDIA GOOGLE
“I urge all parties to ensure that these laws full comply with international human rights standards, particularly ensuring that they do not grant amnesty for serious human rights violations.”
(UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang, The Himalayan Times, 21 April)
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PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES GIRL WHO RETURNED RS 9.1 MILLION
Kathmandu, 21 April: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Wednesday telephoned Ahuja Baliya and congratulated her for honesty by returning Rs 9.1 million to the rightful owner,: Kantipur reports from Kathmandu and Dharan.
“Anuja. I am Ram Baran Yadav, Nepal’s president. Do you recognize me?
“I read the news about you in Kantipur. I’m very happy with the honesty you have shown at a time when there’s its drought.
‘On behalf of all Nepali people, I want to thank and congratulate you,” the president.
Anuja from Bhojpur and now a resident of Dharan returned the money found in an abandoned bag in a bus and returned it to its rightful owner in Kathmandu and didn’t accept any reward.
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MORE NEPALIS SEEKING WORK ABROAD
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Kathmandu, 21 April: The number of Nepalis leaving for overseas employment surged 19.87 percent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period last year. The growth has been supported by increased hiring by major destinations like Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, The Kathmandu Post reports.
According to the Department of Foreign Employment, departures of migrant workers reached 240,269 during the nine-month period against 200,442 in the same period last year. They included 5,922 women workers.
The department said that outbound would have been greater if not for the unrest in the Middle East. The trend of leaving for jobs in Libya, Bahrain and Oman has declined lately because of the conflict in these countries.
“There has been a negative impact of the unrest in the Middle East during the last few months. However, the overall hiring from Nepal has increased,” said Chandra Man Shrestha, acting director general of the department. He added that departures had increased with spurred demand from Malaysia and Qatar in particular.
During the review period, Malaysia took in 80,370 workers from Nepal, up from 68,876. Qatar, the second largest job market, absorbed 65,365 workers, a whopping increment of 53.67 from 42,535 previously with increased demand from the infrastructure sector targeting the 2022 Soccer World Cup. Similarly, departures to Saudi Arabia and the UAE rose from 44,281 to 46,906 and from 25,628 to 29,109 respectively.
Despite the increased hiring from major labour destinations, the growth rate of workers leaving the country, however, has declined to the lowest 0.17 percent in the ninth month (mid-March to mid-April). The growth rate was at 62.83 percent in the third month.
During the ninth month, a total of 29,606 workers, including 958 female, left the country for foreign employment. The figure in the same period last year was at 29,555. Foreign employment agencies say that they have not been able to supply work force as expected this year because of unrest in the Middle East and shortage of passport as well.
“Demands are not coming significantly except from Qatar,” said Kumud Khanal, general secretary of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies. He said the passport shortage problem has also been barring potential workers form leaving the country.
Due to the fighting in the Middle East, departures to Libya, Oman and Bahrain have dropped; and the department has also stopped issuing permits to work in these countries. Shrestha said that the government had been mulling reopening Oman with increased pressure from labour outsourcing agencies.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is analyzing the situation to find out if it is okay to send workers there,” added Shrestha. Oman hired 1,568 workers during the first eight months of the current fiscal year. Likewise, Bahrain, considered to be one of the best labour markets in the Middle East, provided jobs to 2,902 Nepalis.
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IN CHANGED POLICY DAHAL OPTS FOR PEACE CONSTITUTION
Kathmandu, 21 April: In the UCPN (Maoist) crucial Politburo meeting on Wednesday, Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal suggested that the party put peace and constitution at centrestage until May 28, the extended deadline for the Constituent Assembly to promulgate a new constitution, Kamaldeb Bhattarai reports in The Kathmanndu Post..
Though the plan got Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai’s tacit support, it failed to impress another Vice Chairman and hardline leader Mohan Baidya. His strong reservations against the proposal at the Politburo meeting led Dahal to decide to refer his document for further discussion in the Central Committee (CC) meting slated for Friday.
The Baidya faction came out strongly against Dahal’s new document, saying it went against the party’s policy and mandate, something that was endorsed by the Palungtar plenum last November. The new document is also “totally different” from the one vetted by the Central Committee, according to politburo member Hari Bhakta Kandel. “Ultimately, Dahal has demonstrated his true colour and tendency,” said another hardline politburo member.
In his political document, Dahal blamed “counter-revolutionary forces of hatching conspiracies to derail peace and constitution writing processes”. “As the largest party in the Constituent Assembly (CA), we should work to consolidate the progress made so far and move ahead being even more responsibly,” a Politburo member quoted Dahal’s document as saying.
The party chief warned that the country would get dragged into presidential or military rule if the party abandons the peace and constitution writing processes before May 28. Politburo member Agni Sapkota, who is close to Dahal, said the party is mulling “transitional action,” which will focus solely on peace and constitution.
The transition action is a middle-road solution, which gives primacy to peace and constitution and yet does not abandon the larger party-line endorsed in Palungtar last year and the central committee early this year.
In the all-important PLA issues, Dahal said that the party should take initiatives for speedy integration and rehabilitation of combatants. He argued that the regrouping process of combatants would give momentum to the integration process. The Baidya faction countered that the PLA issues should not be taken in isolation from peace and constitution issues and without the formulation of a larger national security policy.
Dahal said that the first draft of the constitution should be prepared before May 28 by forging consensus among the political parties. He added that it could then be moved for further discussion whicle keeping contentious issues in the annexure of the constitution. “It will bring new hope among people about the constitution, and we can extend the deadline of the CA to accomplish the remaining tasks.”
Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai responded positively to Dahal’s latest stance, stressing that there was no alternative to peace and constitution. He demanded that the party’s official line of people’s revolt be repealed, pointing out that it was unobjective.
In past meetings, under the programe “Meeting for Peace and Constitution” that started under the banner of the Politburo meet Baidya and Gajurel had demanded a CC meet, expressing dissatisfaction at Dahal’s proposed action plan. “It will not be possible to draft the constitution through the CA as envisaged by the party. The party should move ahead according to the Palungtar plenum line,” said Baidya.
The sixth extended plenum of the party had endorsed staging a “people’s revolt” as its official political line, concluding that the chances of peace and constitution had exhausted. Baidya merged his political document with Dahal’s in line with the proposed people’s revolt. After the plenum, Dahal distanced himself from Bhattarai and cosied up to Baidya, which led to a wedge between the party’s two most prominent leaders who had in 2005 made the 12-point agreement with then-parliamentary parties possible. The partnership between the Maoist and non-Maoist parties made the 2006 possible which subsequently paved the way for the 2008 CA elections.
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