MAOIST CENTRAL COMMITTEE FINALLY GETS UNDERWAY WEDNESDAY

MAOIST CENTRAL COMMITTEE FINALLY GETS UNDERWAY WEDNESDAY
Kathmandu, 11 Jan. : The regularly postponed
Maoist central committee meets Wednesday to consider and approve an amended political proposal of Chairman Prachanda incorporating suggestions of First Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya for a people’s war while pushing completion of the peace process and
constitution promulgation.
Both processes have been delayed.
The two factions of UCPN (Maoist) leading the government and the country’s largest party, which is also communist, decided to work in unison staving off an imminent split to turn the country into a communist state.
Prachanda is proposing a united approach pushing revolt party unity, constitution and peace
The Maoist chief Tuesday evening assured Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai supported the government chief who is also party second vice-chairman.
The party is facing obstacles to turn the country into a communist state after joining the political mainstream abandoning a 10-year guerrilla war after signing a 12-point New Delhi brokered by India.
There’s no need to change the government, Prachanda aide Agni
Sapkota said after the Prachanda, Bhattarai meet at Bakuwatar official residence of the government chief.
The Bhattarai government should get the shape of a national
government, Prachanda assured the premier.
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SUPREME COURT INTERVENES TO STOP TRANSFER OF KING TRIBHUVAN BUST
Kathmandu, 11 Jan: A single bench of the Supreme Court Tuesday stayed a cabinet decision to remove a bust of King Tribhuvan from Sahid Gate and relocate it at Narayanhiti National Museum.
Another single bench of the apex court prohibited the Electricity tariff Fixation Commission (ETCF) not to raise power
tariff more than five percent.
The benches were issued the orders in response to
public interest litigations filed at the court.
Power tariff was being hiked 20 percent from Magh
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290TH BIRTHDAY OF KING PRITHVI NARAYAN SHAH THE GREAT BEING CELEBRATED
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.; Amid demands the birthday of King Prithvi Narayan Shah The Great be celebrated as National
Unity Day, the 290th birthday of the founder and unifier of modern Nepal is being celebrated Wednesday.
Then government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala stoped celebrating the birthday as National Unity Day
King Gyanendra, under public and international pressure, restored a parliament that had completed its tenure and appointed Koirala premier.
Demands have been made to reinstate National Unity Day to remember the founder and unifier of modern Nepal.
Successive governments after Koirala have attempted to undermine the contribution of Prithvi Narayan Shah whose statute from Hanuman Dhoka has been transported to Gorkha.
Amid stiff resistance, the Baburam Bhattarai government is now attempting to remove a bust of King Tribhuvan from Sahid Gate to Narayanhiti.
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POSTPONEMENT OF PM WEN’S VISIT WON’T AFFECT NEPAL-CHINA TIES SAYS DPM SHRESTHA
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has made it clear that postponement of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's visit to Nepal, at a time when the date was not fixed formally, would not affect the diplomatic relations between the two countries, RSS reports.

Shrestha said diplomatic efforts were underway from Nepal's side for Jiabao's visit to Nepal adding that Chinese Premier's visit was postponed due to China's domestic reasons.

"High-level diplomatic channels are taking initiatives to fix date for Chinese PM's visit to Nepal. Positive decisions will be taken to this effect," Shrestha said speaking at a meeting of the International Relations and Human Rights Committee (IRHRC) on Legislature-Parliament on Tuesday.

He said serious requests were made to the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong Government to issue visa to Nepalis workers that were banned since 2005. "This issue will be taken ahead with due importance."

Shrestha also said that efforts were underway to bring the antic weapons sold to the international companies and assured that additional efforts would be taken once the probe committee led by lawmaker Pradip Gyawali finalises its report.

The Foreign Affairs Minister said, "Issue of weapons sales and return will be discussed in diplomatic channels."

