GOVT LOSES RARE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN FROM WEN VISIT;MAIN OPPOSITION TRIES TO EMBARASS BHATTARAI GOVT.

OPPOSITION TRIES TO CORNER GOVT.ON CANCELLATION OF PREMIER WEN’S NEPAL VISIT

Kathmandu, 14 Dec.: Main opposition NC Parliamentary Party leader and Vice-chairman Ram Chandra Paudel charged Wednesday the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao from 20 December was cancelled at the last moment because of government’s unilateral announcement
Paudel issued a communiqué charging government’s diplomatic ineptitude.
Paudel said the visit should have been announced simultaneously 23 November according to normal diplomatic practice.
Prime Minister Babura m Bhattarai personally announced the visit to a select group of journalists invited to the official residence irking the Chinese embassy which raised the matter with the foreign ministry.
Paudel charged the government for inept diplomacy.
Senior leader also Chandra Paudel also drew the government attention to ts weakness.
NC leader Ram Chandra Mahat charged in Nuwakot the government for leaking the news.
RPP Chairman Pashupati Shumsere Rana said Wednesday the cancellation of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s rare three-day visit beginning 20 December exposed government’s failed strategy and security policies.
With the cancellation, government has lost a golden opportunity register benefit diplomatically from the visit.
The international image of the Maoist led government of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai would have been boosted; instead, an opportunity has been lost.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister again undiplomatically says the visit was never announced formally eve as he met Wen in Beijing to prepare the background for the visit.
Both sides were making extensive preparations for the visit.
Shrestha even said the visit was cancelled for Chinese domestic reasons.
There’s extensive speculation on the reasons for the cancellation of the visit Tuesday.
It’s clear the biggest loser in the government
Finance Minister Barshaman Pun even said Nepal would sign a BIPPA agreement with China when the supreme court has put on hold implementation of such an agreement with India pending its ratification by parliament.
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