UN CHIEF ARRIVES 28 APRIL

ITEMS BELOW DELAYED BY POWER FAILURE
UN CHIEF ARRIVES 28 APRIL
Kathmandu, 9 March.: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon arrives for a visit 28 April,, Lumbini Development National Directive Committee said Friday after its meeting.
Committee Coordinator Maoist Chairman Prachanda also confirmed the visit.pushed by the Maoist-led government to give a push to the development of the birthplace of The Buddha/
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RASHTRIYA JANAMORCHA CLOSES DOWN FAR-WEST PROTESTING A FEDERAL STRUCTURE
Kathamandu, 9 March: Rastriya Janamorcha has called a strike across the Far Western region protesting against federalism. The strike has affected transportation, industries, educational institutions and so forth.
Kathmandu, 9 March: Communist splinter group Rastriya Janamorcha Friday closed districts of the far-West continuing its protest against a federal structure.
Doti, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Achham and other districts were closed down.
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KIDNEY DONATIONS FOM BRAIN DEAD URGED
Kathmandu, 9 March:What could come as a relief for the patients of renal failure, doctors of late have argued that the problem could be solved to a large extent if the government permits organ donation after brain death, Manish Gautam writes in The Kathmandu Post.
Brain death is a situation in which a person’s brain functions have completely and irreversibly ceased but the heartbeats and blood flow are maintained through mechanical ventilation and medications.
According to Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, chief of the Kidney Transplant Unit at Bir Hospital, around 3,000 patients suffer from kidney failure in the country every year and around 90 percent of them die within a few months of the first symptoms.
“The patients have to either remain on dialysis or have a kidney transplant. However, only around 100 live donors are available for the 3,000 patients with renal failure,” Dr Shrestha said. “Therefore organ donation after brain death has to be authorised as soon as possible to save lives of hundreds of people.”
Stating that around 100 brain-deaths occur every year in Bir Hospital alone, Dr Shrestha said a brain-dead person could donate eight organs-a pair of eyes, a pair of kidneys, a pair of lungs, a heart and a pancreas-if a mechanism for such organ donation is developed.
So, what is hindering the country from adopting the organ donation from a brain-dead person?
According to Dr Divya Singh, senior nephrologists at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), the process of extracting organs from brain-dead person is complicated.
“We need the initial consent of the person before his or her death. But that doesn’t become enough as convincing the relatives of the brain-dead is a challenging job for which we need an experienced counselor,” Dr Singh said. “Since the brain-dead person has to be kept in ventilator before extracting the organs, there arises confusion regarding who is supposed to bear the cost of the extraction process. Is it the deceased or the recipients or the government?”
Dr Singh said the government bears the cost in the developed world.
Moreover, apart from the confusions about cost and consent, surgeons, anesthetists and other staffs must be ready for the extraction and transplant processes round the clock.
This follows another process of selecting eligible recipients, said Dr Singh. “The process of tracking down the recipients as registered in the central computer, which keeps the updated details, and making him or her available for transplantation within 48 hours of the organ extraction is the other technical glitch that the docs may have to go through,” she said.
Dr Singh also expressed her concern that the hospital authority must make sure that the selection process is fair and impartial.
“Political pressures are always likely to come along with these kinds of selection issues. It is up to the government how it manages these glitches,” she said.
She, however, stated that the process, though it seems very lengthy, can be started in the TUTH at the initial phase.
“Ninety percent of the organ donors are cadavers in the western world,” senior neurologist Dr Upendra Devkota said.
“Nepal was not prepared for the task a decade ago. But, the situation has changed now and we are equipped to perform such transplantations. This is right time to hit the iron as it is hot.”
The first successful kidney transplantation was performed at the TUTH on August 8, 2008 while Bir Hospital started the service from December 12 in the same year.
Till date almost 200 kidney transplants have been conducted in Nepal, through live donors. The TUTH and Bir Hospital are the only institutions authorised to carry out kidney transplantation in Nepal.
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NEPAL STILL UNDER INTERNATIONAL FINANCIALWATCH
Kathmandu, 9 March: Nepal is still under strict scrutiny of global anti-money laundering (AML) body, Mukul Humagain and, Prithvi Man Shrestha report in The Kathmanu .Post
International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG), an analysis wing of the global anti-money laundering body—Financial Action Task Force (FATF) — has asked the government to send Nepal’s progress report since last January with regard to anti-money laundering (AML) measures.
Nepal had avoided being blacklisted by FATF in February amid intense political lobbying at the highest level. ICRG’s Regional Review Group (RRG) that looks into Asia Pacific Region has recently written to Nepal asking the latter to send the report about its progress in meeting the country’s commitment with regard to anti-money laundering after Nepali officials held talks with RRG officials in Australia in January.
“We have been asked to send the progress report within March,” said Baikuntha Aryal, joint secretary at the Finance Ministry. “We have to prepare the report based on the progress made so far which will be discussed at the ICRG meeting to be held in May.” The ICRG submits its analysis to the FATF for discussion and to take decision whether the certain country should be blacklisted or not. The next FATF meeting will take place in June in Rome, Italy.
With the parliamentary session recently concluded and three separate bills-Bill on Controlling Organised Crime, Bill on Extradition and Bill on Mutual Legal Assistance yet to be endorsed by the parliament-Nepali officials fear the country has nothing to show about the progress at the moment. “Till these bills are passed, we have nothing to show as the progress at the moment,” conceded Aryal.
The FATF has warned of blacklisting Nepal frequently as the crucial bills have remained pending despite the country’s pledge to endorse them within 2010. “Now, there is no alternative except passing these bills to save the country from being blacklisted,” said Dharma Raj Sapkota, chief of Financial Information Unit (FIU) at Nepal Rastra Bank that keeps records of the possible money laundering activities.
The FATF has been showing deficiencies in Nepal’s failure to curb acts of money laundering and terrorist financing properly by introducing necessary laws. However, the Prime Minister himself and the government officials have failed to convince a section of the Maoists leaders about the dangers of being blacklisted.
That’s why, Finance Ministry is once again preparing to hold discussion with the lawmakers to convince them about the necessity of endorsing those bills. “We have also discussed with the Prime Minister for holding interaction with the lawmakers about the necessity of passing the bills,” said a senior official of the Finance Ministry. Although Nepal is not in the risk zone of FATF, the country has already felt the heat, with the US banks refusing to entertain Nepali embassy’s accounts in their banks.
First, Citi Bank and now Washington First Bank asked Nepali embassy in Washington to move its account. “We have been told to move our account from Washington First Bank within two months,” Nepali ambassador to the US Shankar Sharma told the Post over telephone.
He said that although the bank concerned has not explained clearly about its denial to entertain Nepali embassy’s account it looks like the bank concerned is not satisfied with Nepal’s record on anti-money laundering measures. “We are seeking a detail explanation about it,” he added. According to him, the embassy will have to seek another bank to deposit its money.
Citi Bank, which had sought to detach all relations with Nepal, citing low business volumes against the cost involved for doing business with Nepal, had also told Nepali embassy two months ago to close its account. The multinational lender has also told Nepal Rastra Bank and all commercial banks, with which it is involved in corresponding banking, that it is detaching all relations with Nepali government and private institutions.
Central bank officials feel that it is not just cost issue that has driven the Citi to exit from doing any corresponding banking with Nepal. “If it is cost, there are ways to address this issue either by raising fee or raising the minimum balance of nastro account of Nepali banks,” said a senor official of NRB. “Even though they don’t say directly but we sense that they see risk in continuing doing business with Nepali financial system.”
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OPPOSITION TO BLANKET AMNESTY FOR RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Kathmandu, 9 March: The Asian Human Rights Commission and Advocacy Forum today urged leaders of the major political parties — UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML — not to enshrine the provision of blanket amnesty to perpetrators of grave human rights violation in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Bill, The Himalayan Times reports.

