THREE PARTYMEET INCONCLUSIVE

THREE PARTY MEET INCONCLUSIVE UPDATE

Kathmandu, 26 Jan.: A brief meeting between the Big Three was inconclusive
Thursday morning.
Opposition parties have decided to obstruct legislative session
later in the day.
Maoist office bearers leading the government with Madeshbadi
parties urged government to ahead with a cabinet decision to implement decisions of parallel Maoist
governments to seize assets.
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MORE DETAILS OF PRICE HIKE UPDATE

Kathmandu, 26 Jan.: A Maoist meeting of office bearers Thursday asked government to reconsider a decision to hike prices of POL products.
A front of Madeshbadis parties in government also asked
Maoists Wednesday in consultative meeting to reconsider the price hike as anti-government protests swell.
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EC TO PROBE PARTY FINANCES
Kathmandu, 26 Jan : The Election Commission (EC) is soon to begin investigations into the financial reports submitted by the political parties to see whether or not they have made full disclosures of their finances and have followed standard accounting and auditing practices as required by law, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.
A source at the EC told Republica on Wednesday that a committee headed by Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung has started studying the financial details furnished by political parties registered with the EC.

"The committee will consult experts and certified auditors while studying the financial details received from the parties," the source said, adding, "If the study finds the political parties not meeting standard accounting practices, the Election Commission will report the shortcomings to the parties concerned."

Officials who have seen the financial details submitted by the parties say that most of the parties seem to have prepared their financial statements just as a formality to escape possible action by the EC. For instance, 19 parties, including Nepali Congress, have submitted only partial financial details, thereby raising legitimate questions about how genuine the reports are.

Despite the existence of legal provisions that empower the EC to revoke the registration of any party that fails to submit its audited financial reports for three consequtive years, only 30 political parties submitted their financial details to the EC by the second week of January, and that too only after they got a reprimand from the EC. Similarly, 31 parties did not respond at all. There are altogether 77 parties that are supposed to abide by this legal provision and submit their reports to the EC every fiscal year.

Political leaders, who need to manage their parties´ finances, concede shortcomings in maintaining proper accounts.

Amik Sherchan, the Maoist party´s finance department chief, said the party central committee does not maintain details of financial activities at the district level as the district committees manage their incomes and expenditures independently.

“We are ready to clarify to the Election Commission about our party´s income and expenditures if the constitutional body wants to verify the financial reports we submitted,” Sherchan told Republica.

His party generated a total of Rs 83 million during fiscal year 2007/08 while it spent Rs 75 million during the same period.

Similarly, the country´s largest party earned a total of Rs 99 million during fiscal year 2008/09 from various sources and spent Rs 92 million the same fiscal year. In addition, the party generated Rs 114 million during fiscal 2009/10 and spent Rs 116 million the same year while its total income last fiscal year was Rs 132 million and expenditure Rs 128 million.

A pertinent question is, weather this level of income is enough to pay for over 80,000 whole-time cadres and mobilize another 200,000 organized members.

“Our party is not like the other, capitalist political parties; our cadres participate in programs organized by the party but while doing so they meet their own expenses,” stated Sherchan, defending the financial details the party submitted to the EC.

Similarly, the accuracy of financial details submitted by the CPN-UML is also questionable. The report shows that the party generated Rs 75 million in fiscal year 2007/08 alone, the highest in the last four years, and it spent 58 million the same fiscal year. CPN-UML generated a total of Rs 67 million during fiscal year 2008/09 from various sources and spent Rs 52 million that year.

Similarly, the party generated Rs 45 million during fiscal 2009-10 and spent Rs 27 million during the same period. Likewise, CPN-UML generated Rs 43 million in 2010-11 and spent Rs 26 million that fiscal year.

Member of the CPN-UML´s central audit commission Bishnu Bahadur Raut said that the income and expenditures of his party are very low because "communist parties are run with the help of cadres and well-wishers".

“While attending the party´s programs, our cadres bring their own rice, pulses and other food items and these expenses are not incorporated in our financial activities. That´s why it may seem our overall expenditure is very low,” said Raut. He also said his party was ready to clarify to the EC if there are any questions over its finances.

“We are ready to cooperate with the EC in this process as it will help the political parties make their financial activities more transparent,” Raut said.

