NC CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEET TO DISCUSS OULET TO DEADLOCK

NC CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS TUESDAY TO DISCUSS OUTLETS TO POLITICAL DEADLOCK

Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: Panel reports on peace and constitution headed by senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and Vice-chairman Ram Chandra Paudel are being presented Tuesday to a resumed meeting of the main opposition NC central working committee
There’s a constitutional provision to form a state restructuring commission to recommend a federal structure.
But parties, other than main opposition NC, in a sub-committee to iron out differences on topics to be incorporated in a proposed constitution headed by Maoist Chairman Prachanda suggested a committee of experts to draw up a federal body.
NC has softened its original stance the issue should be taken up by a commission.
NC has discussed modality, terms of reference and mandate for the committee of experts with other parties after softening its original position.
Alternatives being presented by the panels are being considered for final adoption by the central committee Tuesday.
The peace panel has concluded Maoist decision to handover keys of containers with their insurgency-era weapons to a special committee headed ex-officio by a premier was position.
NC could suggest an amendment in the interim constitution to form a committee of experts instead of a commission for state restructuring.
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NEW DELHI GAVE MAOIST CHIEF HIE DUE; FURTHER DETAILS OF WIKILEAKS EXPOSE
Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: India was once so much impressed with Chairman of UCPN Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal that it even saw him as a ‘statesman with political dexterity’, according to a secret cable sent by the US Embassy in New Delhi which was released by Wikileaks, Mahesh Acharya reports in The Ktahmandu Post from New Delhi.
It was during Dahal’s formal visit to Delhi as prime minister in 2008 when India got this impression. But unfortunately such Indian perception could not last long. The high drama of sacking and reinstatement of the then Army chief Rookmangud Katawal and the subsequent slew of political developments created a deep distrust between Maoists and New Delhi.
Reviewing Dahal’s September 13-18 visit, Preeti Saran—Joint secretary at Nepal Desk in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs told the US diplomats that Dahal was reassuringly mindful of India’s core concerns.
“Actually, Dahal was the first to raise many of India’s own concerns over Nepal like security interests, political stability, drafting a new constitution and economic development,” the cable quoted Saran. She had even predicted Dahal will get the popular mandate again, provided the whole process went well.
Dahal favoured existing standards for integration
The cable said Dahal was the first to raise the issue of how Nepal will deal with the combatants of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with his Indian interlocutors.
According to Saran, Dahal while acknowledging a huge division within the PLA between the ‘ultra left’ and ‘ultra right’ had said that the two groups’ views could not be annulled simply by integrating them into the Nepal Army. In Dahal’s view if integration happened, each candidate should qualify exactly as a normal recruit must qualify, according to the cable.
Demand for treaty revision for public consumption
During his discussion with Indian interlocutors, Dahal had reportedly hinted the demand of revision of 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship was mere a public posture. “Dahal made clear that he recognises the benefits Nepal receives under the treaty, but he needs the optics of treaty revision to placate the Maoists in his government,” said the cable.
Dahal feared GPK; Yechury proposed Baburam as PM
The cable originated from the US embassy in Delhi after the Constituent Assembly polls in Nepal mentioned that Dahal was suspicious about giving presidential post to the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala because he thought that could create two power centres. “Koirala indicated he was interested in being the president and commander-in-chief in the new government, but Dahal and his colleagues will not agree to that, as they believe the old man would be able to use the army to consolidate power.
Dahal does not see any scope for dual centres of power, “the cable quoted Indian communist leader Sitaram Yechury as saying who met US diplomats after returning from Nepal. He had proposed that the interim president as titular head should go to Nepali Congress, PM’s berth to Maoists (although perhaps Baburam Bhattarai instead of Dahal), and the speaker to UML.
Such a formula for the top positions would provide the new government stability and a broad base of support, Yechury reasoned. But Dahal eventually rejected the idea and the differences among parties in presidential elections embarked on the deepening political mistrust.
‘Menon drew parallel between Katawal, Baidya’
An Indian diplomat had drawn parallel between former Chief of Army Staff General Rookmangud Katawal and Maoist hardliner leader Mohan Baidya and feared that Nepal could land into crisis due to their “confrontational attitudes”, a confidential US Embassy diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks stated, Phanindra Dahal adds.
The then Foreign Secretary Shiva Shankar Menon had expressed concerns over possible confrontation between the Maoists and the Nepal Army with the then US Ambassador to Nepal Nancy Powell in June 21, 2009.
“Menon had just completed the meeting with Katawal, whom he described as ‘spoiling for a fight’. He said Katawal had been more bombastic than usual
and seemed to have concluded that he alone is Nepal’s saviour and needed to remain in office beyond his scheduled September retirement,” Wikileaks said.
Menon had told the US ambassador that he delivered a diplomatic, but clear signal to Katawal that an extension would not be welcomed by New Delhi. He had also told that the Katawal’s confrontational attitude was matched by that of Maoist hardliner Mohan Baidya, whose challenge to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal within the party would result in escalating disruptions and potentials for violence even if the hardliners don’t prevail.
