Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Kathmandu: Though the Nepali politics appears to have moved fast in the recent days and weeks, however, the main knot of the country's politics remains yet to be unfastened in a convincing and logical manner.

Nevertheless, to the excitement of many, both the sides-the State and the Maoists-appear making serious efforts as far it could be made possible in order to convince the other of their changed mood for accommodation and the readiness for entering into the competitive politics respectively.

Hurdles, nevertheless, were in the way for both the sides to accommodate each other's feelings and the aspirations. But then yet the process is on.

Analysts presume that such signs are ominous for the country's politics if things move in a legitimate and accommodative manner.

There are sectors in the diplomatic community, more especially men from the Western world, who in an indirect fashion have been ventilating their inner feelings hinting that the State has remained more flexible and kind towards the Maoists and the latter so far has not extended reciprocity to the government's olive branch.

If this were to be taken as the versions of the Entire members of the European community then what comes to the surface is the European countries stationed in Kathmandu possess the view, and perhaps that is strong enough, that the government under Prime Minister Koirala should have taken steps more cautiously in order to appease the radical communists instead of what has been done in haste.

In plain words, the Europeans seem to tend to think that the government was losing fast and in return the Maoists have offered the State minuscule which, in their opinion, were not enough in guaranteeing the Maoists' changing their old clothes and wearing a democratic one.

Last week at a diplomatic reception, one European diplomat was heard chatting to a government functionary wherein the said diplomat was demanding a logical and convincing answer from the latter.

Look what the diplomat said and the answer provided to him by the particular State functionary:

"Don't you think that the government was making greater concessions to the Maoists to bring them into the main stream politics? Don't you consider that the State has in lieu been offered nothing significant of sort from the Maoists camp comparatively speaking?

Look at the answer:" Well I agree to your comments, However, I wish to tell you that we the people in government have been attracting the "birds" by throwing some grains, corns and the likes and the day they were addicted to those edibles, they will automatically come to the terms".

So all these put together what comes to the mind of the analysts that the State and the Maoists' were in the run to accommodate each other's political differences in their own preferred manners so that a plausible way out could be worked out keeping in mind the overall interest of the nation.

Who wins over whom in the days ahead will have to be watched.

Nevertheless, what is for sure is that the Europeans appear not to have digested the government's "policy of pacification" acquired "in haste" vis-à-vis the rebels in a good taste.

US to wait until Maoists' words and deeds match

Kathmandu: The United States Administration under President Bush appears not to compromise with the new developments occurring in Nepal until and unless the Maoists exhibited their "total and unconditional" commitments for competitive politics.

The US would very much want the Maoists to prove their "changed credentials" both in words and deeds.

This should mean apparently that in the eyes of the US, the Maoist's words and deeds have differed so far.

Analysts presume that the US is also not that much happy and enthusiastic on the manner the newly restored parliament is taking sweeping decisions without consulting the people and the members of the civil society.

In a fresh statement made June 28 by the US resident Ambassador, James F. Moriarty, at a Rotary Club function said among other things that, " democracy is a process, not an end result and that democracy is difficult and requires(stress added) lengthy discussions before decisions are made.

If Moriarty's observations were taken into account and if one were to analyze the underneath meaning of what he said of democracy then what comes to the conclusion is that the US side has not taken the recent proclamations made by the parliament which he considers as to have been taken without the formal consent of the people and in the process transparency factor were ignored.

As regards the Maoists, the US Ambassador, Moriarty, has his "standard" comments much similar to what he had been saying of them beginning February 15 this year. He continues, what appears from his fresh statement, to remain skeptical of the Maoists political overtures which in his eyes continues to remains the same what used to be prior to signing of the much publicized New Delhi sponsored and stage-managed agreement inked on November 22 last year.

Moriarty, analysts presume, will take enough time to judge the Maoists changed testimonial according to their own statement being aired through various media channels, and only after he is assured of their changed credentials in effect he would begin taking them as good friend of the Nepali parliamentary parties and finally good and reliable friend of the US administration.

That he is disturbed from the recent utterances of comrade Prachanda when he says, " if things do not come under what he and his party had been aspiring for, the country might be forced to witness a sort of October Revolution that had happened in Russia as back as in 1917".

Ambassador Moriarty possesses abundant reservations over Prachanda's indication that he was ready for yet another revolution and hints that if such a revolution took place in Nepal, a totalitarian state of the sort of Russia can't be ruled out,

It is perhaps this strong threat loaded statement made by Prachanda appears to have forced the US ambassador to take a tough attitude towards the Maoists.

