PROMOTINS OF THREE SSPs RECOMMENDED

PROMOTIONS OF THREE SSPs RECOMMENDED
Kathmandu, 14 Dec.: A promotion committee has recommended propotions of three SSPs of Nepal Police to DIGs.
Promotions of Hamenta Malla, Gopal Bhandari and Keshab Adhikari have been recommended.
Nnnn

ONE KILLED IN TRIPPER ACCIDENT

Kathmandu, 14 Dec.: A driver and two others were killed
Tuesday when a tripper tumbled 300 meters off the Mechi highway
at Gopitar in Taplejung.
An Indian was among the injured.
Nnnn

ASSETS OF BHRIKUTI PAPER AND PULP LTD FROZEN

Kathmandu, 14 Dec.: All assets of Bhrikuti Paper and Pulp Ltd based in Gaidakot in Nawalparasi has been frozen by the labour office in
Butwal.
The factory has to settle dues totaling Rs 50 million of workers.
Workers had registered an application recently requesting
freeze of the industry’s assets to clear dues.
Nnnn

DALIT YOUTH KILLED IN KALIKOT FOR ENTERING KITCHEN

Kathmandu, 14 Dec. A Dalit youth died Sunday after he was
battered at a shop in MaidhAra for entering a kitchen in Kalikot, Kantipur
reports.
Manbire Sunar entered the kitchen of Jas Bahadur Shahi to light
a cigarette.
Nnnn

DISTINCTION FOR PM BHATTARAI?

Kathmandu, 14 Dec.: Speaking on the BBC´s popular show Sajha Sawal this week, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai awarded himself distinction when asked to rate his performance as prime minister. Does he deserve the distinction he has heaped on
himself? Ameet Dhakal writes in Republica.

Bhattarai´s performance as prime minister must be judged on the basis of the progress made in the peace process under him, and his leadership qualities.

First, the peace process. There is no denying one thing: Election of anyone other than Baburam Bhattarai to the post of prime minister would have been a non-starter for the peace process. Invoking a Marxist interpretation of events, Bhattarai once told us that he became prime minister out of “historical necessity” as the interests of his own party, domestic forces (meaning other political parties) and international forces, mainly India, converged on his name.

Following the Dhobighat alliance between Bhattarai and Maoist Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya, it became impossible for Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to ignore Bhattarai. The NC wanted to elect its own candidate as prime minister and yet many NC leaders knew deep down that it was neither going to be possible nor would it help kick-start the peace process.

That Bhattarai had been the only consistent champion of peace and constitution in the Maoist party made the NC less critical of him as a candidate for premiership and more hopeful that the peace process would move forward once he was elected. India, deeply suspicious of Dahal and hell-bent on keeping him out of power, thought that Bhattarai was more dependable both because of his commitment to peace and constitution and for his liberal views about the southern neighbor.

Bhattarai´s ascendance to Baluwatar, therefore, turned the environment conducive for the peace process and provided assurance to each of the three forces-Maoists, NC and India- that things wouldn´t go awry under him.

But his role and importance in moving the peace process ended right there -- in being the man of “historical necessity”- since the negotiations on the nitty-gritty of the peace process, as seasoned observers would know, actually took place among Maoist Chairman Dahal, NC and India.

With the premature dissolution of the Dhobighat alliance, Chairman Dahal has once again consolidated his power within the Maoist party, leaving the Baidya group weighing options whether to split the party sooner than later, and Prime Minister Bhattarai in a very weak position in the internal dynamics.

It´s because of his poor grip in the Maoist party and the PLA that Prime Minister Bhattarai hasn´t played a substantive role in peace process negotiations, leaving that hard work to Chairman Dahal.

Nor has he taken initiatives in implementing the peace deal. Take for instance, the matter of returning seized properties. As Maoist Chairman Dahal has backed down from his attempt to return the properties seized by his cadres, in the face of stiff resistance on the ground, Prime Minister Bhattarai has not taken any initiative of his own.

Chairman Dahal is, therefore, the man who has taken the lead in driving the peace process; has made bargains and concessions and has earned the ire of his cadres. Bhattarai´s contribution in propelling the current phase of the peace process should, therefore, be seen in a proper perspective.

When it comes to his role as prime minister with regard to other issues, Bhattarai has put in below-par performance and has exposed his moral weaknesses.

His decision to ride a Mustang-Max was a publicity coup and won the hearts of tens of thousands of Nepalis who have come to see politicians as a corrupt, self-indulgent and self-serving bunch. But Bhattarai soon dashed their hopes when he constituted a 49-member cabinet, the largest ever in Nepal´s history. And he insulted the Nepali people´s intelligence by publicly arguing that the cabinet expansion was a price he had to pay for peace and constitution.

In reality, it turned out that it was a case of an exceedingly insecure prime minister nervously reacting to a false perception that his own party chairman was already working to topple his government.