According to Indian analysts, Baidya had made headway within the Maoist camp and achieved a major part of his agenda in getting the Maoists out of the government and into the streets.
Menon, who now serves as the National Security Advisor of the Indian prime minister, also described Katawal and Baidya as acting in their own selfish interests with an eye on future positions rather than national interests during the meeting with Powell.
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NEPAL INVESTMENT FORUM MEETING AFTER TWO DECADES
Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: Nepal is preparing to hold the Nepal Investment Forum (NIF), a platform to attract foreign investors and examine business opportunities with the global community, after a gap of nearly two decades, The Kathmandu Post reports.
According to the Ministry of Industry (MoI), the NIF is scheduled to be held by the end of the fiscal year. The last time Nepal organised the NIF was in 1992 when the country was at the early stages of economic liberalization.
“The NIF is coming back and this platform could be more effective to create a foreign investment regime with a wide range of potential areas in Nepal for investors,” said MoI Secretary Shankar Prasad Koirala said during meeting with visiting delegation of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI).
In order to make the investment climate more conducive, the government has formulated foreign investment, one-window and industrial policies based on which the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992 and the Industrial Enterprises Act 1992 were promulgated. These acts were subsequently amended in 1996 and 1997 respectively. “The NIF is considered to be one of the successful events where a large number of foreign investors attended and its impact remained for a long time,” Koirala said.
Meanwhile, the MoI is working to set up a Nepal Investment Portal (NIP), a digital platform that will enable global investors to get information about a wide range of investment areas in the country more easily and efficiently. USAID has provided technical support for the project. The portal will come into operation in six months, according to the MoI.
Assuring foreign investors that Nepal’s investment climate was favourable, the Ministry of Industry (MoI) on Monday requested the CACCI delegation to put money in potential fields that have been identified as priority areas for the government and private sectors.
During a brief meeting with the visiting delegation of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), a regional grouping of apex national chambers of commerce and industry, business associations and business enterprises in Asia and the Western Pacific, the MoI urged investment in areas such as hydropower, mines and minerals, tourism, infrastructure, cement and agriculture.
The CACCI team was led by its president Benedicto Yujuico and the Nepali private sector was represented by Suraj Vaidya, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).
Yujuico said that the CACCI was ready to extend full cooperation and support the development efforts of the government and the private sector in Nepal. Vaidya said that the working relationship between the government and the private sector was cordial, and that the public private partnership initiative has made the country’s investment regime more conducive.
FNCCI holds talks with CACCI team
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) on Monday held talks with the visiting delegation of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI). President Suraj Vaidya led the FNCCI team, while CACCI was lead by is President Amb. Benedicto Yujuico. Both sides discussed investment potentials in energy, infrastructure development, agriculture and tourism, read an FNCCI press statement. At the meeting, Vaidya briefed the CACCI delegation about the Nepal government’s policies and facility of repatriation. Assuring support for bringing foreign investment, CACCI President Yujuico urged Nepal to be specific when it comes to prioritising investment opportunities. The visiting business delegation also met President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Monday.
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GOVT. CONSIDERING POWER TARIFF HIKE
Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: Once again, the government is considering revising power tariff to rescue Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) from financial crisis, The Kathmandu Post writes.
The Ministry of Energy (MoE), launching a relief work-plan for the hydro sector on Sunday, urged the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)to re-establish the Electricity Tariff Fixation Commission (ETFC) which was dissolved in the third week of March. The ministry has proposed the PMO to appoint new members of the commission within the next two weeks, according to Energy Secretary Balananda Sharma.
As per the work-plan, the commission should submit its final report within a month after its formation.
Power tariff in the country has not been adjusted for the last 10 years which has caused NEA huge financial losses. The authority had earlier proposed to hike the tariff by around 25 percent to Rs 9 per unit on an average. Existing tariff stands at Rs 7 per unit. NEA says hiking power tariff is a must if it has to increase the power purchase agreement (PPA) rate.
NEA officials say the authority incurring a loss Rs 2.5 per unit. While NEA’s buys power at around Rs 9 per unit, the selling price stands at around Rs 7. The proposed hike is necessary to neutralise NEA’s annual loss.
“It is an irony NEA doesn’t have the right to fix the price of its own product, while other public utilities like Nepal Telecom are free to decide on this front,” said a top NEA official. “Despite being well aware of the fact that NEA is bearing huge losses due to low power tariff
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SC AGAINST BAR ON CONJUGAL RIGHTS OF PRISON INMATES
Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: The Supreme Court today [Monday] told the government to ensure conjugal visits for jailbird(s) to guarantee their reproductive rights, The Himalayan Times reports.