Implied in the message is for the Nepali parliamentarians a sort of caution and warning to remain ever alert from the designs of the Maoists who have been blowing hot and cold and that too concurrently.

While the US envoy hails the success of the Jana Andolan-2 and congratulates people for what he calls, "courage and resilience" and assures the people of Nepal that his government could be of some tangible support to this nation, he concurrently warns those who will come in the way of denying freedom to the Nepali people.

"And we will stand against any who attempt to deny them (read the Nepali people) the freedom that is their right", says the ambassador hinting at those who might have in their minds to rule this country with firm hands by scrapping the rights and the freedom of the Nepali people.

Analysts presume that this stern warning is well directed towards again the Maoists who have time and again said that " if the talks failed, there will definitely be an October Revolution of its own kind in Nepal and that the Nepali people have the right to have an October Revolution just like the way they had in Russia".

This again means that the US administration will fight tooth-and-nail with those forces who will deny the Nepali people their due rights and freedom.

In a note of caution, the US envoy makes it profusely clear that attaining democracy and sustaining the same for long is different.

This means that he is suggesting the men in government and the rest of the Nepali leaders to remain vigilant and make efforts aimed at "sustaining" the order what had been regained recently.

He however, hopes that Nepal may have lasting peace in the land. But then yet he wants proper and the required assurance from the Maoists that they too would contribute to the peace process through deeds.

"Until the Maoists bring their conduct in line with standards of mainstream political parties in multi-party democracies, it would be premature to declare that peace is already at hand", added the US envoy.

This amply means that according to him, the Maoists have yet to exhibit their unswerving attachmenet to the the system of competitive politics and that peace in real sense of the term has not yet in the country as many would believe the other way round.

All in all, the United States of America would want the Maoists to prove that they were a changed lot prior to entering into the government.

So then what he demands from the Maoists?

"We all want to believe that the Maoisys have changed, that they will permanently renounce violence, that they will give up their arms before constituent assembly elections and submit themselves to the will of the Nepali people, and that they mean what they speak loftily of supporting multiparty democracy and liberal economics", is in effect what the US would love to have from the Maoists.

A cursory glance at what the Ambassador says in the above mentioned paragraphs, what also comes to the fore is that the US would oppose the Maoists facing the challenge of the constituent assembly elections with arms.

Surprisingly, immediately after Moriarty's June 28 statement , the Maoists supreme commander has said that he and his party were ready to assimilate their people's army with the national army under the commandership of the incumbent prime minister. A great change indeed.

And very freshly Prachanda has issued a special directive to all district committees of his party to collect only voluntary donations, refrain from opening new customs points and halt "for the moment" the operation of "people's courts" in big cities and the capital".

This is indeed a positive change indeed but then yet what becomes clear from this directive that things will not come to a grinding halt because the directive makes it abundantly clear that voluntary donations will continue and that people's courts will remain intact in the villages and smaller districts.

Does no this directive indicate that the Maoists have a different state within the state?

Two states concurrently exist, let's admit this fact which is a reality.

How the Maoists react to Moriarty's fresh political stance will have to be carefully analyzed.

India's new policy on Maoists; Washington-Delhi axis kicking and alive
You can't have cake and eat it too

Kathmandu: Analysts appear dismayed over the continued "existence" of the Washington-Delhi "axis" still remaining intact.

That the axis is still alive and kicking came to the surface when the Indian establishment in an explicit manner send signals to the Maoists that they can't have the cake and eat it too which was more or less in the same tune and wavelength to what the US Administration made it abundantly clear to the Maoists on June 28 that theirs having arms and entering into the government machinery can's go together.

This the Ambassador declared in an implied manner at the QA session of the June 28 ceremony organized by the local Dillibazar Rotary club last week.

And now it is India which made it clear on July 3 to a select group of visiting Nepali media men that the Maoists can't enter into the functioning of the State mechanisms until they abandoned the arms what they possess at the moment.

" You can't be in the government with arms and you can't extort money", is what Pankaj Saran-the senior official at the Indian Foreign Ministry revealed while meeting the Nepali media men.

Analyzing the two statements coming as it does from two powerful countries, India and the United States of America, what becomes profusely clear is that the possibilities of the Maoists influencing the State authorities to get inducted in an "interim arrangement" remains bleak now for the moment.

Some even say that the likelihood of the Maoists joining in the government has been totally capped.

How the Maoists react to this fresh Indian overtures will have to be watched.

How Sitaram Yechury, the widely publicised friend of the insurgents who brokered peace in between the State and the rebels since November last year, eases this new "irritant" that has suddenly cropped up in between the Indian establishment and the Nepali Maoists who until the other day were presumed by certain sections in Nepal as to have been in good "terms" for unexplained political reasons.

