NEPAL PLAYS UZBEKISTAN IN AFC U-22 CHAMPIONSHIP Kathmandu, 20 June:: Nepal plays Uzbekistan in the AFC U-22 Championship Group ‘D’ Qualifiers at the Dasharath Ranghashala Wednesday. Nepal has won against Bangladesh and lost to Yemen in two previous outings. The is playing for a win to strengthen its hope for qualifying for the next round. DIFFERENCES IMPEDE REDUCTION IN SAFTA SENSITIVE LIST Kathmandu, 20 June: A crucial meeting of Working Group of eight South Asian countries, which was supposed to slash the existing long list of sensitive items - on which they have refused to trade at zero tariffs, ended Tuesday without any Headway, Bhoj Ram Poudel writes in Republica.. The meeting ended inconclusively after the members of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) remained divided over the modality for downsizing the list. “India, Pakistan, Bhutan and the Maldives wanted all the members to downsize the items in sensitive list to just 100 products. We could not agree to it,” one of the officials, who participated in the meeting, told Republica. Contrary to their proposal, officials from other SAARC countries, including Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, proposed that the list be gradually reduced by 30 percent over the span of next 5 years. Nepal that opposed the former modality, however, maintained its silence on the latter proposal as well. “We did not express commitment of any sort because we are still to implement the previous commitments on tariff liberalization,” said the source. The eight-member bloc of SAARC had agreed to trade under free trade agreement in 2004, and enforced the SAFTA regime in 2006, eying to create jobs and reduce poverty through trade integration. However, the intra-regional trade has not yet made significant headway largely due to the long sensitive list. Presently, the sensitive list has as much as 20 percent of total regional tradable items. Worse is that each member countries have largely included items of others exports interest in the list. Realizing this constraint, the SAARC leaders during the last Summit asked the Working Group to further downsize the items in the sensitive list so that the members in the region could trade more freely and meaningfully. The meeting in Kathmandu was held as a part of this negotiation. “Around 3 to 4 modalities for further reduction of sensitive list were tabled during the meeting. But nothing concrete could be decided,” said Naindra Prasad Upadhaya, joint secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supply (MoCS). Given the difference and failure to come up with any concrete plan for further reduction of sensitive list, the Working Group on Reduction of Sensitive List (WGRSL) ended the meeting, deciding to meet again in September. Officials said all the SAARC members have expressed commitments to further open up their markets. “Hopefully, we will reach to some conclusion when we discuss on the new proposals in the next meeting,” said the official. As for the separate meeting on South Asia Trade in Services (SATIS), which began on Tuesday, officials said member countries are still negotiating and proposing sectors that they will open for service trade. “Negotiations are still on in very basic issues,” Upadhaya made a very short comment. Nnnn UML OPPOSEDETHNIC PROVINCES Kathmandu, June: 20: CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal has announced at the party´s national conclave that the party will stand for a federal model based on multi-ethnic identities and wouldn´t accept the proposal to delineate provinces on the basis of single-ethnic identity, Tirtha L. Bhusal writes in Republica.. The party chairman made the announcement upon the conclusion of the party´s two-day national conclave on Tuesday. "We can´t go for the idea of naming provinces after neutral identities alone nor can we accept the proposal to delineate separate provinces on the basis of the single identities of some specific ethnic communities," a participant quoted Khanal as saying. Addressing the gathering, the party´s other two top leaders, Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Sharma Oli, also underscored the possible consequences that may arise from adoption of solely ethnicity-based federalism. According to participants, the leaders urged the dissident leaders, who have been pressing the party to accept a single identity-based federal system, to seek a solution from within the party instead of boycotting party meetings. The gathering concluded after collecting the party representatives´ suggestions on state restructuring, resolution of the present political crisis and the party´s future course in the changed context. Leaders participating in the gathering said most of the representatives suggested to the party leadership to adopt a federal model based on multi-ethnic identity and not to go for a single ethnic identity-based model as demanded by a group of dissident leaders within the party. "We have suggested to the leaders to stand for multi ethnic-identity because our society is multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious and we need to respect this diversity while delineating provinces in a federal setup," party politburo member Thammaya Thapa Magar told Republica. Around 500 representatives from across the country gathered in Kathmandu to discuss the issues. They were divided into six groups for holding group discussions. According to her, other groups also offered similar suggestions and each group emphasized the need for the co-existence of ethnic and sectarian diversity while delineating provinces. "On number of provinces, the representatives have suggested not to exceed seven or eight," said Magar. Similarly, the group from the mid-west development region categorically turned down the proposal for delineating provinces based on the identity of a specific ethnic community. On a way out of the present political crisis, the group said the president should call on the political parties to form an all-party government. "Then the disputed issues in constitution writing should be decided by a referendum. Election for a new parliament and a referendum should be held simultaneously," said Surya Thapa, who led the group from the mid-west development region. It has suggested that the party not advocate the reinstatement of the recently-dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA). Dissident group awaits CC decision A group of dissident leaders including Vice-chairman Ashok Rai and Prithivi Subba Gurung, Ram Chandra Jha, Bijay Subba and Rajendra Shrestha boycotted the two-day event. Shrestha said they did not attend the conclave as the party leaders didn´t allow them to table the group´s separate report. "We will now decide our next move after studying the decision of the forthcoming central