Also speaking on the occasion, Nabin Ghimire, Secretary at the Ministry of Defence said additional homework will be started after the report of the probe committee formed by the S
tate Affairs Committee.
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NEPAL GETS 16.5 MILLION EURO GRANT
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: Nepal Tuesday received a 16.5 million euro grant equivalent to NRs.1.8 billion from United
Kingdom and the European Union (EU) under a Nepal Climate Change Support Programme (NCCSP): Building Climate Resilience
An agreement was signed in Kathmandu Tuesday between the government and the foreign agencies.
UK will provide Euro 7.9 million and the EU will provide Euro 8.6 million.

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EC WARNS POLITICAL PARTIES TO
PRESENT FINANCIAL STATUS
Kathmandu, 11 Jan: Most of the political parties, including the Unified CPN- Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, are most likely to miss the deadline for submitting details of their income and expenditure this year as well, The Himalayan Times reports.
At a press meet on Tuesday, Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety said only Rastriya Janamorcha and Hindu Prajatantra Party have submitted details of their income and spending. The parties have yet to submit their election campaign spending of the Constituent Assembly elections in 2008. Parties have to make public their source of income and expenditure within six months of fiscal year. “We have asked the parties to submit the details by mid-January or face legal action. Their party registration may also be scrapped,” Uprety warned.
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MEDIA GOOGLE
“King Tribhuvan risked his throne, and life when he moved to Indian embassy in Kathamandu, and then to Delhi, tin codination with Nepali Congress with a common objective of establishing democracy in Nepal. To belittle the contribution of a hero; is a crime against the nation. In any case, Bhattarai has been insulting our martyrs as he chose not to go to Sahid Gate to offer his
homage to them when he became prime minister. He has been systematically towards making the outcome of 1990 and 1950 movement irrelevant.”

(Former Mayor P.L.Singh, The Reporter, 11 Jan.)
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“There were 15 rooms booked in Hotel Xeniel [in Birtnagar] – a suite for Prime Minister Bhattarai and his wife
Sushila—and he was the guest of DFID and IFC which jointly organized the symposium. A joint secretary of the Finance Ministry read out a ‘concept paper’ and Finance Secreary Chaired the session. Participants say it was more of a
ritual, and ’we felt uncomfortable when we knew that the prime minister’s visit inside his own country [to push
purchase of second hand diesel plants when there were two dozen unused at home].
(The Reporter 11 Jan.)
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KMC VOWS TO JOIN DEMOLITION DRIVE
Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: At a time when the Department of Roads and the Kathmandu Valley Town Development Committee have been widening roads in the Valley, Kathmandu Metropolitan City today said it would also dismantle illegally built structures in the Capital city, The Hiimalayan Times reports.

DoR has been widening roads in nine areas: Baneshwor, Kamalpokhari, Baluwatar, Maharajgunj, Kalimati-Balkhu and Lainchaur.

The roads constructed by DoR were encroached in several parts. However, local roads, which fall under the purview of local bodies, are yet to be widened. “Many buildings have been made by encroaching on city roads,” said Gyanendra Karki, spokesperson for KMC. “Moreover, the houses are being constructed flouting building codes, making them prone to disaster.”

According to KMC, about 15 per cent of the houses in the city have encroached upon public space, and at least 30 per cent of one lakh houses in the city have been constructed flouting building codes.

“There are high-rise buildings that have encroached upon public space. KMC is planning to take action against those houses built illegally and against building codes,” said Karki. “If the Town Planning Development Committee coordinates with us, we will immediately proceed,” he said adding, “This job requires cooperation from all sectors.”

Bhaikaji Tiwari, city planner of the Valley, said that the problem of encroachment has become pervasive due to negligence on the part of KMC. “The Local Self Governance Act and regulations on building codes have not been implemented yet,” he said.

“Why did the municipals approve building site maps without studying them properly?” Tiwari added that KMC had not asked the committee for help. “If KMC asks, we will certainly help them,” he added.

According to him, an all-round strategic plan to widen Valley roads will take full shape within 10 days.