In inducting so many ministers into the cabinet from the Madhesi parties and from his own, he was creating a stake in the longevity of his government for as many lawmakers as possible in the hope that they would take his side if and when the situation so demanded.

Prime Minister Bhattarai has also compromised good-governance and tolerated corruption under his very nose, fearing a backlash from coalition partners and ministers from his own party if he put his foot down. Immediately after his election, Dr. Bhattarai had promised civil servants that they would not be transferred without reason and yet over 200 civil servants have been transferred in less than four months, the highest number of transfers immediately after the formation of a new cabinet.

He has proven to be a weak prime minister, prone to putting his personal interests first and, for the sake of that, compromising the larger interests of society.

Prime Minister Bhattarai is also found wanting when it comes to belief in the rule of law and the upholding of human rights. His refusal to take action against Minister Prabhu Sah, charged by Parsa police with murder, until the opposition parties stalled the House demanding his sacking, the clemency plea he forwarded to the president for Maoist lawmaker Balkrishna Dhungel, and his public views on a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (that the TRC will not indict anyone but forgive all human rights violations) expose his disregard for rule of law and human rights, the pillars of a functioning democracy.

The prime minister, who used to routinely achieve distinction in the academic field, may have awarded himself a distinction for his performance as prime minister, but the public is painfully discovering that academic excellence does not automatically translate into good moral judgment and leadership qualities.
nnnn



________________________________________

SPEAKER PRESSES GOVT.ON EXTRADITION BILL

Kathmandu, 14 Dec Speaker Subas Nembang has strongly pressed the government to either forward the two crucial bills -- bill on extradition and bill on mutual legal assistance -- or to return
them, Republica reports.

The speaker told top officials from the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry of law and justice that parliament can´t further shelve the bills registered at the parliament secretariat months ago, given their sensitivity.

“Either you have to take initiatives to advance the bills or return them. Parliament can´t further keep the bills on hold,” an official quoted the speaker as telling the officials from the two ministries.

Bhesh Raj Sharma, secretary at the ministry of law and justice, and Durga Prasad Bhattarai, acting secretary at the ministry of foreign affairs, among other officials, were present at the meeting with the speaker in Singha Durbar on Tuesday.

Officials at the parliament secretariat said the speaker is unhappy with the government for not taking any initiative to advance the two bills even though the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF), a global body that oversees money laundering issues, has been pressing Nepali authorities to endorse the bills without delay.

Although parliament amended the money laundering act in the first week of June as per FATF requirements, the global body is pressing the government to endorse the bill on extradition and mutual legal assistance as well.

Stating that the legal arrangements in Nepal are still incomplete to check terrorist financing and organized crimes, the International Cooperation Review Group of FATF has said it will list Nepal in the high-risk category in February if Nepal fails to endorse the remaining two bills in January.

According to officials at the Nepal Rastra Bank, the international group will put Nepal in the negative list if the bills are not endorsed by parliament by June.
After placing any country in the high-risk category, FATF tells member states to remain alert while doing any business in that country and instructs them to stop doing business with any country in the negative list.

FATF suggests its member countries to formulate laws on mutual legal assistance with a view to checking terrorist financing and controlling international organized crime. After adopting mutual legal assistance, member countries can share information and evidence about any crime taking place in any of the member states.
Nnnn



________________________________________

•

MAOIST STUDENT THREAT TO PM BHATTARAI
Kathmandu, 14 Dec.:The UCPN-Maoist-aligned All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) today [Tuesday]issued a three-day ultimatum to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to implement recommendations to fix the fees for nursing and MBBS courses, The Himalayan Times reports.

ANNISU-R president Himal Sharma accused the government chief secretary of keeping the reports under wraps instead of forwarding them to the Cabinet.

Both the scientific fee structure reports were submitted to the Education Minister.

The previous government had formed separate panels after ANNISU-R and other student unions launched weeks of protest demanding formation of a committee for fixing fees to control exorbitant charges imposed by nursing and medical colleges. A committee led by Joint-secretary Khagaraj Baral had prepared the report on nursing education and National Planning Commission member Shiva Kumar Rai prepared the report on medical colleges.

The Office of the Prime Minister has sent the report on nursing colleges to the Finance Ministry for taking its view on taxation and medical report to a sub-committee of the parliamentary committee for study. The PM vowed to discuss the reports at the next Cabinet meeting, Sharma quoted PM as saying.

The report on nursing colleges received by The Himalayan Times, states that a nursing college with all the criteria bears Rs 1,58,54420. The cost for 40 students is Rs 3.96 lakhs for the three-year course. The total cost includes seven per cent profit and fee should be paid in annual installments.

However, the colleges are charging the students up to Rs 6 lakhs. The report has revealed that nursing colleges are negligent in service delivery.

The medical college report has recommended Rs 31 lakhs for four-year MBBS course. However, it is found that the colleges have charged up to Rs 40 lakhs.
nnnn
________________________________________