LOKMAN SINGH KARKI APPOINTED CIAA CHIEF Kathmandu, 8 May: Former chief secretary Lokman Singh Karki was sworn in Wednesday as chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) amid opposition from nC and UML. UCPN Maoist and Madeshi morcha in a high-powered body behing the government of Khil Raj Regmi supported Karki, chief secretary during the royal regime seven years ago. His detractors accuse Karki for excesses calling him ‘controversial’ even as the NC and UML first supported Karki’s appointment. Maoist Chairman Prachanda revealed Tuesday UML first proposed Karki’s appointment and the Madeshi morcha formally proposed his appointment at a meeting of the for parties and coalition. Prachanda said the controversy over the appoint was ‘ a storm in a tea cup’ designed to scuttle the second a constituent assembly elections. UML wrote to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav asking him to stop the appointment by a ceremonial president as the Maoist chief charged the head of state of attempting to repeat a Rukmangud Katuwal kanda. The president, it came to light later, supported Katuwal’s appointment at he behest of India and not political parties at hoe forcing Prachanda o0ut of office in barely nine months as prime minister. “civil society’ representatives staged a sit-in at the office of UCPN Maoist for one hour attempting to stop Karki’s appointment and they planned a stage a similar sit-in at the NC office Wednesday and the UML Thursday for initially supporting Karki’s appointment. NC President Sushil Koirala also called for a re-think o Karki’s appointment as street protests swelled against the nomination. Vehicular movement was disrupted by students affi8liatedwith parties in the capital for one hour Wednesday. Government Chief Khil Raj Regmi Tuesday night convened a stormy Meeting of for parties and the Madeshi morcha to discuss the appointment by the constitutional council on the recommendation of the major parties behind government. While parties criticized the government for failure to conduct assembly elections in May/ June, the parties themselves have dragged the Regmi government into a crisis sidelining elections. Bhanubhakta Acharya was appointed auditor general, and Kayo Devi Yami, sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, head of the Public Service Commission President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav administered the oaths of office and secrecy at Sheetal Niwas.. Before Wednesday’s appointments parties and leaders behaved as they were overboard in dirt mired politics. UN issued an internal circular concerned with Nepal internal developments and donors met informallv expressing concern. nnnn .. EMPHASIZE REMITTANCE SAYS NRB GOVERNOR Kathmandu, 8 May: Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada has called on the international community to create an enabling environment for overseas migrant workers of least developed countries (LDCs) to remit more money home so as to gradually reduce reliance on official development assistance (ODA), Republica reorts from Lalitpur.. “Remittance is more effective in lifting people out of poverty, and its impact on the economy and households is more tangible than ODA (grants and other assistances extended by donor countries and agencies),” the central bank governor said, referring to instances of how remittances received by Nepali households have allowed many to send children to better schools, spend more on nutritious food and improve living standards. This shows LDCs can mobilize their own resources to some extent to finance costs related to good nutrition, health and education, rather than relying too much on ODA, Dr Khatiwada told a symposium on ´Assessment of Remittance Policies and Programs in Nepal´ held in Lalitpur on Tuesday. “I think we can discuss this modality (of laying emphasis on remittances than ODA) with the international community as a measure to push development and reduce poverty in LDCs,” the governor said, as he referred to the old adage of ´handing a fishing rod rather than fish to the poor´. “Remittances are fishing rods, while foreign grants and other assistance are fishes.” But to increase flow of remittance to LDCs, Governor Khatiwada added, the international community must consider aspects like job safety and security of migrants working in labor importing countries. Nepal received remittances of Rs 359.55 billion from official channel in the last fiscal year, which is well over 20 percent of the country´s GDP. In the first eight months of the current fiscal year alone, Nepal received Rs 266.09 billion in remittance from Nepalis working abroad, while data show the share of remittance in household income hovering at 31 percent. “Remittance has been making significant contribution to human and social development in LDCs,” Gyan Chandra Acharya, under secretary general of the United Nations, told the symposium. Despite this, remittance cannot be a substitute for ODA, Eric Adja, director of the International Migrants Remittances Observatory (IMRO), said, in a tone that contrasted view of Governor Khatiwada. “Remittance flows are private in nature,” Adja further said. “How can we channel this flow of money for productive works is a challenge.” Economists Prithvi Raj Legal and Madan Kumar Dahal also emphasized the need to direct remittance flows to productive sectors to give a boost to capital formation process. Dr Devendra P Shrestha, principal investigator for survey on ´Assessment of Remittance Policies and Programs in Nepal´, stressed the need to come up with a separate and coherent policy on remittance as most of the legal documents, that incorporate remittance, only promote foreign employment and financial aspects related to overseas employment. Nnnn