Truce likely in NC PM may quit ‘voluntarily’

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 Second generation leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) today outlined an agreement to end the deadlock in the party that began last week with 58 lawmakers of the party rebelling against the prime minister and demanding his ouster.

"We have outlined an agreement for Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and party president Girija Prasad Koirala, which they will finalize tomorrow (Monday)," Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel told The Kathmandu Post.

Though the details of the proposed agreement were kept secret, participants in today’s meet indicated that Bhattarai would be allowed to quit voluntarily and won’t be forced out.

Besides Poudel, the group included Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Shaileja Acharya, Chiranjivi Wagle and Mahesh Acharya.

Prime Minister Bhattarai did meet Koirala in the morning, however, little progress was made to defuse the situation in the party.

A meeting of the NC parliamentary party has been called for Monday to vote on a no trust motion brought by the 58 NC lawmakers against the Prime Minister who is also the NC parliamentary party leader.

However Foreign Minister Mahat said it was very unlikely that the voting would take place tomorrow.

Last week, 11 members of the cabinet quit the government and 58 other lawmakers of the party filed a petition expressing no confidence in the Prime Minister.

This group of rebelling NC lawmakers expressed "no confidence" on the parliamentary party leader who is also automatically elected the prime minister, over his poor performance as the leader of the country.

The Prime Minister reacted to the situation today by urging the parliamentary party meeting be postponed to a later day.

In a press statement issued today, the prime minister has asked the party to postpone the meeting to the date asked by him and allowed by party regulations.

Regulations require the meet to be called within 15 days from the date a no-trust motion is lodged against the prime minister. The meeting has been set for Monday but Bhattarai had wanted the parliamentary party meet to be postponed to a later date.

"I urge the party to give me time allowed by regulations and asked by me. I will then answer to all the allegations labelled against me," Prime Minister Bhattarai said in the statement

"Despite seeking the time in accordance with the constitution of the party, I was refused and an attempt has been made to insult me," he said.

His indications were targeted at Koirala who he has accused of breaking the agreement reached between them a few months back. The statement however did not name Koirala.

"A specific agreement had been reached between high level leaders of NC about reviewing my performance after few dissatisfied lawmakers began a signature campaign ... this agreement has been broken," the Prime Minister said.

Former Prime Minister Deuba, who cut short a trip to Australia and rushed back home today, too accused the Koirala camp of violating the agreement.

"The agreement had been reached between the Prime Minister, party president Koirala, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, General Secretary Sushil Koirala, Nona Koirala and me when the Prime Minister said he would step down around May," Deuba told reporters at the airport immediately after his arrival.

NC has 137 members in the two Houses of Parliament, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.

The rebels are accusing the Prime Minister of failing to show any leadership qualities and turning out to be a weak leader leading a government that has not made any progress.

Bad notion associated with free trade regime mere exaggeration

By Ameet Dhakal

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 - "WTO, WB, IMF, ADB go to hell". Thus the protesters of the multilateral trade regime, still exuberant from the Seattle debacle, again did it in Bangkok last week during the UNCTAD-X conference.

One of the similarly extremist banners raised during the WTO ministerial meeting in Seattle, USA, last November read, "WTO kills people, better kill WTO." No doubt, all is not well with the current modality (still in the shaping), of the multilateral trade regime. But containing free trade will not be in the earnest interest of the poor countries.

With obsolete technology, deficient capital and small domestic market (in terms of purchasing power) poor countries have more to gain from free trade than to lose. Take, for instance, the case of technology: Poor countries can hardly afford for technological research. Thus they have no alternative but to benefit from the technological progress of the West.

Containing free trade is tantamount to denying poor countries the benefits of vast and rapid technological progress and inhibiting their economic growth. Take for instance, Nepal’s case: Let’s roll back time and fix the clock of free trade in 1981, when Nepal imported computer for the first time to process population census data. Had free trade been contained then, third grade typewriters would probably be the latest fad in Nepalese offices, while the rest of the world was going mad with the wonders of e-information.

The opponents of WTO (World Trade Organization) argue, the multilateral trade regime pulls down the tariff walls of the developing countries thereby flooding their markets with goods from abroad. Definitely, tariff wall plays an important role in the flow of goods internationally.

But this argument misses an equally important point. Tariff wall is never like the sluice gate of the Koshi Barrage, which once dismantled, floods the other side completely. Foreign goods come to Nepal only when people’s purchasing power can afford and demand them. Our own experience with dwindling tariffs also refutes this notion.