Certainly, this new hurdle put forth by the Indian authorities for the Maoists will have its own sort of bang on the otherwise cordial relations in between the Indian state and the Maoists.

While this sudden development, on the one hand, has hit hard the prospects of the Maoists coming to power in Nepal, on the other this event must have encouraged the parliamentary parties for a variety of understandable political reasons.

And this Indian assertion must have elated the Nepal Army which yet has to adjust to the new changes that have happened in the country.

If Pankaj Saran's (could be a relative of Ambassador Shyam Saran?) observation be taken as the government's policy towards the Nepali Maoists, then what could be safely said that the United States and the Indian establishment would both wish to see the Maoists disarmed prior to the happening of any further development(s) in Nepal.

This amply suggests that the Washington-Delhi axis were in the same wavelength and tune vis-à-vis the Maoists entering into the government and going to the CA polls.

This further means that the US-India axis would prevent any possibility that ensured the Maoists entering into the System as such and conducting the elections having arms. This further means that both the two countries housed in the axis fear of the poll results in case the Maoists were allowed to possess the arms at times of the CA hustings.

How the Maoists take this new Indian stance will determine the future politics of the nation.

Be that as it may, analysts presume that the Indian government must have concluded that if the Nepali Maoists were allowed to possess arms even in government, that might set a sort of precedence in the neighborhood whose impact would be felt no where else other than India. To recall, India is such a country whose problems are more in numbers than their population and thus India possess no right as such to "demand" a role in settling the internal disputes of other countries be it in the neighborhood or elsewhere.

Look at your own issues that are confronting you, analysts wish to tell India politely.

Nepal's "Failed economists" converge at ADB Seminar

Kathmandu: June 30 th witnessed the august gathering of Nepal's "failed economists" at the premises of the Hotel Annapurna through the kind courtesy of the Resident Office of the Asian Development Bank.

The topic of the seminar, "Peace, Democracy and Development", was nicely chosen by the organizers which was not only eye catching but a timely one indeed.

In effect, those who have had the participation at the seminar were the same old faces with "political colors" who have had in the past remained instrumental in "ruining" the country's economy while being in power at various intervals of time of the past democratic years.

The planners and the economists were the same old faces who used to chart the fate of the Rolpalis, the Humlis, and the likes by confining themselves inside the Finance ministry and in the closets of the National Planning Commission,

Not a single speaker at the seminar was present who have had not enjoyed the post of the "senior economist or for that matter senior planner" in the recent past.

Analysts say, it would be opportune here to reveal that the men at this newspaper have not coined the word "failed economists", but a senior industrialist dared to keep himself away from the stale speeches of the failed economists.

However, some fresh apples were too there who very brilliantly spoke on the miserable condition of the country's economy and concurrently made some valuable points which if brought into action with total commitment, the country's ailing economy could be given a different shape.

Comparatively a new speaker presumably, the one who spoke on the Nepali economy and provided his party's plans and formulae for the future of the country's economy was none less than Devendra Poudel.

Poudel in effect drew the attention of the entire participants which was only but natural in more ways than one.

"We wish to raise the country's economic stamina and make a new nepal that is economically a developed one by allowing foreign investment to go in tandem with the country's private capital", said CPN-M leader Mr. Poudel.

For that, Poudel said that his party would very much wish to work together with the leaders of other parties as well.

"We can't do it alone", declared Poudel.

As per his party's line of thinking, Poudel demanded that the country should now gear its efforts in bringing about a revolutionary changes in the sector of land reforms programme.

The Maoists leader revealed that a newly born Nepali have had to bear the burden of some 13, 000 rupees on his head as foreign debt.

This is unacceptable, added Poudel.

The other speaker who made his brilliant presentation was none less than the resident representative of the ADB itself, Mr. Hafez Rehman who in his welcome address told Nepali economists not to ignore the core economic agenda of the country as against political issues.

He then suggested the Nepali economists and the planners to exploit the strategically important location of the country and expand Nepal's economy to the benefit of the country and its people.

"Nepal can't afford to ignore this advantage", concluded ADB chief in Nepal.

Others who spoke on the occasion were the same old faces like, Dr. Ram Saran Mahat, his brother Dr. Prakash Saran Mahat, Dr. Raghav Dhoj Pant and Mr. Dilli RaJ Khanal.