The report of another political party, NC, is not only questionable but also incomplete as it has not submitted its income and expenditure statement for fiscal year 2010/11. It has sought two more months to finalize its statement. The NC collected Rs 16 million in fiscal year 2007/08 and spent Rs 17 million. It generated Rs 3.08 million in 2008/09 and spent Rs 4.01 million. Details provided by the NC show that the party ran a loss in two consecutive fiscal years -- 2007/08, 2008/09. NC generated a total of Rs 49 million in 2009/10 while it spent Rs 9.8 million.

Chief Secretary of NC Basanta Gautam said that the income and expenditures in the report submitted to the EC seem very low because the party has excluded financial activities at district level.

“Our party does not pay for any central leaders like the communit parties do; we just provide salaries to staff working at the central office,” said Gautam.

Gautam also pledged that they were ready to respond to the EC if the constitutional body has any queries regarding the financial reports submitted by NC.
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EC TO PROBE PARTY FINANCES
Kathmandu, 26 Jan : The Election Commission (EC) is soon to begin investigations into the financial reports submitted by the political parties to see whether or not they have made full disclosures of their finances and have followed standard accounting and auditing practices as required by law, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.
A source at the EC told Republica on Wednesday that a committee headed by Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung has started studying the financial details furnished by political parties registered with the EC.

"The committee will consult experts and certified auditors while studying the financial details received from the parties," the source said, adding, "If the study finds the political parties not meeting standard accounting practices, the Election Commission will report the shortcomings to the parties concerned."

Officials who have seen the financial details submitted by the parties say that most of the parties seem to have prepared their financial statements just as a formality to escape possible action by the EC. For instance, 19 parties, including Nepali Congress, have submitted only partial financial details, thereby raising legitimate questions about how genuine the reports are.

Despite the existence of legal provisions that empower the EC to revoke the registration of any party that fails to submit its audited financial reports for three consequtive years, only 30 political parties submitted their financial details to the EC by the second week of January, and that too only after they got a reprimand from the EC. Similarly, 31 parties did not respond at all. There are altogether 77 parties that are supposed to abide by this legal provision and submit their reports to the EC every fiscal year.

Political leaders, who need to manage their parties´ finances, concede shortcomings in maintaining proper accounts.

Amik Sherchan, the Maoist party´s finance department chief, said the party central committee does not maintain details of financial activities at the district level as the district committees manage their incomes and expenditures independently.

“We are ready to clarify to the Election Commission about our party´s income and expenditures if the constitutional body wants to verify the financial reports we submitted,” Sherchan told Republica.

His party generated a total of Rs 83 million during fiscal year 2007/08 while it spent Rs 75 million during the same period.

Similarly, the country´s largest party earned a total of Rs 99 million during fiscal year 2008/09 from various sources and spent Rs 92 million the same fiscal year. In addition, the party generated Rs 114 million during fiscal 2009/10 and spent Rs 116 million the same year while its total income last fiscal year was Rs 132 million and expenditure Rs 128 million.

A pertinent question is, weather this level of income is enough to pay for over 80,000 whole-time cadres and mobilize another 200,000 organized members.

“Our party is not like the other, capitalist political parties; our cadres participate in programs organized by the party but while doing so they meet their own expenses,” stated Sherchan, defending the financial details the party submitted to the EC.

Similarly, the accuracy of financial details submitted by the CPN-UML is also questionable. The report shows that the party generated Rs 75 million in fiscal year 2007/08 alone, the highest in the last four years, and it spent 58 million the same fiscal year. CPN-UML generated a total of Rs 67 million during fiscal year 2008/09 from various sources and spent Rs 52 million that year.

Similarly, the party generated Rs 45 million during fiscal 2009-10 and spent Rs 27 million during the same period. Likewise, CPN-UML generated Rs 43 million in 2010-11 and spent Rs 26 million that fiscal year.

Member of the CPN-UML´s central audit commission Bishnu Bahadur Raut said that the income and expenditures of his party are very low because "communist parties are run with the help of cadres and well-wishers".

“While attending the party´s programs, our cadres bring their own rice, pulses and other food items and these expenses are not incorporated in our financial activities. That´s why it may seem our overall expenditure is very low,” said Raut. He also said his party was ready to clarify to the EC if there are any questions over its finances.

