PM Meets With Prachanda, Agree To Clear Differences
After the meeting between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist chairman Prachanda on Sunday (June 10) morning, the two leaders have agreed to resolve their differences and continue to proceed with the peace process with singular focus on Constituent Assembly elections. The two leaders discussed about the issue of YCL, republic, CA elections, PLA verification and so on. According to Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, who accompanied Prachanda in the meeting, the leaders have agreed to sort out differences through talks and not through resorting to public war of words. Leading dailies report
India Terms Refugee Issue An International One
In an interesting development, India has for the first time stated that Bhutanese refugee issue is an international one. This is a change from their earlier stance that it is primarily a matter between Nepal and Bhutan. Indian External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has said the refugee stalemate has become an international problem. He said so to the reporters after meeting with the chief minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday evening. Mukherjee said "it is an international problem" and that the government of India was trying to work out a solution. The 45-minute long meeting in South Kolkata centered on ‘solving’ the Bhutanese refugee issue with Bhattacharjee saying that the stalemate has created problem of law and order in his state. "Bhattacharjee told me that it was creating serious problems in the law and order situation in Bengal and it was unacceptable to the state government," reports quoted the Indian External Affairs minister as saying. " Nepal claims that these are not Nepalese citizens and Bhutan is also not ready to accept them. The refugees want to enter Bhutan and they want to pass through Indian territory," Mukherjee said further. He also told the media that the West Bengal chief minister urged him to initiate a dialogue between Nepal and Bhutan to find a solution to the crisis. "We are in friendly terms with both countries. The issue of Bhutan refugees cropped up 11 years ago and as far as I know there are about 100,000 refugees in the camps," Mukherjee added.He, however, claimed that the repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees to their homeland would cause demographic imbalance in Bhutan. "The population of Bhutan is about 600,000. If these 100,000 people (Bhutanese refugees) enter Bhutan it would create a demographic imbalance," Mukherjee said. nepalnews.com reports
Prachanda Blasts India, UML Says No Need To Suspect
In response to reports that Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh advised top UML delegation to strengthen unity with Nepali Congress (NC), Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that it smacked of conspiracy to ‘finish’ Maoists. Talking to reporters in Butwal, Prachanda said it pointed to the conspiracy by foreign and domestic reactionaries. He added that the reactionaries were hatching plots to derail CA elections, which he said will not be held if monarchy is not deposed. Meanwhile, senior UML leader KP Oli, who was in New Delhi in a UML delegation led by its general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, said that Indian PM had not talked about separate alliance by isolating Maoists. “The fact is the Maoists have to improve their behavior as a democratic force,” he said. Added Bharat Mohan Adhikary, another UML leader in the delegation, “The Maoists should not suspect us. Prachanda, too, had visited India (in the past). We did not comment about that. Besides, UML does not want to talk about our internal politics in foreign soil.” The UML delegation had met with Indian PM in New Delhi on Tuesday. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the UML delegation held separate meetings with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee. “In all our meetings, Indian leaders emphasized the need to hold CA elections by November and the need to shorten the transitional phase,” Adhikary said. Leading dailies report
Yadav Warns Of Terai Revolt
A senior Maoist leader and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Matrika Yadav has warned of unleashing “People’s War” in Terai. Minister Yadav said such revolt will occur unless the state addresses the concerns raised by people of Terai. Condemning the recent baton charge by police against Madhesi MPs on Thursday in front of Singhdurbar ‘at the direct order of Home Minister,’ Minister Yadav also threatened to agitate against Nepali Congress (NC). Over one dozen persons were injured during the baton charge after police prevented the agitation by Maoist-affiliated Madhesi National Liberation Front and stopped Madhesi MPs from entering into Singhdurbar to submit a memo to the Prime Minister. Yadav said that the people have the right to rebel if the government does not work in their interests and address their concerns. Compiled from reports
Nepal To Purchase 40 Mw Power From India
For the first time Nepal and India have agreed to power trade on purely commercial basis. With the objective to resolve load-shedding problem, Nepal will import additional 40 MW electricity by this winter. The power will be transmitted from Duhabi-Katiya transmission line in Biratnagar. This was decided during the eighth meeting of the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC) that concluded Friday. A joint press statement issued after the meeting stated that India had agreed to upgrade the Duhabi-Kataiya transmission line, which will enable Nepal to import additional 40 MW electricity. “Currently, Nepal has been importing 50 MW of electricity through the transmission line. The upgrade of transmission line will enable Nepal to import an additional 40 MW of electricity,” the statement said. The upgrade of the transmission line is expected to be completed by October. As per the agreement, Nepal will also export 40 MW of electricity through the Gandak-Ram Nagar line during the rainy season at a competitive price. The issue of revision of power tariff, which had remained undecided since 2003, has also been resolved, with Indian and Nepali officials agreeing on annual tariff hike of 5 percent for January 2004 to June 2008 against the annual tariff hike of 8.5 percent. Likewise, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) can sell 70 million unit of electricity Nepal gets from Tanakpur to India. India has also decided to remove five out of 21 electricity exchange lines, which have fallen into disuse. The PEC meeting, which is supposed to be held every year by rotation in India and Nepal, had taken place after four years. The last meeting held in the year 2003 had ended inconclusively after the two sides had differences in issues related to revision of power tariff. Compiled from reports
