SECOND ROAD LINKING NEPAL, TIBET HANDED OVER BY BEIJING Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: The 13km Safrbeshi-Rashuwa road linking Nepal and Tibet—the second of its kind—became operational Wednesday. The Rs.1.59 billion project was constructed with Chinese assistance and is the second road linking land-locked Nepal with Tibet after Arniko Highway. China handed over the proJect to Nepal Wednesday. The one lane road is five meters wide and will help boost Nepal-Tibet trade. nnnn. BIRD CULLING CONTINES Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: Culling of chickens and adoption of preentive masures continued for the second day Thursday on the capital’s outskirts after bird flu was also detected at Sitapaila Wednesday. The strain detected is the H5N1 The virus was fist detected 50 years away at a farm in Ramkot and authorities are investigating whether the owner marketed meat and eggs after detection of avian flu endangering the lives of people. nnnn MADESH PARTIES THREATEN ELECTION BOYCOTT Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: At a time when parties are planning to go for Constituent Assembly election s in Baisakh (April-May), Madhes-based parties have said they could take to the streets if the Election Commission (EC) registers in its electoral roll those only having citizenship certificates, Bhadra Shrma/Praaaaaaanab Kharel write in The KathmanduPost. . Leaders of the Madhes-based parties maintained that EC’s insistence to have citizenship certificate would force them to “boycott the election s.” Informed leaders claim that insisting on citizenship certificate would debar thousands of denizens from Madhes. The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), an alliance of five Madhes-based parties, in its nine-point proposal for forging consensus among parties has called for updating the electoral roll of the last Constituent Assembly election s by incorporating currently eligible voters. “In the last meeting of the Morcha, that endorsed the nine-point proposal, leaders had suggested boycotting the election , if citizenship certificate was insisted upon,” said General Secretary of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Sarvendra Nath Shukla. In November 2010, Madhesh based parties had not only protested but also challenged the move at the Supreme Court when the commission introduced digital voter registration to replace older electoral rolls. The EC had come up with the idea of new electoral roll to avoid both duplication and possible left out to create a basis for free and fair election s. Later, the EC’s nationwide campaign was resumed after the Supreme Court ruled to “register voters only on the basis of citizenship certificates”. Based on the verdict of apex court, the EC has so far registered over 10 million voters under new voter registration process but the Madhes-based parties are apprehensive about the process. “Many people, who have been living here for generations, have not received citizenship certificate. Even those who hold received citizenship certificates have problem providing it to their children,” said Shukla. Madhesi leaders claim around 3.2 million people residing in Madhesh are deprived of the citizenship. The Madhesh-based parties had also protested against the government before the 2008 CA election over the citizenship issue. The election was made possible only after the government distributed around 230,000 citizenship certificates. According to Citizenship Act-2006, those born in Nepal before 1990 will be granted citizenship certificate provided three other holders of the Nepali citizenship vouch for them. Dipendra Jha, who keeps a close tab on Madhesi affairs, argued that a large number people who have migrated to Gulf countries would be left out from the electoral roll. “They need to be incorporated in the roll,” said Jha. The EC, however, is firm in its campaign with officials there ruling out possibility of backtracking as it was aimed at holding the polls in a free and fair manner. “Necessary procedure needs to be followed to get the citizenship certificate. One cannot obtain it at every nook and corner,” said EC Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav. He said the EC is launching its integrated programme targeting those citizens deprived of citizenship certificates. “Providing citizenship certificate is the issue related with the government and parliament. We have consulted even with the PM Baburam Bhattarai and his deputy Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar,” said Yadav. In February, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued a circular to the District Administration Office to provide “citizenship by descent” to all children before one of their parents acquired Nepali citizenship. The apex court had stayed the move arguing that a ministerial level meeting alone cannot take a decision on such an important issue. Meanwhile, the EC, on Wednesday, held discussion with 57 political parties registered with it over ordinance on party registration and code of conduct. “We are preparing to formulate model code of conduct so that it could be useful for future as well,” said Ayodee Prasad Yadav, an EC commissioner. Nnnn EASIER VISAS FOR CHINESE Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: The government plans to simplify visa procedures for Chinese tourists in a bid to increase arrivals from the northern neighbour, Sangam Prasai writes in The Kathmandu Post.. According to Tourism Ministry officials, a study team formed to recommend ways to ease visa procedures has submitted its report to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the Home and Foreign ministries for further discussion. The team, led by joint secretary Mohan Krishna Sapkota at the Industry Division of the Tourism Ministry, has recommended establishing diplomatic missions in different parts of China for the convenience of prospective Chinese visitors to Nepal. Similarly, the report has proposed appointing agents or Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) in major Chinese cities. The VFS, an outsourced partner to facilitate visa applications, is in operation in a number of countries. The report has also presented the option of a free-visa regime. “But we have not given priority to it,” Sapkota said. At present, only visitors from SAARC countries get visas free of cost. Foreign visitors have to pay US$ 25 for a 15-day visa and US$ 40 for a 30-day visa. According to Home Ministry sources, one round of discussions have been held and the ministry is planning to call another meeting. “Currently, we are discussing the modality and also studying ways to simplify the visa and employ outsourcing agents as is done in other countries,” said Home Ministry officials. The PMO has recently directed the concerned ministry to implement the report. Meanwhile, Chinese arrivals to Nepal via air amounted to 48,379, up 20.2 percent, in the first 11 months of 2012. Chinese tourists have taken a great leap forward to reach 75,517 (45,400 by air and 30,117 overland) in 2011. Nepal received just over 8,000 Chinese tourists in 2001 when China announced that Nepal had been listed as an outbound travel destination for Chinese travellers. Annual tourist arrivals from China stood at 46,000 in 2010. They crossed the 46,000 mark in 2010, a five-fold jump from 2001, attesting to the growing popularity of the Himalayan country among Chinese vacationers. The northern neighbour has now emerged as the second largest source market after India for Nepal. Although, the Chinese government had permitted Approved Destination Status (ADS) for Chinese outbound in November 2001, the number of Chinese tourists arriving in Nepal was nominal. Nepal participated in the China International Travel Fair for the first time in 2000 to promote Nepal’s tourism. Nepal and China signed an initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) on an implementation plan for outbound travel by Chinese to Nepal in April 16, 2001 preparing the path for ADS. In 2002, ADS was granted by the China National Tourism Administration; and in June 2002, Chinese citizens went to Nepal officially for the first time as tourists. Before 2000, Chinese were allowed to travel to Nepal only on official visits. nnnn