(We apologize to have used the word-"failed economists" to our own revered planners and economists of the country on whom we will have to depend upon in the future as well. But then yet the sad word has been used to signal them that their contributions were recorded minimum while they were in power at different intervals of time in the past.-ed. )

 Lady Photo
Israeli elected member of UN women's committee (CEDAW)

-Nepal Supports-

Dr. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, an Israeli woman has been elected to the UN Committee for Elimination of Discrimination against Woman.

On Friday, June 23, Dr. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, head of the Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at Bar-Ilan University, was elected by 96 States (including Nepal) at the United Nations center in New York to one of the prestigious UN bodies dealing with women's rights - the UN Committee for Elimination of Discrimination against Woman

The election of an Israeli expert to this committee was made possible through the joint efforts of the Foreign Ministry's Division for international Organizations and the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN, and Israeli embassies throughout the world. It reflects the high esteem accorded in Israeli experts in the field of international humanitarian law and helps contribute to the positive image of the State of Israel on the international arena.

This is the third time that an Israeli legal expert has been elected as a member of CEDAW which deals with important issues of civil rights in general and women's rights in particular The committee comprises experts from 23 different states.

Dr. Ruth Ha!perin-Kaddari has served as chairperson of the Advisory Committee to the Authority for the Advancement of the Status of Women in the Prime Minister's Office She was responsible for preparing Israel s first two reports to CEDAW and is the author of Women lit Israel A State of Their Own (2004).

ENBREF

Indian Assistance of NRs. 28,20,400/- for Institute of Forestry , Hetauda, Makwanpur.

Kathmandu: A Memorandum of Understanding  (MOU) has been signed on 29 June, 2006 between the Embassy of India, the Hetauda Municipality , Hetauda, Makwanpur and Institute of Forestry , Hetauda, Makwanpur  regarding grant   assistance of             

NRs. 28,20,400/-from Government of India renovation of roof of the campus building. The project will be executed by the Hetauda Municipality , Hetauda, Makwanpur. An Oversight Committee consisting of the Chairman of Campus Management Committee, District Education Officer, Makwanpur and Engineer, Hetauda Municipality has been constituted to oversee the project and supervise and ensure proper utilisation of the grant assistance.

The implementation of the above project would immediately benefit the 1250 economically underprivileged student of the campus and add to the improvement of education facilities in Makwanpur district.

It is part of Government of India's commitment of NRs. 1800 crore towards economic cooperation with Government of Nepal, under which 138 projects are being undertaken in 61 districts. 

US threatens aid cut

Kathmandu : "If the Maoists continue to use violence after they enter the government our law says that we can't supply assistance to those who support a terrorist group. We have to consider them a terrorist group until they give up arms," U.S. Ambassador to Nepal James F. Moriarty after he met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

The U.S. gives Nepal $45 million in annual aid for development, education and health services.

UNDP, Nepal sign accord for exploring trade potentials

Kathmandu : Aimed at improving trade competitiveness, engagement with the private sector, trade policy analysis, investment regimes and new areas of potential growth, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) signed an agreement with the government of Nepal on providing one-million-U.S. dollar assistance. The project will focus on exploring trade potentials in education, health and high end retail service, Radio Nepal reported on Friday.

"The project will study the long-term potential of trade in services such as education, health and research," the UN resident representative Matthiew Kahane said.

India concerned over security threat from Nepal

Kathmandu : Giving reference to the two captured Kashmiri separatists, an Indian army official claimed that the militants no longer cross the Line of Control to sneak into the Valley, now they try to enter India through Nepal . The Indian Army Commanding officer of army’s 68-brigade, Brigadier AK Rathee said “Nepal is fast becoming the transit point for Pakistani militants trying to sneak into India, I can only say that Nepal is becoming one of the routes for the militants to enter into the valley.

“We will definitely take up the issue with the relevant quarters for further perusal of the matter,” he said.

CDMA mobile from end of July: NT

Kathmandu : The Nepal Telecom (NT) stated that it is going to distribute CDMA mobile phones based on by the end of July this year.

The Wireless Telecom Directorate of NT indicated that the phone lines with limited mobility will be made available in the capital city of Kathmandu Valley in the initial phase. NT is also going to introduce Internet mobile cards (Y-Max Card) based on wireless telephone technology soon.

Maoists kill 9 during ceasefire: OHCHR

Kathmandu : The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged the guerrillas to investigate serious human rights abuses resulting in nine deaths, committed by its cadres after the ceasefire announcement, and to prevent such acts.

The OHCHR also said it raised its concerns with the rebel leadership regarding 'a series of abductions and killings' since May 3, 2006, attributed to their cadres in the central region, and which have resulted in the deaths of nine individuals.