However, the apex court has left it to the government to take a policy decision as to how many hours in a month should be provided to a jailbird and his/her legal spouse for their conjugal meetings.

A full bench of Justices Balaram KC and Girish Chandra Lal today made public the full text of the judgement in which the bench has in clear terms asked the government to ensure the reproductive rights of a jailbird and make sure that such conjugal visits be allowed only to legal couples.

“A prison is a sensitive place where discipline, security and peace must be maintained. The inmates must abide by the discipline of the prison to make sure that jails don’t turn into a place for sexual intercourse,” read the judgement text.

Though the SC had on April 11 decided that jailbirds’ conjugal rights be ensured, the full text was made public today. The full text comes in response to a writ petition filed by a couple — Suraja Marik Dom (37) and Chhotani Devi Marik Dom (30) — doing time in Saptari Prison. The couple in their writ had demanded that the authorities concerned ensure their conjugal rights, claiming that by the time they are released they will have lost their reproductive capacity.

The apex court also directed the authorities — the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Home Affairs — to study the practice regarding conjugal rights followed in foreign countries and security tests for the meeting and maintain peaceful environment in prisons.

The SC told the authorities to form a three-member committee with the director general of Department of Prison Management and representatives from Nepal Police Headquarters and the MoHA to analyse the existing Acts, Rules and Regulations.

“This is a new subject in our country where prisons are overcrowded with jails lacking several other facilities like gym, playground, library, dining hall or meeting halls. But since it is a matter related to the fundamental rights as ensured by the constitution, this directive order has been issued,” the verdict stated.

Criminal law expert Prof Rajit Bhakta Pradhananga, however, said it won’t be easy for the government to implement the verdict for the jails are already overcrowded with prisoners.
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SAME PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE CALL
Kathmandu, 6 Sept.: The Independent Committee for Study of the Management of the Pashupatinath Temple has recommended that the government maintain peace and security on the temple premises and formulate disaster preparedness measures without delay, The Himalayan Times reports.

The panel formed under the coordination of Kedarnath Acharya recently submitted its report to the Ministry of Culture.

The independent committee’s report has pointed that the temple is in a dire need of fire engines, ambulances and other means of emergency response to cope with landslip, fire, earthquake and other natural disasters.

It has recommended formation of a separate security mechanism in coordination with police forces and private security guards for the formulation and implementation of security policies.

“It is urgent to deploy plainclothes cops in and around the temple for intelligence-gathering and stepping up vigil on suspicious and indecent activities at the holy site of the Hindus. We appeal to the government to control and prohibit any activities other than the Hindu rituals in the vicinity,” said the report.

It has stressed the need to introduce dress codes and ID cards with separate colours for priests, bhandaris, helpers and government employees.

The report has also appealed to the government authorities to introduce a provision that bars the devotees from entering the temple premises for paying obeisance with belongings except puja ingredients.

“The government should prohibit bags, mobile phone sets and cameras on the temple premises,” said the study committee’s report, recommending the installation of walk-through metal detector gates, CCTV cameras and power back-up system at all the entry points of the temple premises for security.

The temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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