PLAN FOR INTEGRATION OF FORMER PLA COMBATANTS BEING PRESENTED FRIDAY

PLAN FOR INTEGRATION OF FORMER PLA FIGHTERS BEING PRESENTED FRIDAY

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Secretariat of a special committee for integration, rehabilitation and supervision of former Maoist PLA combatants presents its plans and recommendations to the body headed by Prime
Minister Baburam Bhattarai for approval Friday.
Major parties are represented in the special committee.
The committee asked the secretariat to submit a report after completing re-grouping of previously thought 16,000 plus Maoists in 28 cantonments and satellite camps.
The faulty count by UNMIN – a political wing UN which quit
Nepal 15 January without completing its assigned tasks amid controversy.
More that 2m000 plus former combatants have deserted the camps, according to a survey conducted by the secretariat.
The combatants have been to be integrated, resettled or
voluntarily retired now have to be separated to complete the peace process.
Only six fighters have opted for resettlement and more than 6.500
PLA fighters have sought integration in Nepal Army (NA)
There are only 6,5000 vacancies in the state army and opposition parties have rejected UCPN (Maoist) demand for integration of additional fighters as agreed between parties for integration.

GACHEDHAR CONFIRMS GOVT. WORKING TO
CIRCUMVENT LANDMARK SUPREME
COURT RULING

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Government is conducting homework to provide perks to former prime ministers, home ministers not holding government positions, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya
Kumar Gachedhar said Thursday.
The statement is the clearest confirmation government is
working to circumvent a supreme court historic ruling this
asking Singha Durbar to withdraw perks such as expensive
vehicles to party leaders outside government even after the censure.
The apex court ruled there was no legal sanction for extension of perks by government agencies that are encountering heavy losses.
Leadershave ben shamelessly saying they have been accepting the perks which government freely provided them.
But those with direct access to power have always sought
facilities from government like import of vehicles without
clearing customs duties—a facility not extended to people who elect leaders.
Leaders think they have a special place in society and should
have facilities not enjoyed by voters.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

"In a democratic system once the term of any elected body expires elections are held but in Nepal the parties have strived to finish the system by granting numerous extensions to the Constituent Assembly."The CA has become only a body to ratify their decisions made elsewhere in some five-star hotels or resorts."

(RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa, The Himalayan Times, 16 Dec.)
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GACHEDHAR PREPARING TO WITHDRAW CHARGES AGAINST MADESH CADRES

Kathmandu 16 Dec.:: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (MoHA) Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar is preparing to withdraw political cases filed against leaders and cadres of Madhes-based political parties during the Madhes movement, Republica reports.

According to knowledgeable sources, Gachchhadar has recently forwarded three files to the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) seeking approval to release 25-30 Madhesi leaders/cadres from jail.

The source said Gachchhadar, who is also Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D), has instructed officials and his cadres to gather actual data of the political cases filed against leaders and cadres of Madhesi parties.

These cases will also include individuals who have been implicated in the “Gaur massacre” in which 27 Maoist cadres were killed in 2007.

A senior leader of United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) also confirmed that Gachchhadar will take the proposal to the cabinet as per as the four-point agreement signed between the Madhesi alliance and the UCPN (Maoist).

The leader said that MoHA is also preparing to withdraw cases filed against leaders and cadres of various armed outfits in the Tarai region, who are currently negotiating with the government.

Gachchhadar is under intense pressure from UDMF leaders to initiate the process to withdraw cases filed against Madhesi leaders and cadres.
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TRC TASK FORCE MEMBERS DISAGREE OVER ITS JURISDICTION
Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: A meeting of the taskforce formed to finalize the draft of the bill on Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) on Thursday could not decide whether or not to bring into its jurisdiction the cases in which courts have already passed verdicts, Republica reports.

While the taskforce members from the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML argued that the cases already settled by the courts cannot be brought under the TRC, the Maoist members countered that all the legal cases related to the conflict era should be dealt with by the TRC.

“All the cases related to the conflict era should be brought under the TRC. If those involved are really found to have committed grave crimes, TRC cannot obviously grant amnesty,” said lawmaker from the UCPN (Maoist) Narayan Sharma, who is a member of the parliamentary taskforce.