Nepal has already reduced the average tariff rates from about 20 percent back in 1990 to less than 10 percent. But during this period contribution of manufacturing sector to GDP has doubled compared to 1990 level and Nepal has become self-sufficient in number of products.

It is true that some of the inefficient industries have succumbed to the international competition but their number is insignificant compared to the ones which have consolidated the domestic market during this period. Thus the notion that foreign goods will swamp away the domestic markets with reduced tariff is an exaggerated one.

Furthermore, free trade hits at the interest of the rent-seeking monopolist and offers choice to the consumers. Isn’t democracy and capitalism (read free market economy) all about choice? Aren’t people happier when they are free to choose among (if they are cigarette brands) Bijuli, Khukuri, Surya and Marlboro brands?

However, despite these virtues of free trade, there are some fundamental flaws in the present modality of the multilateral trade regime. Take for instance, the case of labor movement: Despite resounding urges from the developing countries, WTO has failed to recognize labour as the basic factor input and the importance of labour movement.

One rationale behind the free movement of capital, technology, raw material and even the finished goods is that it reduces the cost. Labour movement has the similar effect. It reduces the cost of production by diluting the pressure on wage, especially in the developed countries.

Western countries, however, argue that free movement of labor would replace their domestic labors and create social tensions. However, they forget that the goods and services of the developed countries have similar effect when they enter the market of the developing countries. By replacing the domestic goods they indirectly replace the domestic laborers.

WTO’s proposition on intellectual property right is equally unjust, let alone the case of Western multinational companies’ bid to patent Turmeric, Neem and Basmati rice - all of which are indigenous products of the Asian sub-continent. WTO officials, majority with their allegiance to the West, argue that absence of intellectual property right discourages scientific research and innovation.

However, they underscore the fact that patenting technology would increase its cost thereby widening the already threatening technological gap between the rich and the poor countries. WTO could make further blunders by trying to tie-up trade with labour and environment standard.

Thus, protesters in Seattle and Bangkok were not totally wrong but their all-out resistance against free trade should be taken with a pinch of salt as they themselves were using mostly imported Japanese cameras to shoot the snap during the protest.

AI official arrives on 6-day visit

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 - Amnesty International’s General Secretary Pierre Sane arrived here today on a six-day visit. On top of his agenda will be the human rights violation caused by the Maoist insurgency and the establishment of the Human Rights Commission, rights groups said.

Sane will discuss matters related to the formation of Human Rights Commission and other human rights issues with government officials and leaders from various political parties, according to AI Nepal.

The Amnesty International (AI) report released on Feb 13, said that both the police and Maoists were responsible for human rights violations. The London-based rights group said, Nepal is courting a human rights disaster as the face-off between the government and the armed Maoist movement hardens into patterns recalling other regional conflicts. "Sri Lanka, Kashmir ... and Nepal must not go the same way," reads the report released by AI.

Sane is also scheduled to address the concluding session of Amnesty International workshop for human rights defenders and an interaction programme organized by HURPES. Both the programmes are to be held tomorrow.

Sane will also address a mass gathering at Tudikhel on February 24 and discuss human rights issues with the Chief Justice, officials of Nepal Bar Association, the Inspector General of Police, diplomatic representatives and refugee leaders.

Restauranteurs reject link with crime

By Subina Shrestha / Sanjeev Ghimire

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 It is now the talk of the town: Kathmandu’s new nightlife and the mushrooming dance restaurants that number over 150. And along with them the dancers and the customers there, and the people who are supposed to police them.

On Feb 1, Deputy Inspector General of Police Tirtha Kumar Pradhan made headlines when he claimed that the so-called dance restaurants are responsible for a tenth of Valley’s crimes, and that they contribute to some 50 percent of the capital’s traffic accidents.

According to Arjun Khadka, an Assistant Sub-inspector at Gaushala Police Station, fist fights, stabbings and drunken brawls are a regular feature of these restaurants. Intoxicated customers harass the dancers and waitresses too, according to him.

Most customers dismiss these claims as "framed", saying police have the habit of putting their foot down whenever there are disagreements over their "commission."

They say dance restaurants at least provide recreation for the entertainment-hungry residents of the Valley.

Says R. Maharjan, a frequent visitor to these restaurants, "There are no forms of entertainment in the Valley otherwise. There might be some restaurants which could be making trouble but the number is negligible."

Even the dancers and the restaurant owners say they are routinely abused by the police. "Very recently, four of us were taken away by male policemen while we were in our changing room," says Ria, 23 (name changed). "They broke in without knocking and that too just at 8 O’clock in the evening," says she. "Even our fellow dancers knock before entering while no male staff enters our room."

