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VOL. 27, NO. 44, July18 , 2008 (Shrawan 03 2065 B.S.)
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EVEN THOUGH THEY ALLOWED THE RESUMPTION of the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting, Wednesday (July 9), the Madhesi parties boycotted the session as the government tabled the Fifth Amendment bill. At the late night meeting of CA, leader of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Jaya Prakash Gupta registered a 'protest notice' against the government's proposed bill. The notice was rejected by the CA following which the Madhesi parties including MJF, Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP), Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP), NSP-Anandidevi's Sarita Giri and Dalit Janajati Party members boycotted the proceedings of the assembly. Gupta claimed that the rejection of the protest notice gave the message that the CA would not be working in favor of Madhesi people and would sow the seed of division in the country. Subsequently, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Narendra Bikram Nemwang tabled the amendment bill. Three days of time have been allotted for tabling of further amendments in the bill after which it will be put for decision. Meanwhile, speaking at the CA, leaders of smaller parties blasted the amendment bill and accused the Madhesi leaders of making divisive remarks. "It has been proved that the real intention behind the slogan of one Madhes one Province is to divide the country," said Chitra Bahadur KC, leader of Rastriya Jana Morcha.
DOCTORS HAVE ENDED THEIR HOSPITAL STRIKE after reaching an understanding with the Health Minister. On Friday evening, they decided to open health services after three days of closure of all services except emergency ones. They withdrew their closure strike after the Health Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel agreed to expedite the introduction of Health Professional Security legislation, among others. Earlier the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had expressed serious concern over the continued strike in medical sector called by Nepal Medical Association demanding security of the doctors and medical professionals. In a press statement issued Thursday (July 10), NHRC said the strike called after an incident at Everest Nursing Home, Baneshwor Kathmandu has denied citizens of their right to livelihood. NHRC said medical services must not be halted in any pretext. The national rights watchdog while urging the government to take initiatives for security of the medical professionals against misbehaviors, also asked the doctors to take into consideration their ethics, duties and protecting rights of others. NHRC further asked agitating doctors to opt the measures of legal proceedings and dialogue to find a solution of the problem and not through strikes.
TOURISM INDUSTRY MAY FACE A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS this season as the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu is not issuing visa for foreign visitors travelling through Nepal, reports The Himalayan Times daily. " Nepal will lose more than 20,000 visitors heading to Tibet," according to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Though the Chinese government opened Tibet Autonomous Region of China (TARC) for foreign visitors from July 1, an official at Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu said that they were yet to receive formal information from their government. Because of its geographical proximity and easy availability of flights, foreign visitors to Tibet have been using Nepal as their transit point for years. The Kailash-Mansarovar area, Lhasa and Everest Base Camp from the Tibetan side are the major attractions for the foreign visitors in Tibet. Likewise, Nepali tour operators are also handling expeditions to Everest and other mountain peaks from the Tibetan side every year. "We received a circular from Tibet Mountaineering Association (TMA) saying that Tibet was open for foreign visitors. We sold the package to our guests. But when we applied for visa, we were denied. We incurred a huge loss," a trekking operator shared his experience. According to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the transit visitors to Tibet stay at least three to five nights in Nepal. "They stay in our hotels, consume our tourism products and services and go to Tibet. They stay in Nepal on their way back home from Tibet and do some sightseeing and shopping also. "The closure of TARC will also incur significant financial losses," Nandini Lahe Thapa, tourism marketing and promotion director of NTB said. She further added that the closure of Tibet was one of the reasons behind the decline of tourist arrival via air in June. Tourist arrival in June had declined by seven per cent in comparison to the arrival figure of same period last year. Thapa predicted further decline in tourists arrival in July and August as it is the high time for Tibet visit. Nepal is set to lose more than 1,00,000 bednights and more than $1.1 million, according to the NTB.
RENOWNED WOMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST and a member of the Constituent Assembly (CA) Sapana Pradhan Malla has bagged a prestigious award. The US-based Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation has selected Malla along with Iraqi women activist Yanar Mohammad and Palestine feminist Dr Nadera Shalhoub for this year's Gruber International Women's Rights Prize. Malla bagged the award under the category Advancing Gender Equality. The prize carries a purse of half a million dollars (Rs 34.4 million) along with a gold medal. The foundation has recognized Malla's role in securing women's reproductive rights and her fight against laws discriminatory against women. "This honors my work," Malla said. She said she would invest the award money to build a shelter for women victims of violence and to strengthen the Forum for Women, Law and Development, of which she is a former chairperson.
