Govt in for crisis NC lawmakers for change of leader

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 16 - Rebelling lawmakers of the governing Nepali Congress (NC) party today filed a petition at the NC parliamentary party office seeking Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s removal from office.

The petition was signed by 58 NC lawmakers expressing "no- confidence" on the parliamentary party leader for his poor performance as the prime minister of the country.

Party regulations require the parliamentary party secretary to call the meeting within 15 days from the date the petition signed by at least a fourth of the total members is registered. NC has 137 members in the two Houses of Parliament.

"The prime minister has failed to show any leadership and has remained to be a weak leader ... his government has not done any progress," said NC parliamentarian Suresh Malla, who is leading the pack of rebels.

Prime Minister Bhattarai, who is nursing a bad back at his official residence in Baluwatar, could not be reached for comments. But his press advisor Kishore Nepal said the premier was not unduly worried.

"He has taken it as a natural matter," Bhattarai’s press advisor Nepal said. "He is not unduly concerned."

The signatories on the petion will now have to be verified by calling each of the lawmakers before the date for the meeting is set.

Parliamentary Party Secretary Benup Raj Prasai said he would have to first consult with party President Girija Prasad Koirala before announcing the date. Either way, the meeting and the ouster will take place before parliament begins its winter session on March 1.

Malla said they were not sure who they will choose as the next parliamentary party leader but said, "We are confident that our choice will be based on consensus and not just agreeable to one side or the other."

Asked why only 58 members had signed and if they had enough votes to get their motion through, he said the signatures on the petition were just to meet the criteria but the support was much larger than that.

Both Bhattarai and Koirala had reached an agreement nearly two months back in which Bhattarai had agreed to step down immediately after the winter session of parliament citing health reasons to defuse the situation that developed with NC lawmakers rebelling against him and beginning a signature campaign.

The rebelling members did not officially file the petition earlier after the agreement was reached between the two top leaders but when the prime minister made last minute efforts by appointing Ram Chandra Poudel as the deputy prime minister to save his position early this month, the rebels accused him of going back on his promise of a peaceful exit.

Immediately after Poudel was appointed, Koirala’s close associates said the effort was not going to pay off and warned that a move would be made in the days that followed.

Since Bhattarai was appointed prime minster in May last year after NC won the general elections, the gap between the two leaders had been widening with the party blaming the government of going against its directives.

Both NC members and the opposition have voiced concern over the attitude and performance of the Bhattarai government. His ministers have been accused of indulging in corruption and unethical behaviour.

Minister for Housing and Physical Planning Bal Bahadur K.C. had broken into the house of a married woman, physically abused her and threatened her. Bhattarai refused to sack K.C. despite pleas from NC members including Koirala himself.

The Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture Sharat Singh Bhandari had been accused of pocketing hefty commissions while awarding contracts during the South Asian Games held last year. He too was spared by Bhattarai.

Other members in the cabinet have been accused of indulging in corruption while the government as a whole has also been accused of failing to control the Maoist insurgents who have targeted NC workers and supporters in the bloody campaign for a republican state.

Earlier this month, the 76-year-old prime minister was confined to bed for nearly two weeks due to, what his aides said, was back problem. He is still nursing his back.

Meanwhile, late on Wednesday, sources inside the NC indicated that about a dozen ministers in Bhattarai’s cabinet were preparing to tender their resignations in support of the petition.

The move to oust Bhattarai comes when his most ardent supporter, former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, is away from the country touring Australia. He is due in Kathmandu only next week. It is said that Deuba’s manouevering has thus far propped up the Bhattarai government.

PSC ignored in recruitment

KATHMANDU, Feb 16 (PR) - The parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC) today expressed concern over the illegal appointment in government offices bypassing regulations.

Regulations require government employees to be appointed through the Public Service Commission (PSC) through a process of tests and interviews. However, the commission in its annual report has blamed many ministries of directly appointing personnel violating existing civil service laws.