SMEC To Give 75 Mw Electricity For Free
The builder of West Seti hydropower project Snowy Mountaineering Engineering Corporation (SMEC) will build 75 MW reservoir type power project free of charge to Nepal government. In lieu of permission to generate 750 MW power from West Seti project located in Doti district and to export it to India, the SMEC has agreed to provide 75 MW power to Nepal government. Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that since it was technically not possible to connect the electricity generated from West Seti project to national grid, the SMEC had proposed to build a separate 75 MW project. Speaking at the Natural Resources Committee of the parliament, Thursday (June 7), Dr. Mahat said the government was positive to its proposal. The SMEC is to begin construction of West Seti from coming winter. It had said it was open to both options – payment of royalty or supply of free energy. Dr. Mahat added that government stressed on free energy rather than royalty. He said the government could give 127 MW Upper Seti to fulfill SMEC’s promise of free energy. Japan government had helped conduct feasibility study of Upper Seti project – which is a reservoir type project located in Damauli of Tanahun district. Kantipur daily reports
Maoists Says Confusion Over India’s Advice Has Ended
Following his meeting with the Prime Minister, Maoist chairman Prachanda issued a statement on Sunday (June 10) saying that the discussions went ahead largely positively. Interestingly, in his statement, Prachanda said that the suspicions that arose after the media reported that India had advised the UML to tie up with the Nepali Congress have now been cleared. “We want to make clear that we [parties] now don’t have mutual suspicion that arose after the Nepali media reported that India, a country whose positive role is specially expected right from the signing of the 12-point agreement to the entire peace process and the CA election, had advised for special relation between the UML and the Nepali Congress,” Prachanda said in a statement. The Maoist chairman had immediately objected to the India Prime Minister’s ‘advice’ to a senior UML delegation for unity between the UML and the Congress. However, the UML leaders had refuted the reports of such an advice, but they revealed that the Indian side had expressed concern over the forceful activities of the Maoists. Prachanda in his statement also stressed that the eight-party unity must hold in the current fragile situation. He said his party was firm in its commitment to holding constituent election for establishing democratic republic. He also indirectly admitted the wrongdoing by his cadres in some cases, but claimed that the stoning of American ambassador’s vehicle in Jhapa recently was something his party “does not even think of doing”. He said his party had already asked the government to take action against those involved in the attack. In the statement Prachanda recalls that no foreigner was hurt during the entire decade-long conflict period.
Dr. Bhattarai Rejects ULFA Charges
Following a statement by a surrendered leader of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) that the Indian separatist outfit had links with Nepali Maoists, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai rejected the charges. “Our party’s clear position is that the struggle of various organizations in India is their internal matter. We have no direct or indirect link with any of them.” He added, “We have never been in contact with this organization called ULFA. While this kind of propaganda has started now, it could have been motivated by a vicious intention. We request all to be cautious about this.” He further said, “Our simple guess is that some elements who are trying to disrupt the ongoing process for peace and democracy might be engaging in this kind of propaganda.” Bhattarai was reacting to Indian media reports that quoted surrendered ULFA leader Ghanakanta Bora as saying that the ULFA had established some bases in Nepal with the help of Maoists and that the outfit was preparing to shift a large number of cadres and leaders to Nepal. Bora also said the ULFA had turned to the Maoists for weapons. "We have been in touch with Maoist groups in Nepal and procuring arms, ammunition, and explosives for the ULFA," he told reporters after the surrender on Tuesday. nepalnews.com reports
PM Meets With Prachanda, Agree To Clear Differences
After the meeting between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist chairman Prachanda on Sunday (June 10) morning, the two leaders have agreed to resolve their differences and continue to proceed with the peace process with singular focus on Constituent Assembly elections. The two leaders discussed about the issue of YCL, republic, CA elections, PLA verification and so on. According to Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, who accompanied Prachanda in the meeting, the leaders have agreed to sort out differences through talks and not through resorting to public war of words. Leading dailies report
India Terms Refugee Issue An International One
