FOREIGN MINISTER UPENDRA YADAV SHORTENS FIRST FOREIGN TOUR
Kathmandu, 23 June: Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav has shortened his first foreign tour after assuming office by canceling visits of Iran and Belgium to attend international conference.
Yadav was scheduled to leave for the two countries and Lithuania Thursday.
He’ll now only fly for Lithuania to address the sixth ministerial of the community of democracies being held in Vilnius from 30 June.
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ANFA INVITES 25 FOR CLOSED CAMP FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Kathmandu, 23: Twenty-five players have been called for a closed camp by All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) for the World Cup qualifiers against East Timor from 29 June 29 to 2 July at Dasharath Rangashala.
The invited national players are: Goalkeeper Bishal Shrestha, Bijay Gurung Shiva Shrestha, Anil Ojha, Yogesh Gurung r Bishal Rai ´Kiran Chemjong, Bikas Malla, Ritesh Thapa,and Biraj Maharjan.
Bikas Singh Chhetri, Sandeep Rai, Deepak Bhushal, Rabin Shrestha, Sagar Thapa, Rohit Chand Nirajan Khadka, Bhola Silwal, Jagjeet Shrestha, Sujal Shrestha, Jumanu Rai, Anil Gurung, Bharat Khawas, Ganesh Lawati and Santosh Sahukhala have alsobeen called for the closed camp
The final 23-member squad will be announced after training concludes.
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MEDIA GOGLE
“Nobody should be immune just because of party link [demanding action against Krishna Prasad Shitaula in Sudan scam].Jhalanath Khanal is the nation’s weakest and most helpless prime minister’ He hasn’t arrested his own party worker taken “
(NC lawmaker and youth leadeer Gagan Thapa, Naya Patrika, 23 June)
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FUEL IMPORT BLEEDS NEPAL
Kathmandu, 23 June: That the total import of petroleum products has burnt the country’s total export should set off alarm bells, Kuvera Chalise writes in. The Himalayan Times
“Nepal imported petroleum products worth Rs 59.53 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal whereas the total export stood at Rs 52.67 billion, making the earning through total export less than the value of import of petroleum products,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikary while presenting Priorities and Principles of the budget for 2011/12 in the Parliament today. This implies, the country’s total export will not be enough to import even petroleum products in the wake of increasing consumption of fuel and its soaring price in the international market.
“It is going to be a serious challenge for the government,” said Adhikary, adding that the sole petroleum importer, Nepal Oil Corporation, has borrowed Rs 2.63 billion from the government and additional Rs 3.30 billion from Employees Provident Fund and Citizens’ Investment Trust.
“The government will be forced to adjust the lending under the development expenses as it was earlier not mentioned in the budget,” added Adhikary. He presented 64-point Priorities and Principles for the next budget for pre-budget discussion that is going to be held for the first time since the Constituent Assembly elections. The parliament will start pre-budget discussion from June 24.
Though the Priorities and Principles have spelt out implementation of Bio-fuel Policy to reduce the import of fossil fuel, lawmakers doubt the government would be able to curtail fuel import.
Yet another government entity, Nepal Electricity Authority, is also not in a good financial health with challenges growing to fulfil increasing energy need. But the finance minister said the budget aims to restructure the power utility apart from expanding transmission lines and promoting hydropower projects through the proposed bank for energy development.
“The cost of doing business has increased due to lack of regular power supply and this, along with rising interest rates, has hurt industrial sectors’ growth,” he said. The rising cost of production and supply constraints fuelled the price. Though, the current fiscal year’s budget has projected to contain the price hike at seven per cent, the government could not crack the whip, and it is hovering around 10 per cent. Adhikary, however, promised to combat price hike through Monetary Policy. “Productivity has also plunged, making the domestic production less competitive in the international market,” said Adhikary promising that his budget will be in line with the Three-Year Interim Plan that has envisioned poverty reduction through employment generation, and inclusive and justifiable economic growth for a sustainable peace. He also pledged to create investment-friendly environment for private sector investment to accelerate economic growth.
Apart from his regular slogans like Aafno Gau Aafai Banau (Develop One’s Own Village), Gau Gau ma Sahakari, Ghar Ghar ma Rojgari (Cooperatives in Every Village and Employment in Every Household), the Priorities and Principle have also spelled out infrastructure projects like Fast Track, Mid-Hill Highway and Model Village in every district.
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PEACE, STATUTE,ELECTRICITYTOP BUDGET PRIORITY
Kathmandu, 23 June” Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari Wednesday tabled a proposal on principles and priorities of appropriation of bill in the parliament, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at the House session, Minister Adhikari said that proposal aimed at setting priorities of the upcoming budget through the pre-budget discussion.