In three separate open letters to the parties, the two rights watchdogs took exception to attempts to shield perpetrators of gross human rights violations from prosecutions and recalled that they may place Nepal in breach of its international obligations to provide victims with right to a legal redress under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In a joint submission to the 19th session of the Human Rights Council, Advocacy Forum and the Asian Legal Resource Centre, the AHRC’s sister organisation, expressed objection to the January proposal for blanket amnesty articulated by the parliamentary taskforce.

The letters argued that since signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord, victims have been made to wait for the establishment of transitional justice institutions. “Despite the Supreme Court’s repeated rulings that commitments to these commissions do not supersede regular justice institutions, police have time and time again refused to register and investigate conflict-related cases, claiming they should fall under the commissions’ jurisdiction,” read the letters. “If the institutions are now used as a means to provide amnesty to perpetrators, the victims’ fundamental rights to justice will be abused.”

AHRC and Advocacy Forum recalled the CPA is committed to accountability, justice and protection of the victims’ rights and the Interim Constitution mandates the state to adopt a political system upholding universally accepted fundamental human rights and the rule of law and independence of judiciary, and to eliminate impunity. The letters urged parties to make sure that adoption of transitional justice institutions facilitates impartial probe into all charges of rights violations.
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MORE OPPORTUNITES FOR MIGRANT WORKERS
Kathmandu, 9 March: Nepalis joining foreign jobs will increase in the coming months.