There are a few cases including that of lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel who has already been convicted by court for the crimes he committed during the conflict era.
There is, however, unanimity that the TRC should treat the instances of rape as pure crimes and not grant amnesty to those guilty of such crimes.

The taskforce members also agreed to give enough compensation to the victims so that they could feel a “sense of justice”.

Maoists have stated that the talk on the content of the TRC bill is going ahead smoothly. “Originally the bill looked punitive, not reconciliatory. Now it has the spirit of reconciliation,” said Sharma.

The taskforce has, however, taken the cases of enforced disappearances, murders after taking the victim under control, and amputation, among others, as crimes.

“It is a very complicated issue. The TRC should work in such a way that there would be reconciliation and at the same time the victims get justice,” said Gyawali.

The taskforce will hold a meeting on Sunday as well to settle the differences, and refer the disputed issues to the top party leaders.
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DEMOLITION DRIVE HELPS TRAFFIC MOVEMENT IN VALLEY

Kathmandu, 16 Dec.:The month-long government drive to demolish encroached public land and widen major road sections in the Valley has helped reduce traffic jams in major city junctions, the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division said today [Thursday], The Himalayan Times reports.

“Vehicular movement in Sorhakhutte, Naagpokhari, Naxal, Kamalpokhari, Jamal and Kalimati has improved significantly following the demolition of structures built on encroached public lands,” said DIG Ganesh Raj Rai. “The initiative has reduced traffic jam in some areas, but its positive impacts have been felt in other parts of the city.

MTPD, backed by Kathmandu Valley Town Development Committee, began demolishing structures built on occupied public land as well as pavements and traffic islands, last month.
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NEPAL LOSES BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ILLEGAL OUTFLOWS
Kathmandu, 16 Dec.: Nepal lost $5.92 billion over the last decade due to illicit financial outflows, according to a study by Global Financial Integrity published
today [Thursday], Kuvera Chalise writes in The Himalayan Times.

Rather than the discrepancy in Balance of Payments like unrecorded leakage, trade mispricing is the primary contributor to illicit financial outflows from Nepal. Approximately 82 per cent of the total illicit financial outflows from Nepal was only due to trade mispricing, it said, adding that the same figure for developing countries over the period stands at 53.9 per cent.

“Bribery, proceeds of corruption, and trade mispricing cost Nepal dearly,” the report said, adding, “Of the total, only trade mispricing — export over-invoicing, import under-invoicing and fake VAT bills — cost $ 4.940 billion to the nation over 2000-2009, an average of $494 million each year.

The Global Financial Integrity study tracks the amount of illegal capital flowing out of 157 developing countries over the 10-year period from 2000 through 2009, and ranks the countries by the magnitude of illicit outflows.

The report should be a wake-up call to the government, which must address the capital outflows and tighten screw on tax evaders, traders and corrupt leaders and businessmen.

Nepal is also ranked sixth among the 48 least developed countries having the largest cumulative illicit financial flows. With illicit outflows of $35 billion, Bangladesh tops the list.

The report revealed that from 2000 to 2008, estimated total illicit financial flows for Nepal between $563 million and $566 million per year.

Global Financial Integrity — a Washington DC-based research and advocacy organisation that promotes transparency in the international financial system — said that capital outflows stem from crime, corruption, tax evasion and other illicit activities.

The report also suggested to curtail trade mispricing, required country-by-country reporting of sales, profits and taxes paid by multinational corporations, confirmation of beneficial ownership in all banking and securities accounts, automatic cross-border exchange of tax information on personal and business accounts.

Developing countries lost $903 billion in illicit financial outflows in 2009 despite the massive slowdown in economic activity, which rocked world markets in late 2008.

The report ‘Illicit Financial Flows from Developing Countries over the Decade Ending 2009’, which estimated the developing world lost $8.44 trillion over the decade ending in 2009, is GFI’s annual update on the amount of money flowing out of developing economies via crime, corruption and tax evasion.

According to the report, the five biggest victims of illicit financial flows over the decade are China ($2.74 trillion), Mexico ($504 billion), Russia ($501 billion), Saudi Arabia ($380 billion) and Malaysia ($350 billion).

The report also revealed the top victims of illegal capital flight in 2009 — China ($291 billion), Saudi Arabia ($82.3 billion), Poland ($66.3 billion), Malaysia ($46.8 billion and Mexico ($34.6 billion).
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