committee meeting," he said. "We may remain in the party if the leadership addresses our nine-point demand. Otherwise, we may have to establish a new force." Nnnn MAOIST CADRE DEJECTED Kathmandu, 20 June: The impact of the newly formed Communist Party of Nepal, Maoist (CPN,M), the breakaway faction of the UCPN-Maoist led by Mohan Baidhya, is largely weak in the four state committees — Kochila, Limbuwan, Kirat and Mithila states in the east, Somnath Bastola writes in The Himalayan Times from Itahari. . Those deemed loyal to Mohan Baidhya stayed away from the faction’s national gathering held in Kathmandu. The absence of some influential leaders in the national conclave has given a blow to the newly-formed party. As of Tuesday, very few leaders and cadres from the east have parted ways from the mother party and joined the breakaway faction. The Baidhya-led party’s grip in Kochila seems to be satisfactory. Baidhya has substantial grip over cadres in Sunsari. Though the new party’s influence in Morang appears to be moderately strong, its clout in Jhapa is very weak. According to a source, Sabitri Kumar Kafle (Samar) will lead Kochila state of the CPN, M. Samar was sub-secretary of Kochila in the Unified CPN-Maoist. Padam Rai heads Kirat Rajya Committee of the new party. He was sub-in-charge of the UCPN-Maoist Kirant Rajya Committee. Roshan Janakpuri has been made secretary of Mithila State Committee. Mahendra Paswan has been given charge of both Bhojpura and Mithila states. Okhaldhunga, party in-charge Mohan Khadka and 60 per cent members of the District Committee have joined the new party. Baburam Rai and Sangita Gari former PLA brigadiers who opted for voluntary retirement have joined the Baidhya camp. All Nepal Farmers’ Union vice-chairman Subash Agasti (Jhapa), All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary)’s central members Prahlad Raut (Sunsari), Jayaram Sundas (Morang), Dalit Morcha’s central secretariat members Dipal Lakandri (Jhapa), Umita Baraili (Sunsari), Limbuwan Mukti Mrcha’s central secretary Kanchha Lawati (Ilam) have joined the CPN, M. Some leaders say that Baidhya’s party has greater control in the east when the influence of the three different factions led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Baburam Bhattarai and Narayankaji Shrestha are considered. Aaditya, a Baidhya supporter, said Baidhya has greater clout and control across the country among Maoist cadres. The split in the UCPN-M has disappointed neutral Maoist cadres. UCPN-M central member Dilip Sah complained, “Cadres are compelled to be divided reluctantly due to wrangling between top leaders”. Sah charged that the top leaders had split the party for their personal interest. He said both party and country would lose a lot from the division. UCPN-Maoist central adviser Kunta Sharma said the party split had let her down. “The split has weakened the UCPN-Maoist,” Sharma said adding, Dahal and Baburam have failed to meet people’s aspirations and got deviated from party policy”. UCPN-Maoist leader Gopal Kirant said that it was the saddest moment in his life. “I heard the news of party split through local FM in Solu. I was very upset.” The division in the party has disappointed lower level UCPN-M activists. UCPN-M Bhojpura member Trilochana Lohara said the split was unfortunate. UCPN-Maoist Terhathum District Secretariat member Raghu Gautam said that activists should press the leadership of both parties to unite. The split in the UCPN-M is likely to strain family relation of different Maoist leaders and cadres. Almost half a dozen couples in Kochila State Committee have been divided. Kochila State Committee member and Sunsari sub-in-charge Saraswoti Pokhrael(Sharada) has joined the Baidhya-led CPN, M while her husband Shiva Dangi is Kochila State Committee Secretariat member of the UCPN-M. Likewise, Kochila State Committee member Rachana and Yogesh too have parted ways politically. Rachana has joined CPN, M where as Yogesh(husband) is with UCPN-M. Kochila state committee members Umita Baraili and her husband Dipesh Pariyar too have chosen different parties. Umita has been openly supporting Baidhya while Dipesh is with UCPN-Maoist. The impact of the division can be felt in different families as well. Members of the same family too have supported separate parties. On victim of the party division said the split had them worried that families might fall apart. Nnnn NOD TO ORDIANCE EXCEPTION NOT RULE SAYS PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR Kathmandu, 20 June: A day after President Ram Baran Yadav promulgated two Ordinances as per the request of the government, legal adviser to the Head of the State, Surya Dhungel, said today that issuance of Ordinance was ‘selective’ and would not be ‘common’ in future, Ananta Raj Luitel writes in The Himalayan Times . “This was a selective decision and cannot be general,” Dhungel said, adding that since it was essential for the nation, the Head of the State approved the money laundering ordinances to prevent the blacklisting of Nepal by Financial Task Force (FATF). Dhungel also said the President decided to issue the Mutual Legal Assistance Ordinance and Extradition Ordinance because the parties had tabled the bills in parliament before the CA dissolution which doubles as parliament and it was meaningless to oppose the decisions now. Citing Article 88 of the Interim Constitution, the President issued the executive-made laws on the last day before the FATF deadline expired despite serious opposition from Congress, UML and 27 other parties. “It was not a new issue but had been misinterpreted by political parties in the present political context,” Dhungel argued. “Additionally, the President took the decision only after consulting political parties and financial experts as it was related to Nepal’s image,” he claimed. Dhungel also added that even though the right to issue ordinance was an extraordinary matter most persons who met the President had suggested bringing the Ordinances. Dhungel also hinted that issuance of ordinance will not be a common phenomenon. “It must not be taken in the future that the President will accept all recommendations of the government,” Dhungel clarified. “He has the right to test the rationale behind everything,” he reasoned. Dhungel also emphasised political consensus before the parties take any major decision in future as required by the Interim Constitution. “If the parties want to hold election or seek a way out of the political crisis, the President may invoke Article 158, but they must forge consensus first,” he added. Dhungel ruled out 'rule by ordinance' and said there is no possibility of the government acting unilaterally. “Without political consensus there is no way out of the present constitutional and political crisis,” Dhungel added. nnnn