Prior job approval records at the Department of Foreign Employment indicate that Nepalis joining foreign jobs will cross 400,000 in the current fiscal year.

The department has granted prior job approvals to about 97,303 migrant workers in the past three months, The Himalayan Times reports.

It indicates foreign employment will boom in the coming days, said director at the department Kashiraj Dahal. “Growing prior job approvals shows that the future of foreign job migration is safe in the country,” he said.

According to the department, it has issued 217,732 prior job approvals since mid-July.

Usually, prior job approvals mature to final demands in three to six months.

However, experience shows that one-third of prior job approvals lapse as outsourcing agencies fail to send workers to the respective job markets.

About 223,940 Nepalis have reached foreign job markets in the last seven months.

The five popular destinations — Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait — hired over 90 per cent of the total Nepali migrant workers. Qatar hired 52,652 followed by Malaysia (41,075), Saudi Arabia (32,760), the United Arab Emirates (30,196) and Kuwait (9,376).
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AISC TEAMS START VACATING SATELLITE CAMPS FOR FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS

Kathmandu, 9 March :For the second day Friday, evacuation of 28 cantonments and satellite camps in the terai housing more than 17,000 plus Maoist fighters started
The region adjoining India in the south was celebrating Holi Thursday; work was concentrated in camps located in the hills.
Altogether 6,500 former fighters from among 9,000plus combatants will be housed in 15 of 28 camps for integration in Nepal Army.
Thirteen camps are being cleared for handover to Nepal Army and Armed Police Force (APF).
More than 7,200 former PLA fighters have gone into voluntary retirement to complete a delayed peace process.
Maoists and opposition are now haggling over conditions for integration of fighters in the cantonments satellite camps for assimilation in the state army.
The Rising Nepal adds:
Maoist cantonments are being reduced to 15 from 28 as those combatants retiring voluntarily have left the camps.
"The processes has started, and the AISC teams are working hard to vacate the satellite cantonments at the earliest" secretary at AISC secretariat Surya Silwal told The Rising Nepal.
According to him, the vacating process started after holding discussions with the commanders.
"We have sent trucks to take goods from satellite cantonment to the main cantonments speedily" he said.
Earlier, teams from the AISC secretariat Tuesday left for 13 different satellite cantonments with the aim to vacate them.
The AISC has mandated the secretariat to vacate the cantonments within 10 days.
According to Silwal, all satellite cantonments of seven main cantonments would be vacated, except the satellite cantonment of Kailali.
He said the Kailali satellite cantonment could not be vacated due to technical reasons.
Silwal informed the vacated cantonments would be handed over to the Nepal Army and the Armed Police Force to guard and take care.
"The arms of the cantonments will also be shifted to the main cantonments," he said.
Earlier, the AISC meeting on February 29 had decided to close down 13 of the 28 cantonments of the Maoist combatants within 10 days.
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PRACHANDA SPEAKON INTEGRATION





Kathmandu, 9 March :
Kathmandu, 9 March: UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Thursday said that army integration would be concluded as per the 7-point pact irrespective of whether a package deal on peace, constitution and consensus government was made or not, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking with a group of journalists at his residence, the chief of the main ruling party assured that other issues would not stand in the way of army integration.
He said integration process would complete even when discussions continued over other aspects of peace process and issues pertinent to constitution and formation of a unity government.
He stated the 7-point agreement signed on November 1 by three major parties and the Madheshi Morcha had provided principles of rank determination for integration of the PLA into the Nepal Army.
Prachanda, however, revealed there were some technical issues yet to be resolved to kick start integration process. He said agreement in this regard had already been reached with the Madheshi Morcha in Thursday’s meeting itself while discussion with the Nepali Congress on the same issue was held on the same day.
Informing that his party’s discussion with NC on army integration was close to agreement, he expressed hope that integration would complete within a couple of weeks.
Prachanda argued that issues related to state restructuring and basis of federalism were more complicated than issues of army integration.
He claimed that the political parties were close to agreement on a mixed form of governance with directly elected president and a prime minister elected from the parliament.
The chief of the largest party further claimed that parties were closer to agreement on judiciary, citizenship and electoral system and that the parties had a few differences over these issues.
He urged all to rest assured that the constitution would be promulgated by May 27.
Saying that NC was doing politics by rejecting to form a unity government before army integration, Prachanda expressed confidence that a unity government would be formed after conclusion of army integration.
He noted NC’s claim for the leadership of a unity government positive as he said that the Maoists and the CPN-UML had each led the government twice since the CA election.
Prachanda stressed that the peace process would move ahead even if there was no consensus government and made it clear that another majority government would not serve as an alternative to the present one.
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