"If this tendency is not checked on time, the situation could turn out to be worse in the future," SAC Chairman Hom Nath Dahal told today’s meeting. The committee today reviewed some of these instances. Records showed that 15 people had been appointed by the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare directly without following proper procedure.

Under Secretary at the ministry Ganesh Bhattarai admitted before the committee that such appointments do take place and cases like that should be investigated.

PSC in the report had pointed finger at the Ministry of Science and Technology for hiring 20 people without following the procedure. PSC officials said that though written tests had been taken, records showed that the marks obtained had been tampered as it was written using pencils and erased using correction fluid too. Secretary at the ministry Poshnath Nepal said the appointment had been made as a compulsion to run a ministry that has just been established and following the normal route would have taken much time.

Police-Maoist clash claims one rebel

SURKHET, Feb 16 (PR) - A Maoist rebel was killed in a police-Maoist encounter in Jaburta VDC on Tuesday night, Chief District Officer here said.

He said the deceased rebel had not been identified but added that there were a total of eight rebels during the encounter. Jaburta village neighbours Surkhet’s district headquarters.

According to him, 22 Maoist rebels, who were arrested by the police on February 13 in Uttarganga VDC, have promised to abide by the constitution, and lead a peaceful life.

All identified as the residents of Uttarganga VDC, the rebels were arrested during a torch lit rally organized to mark the fifth anniversary of the "People’s War" Sunday, February 13.

The war waged by underground Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist entered fifth year on Sunday. More than 1100 people have succumbed to the insurgency which is concentrated mainly in remote hill districts in mid-western, western and central regions.

After Vikrams, it's now govt vehicles

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 16 - Ministry of Population and Environment (MOPE) today reiterated that it would ban all the government- and diplomatic mission-owned vehicles failing to meet existing emission standards from the Valley after upcoming Democracy Day (Saturday, February 19).

"There can be no compromise after Saturday, since we have time and again informed all the concerned authorities to properly maintain their vehicles," said MOPE Secretary Dr Govinda Raj Bhatta. "We don’t know anything except that the vehicles owned by the government agencies, corporations and diplomatic missions should meet existing emission standard."

Under MOPE’s existing emission standard, a diesel-operated vehicle should not exceed 65 HSU (Hertige Some Unit), while a petrol-operated vehicle should not emit more than 3 percent carbon monoxide. The emission tests are conducted at Valley Traffic Police Office (VTPO) near Singhadurbar.

Speaking at an interaction programme Nepal Emission Standard 2056, the Nepali version of Euro-I emission standard, organized here Wednesday by The Explore Nepal Group, Dr Bhatta further said that the government’s next step would be to ban all the private vehicles failing to meet existing emission standard.

The move comes five months after the government banned 650-odd Vikram tempos, the diesel-operated three-wheelers, from the Valley. In what has been touted as the government’s anti-pollution drive, the ministry had consequently announced the ban on the import of two-stroke motorbikes into the country.

And just last month, the government took a series of decisions aimed at improving the capital’s deteriorating air quality while announcing the Nepal Emission Standard 2056. The government has already banned the import of vehicles other than those meeting the Nepal 2056 standard.

Meanwhile, Bhatta did not give the exact date when the government would review the existing emission standard when asked to comment today. Some experts say the existing emission testing mechanism has "loopholes" in it.

"If the government fixes Hydro Carbon standard - as it has fixed 3 percent carbon monoxide level - the problem will be solved," he said, adding that the lack of adequate manpower and resources have aggravated the problem.

Bharat Basnet of The Explore Nepal Group and other experts stressed that the government strictly check fuel adulteration. They blamed that the petroleum distributed by Nepal Oil Corporation, the sole state-owned supplier, is "extremely adulterated".

NOC, however, denies the charge. It says that it has already started distributing unleaded petrol in the country.

Anti-PM MPs change heart

By a Post Reporter

POKHARA, Feb 16 - Two ruling Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers from Kaski who earlier had been criticising the "defunct" government suddenly seem to have "refrained themselves" from the "campaign" against the Prime Minister.