In an interesting development, India has for the first time stated that Bhutanese refugee issue is an international one. This is a change from their earlier stance that it is primarily a matter between Nepal and Bhutan. Indian External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee has said the refugee stalemate has become an international problem. He said so to the reporters after meeting with the chief minister of West Bengal Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday evening. Mukherjee said "it is an international problem" and that the government of India was trying to work out a solution. The 45-minute long meeting in South Kolkata centered on ‘solving’ the Bhutanese refugee issue with Bhattacharjee saying that the stalemate has created problem of law and order in his state. "Bhattacharjee told me that it was creating serious problems in the law and order situation in Bengal and it was unacceptable to the state government," reports quoted the Indian External Affairs minister as saying. " Nepal claims that these are not Nepalese citizens and Bhutan is also not ready to accept them. The refugees want to enter Bhutan and they want to pass through Indian territory," Mukherjee said further. He also told the media that the West Bengal chief minister urged him to initiate a dialogue between Nepal and Bhutan to find a solution to the crisis. "We are in friendly terms with both countries. The issue of Bhutan refugees cropped up 11 years ago and as far as I know there are about 100,000 refugees in the camps," Mukherjee added.He, however, claimed that the repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees to their homeland would cause demographic imbalance in Bhutan. "The population of Bhutan is about 600,000. If these 100,000 people (Bhutanese refugees) enter Bhutan it would create a demographic imbalance," Mukherjee said. nepalnews.com reports
Prachanda Blasts India, UML Says No Need To Suspect
In response to reports that Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh advised top UML delegation to strengthen unity with Nepali Congress (NC), Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that it smacked of conspiracy to ‘finish’ Maoists. Talking to reporters in Butwal, Prachanda said it pointed to the conspiracy by foreign and domestic reactionaries. He added that the reactionaries were hatching plots to derail CA elections, which he said will not be held if monarchy is not deposed. Meanwhile, senior UML leader KP Oli, who was in New Delhi in a UML delegation led by its general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, said that Indian PM had not talked about separate alliance by isolating Maoists. “The fact is the Maoists have to improve their behavior as a democratic force,” he said. Added Bharat Mohan Adhikary, another UML leader in the delegation, “The Maoists should not suspect us. Prachanda, too, had visited India (in the past). We did not comment about that. Besides, UML does not want to talk about our internal politics in foreign soil.” The UML delegation had met with Indian PM in New Delhi on Tuesday. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the UML delegation held separate meetings with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani and Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee. “In all our meetings, Indian leaders emphasized the need to hold CA elections by November and the need to shorten the transitional phase,” Adhikary said. Leading dailies report
Yadav Warns Of Terai Revolt
A senior Maoist leader and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Matrika Yadav has warned of unleashing “People’s War” in Terai. Minister Yadav said such revolt will occur unless the state addresses the concerns raised by people of Terai. Condemning the recent baton charge by police against Madhesi MPs on Thursday in front of Singhdurbar ‘at the direct order of Home Minister,’ Minister Yadav also threatened to agitate against Nepali Congress (NC). Over one dozen persons were injured during the baton charge after police prevented the agitation by Maoist-affiliated Madhesi National Liberation Front and stopped Madhesi MPs from entering into Singhdurbar to submit a memo to the Prime Minister. Yadav said that the people have the right to rebel if the government does not work in their interests and address their concerns. Compiled from reports
Nepal To Purchase 40 Mw Power From India
For the first time Nepal and India have agreed to power trade on purely commercial basis. With the objective to resolve load-shedding problem, Nepal will import additional 40 MW electricity by this winter. The power will be transmitted from Duhabi-Katiya transmission line in Biratnagar. This was decided during the eighth meeting of the Nepal-India Power Exchange Committee (PEC) that concluded Friday. A joint press statement issued after the meeting stated that India had agreed to upgrade the Duhabi-Kataiya transmission line, which will enable Nepal to import additional 40 MW electricity. “Currently, Nepal has been importing 50 MW of electricity through the transmission line. The upgrade of transmission line will enable Nepal to import an additional 40 MW of electricity,” the statement said. The upgrade of the transmission line is expected to be completed by October. As per the agreement, Nepal will also export 40 MW of electricity through the Gandak-Ram Nagar line during the rainy season at a competitive price. The issue of revision of power tariff, which had remained undecided since 2003, has also been resolved, with Indian and Nepali officials agreeing on annual tariff hike of 5 percent for January 2004 to June 2008 against the annual tariff hike of 8.5 percent. Likewise, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) can sell 70 million unit of electricity Nepal gets from Tanakpur to India. India has also decided to remove five out of 21 electricity exchange lines, which have fallen into disuse. The PEC meeting, which is supposed to be held every year by rotation in India and Nepal, had taken place after four years. The last meeting held in the year 2003 had ended inconclusively after the two sides had differences in issues related to revision of power tariff. Compiled from reports