Municipal facts

• About 15 per cent of the houses in the city have encroached upon public space

• At least 30 per cent of one lakh houses in the city have been constructed flouting building codes.
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MAOIST CHIEF ASSURES BHATTARAI SUPPORTERS HE’S BEHIND PM


Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: A day after he assured party radicals that he would recall Baburam Bhattarai from the government to accommodate the radical faction´s demand for party unity, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Tuesday told senior leaders close to Bhattarai that it would be a "great injustice" against him (Dahal) even to think that he could make such commitment, Post B. Basnet reports.

"It is true that I have taken initiatives for party unity, but it would be a great injustice to me if you even thought that I have pledged to them [Baidya faction leaders] about changing government leadership," a senior leader who was present at the meeting quoted Dahal as saying during the meeting.

According to leaders, Dahal had also pledged to the leaders of the Bhattarai faction that the latter would not quit the line of peace and constitution.

"The chairman briefed the leaders about his agreement with them [the Baidya faction leaders], and assured that the party would take initiatives to form a national consensus government under the current prime minister," said party leader Ganga Shrestha, who is also the personal secretary of Prime Minister Bhattarai.

After they reached an agreement with Dahal to formulate a common political proposal in line with the spirit of the "revolutionary" line of the Palungtar plenum and withhold both Dahal´s and Baidya´s documents for now, Baidya faction leaders had told the media Monday on record that Dahal had agreed to change the government leadership.

During the meeting, Dahal had also explained the difficulties he faced to bring the Baidya faction to agreement.

"While one group of that [Baidya] faction wants to go its own way and split the party, there is another strong group which wants to settle things amicably. And the latter group made the reconciliation possible. They are no longer as obstinate as before," a participant quoted Dahal as saying.
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During the meeting, the leaders had warned that that it would be a great mistake on his part to quit the line of peace and constitution and favor revolt.

While the leaders close to Bhattarai say there must have been some agreement between Dahal and Baidya about changing government leadership, which was Baidya´s one of the major demands for party unity, Baidya faction is more or less assured that changing the government leadership in the immediate future is almost impossible given the current dynamics inside and outside the party.

"The other political parties might be thinking that it is an opportune time to change the government as the Maoists are seeing intra-party crisis. Similarly, some leaders from our own party might be pushing for the change of government leadership. But it is not possible given the current political dynamics," said Ram Karki who is close to Bhattarai.

Bhattarai has tarnished party´s image: Gajurel

Meanwhile, Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel said Tuesday that his party decided to move ahead united to achieve the goals of the "people´s war".

"We found that it would be impossible to implement the agendas of the people´s war if we split. So we decided to keep party unity intact," he said. Gajurel, who is close to Baidya, stated that Chairman Dahal has agreed to review the four-point deal reached with the Madhesi parties for the formation of the current government, seven-point PLA integration deal and BIPPA signed with India.

The party secretary also argued that it there is no option for Bhattarai other than to step down. "The party´s image is being tarnished due to Bhattarai´s continued presence in the government," he said.

He also said that the central committee meeting slated for Wednesday would categorically bring out the details of the "ideological deviations" the party leadership has undergone till date and a roadmap to make corrections.



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UNESCO CONCERNED OVER NEW LUMBINI PROJECT

Kathmandu, 11 Jan.: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has expressed serious concern over the government´s move to allow a Chinese INGO to carry out a controversial multi-billion dollar construction project at Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddha, Kosh.Raj Koirala writes in Republica.

The expression of concern by the World Heritage Center of UNESCO came after Culture Minister Gopal Kiranti recently gave the go-ahead to an affiliate of the Asia Pacific Exchange Cooperation (APEC) Foundation despite strong opposition from ministry officials on the ground that the proposed construction would be against the original master plan for the development of Lumbini, which is on the list of world heritage sites in Nepal.

A letter, sent by Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director General for Culture at the World Heritage Center, to the Culture Ministry through diplomatic channels, stated that the proposed construction at the birthplace of Lord Buddha flouts guideline 172 of the operational guidelines for implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

Operational guideline 172 requires State Parties to inform the Committee, through the Secretariat, of their intention to undertake or to authorize major restorations or new constructions in an area protected under the Convention, which may affect the outstanding universal value of the property.