Under the Public Offences Act, police can make arrests when they deem their clothes and dances are "titillating". "Vulgarity in public places" can also be an offence.

However, a restaurant at the Maitidevi-Baneshwor area says police interpretation of vulgarity is discriminatory. "If you want to talk about vulgarity, why aren’t all those young girls in the skimpiest of dresses arrested from New Road? Can they be forgiven just because they are better off?"

Most restaurant managers, however, are reluctant to speak against the police. The usual refrain: "You very well realize we need police support to run these places. So please don’t bother us."

Pestered, they add police are one of their "most regular customers".

"If they come all by themselves, they might or might not pay. But when they come with others, they normally pay," says a restaurant owner in Lalitpur. According to him, when all’s okay between him and the police, "they allow us to remain open beyond the stipulated hours. They suggest that we could continue the dances beyond 9:30."

A restaurant owner in the Lazimpat-Thamel area dismisses police claims of "increased crime" due to dance restaurants as "plain rubbish". He argues that they, in fact, discourage it by employing illiterate girls, ("some of them even used to work as call girls earlier"). "Even the staff, who are employed, including the local dadas (now the restaurant security personnel) could have created a lot of problems otherwise."

According to him, the dance restaurants currently employ some 14,000 support staff.

Police officials say the figure is exaggerated, adding allegations against them are largely baseless. "This is a democratic country. It is not necessary to entertain the police. There are plenty of forums to complain if there are police atrocities," says DSP Devendra Subedi. "Restaurant owners lack the moral to accuse the police," he says.

"If such dance restaurants persist overlooked, the enterprise could be heading towards an equivalent of an underworld," says he. For Subedi, these restaurants are a matter of grave concern.

Meanwhile, it’s business as usual for the dancers. They are mostly from outside the Valley, high-school drop-outs, living in poor economic conditions.

Stress on ethical politics laid

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 - The country has regressed since the restoration of democracy not because of the flaws in the multi-party democracy but because of the unethical politics, said leaders today.

Speaking at an interaction programme here on Democracy Day and the Freedom of Expression leaders said it is high time all the leaders from all political parties self-appraise and also try to built political consensus based on ethical political debates on the critical issues pressing the country.

Lawmaker from the main opposition CPN-UML Raghuji Pant said, "The ruling Nepali Congress and other political parties should develop ideological competition with the Maoist rebels, rather than resorting to violence as they have been doing," said Pant. "It is but a political crisis."

Narahari Acharya, spokesperson of the ruling Nepali Congress accused the Maoist insurgents of acting in double-standard manner. "On one hand they talk about reforms based on their ideological beliefs, on the other they are resorting to violent activities."

He said the people can be convinced to regard their ideologies, provided they make peaceful attempts.

Acharya claimed that Nepal has better political dialogue than any country in the South Asia region.

General Secretary of CPN-ML, Bamdev Gautam stressed on the need to bring political reforms by all the parties in the country.

A bill on disclosure of property likely

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 - The up-coming session of parliament could see a bill that will make it mandatory for the political leaders to disclose their property and their sources of income.

According to Narahari Acharya, spokesperson of Nepali Congress, the bill will be submitted only if the Corruption Control Recommendation Committee (CCRC) submits its report in time.

"If the committee submits its report on time, the bill will be presented in the coming session of parliament," Acharya told The Kathmandu Post today. "However, whether it will be submitted as a different law or it will try and make amendments in the pre-existing law of Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is not clear as yet."

The CCRC, formed two months back has already prepared its preliminary report. The necessary changes in the recommendations have yet to be made after consultation with secretaries at the ministries, constitutional body heads and other intellectuals. This was stated by Mahadev Yadav, coordinator of the committee told The Kathmandu Post, on Friday.

Earlier addressing a programme on Role of Media in Controlling Increasing Corruption organised by Nepal Press Union, Kathmandu, Acharya criticised the government and the media for their failure to initiate debate on the bill concerning political parties which was submitted by Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka on September 20.

"There have been no discussions on the bill, forget about implementing it," said Acharya. "Even the media has done nothing to initiate debate on the bill and issues raised by it." He accused the media of raising issues related to corruption but failing to explore the root causes behind them and seek ways to curb corruption.

Former chief of CIAA, Radha Raman Upadhyaya, stressed that the media should investigative corruption cases and reveal the true stories behind those people who become wealthy overnight.

Spokesperson of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Kamal Thapa said there is a need to review and improve the electoral system since corruption starts from elections itself. "The political as well as the electoral systems need complete reform," said Thapa.