He said that there had not been full-fledged budget for the last three years, which he said, caused various problems in the economic sector.
Highlighting the objectives of new budget, Adhikari said, "It has given priority to the peace process, statute writing, modernisation of agriculture and electricity production and extension of transmission lines."
He said that the upcoming budget would target to bring down the inflation rate from current 10 per cent to 7 per cent, carry out relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes for the families of martyrs and disappeared, deliver public goods and ease the supply smoothly and effectively, and conduct youth self-employment programmes and skill generating activities.
"For the commercialisation of agriculture, we should conduct One Village One Product programme as a campaign, and complete the medium and big hydro power plants to mitigate the energy crisis," he said and added that the budget would focus on land reform, irrigation extension, promotion of cooperatives and tourism.
He said that the government would encourage foreign investment and set up Energy Development Bank for the electricity production.
Likewise, the industrial reforms, export promotion and import substitute would be concentrated for the development of private
sector and promotion of foreign investment, said Adhikari.
He said that the government would bring social security programmes, end illiteracy within three years and define the primary and basic health services and provide them free to the people.
"The budget will embrace the three pillars of economy as mentioned in the interim constitution and expedite the infrastructure developments for the employment generations, said Adhikari.
He noted that the pre-budget discussions in the House would offer insights to the government for the budget formulation.
Meanwhile, RSS adds that the UCPN (Maoist) leader Dev Gurung objected to the act of the Constituent Assembly (CA) working through the taskforce instead of carrying out its functions as per the regulations and rules of procedures.
Speaking at the Special Hour of the Legislature-Parliament today, he suspected that the CA would be inactive if the parties and the taskforce hold discussions without tabling the integrated draft of the constitution. He also called for reviewing the course of constitution writing from the point it was diverted from its course.
He also made clear that separating arms and disarming the PLA combatants prior to their integration was unacceptable to the Maoist party, adding that the arms of the Nepal Army also should be submitted to the army integration special committee.
The prime minister should resign from the post only after the national consensus was forged and the national sovereignty was guaranteed, he said and drew the attention of the opposition parties not to hinder the process of tabling the new budget.
Likewise, Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak asked for an answer from the government why Nepali Ambassador to India Rukma Shumsher Rana was called back, adding that the letter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to this effect was illegal.
Lekhak complained that the assaulters of Biratnagar journalist Khila Nath Dhakal was not brought to book, impunity was increasing and the politics and criminalism were not distinguished.
He also demanded the pm stepped down immediately as per the five-point agreement and also protested the government move to transfer the civil servants haphazardly.
Likewise, UML leader Pradip Gyawali the constitution should be promulgated only after the completion of the peace process and expressed concern that the peace process was not progressed despite frequent rounds of consensus.
He stressed on the need to form a parliamentary monitoring committee for the enforcement of five point deal reached among the parties. The prime minister would not hesitate to resign if the schedule of the enforcement is prepared, he added.
Also speaking at the session, lawmaker from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) Sarba Dev Prasad Ojha expressed concern over the government decision to transfer government employees and transfer budget allocated under one heading to another at the end of the fiscal year.
CPN (ML) lawmaker CP Mainali raised his concerns over the attack on media persons under the political patronage and government failure to punish the guilty involved in the international calls bypass racket. He said that damage of a runway at the Tribhuvan International Airport just after the repairing showed that the state lacks good governance.
Chitra Bahadur KC of Rastriya Janamorcha expressed his concerns over the delay in constitution writing, continuous attacks on journalists and damage of the international airport runway. He, however, welcomed the government efforts at bringing the new budget on time.
Other lawmakers including Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani of the Rastriya Janashakti Party, Pari Thapa of the CPN (Unified), Keshav Mainali of the Chure Bhavar Rastriya Ekata Party, Krishna Kumari Pariyar of the Nepali Congress, Pratibha Rana of the Rastriya Prajatantra, Chandra Dev Joshi from CPN ( United), Arbind Shah, Jagya Bahadur Shahi of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Chandra Bahadur Gugung of the RPP-Nepal also expressed opinions at the special session of the Legislature-Parliament meeting today [Wednesday].
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• SPORTS PM KHANLA’S NO TO MAHARA PROPOSAL TO WITHDRAW CRIMINAL CASES AGAINST MAOISTS ;
Kathmandu, 23 June: Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal has opposed Home Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara’s move to withdraw cases filed against UCPN (Maoist) leaders and cadres, The Kathmandu Post reports.