“We are ready to cooperate with the EC in this process as it will help the political parties make their financial activities more transparent,” Raut said.

The report of another political party, NC, is not only questionable but also incomplete as it has not submitted its income and expenditure statement for fiscal year 2010/11. It has sought two more months to finalize its statement. The NC collected Rs 16 million in fiscal year 2007/08 and spent Rs 17 million. It generated Rs 3.08 million in 2008/09 and spent Rs 4.01 million. Details provided by the NC show that the party ran a loss in two consecutive fiscal years -- 2007/08, 2008/09. NC generated a total of Rs 49 million in 2009/10 while it spent Rs 9.8 million.

Chief Secretary of NC Basanta Gautam said that the income and expenditures in the report submitted to the EC seem very low because the party has excluded financial activities at district level.

“Our party does not pay for any central leaders like the communit parties do; we just provide salaries to staff working at the central office,” said Gautam.

Gautam also pledged that they were ready to respond to the EC if the constitutional body has any queries regarding the financial reports submitted by NC.
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WANTED NEPALI WOMAN DEPORTED FROM THAILAND
Kathmandu, 26 Jan.: Bangkok police on Tuesday nabbed Binita Pradhan, who was once the owner of AVCO International Pvt Ltd and Director of Cosmic Airlines, from Bangkok and subsequently handed her over to Nepal Police, Shreejana Shrestha writes in
Republica.

A team of Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in coordination with Department of Immigration took her into custody from Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday.

“The Interpol Bangkok nabbed Binita Pradhan after Indian government gave a tip-off that she was hiding in Bangkok and subsequently deported her to Nepal,” said DIG Upendra Kanta Aryal, the chief of Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police.

The Indian government had issued a red corner notice against her and four others--the promoter of AVCO Sanjay Pradhan, Anup Pradhan, Madhav Shrestha and Dhiren Tamang--for duping Indians on January 5, 2012. She was deported by Bangkok police via Thai Airlines flight number TG319, at around 12:30 pm on Wednesday.

A CIB source told Republica that 40-year-old Pradhan and her partners have a loan of IRS 121.8 million at State Bank of India. Similarly, the Indian government has alleged Pradhan for not using the cash credit limit meant for a vehicle transaction in 2007-2009.

“She diverted the facilities of cash credit limit to other than the specified purpose,” the source added. She has been accused of taking around Rs 80.5 million from a number of people and not delivering them the cars.

There were reports that the company duped at least 167 people who either paid full or partial payments to get new cars. The owners of AVCO International Pvt. Ltd, including Pradhan, were absconding since then.

The AVCO International Pvt. Ltd was one of the two authorized dealers of the Korean carmaker Hyundai in Nepal.

Pradhan had issued a Letter of Credit (LC) from Machchhapuchhre Bank and imported Hyundai vehicles but didn´t pay back the credit of 167 vehicles to the bank. The bank put her name in the blacklist after that. She, however, had already collected a large chunk of cash from people assuring them that she would provide them new cars.

People who made full or partial payment had placed orders for vehicles like Santro GLS, i10 Magna/Asta/Sports, Santro GL, i20 Magna/Asta and i10 Era. It has been revealed that 66 cars, of the total 167, were ordered through AVCO Cosmic Automobiles in Nagpokhari, while the rest of the vehicles were ordered through AVCO Tinkune.

A team of high-level officials from Hyundai Korea came to Nepal last year following the news reports about the delay in the transfer of ownership of the vehicles to the people who had placed the orders. Hyundai Korea then removed AVCO International as its authorized dealer in Nepal.

According to DIG Aryal, there are more than 61 fraud cases registered against Pradhan at Metropolitan Police Range, Hanumandhoka. Pradhan, who is currently in police custody at Hanumandhoka, will be taken to Kathmandu District Court where the police will seek Pradhan´s judicial custody for investigation.

Though there are cases filed against her in India on fraud charges, it is unlikely that she would be sent to India as there is no extradition treaty between the two countries.

“As per the legal law, we don´t need to send Pradhan to India even though there are fraud charges pending against her in that country. This is the issue to be resolved through diplomatic channel,”
said a CIB source.
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