MARTIN SAYS POLL CHALLENGES ARE CONSIDERABLE
Ian Martin, UNMIN chief, has said that the challenges involved in creating satisfactory conditions for a late November election are very considerable.
"They require not just the fixing of a date, but a realistic plan and timetable to which all parties commit themselves, and which ensure rapid progress on simultaneous fronts," he said at a press meet on Tuesday (June 13).
Martin said that the first task is that of final decision-making on the electoral system. "This includes the passage of the Constituent Assembly Election Bill defining that system and final decisions regarding constituencies," he said adding that these require not only agreement among political parties but also need to assure marginalized groups that their legitimate demands for representation are being met by the electoral system.
The second task, he added, is that of assuring public security. "This requires not just a plan for security at the time of the election itself, but the creation of conditions in all districts and villages which allow all parties to conduct their activities from now on without facing intimidation and violence."
Martin said that he had hoped that the formation of the Interim Government would lead to much-needed discussions and cooperation between the Home Ministry, the police, the Maoists and others as to how such public security is to be achieved, including in places to which police have only recently returned. "I urge such discussions as a matter of priority," he said.
Martin said he has discussed the role and activities of the Young Communist League (YCL) with Chairman Prachanda on a number of occasions. "(I) have urged that he make public the instructions under which the YCL operates, making clear that these are fully in accordance with the law and with human rights standards - in particular, that they must not use violence of any kind and must assist law enforcement only by acting as citizens cooperating with the police within the law," he said.
Meanwhile, Martin said that the second stage of registration and verification of Maoist army personnel will begin at the main cantonment site in Ilam, in the east of Nepal. "This is a crucial stage of the implementation of the Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies, in particular as regards the commitment to discharge those aged under 18 on 25 May 2006, and to ensure that all who remain in cantonments were recruited to the Maoist army before that date. The verification and registration will be carried out by teams led by UNMIN arms monitors, which include UNDP registration personnel and UNICEF child protection officers," he said.
MORIARTY SAYS MAOISTS HAVE FAILED TO STOP VIOLENCE
In a hard-hitting statement against the Maoist atrocities, American ambassador James Moriarty has expressed his concerns for the future of Nepal . Moriarty addressing friends and supporters of the Community Information Center – Pokhara, on Tuesday (June 13), said that there are two main obstacles to peace, prosperity and democracy in Nepal at the moment.
The first is the Maoists' failure to bring their conduct in line with the standards of mainstream political parties in multiparty democracies; and the second is ethnic division.
The Ambassador stated, "Pushpa Dahal and the rest of the Maoist leadership have an historic opportunity before the Constituent Assembly election to prove to the Nepali people and the world that their party really is committed to democracy and peace …. Maoist assurances that they are peace loving democrats have been proven hollow daily by the violent actions of their cadre. If the Maoists want the people's trust and support, they must win it through democratic competition and free elections – and not through violence."
Moriarty said that Maoist cantonments contained young recruits. He said that many seasoned PLA combatants remained outside the camps and were placed by the Maoist leadership in a new organization: the Young Communist League. "Most of the leadership of the YCL consists of senior PLA officers, including one who bragged in a recent interview that he had assassinated a senior police official in Kathmandu. Why are these PLA leaders still active in the countryside when they were supposed to be in the cantonments?" he asked.
"We had all hoped that the entry of the Maoists into the government on April 1 would prompt them to behave like a mainstream political party. Instead, the Maoists have forcefully reminded the people of Nepal that April 1 is also called April Fool's Day. Since that date, the YCL has run amok, the Maoist ministers of Forests and of Local Development have called for bandhas against the government they work for, and the Maoist Minister of Information and Communications has publicly stated that the Prime Minister, his boss, has a criminal mind. Once again, the Maoist leader, Mr. Pushpa Dahal, has stated in a public interview that the Maoists have no intention of joining the political mainstream. His party's actions over the past year suggest that all Nepalis should take these words of Mr. Dahal very seriously," Moriarty said. He also said that people who stoned his car recently in Jhapa were, indeed, YCL cadres.
EU SUPPORTS RENEWABLE ENERGY
The European Union is supporting Nepal in the implementation of the Renewable Energy Project (REP).
According to a press release issued by the EU office in Kathmandu, this project will be executed by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC). The overall objective of the REP is to create a renewable energy infrastructure in rural areas, which facilitates income generation, sustainable growth and delivery of social services, thus alleviating poverty, the release stated.
The total project cost is estimated at EUR 15.675 million thereof EUR 15 million from the European Union and 0.675 as GoN’s contribution. “REP is providing solar energy systems to communities of around 300 VDCs in 21 remote districts of Nepal. In order to maximize the impact of the project and ensure the best use of available resources, REP made multifaceted efforts while identifying the target communities, generating awareness regarding energy demand collection, and conducting feasibility studies in the first year of field implementation.”
As a part of consultation process aimed at transparency and equal access to information, REP conducted 22 district level workshops amidst 1,600 participants. The principle objective of the workshops was to mobilize the communities for energy demand.
Following the same principle, REP is conducting second around of district workshops where up to 400 participants were informed on the process and results of this first year of field implementation. 172 community organizations are confirmed as REP partners and will be transformed into CESPs through capacity building and supply of energy equipment.
At the present stage, REP will provide PV systems to around 250 schools, 200 health institutions, 200 community centers, 54 PV systems for milling 30 water pumping PV systems will be disseminated. These PV systems are robust, substantial in power, tailored to each institution and subscribe to international quality standards. The number of beneficiaries has risen from the initially planned 500,000 to 1,500,000 people.
In addition, REP is supporting solar thermal applications for income generation. To this effect, REP received and processed 123 applications for solar thermal systems: A total of 38 projects: 24 solar dryer and 14 water heater have been found feasible and will receive the REP support.