According to a source at the Prime Minister’s Office, the Maoist party and the CPN-UML are at loggerheads over withdrawing the cases filed since the insurgency time. In the first phase of the Maoist plan, Mahara has moved a file in the Cabinet seeking withdrawal of 300 cases filed against its leaders and cadres. Khanal, however, has said the government cannot withdraw the cases without following a due process.
Mahara has been saying that the cases were politically motivated and are against the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and, as such, they should be withdrawn. “Mahara brought in the proposal in the Cabinet without bringing the details required for the withdrawal of the cases,” the source said.
A senior Maoist leader said the home minister is having problems withdrawing the cases—related to Maoist leaders’ and cadres’ involvement in murders, kidnapping and abuse of human rights—due to lack of sufficient information on the cases. The cases include one involving Minister for Information and Communication Agni Sapkota, who has been charged with the murder of one Arjun Lama in Nuwakot in 2005. The case is currently in the Supreme Court. The apex court had on Sept 8 slapped a life-term on Maoist lawmaker Balkrishna Dhungel, who was elected from Okhaldhunga Constituency-2. The court convicted Dhungel of murdering one Uijwan Kumar Shrestha on June 24, 1998. Different human rights organisations are also preparing to file cases in the Supreme Court against other Maoist leaders.
According to Maoist sources, there are thousands of such cases against their cadres and leaders in different local administrations and courts. The local administrations have recently reopened some cases against Maoist leaders and cadres and are issuing warrants against them for incidents that occurred during the armed conflict. The Maoists have directed all state and district committees of the party to submit detailed reports of such cases.
The CPA has envisaged a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to look into crimes committed during the insurgency. Clause 5.2.7 of the CPA states that both sides guarantee to withdraw accusations, claims, complaints and cases lodged against various individuals for political reasons during the insurgency.
However, there are different interpretations to the constitution. OHCHR-Nepal, for instance, has said that the government cannot withdraw cases concerning serious rights abuses in the pretext that they were of political nature.
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250 SEEK CASE WITHDRAWALS FROM HOME MINISTRY
Kathmandu, 23 June: With the appointment of Krishna Bahadur Mahara as home minister, about 250 individuals charge-sheeted for crimes have submitted applications at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) demanding withdrawal of cases pending against them at district courts across the country, Bimal Gautam writes.in Republica
According to a source at MoHA, altogether 27 files related to such demands are currently at the ministry. "We have received 27 files from nearly 250 accused," said the source, adding, "Most files are related to cases of murder and attempted murder".
The number of files and number accused seeking amnesty differ as up to 326 persons are charge-sheeted in a single case.
Family members, relatives and friends have submitted files at the ministry on behalf of the accused, seeking amnesty in cases which are in the course of hearings at the district courts.
The source told Republica that while most of those seeking amnesty were involved in murder and attempted murder, others accused of arson, possession of arms and ammunition, sedition, offences under the Public Offence Act and the like have also filed for amnesty.
"We are reviewing the files but won´t recommend to government to withdraw cases if the nature of the crime is serious," the source added.
Those seeking official pardons include Dinesh Subba and others (for abduction), Rambabu Sah and others (arms and ammunition), Ramnandan Pattel (attempted murder), Rajesh Jha (sedition), Jayachanda Sah Teli (public offence), Haribabu Rokaya (murder), Sittal Prasad Chaudhary and 10 others (murder), Shyam Prasad Yadav (charge unknown), and Mohanlal Chaulagain and 26 others (murder).
Similarly, Nandu Raya Timilsena and five others (robbery), Rameshwor Shrestha and nine others (murder), Kishwor alias Karna Bahadur Dhami and six others (murder), Tej Bahadur Hamal and seven others (murder), Khadk Chand and 15 others (murder), Indra Bahadur Lama and four others (attempted murder), Tekraj Joshi and seven others (murder), Suresh Sah Teli and four others (murder), and Lekhnath Dahal and 17 others (attempted murder) have also submitted files at the ministry for withdrawal of their cases.
Also applying for amnesty are Mohasafit Mahato and seven others (murder) and Badri Bajgain and 12 others (public offence).
Under the legal provisions, the authorities have to seek prior consent from the district court concerned before withdrawing a criminal case against anyone. According to the procedures, MoHA can send the file to the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) and the latter has to check the grounds for withdrawal of the case. If MoLJ gives its nod, the file goes to MoHA, which then forwards it to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for cabinet approval. Following a cabinet decision, the file goes to the Office of Government Attorney. The office has to take prior consent from the district court concerned before giving anyone official pardon in a criminal charge.
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