Notice should be given as soon as possible and before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse so that the Committee may assist in seeking appropriate solutions to ensure that the outstanding universal value of the property is fully preserved.

The Lumbini master plan developed with 1 million dollar financial support from the United Nations Development Program in 1978 aims at restoring an area of about 7.7 square kilometers, to be known as the Lumbini Garden, centering on the garden and the Asoka Pillar, with an additional area of 64.5 square kilometers to be developed in its support. The plan was developed by Dr Kenzo Tange at the personal initiative of then UN Secretary-General U Thant of Burma.

The UNESCO letter dated December 20, 2011 states that the World Heritage Center has recently been informed of a new development --proposed construction of a giant Buddha -- which may impact the property. “I would like to request your authorities to provide clarification on the proposed project. I would also appreciate receiving the details of the project along with comments from competent Nepali authorities regarding the potential influences on the outstanding universal value of the world heritage property,” the letter further states.

Minister Kiranti, however, said the process of granting permission to the Chinese INGO is not yet complete. “I had invited representatives of the INGO and talked to them about the project. I have asked them to fulfill due procedures and deposit the necessary amount for the proposed construction,” he told Republica. “I am surprised at the rumor that I granted permission to expedite construction work.”

Kiranti said representatives of the INGO headed by a Chinese envoy to Nepal during the 1990s shared their frustration with him over bureaucratic hassles in Nepal. “They seemed very frustrated. They told me that they had already visited Nepal 19 times for the Lumbini construction work,” he said.

Among other things, the INGO allegedly backed plans to erect a 115-meter tall Buddha, a prayer hall accomodating over 4,000 pilgrims and a five-star hotel with all sorts of facilities including swimming pools within the monument zone. The project is estimated to cost over US dollars 8 billion.

However, ministry officials, confirming the minister´s nod for the construction work, expressed surprise over the move at a time when a National Directive Committee headed by the chairman of the UCPN (Maoist), the minister´s own party, has been formed to attract more UN involvement in the development of Lumbini.

It may be recalled that Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal, who visited New York recently along with other members of the Directive Committee to court support from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the project, is a joint-chairman of the Hong Kong-based APEC Foundation, which remains silent even in the wake of huge controversy over its credibility.

A new Chinese INGO, which has many members from the APEC Foundation, has been named for carrying out the construction work, following the controversy surrounding APEC.

The project has drawn much controversy ever since media raised questions about the credibility of the APEC Foundation which initially showed interest in investing in the project, and about the real intention of a project which the Chinese government is reportedly so willing to invest in through a back channel.

“Why does the issue of the proposed constructions come up every time a new minister takes charge at the ministry? There must be some vested interest behind it,” argued a retired official of the ministry.

The proposed constructions stalled after then culture secretary Moda Raj Dotel tendered his resignation in August after then culture minister Khagendra Prasain allegedly exerted undue pressure to endorse the ´controversial´ project. Ministry officials have maintained that though the cabinet led by Madhav Kumar Nepal gave its ´agreement in principle´ the ministry should not allow a private company to carry out the proposed constructions, which go against the original master plan for Lumbini development.

Dotel, in his then capacity as secretary of the ministry, had forwarded a file on the project to Prasain with the comment that it is not appropriate to allow a ´questionable´ INGO to carry out constructions within the monument zone of the Lumbini master plan.

As newly-appointed Culture Secretary Dinesh Hari Adhikari also did not want to change the comments, Minister Kiranti had ´unilaterally´ directed the Lumbini Development Trust to allow the construction work, according to officials at the Culture Ministry.

Kiranti said he is personally in favor of upholding the decision of the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led cabinet to allow construction as this would help promote religious tourism and bring infrastructure development. “I don´t understand why UNESCO, which did not say anything when the Madhav Nepal government took the decision, is raising its concerns now,” he said.
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