APF PLAYS JHAPA IN WOMEN’S FOOTBALL MONDAY Kathmandu, 23 July: Armed Police Force (APF) play Jhapa in the NationalWOMEN’S Football Championship Monday in Chandranighapur. Bara plays Nepal Police in Simara. nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE "We can wait for another week. If no progress is made, we will ask the government to fix a new date for the election only after clearing all the hurdles for the poll," said Uprety. (Acting Chief Election Commissioner Neelkathha Uprety, The Himalayan Times, 23 July) Nnnn ________________________________________ GOVT.PROPOSES EXTRADITION, LEGAL TREATIES Kathmandu, 23 July: The Baburam Bhattarai-led government has geared up to implement its international obligations to implement the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, one and half years after Nepal ratified the international anti-corruption instrument that promised better cooperation among members countries to combat threat of corruption, Kiran Chapagain writes in Republica. The government has prepared a comprehensive national strategy and plan of actions to combat corruption by amending over two dozen existing laws. It also plans to strengthen capacities of the existing institutions and sign extradition treaties with the countries that are party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The government also proposes to bring corruption in private sector within the ambit of anti-corruption laws and promises to fight corruption by political parties. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is expected to make public the anti-corruption strategy and the plan of action, recently passed by the Bills Committee of the Cabinet, this week. In its anti-corruption strategy obtained by Republica from a source, the government has proposed to amend 27 laws, including the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act and Corruption Control Act. It further proposes to enact seven new laws -- Conflict of Interest Law, Intelligence Protection Act, International Organized Crime, Mutual Legal Assistance Act, Protection of Eyewitness, Victim and Experts, Extradition Act and laws related to developing the Money Laundering Investigation Department and the Department of Revenue as autonomous bodies. The government also aims to strengthen the capacity of the Supreme Court, the Special Court, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Office of the Attorney General, National Vigilance Center, Office of the Public Procurement Monitoring, Money Laundering Investigation Department, Revenue Investigation Department and the Office of the Comptroller General. Nepal ratified the UNCAC on February 23, 2011, joining international call to combat corruption effectively. The UNCAC aims at promoting and strengthening measures to combat and prevent corruption besides promoting, facilitating and supporting international cooperation and technical assistance. The national strategy has tried to address widespread corruption in private sector and has proposed to amend existing laws to make corruption in private sector criminal case and subject to punishment. The office of the prime minister will prepared legal mechanisms within two years to make such corruption punishable. Besides, the 119-page strategy also proposes conflict of interest in private sector business by amending existing laws and requiring the private sector to make their business more transparent. The strategy also aims to combat corruption by political parties. For this, the anti-corruption document proposes to amend existing laws relating to political parties and election so the political parties are required to make their funds more transparent. The document, first of its kind, also aims at seeking international cooperation to combat corruption and recover money amassed by corrupt individuals in foreign lands. For this, the government has proposed to sign extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with the countries which are party to the UN anti-corruption instrument. The extradition treaty requires countries to extradite person requested by state party for investigation and prosecution under domestic law. Similarly, the mutual legal assistance treaty requires signatory countries to extend mutual legal assistance in investigation, prosecutions and judicial proceedings in bribery. "I expected the national strategy and the plan of action have ensured the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption besides contributing to the campaign of the Nepal Government to end corruption," Bhattarai has said in the foreword of the document. Similarly, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire, in his foreword urged concerned authorities to effectively implement the strategy. Nnnn ________________________________________ MAOIST CHIEF BLAMES OPPOSITION FOR LIKELY DERAILMENT OF PEACE PROCESS Kathmandu, 23 July: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Sunday warned that the peace process may derail if the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML refuse to integrate the former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army in a dignified manner, Republica reports. “We will only have the option of asking the PLA members to take voluntary retirement if the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML refuse to integrate them in a dignified manner. This will push the country into another cycle of violence,” said Dahal at a press meet organized to make public the decision of his party´s seventh plenum that concluded on Saturday. The integration process has remained stalled for the past two weeks after the former PLA members refused to participate in the process demanding respectable integration into NA. They are concerned as NA has refused to recognize their academic degrees obtained after joining the peace process and age as mentioned during UNMIN verification in 2007. As many as 3,123 combatants are currently awaiting integration into NA. Dahal also urged the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML to press NA to recognize current academic qualification of the former combatants. He also conceded his failure to foresee possible technical difficulties while signing the seven-point agreement last November. The deal had paved the way for integration of the former Maoist combatants. "The Comprehensive Peace Accord envisions dignified integration of PLA members. But the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML rode roughshod over the accord´s spirit," Dahal said, adding, "We will talk again to the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML leaders to resolve technical problems. If they refuse, all the PLA members will choose voluntary retirement," he added. Chairman Dahal also said that Prime Minster Baburam Bhattarai would tender his resignation only after forging consensus between the political parties. "The allegation that Bhatarai has been a hindrance to consensus is baseless. The country will meet an accident if Bhattarai is forced to resign," said Dahal. Meanwhile, Bhattarai said the government is preparing to amend the interim constitution through ordinance to facilitate Nov 22 Constituent Assembly election. He also said that the Election Commission has already endorsed the government´s preparations to amend the interim constitution. nnnn ________________________________________ WORKER MIGRATION DOUBLES IN FIVE YEARS Kathmandu, 