SMEC To Give 75 Mw Electricity For Free
The builder of West Seti hydropower project Snowy Mountaineering Engineering Corporation (SMEC) will build 75 MW reservoir type power project free of charge to Nepal government. In lieu of permission to generate 750 MW power from West Seti project located in Doti district and to export it to India, the SMEC has agreed to provide 75 MW power to Nepal government. Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that since it was technically not possible to connect the electricity generated from West Seti project to national grid, the SMEC had proposed to build a separate 75 MW project. Speaking at the Natural Resources Committee of the parliament, Thursday (June 7), Dr. Mahat said the government was positive to its proposal. The SMEC is to begin construction of West Seti from coming winter. It had said it was open to both options – payment of royalty or supply of free energy. Dr. Mahat added that government stressed on free energy rather than royalty. He said the government could give 127 MW Upper Seti to fulfill SMEC’s promise of free energy. Japan government had helped conduct feasibility study of Upper Seti project – which is a reservoir type project located in Damauli of Tanahun district. Kantipur daily reports
Maoists Says Confusion Over India’s Advice Has Ended
Following his meeting with the Prime Minister, Maoist chairman Prachanda issued a statement on Sunday (June 10) saying that the discussions went ahead largely positively. Interestingly, in his statement, Prachanda said that the suspicions that arose after the media reported that India had advised the UML to tie up with the Nepali Congress have now been cleared. “We want to make clear that we [parties] now don’t have mutual suspicion that arose after the Nepali media reported that India, a country whose positive role is specially expected right from the signing of the 12-point agreement to the entire peace process and the CA election, had advised for special relation between the UML and the Nepali Congress,” Prachanda said in a statement. The Maoist chairman had immediately objected to the India Prime Minister’s ‘advice’ to a senior UML delegation for unity between the UML and the Congress. However, the UML leaders had refuted the reports of such an advice, but they revealed that the Indian side had expressed concern over the forceful activities of the Maoists. Prachanda in his statement also stressed that the eight-party unity must hold in the current fragile situation. He said his party was firm in its commitment to holding constituent election for establishing democratic republic. He also indirectly admitted the wrongdoing by his cadres in some cases, but claimed that the stoning of American ambassador’s vehicle in Jhapa recently was something his party “does not even think of doing”. He said his party had already asked the government to take action against those involved in the attack. In the statement Prachanda recalls that no foreigner was hurt during the entire decade-long conflict period.
Dr. Bhattarai Rejects ULFA Charges
Following a statement by a surrendered leader of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) that the Indian separatist outfit had links with Nepali Maoists, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai rejected the charges. “Our party’s clear position is that the struggle of various organizations in India is their internal matter. We have no direct or indirect link with any of them.” He added, “We have never been in contact with this organization called ULFA. While this kind of propaganda has started now, it could have been motivated by a vicious intention. We request all to be cautious about this.” He further said, “Our simple guess is that some elements who are trying to disrupt the ongoing process for peace and democracy might be engaging in this kind of propaganda.” Bhattarai was reacting to Indian media reports that quoted surrendered ULFA leader Ghanakanta Bora as saying that the ULFA had established some bases in Nepal with the help of Maoists and that the outfit was preparing to shift a large number of cadres and leaders to Nepal. Bora also said the ULFA had turned to the Maoists for weapons. "We have been in touch with Maoist groups in Nepal and procuring arms, ammunition, and explosives for the ULFA," he told reporters after the surrender on Tuesday. nepalnews.com reports
SAC Discuss CA Bill
Moving closer to passing the important CA Member Election Bill, a task force of the State Affairs Committee (SAC) of the parliament, on Wednesday (June 6), finalized the Bill overcoming the hurdles in proportional electoral system by ensuring 50 percent representation for the women. The bill ensures equal representation of 6.5 percent for Dalit women and men; 18.8 percent each for the men and women from the indigenous minorities; 15.6 percent each for the Madhesi men and women; 1.8 percent each for the men and women from the backward regions; and equal representation of 14.3 percent for the men and women from other categories. “The parties have been granted liberty to give 40 to 60 percent representation to women while deciding their candidates,” said lawmakers representing the task force. Leading dailies report
SAC Discuss CA Bill
Moving closer to passing the important CA Member Election Bill, a task force of the State Affairs Committee (SAC) of the parliament, on Wednesday (June 6), finalized the Bill overcoming the hurdles in proportional electoral system by ensuring 50 percent representation for the women. The bill ensures equal representation of 6.5 percent for Dalit women and men; 18.8 percent each for the men and women from the indigenous minorities; 15.6 percent each for the Madhesi men and women; 1.8 percent each for the men and women from the backward regions; and equal representation of 14.3 percent for the men and women from other categories. “The parties have been granted liberty to give 40 to 60 percent representation to women while deciding their candidates,” said lawmakers representing the task force. Leading dailies report