Some NC lawmakers and activists who are unsatisfied with the government’s performance have in the recent days initiated signature collection campaign against the Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

Talking with The Kathmandu Post NC lawmaker from the Upper House and President of the Nepali Congress District Committee, Kaski Shukra Raj Sharma said, "I haven’t signed against the Prime Minister. Moreover, it is improper of any NC lawmakers to distrust or defame him."

He, however, was of the opinion that it was necessary that the Prime Minster profoundly consider his health for "the government’s sake."

Likewise, another NC lawmaker from Kaski, Prakash Gurung said he was "unaware" of the "anti-PM" activities. "Nor have I signed any deal against the prime minister, neither do I know of any manoeuvres against him," said Gurung.

Another NC lawmaker Mahadev Gurung could not be contacted.

Speaker Taranath Ranabhat also represents the district. He, too, in the recent days, has developed a soft corner for the prime minister.

Kantipur staff donate blood

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 16 - Editorial staff, employees and well-wishers of Kantipur Publications donated blood today to mark the seventh anniversary of Kantipur Publications (Pvt) Ltd.

The Publications, which owns The Kathmandu Post, Kantipur, Saptahik, Sarvottam, and Kantipur FM 96.1, is completing seven years on Saturday.

Donating their blood on Wednesday from the editorial section were Dhruva Acharya, Sanjeev Ghimire, Surendra Phuyal, Jayadev Gautam, Bikas Rauniar, Deepraj Sanyal, Balram Baniya, Mohan Dahal, Ramu Chaudhary, Ramkrishna Bhandari and Rajkishore Das.

From Kantipur FM 96.1, those donating blood include Pratima Shrestha, Dinesh D.C., Prakash Bhattarai, Anindra Raj Shrestha, Dipak Shrestha, Roshani Dhungana, Sujit Ale, Rameshwar Kafle, Achyut Subedi, Sushil Adhikari, Yagya Prasad Parajuli, Raju Giri, Manoj Acharya, Sohan Shrestha and Sri Ram Paudel.

Well wishers of Kantipur Publications, Chandrakala Bhushal and Naula Singh Budha also donated blood.

From the Marketing Department, Basant Limbu, Hari Aryal, Anil Baskota, Navaraj Shrestha and Shailendra Shah donated blood.

From the weekly Saptahik team, Subash Dhakal, Sanjeevan Maharjan, Sagar Shrestha, Mukunda Bogati, Nilkantha Sharma, Dwarika Ranjitkar, Santosh Acharya, Kedar Koirala and Rajman Manandhar donated blood.

Donating blood from the Circulation Department were Pradumna Kumar Pokharel, Shambhu Adhikari, Maniraj Shahi, Bikau Thakur, Chandra Dewan, Tek Prasad Paudel, Sahindra Man Shrestha, Jayan Dhwoj Joshi, Badri Chaulagain, Narayan Budhathoki, Nanibabu Adhikari, Dhruva Parajuli, Mahesh Thapa, Ganesh Kumar Raut, Rajan Karki, Rajan Lamichhane, Sabin Shrestha, Chandra Bahadur Rayamajhi, Kanchha Rai, Rajkumar Thapa and Umesh Shrestha.

Finance Department staff donating blood include Pradip Yadav, Suraj Paudel, Pradip Kumar Chalise, Suresh Prasad Gupta, Binod Bhakta Shrestha, Jayash Jung Shah, Paras Raj Joshi and Bidur Aryal.

Legal advisor Ram Krishna Nirala, Rabindra Rajbanshi of Echo Advertising and Niraj Pandey of News Agency Distributors also donated their blood.

Assisting in the collection of blood were technicians from Nepal Red Cross Blood Bank. They include Lina Shrestha, Chandra Giri, Deepak Thakuri, Benu Sagar Karmacharya and volunteer Elisabeth.