23 July: The number of Nepalis joining foreign job markets has doubled in the last five years due to the growing uncertainty and lack of employment opportunities at home, The Himalayan Times writes.. Data from the Department of Foreign Employment reveals that some 530,250 Nepalis migrated to foreign countries in search of greener pastures last fiscal year while the number was 249,051 in fiscal year 2007-08. About 354,543 Nepalis had migrated for jobs in fiscal year 2010-11. Youth aged between 18-39 years have migrated to foreign countries for employment. “Migration is rapidly increasing in recent years as there is no opportunity for youths here. It is the result of the government’s indifference towards creating employment programmes,” said labour expert Dr Chiranjivi Nepal. It seems that without strong efforts, the trend will not stop in the near future. “It is because there has been no programme to retain them in the country till date,” said Nepal, adding that it is time to be serious about the issue. Authorities also feel that the dependency on foreign employment should be reduced immediately. However, the government does not have effective plans and programmes to retain the migrant workers. “The country will not develop through its dependency on foreign jobs. But there is no option here,” said director at the department Kashiraj Dahal. Therefore, the Department of Foreign Employment has emphasised on regularising the sector and reducing fraud. “We have been significantly successful in implementing the 30-point reform suggested by the high level committee,” said Dahal, citing the positive example of job stickers. Department of Foreign Employment has been pasting details of workers and employers including the sending agency on the stickers since March. Similarly, the department has reduced face-to-face interactions between outsourcing agencies or their agents, and government officials. Despite the change, fraudulent activities have been increasing, challenging the reforms. Last year, about 2,172 fraud cases were recorded at the department while the number of fraud cases was 1,204 a year back. “It shows that there is an urgent need to strengthen regulating agencies and motivate them to control fraud,” said Nepal, commenting on the increasing trend of fraudulent activities. But the ultimate solution is in creating opportunities and generating jobs in the country, he added. Nnnn TRAFFICKING TAKES ITS TOLL ON NUWAKOT VILLAGEES Kathmandu, 23 July: Selbon Tamang of Sisipu in Ghyangfedi VDC in Nuwakot has seen 52 springs. Since he was 18, Tamang wanted to marry but is yet to tie the knot, Baburam Lamichhane writes in The Himalayan Times from Nuwakot.. Sete Lama of Sisipu is 45 but his dream to get married and have a family remains a far cry. Sete and Selbon are hale and hearty. They have no physical disability. They have remained single because there has been a dearth of girls in their village for years due to girl trafficking rampant in Ghyangfedi. Sete and Selbon are among at least 60 men in the village who have not found a bride, as there is no young woman in Sisipu village. District Coordinator Asmita Thapa of NGO Shakti Group working to control human trafficking said, "The village either has elderly women or girl children." It's no surprise that the birth rate has declined in the village. In the last nine years, only one wedding took place in Sisipu village inhabited by 60 families. Sitaram Tamang (32) married Selnenda, half his age, two years ago. Ghyangfedi and its adjoining villages are no different from Sisipu. More than 100 men in Ghyangfedi VDC are unmarried. "Neighbouring Urleni and Shikharbesi villages also face the same plight. Only statistics vary," added Asmita. Finding a partner is not the only challenge for Ghyangfedi men. Saving females in the family is an equally uphill task. Bir Bahadur Tamang (45) of Ghyangdanda had gone to Gosaikunda, leaving behind his three-year-old daughter and wife at home four years ago. When he returned his wife and daughter were gone. "I won't get a woman at this age. How can I when young men in the village are without a partner? I am just waiting for my wife," Tamang added. Though local organisations and administration's campaigns against trafficking have reduced the incidents of trafficking to some extent, that is no solace for Ghyangfedi men. Nnnn JAMMED RIFLE SAVED MANY MORE LIVES IN USA Kathmandu, 23 July: The semiautomatic assault rifle used by the gunman in a mass shooting at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie jammed during the attack, a federal law enforcement official said, which forced the shooter to switch to another gun with less fire power, AP reports from Auroa, Colorado, USA. The official said the disabled weapon had a high-capacity ammunition magazine. Police have said that a 100-round drum magazine was recovered at the scene and that such a device would be able to fire 50 to 60 rounds a minute. That account of what happened inside the Century 16 theatre emerged with other details of a suspect described as a budding scientist, brimming with potential, who pursued a graduate programme even as he planned the attack with “calculation and deliberation,” police said. James Holmes, 24, received shipments that authorities believe armed him for battle and were used to booby trap his home with dozens of bombs. In Aurora, investigators spent hours yesterday removing explosive materials from inside Holmes’ apartment a day after police said he opened fire and set off gas canisters in a theatre minutes into a premiere of the “The Dark Knight Rises.” The massacre left 12 people dead and 58 injured. His apartment was rigged with jars of liquids, explosives and chemicals that were booby trapped to kill “whoever entered it,” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said. Holmes received several mail deliveries over four months to his home and school and bought thousands of rounds of ammunition on the Internet. “He had a high volume of deliveries,” Oates said. “We think this explains how he got his hands on the magazine, ammunition,” he said. “What we’re seeing here is evidence of some calculation and deliberation,” Oates added. Inside the apartment, FBI Special agent James Yacone said bomb technicians neutralised what he called a “hypergolic mixture” and an improvised explosive device containing an unknown substance. There also were multiple containers of accelerants. By yesterday afternoon, all hazards had been removed from the Holmes’ apartment and residents in surrounding buildings were allowed to return home, police said. The exception was Holmes’ apartment building, where authorities were still collecting evidence. Inside the apartment, authorities covered the windows with black plastic to prevent onlookers from seeing in. While authorities continued to refuse to discuss a possible motive for one of the deadliest mass shootings in recent US history, details about Holmes’ background as a student and would-be scientist trickled out. Holmes had recently withdrawn from a competitive graduate programme in neuroscience at the University of Colorado Denver, where he was one of six students at the school to get National Institutes of Health grant money. He recently took an intense three-part, oral exam that marks the end of the first year of the four-year programme there, but university officials would not say if he passed, citing privacy concerns. nnnn