Bhattarai, Koirala out to woo NC MPs

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 23 - Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala today began wooing lawmakers from his party in a bid to lure support for his campaign to oust Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai from office.

NC lawmakers from far western and mid western development regions lined up at the party contact office at Maharajgunj early today to hear Koirala address them.

According to the participating members, he urged them to end the confusion in the party and stand unified. Koirala is in the process of gathering support for himself and steal Bhattarai’s supporters before the voting on Saturday on a proposal of "no- confidence" brought against the prime minister.

The NC parliamentary party is scheduled to meet on Saturday to debate and vote on a proposal of "no-confidence" brought forth by 58 rebelling NC lawmakers against Prime Minister Bhattarai.

Koirala is scheduled to meet members from western and central region tomorrow and NC parliamentarian from the eastern region on Friday.

Prime Minister Bhattarai retaliated by calling the lawmakers for consultations on Friday when members from the far western and mid western development region have been urged to come at 8:30 a.m., western region at 9:30 a.m., central region at 2:30 p.m. and eastern region at 3:30 p.m.

The truce being attempted by the second generation leaders of party hit a major hurdle today when Koirala refused to listen to the outline of agreement Shaileja Acharya had presented for approval.

The rebelling NC members first met at the residence of Khum Bahaudur Khadka during the afternoon and later moved on to the Narayan Singh Pun’s house in the evening.

These rebels had 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.

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. 

Six villages set afire in Rukum

By J Pandey

NEPALGUNJ, Feb 23 - Hundreds of houses have been burnt to ashes in six villages south of Musikot, Rukum’s headquarters, from the fire that erupted after the police operation yesterday which killed 19 persons. No one knows who set the fire.

Chief District Officer of Rukum Parshuram Aryal said investigation has been initiated into the incident. "Police have gone there. We’ll know about the incident after they come back," he said.

There are conflicting claims on the incident with locals blaming the police and police pointing fingers at the insurgents.

A VDC chairman on condition of anonymity said police set the houses on fire after the Maoists killed one police personnel during their search operation yesterday. Police had killed 18 Maoist insurgents yesterday in a massive search operation.

Sources say police set one house on fire in Khumcheri village after their colleague was killed by Maoists while following them. Police also followed the Maoists to other villages and burnt the houses which they thought were giving refuge to those insurgents.

According to a local, police had chartered two helicopters belonging to Ananya Airways and Karnali Airways to ferry policemen to surround Jhulnera, Pokhari, Lait and Kural villages. The source said the helicopters kept on ferrying policemen for four hours.

Police and local authorities, however, denied the allegation and said the Maoists themselves were involved in setting the houses on fire. A Senior Superintendent of Police said they had received information about only 25 houses catching fire.

A government official in Choukhawang, Rukum said more houses were set on fire in ward-5 of Rugha VDC today. DDC chairman Khem Man Khadka also told The Kathmandu Post on telephone that some of the houses could be seen burning even today. According to Khadka, some 150 families in Wards 1,2,4,5,6 and 7 of Khara VDC have been affected by the fire.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML issued a press release today condemning the incident. "The incident is the result of the terror unleashed by the goverenment," states the press release. Blaming the government for the incident the press release states "the Standing Committee has taken this incident seriously."

"The way the government has taken law into its hand to control `Maoist movement’ will only aggravate the situation," states the press release. "We demand that the government stop such acts immediately and look for peaceful way out."

Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also issued a press release today appreciating the interest shown by Maoists in holding a dialogue with the government. "The positive response shown by Maoists towards our request to sit for dialogue is praiseworthy," states the release.

"I request the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) to sit for dialogue immediately and quit violence."

Nepali Congress Central Office also sent a press release today condemning the Maoists for killing an NC cadre Ujjwal Bahadur Singh on February 19.

Nepal told to learn from S Asian mistakes

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 23 - Amnesty International today pointed out that Nepal should learn from the mistakes of other South Asian countries while dealing with insurgency.

"Nepal will do well to learn from its neighbours in similar armed conflict. Rather Nepal seems set to repeat these mistakes," said Pierre Sane, Secretary General of the Amnesty International (AI) referring to the way the government is handling the conflict.

Speaking at the talk programme "Conflicts in South Asia" organised by the Group 32, AI’s student group in Padma Kanya Campus, Sane said the way Nepal handles the challenge posed by Maoists will be the turning point in the national development.

"Nepal should deal with this issue within the framework of its Constitution and the international treaties to which it is a party," said Sane. "But there are signs that the government is set to take a hardline approach, relying on new paramilitary tactics and special powers."

He also raised concern over the Bill for the Amendment of Nepali laws relating to "Internal Administration" tabled in the parliament last year. "The Bill on internal affairs may have an obscure name but the special powers it contains are not," he said. "Several of its provisions are in breach of Nepal’s obligations under the ICCPR and other international covenants."

Referring to a similar Act that gave powers to the armed forces adopted by India in response to insurgencies in the Northeast he said "While the declaration of disturbed areas always meant to be a temporary measure the application of Act in some parts of India would be better described as permanent."

He also pointed out similar example in Sri Lanka where the Prevention of Terrorism Act was introduced 20 years back as a temporary measure.

"While special measures maybe needed to contend with the threat posed by Maoists "Peoples War", Nepal should avoid the temptation of responding in kind. The government should refrain from widening the powers of the police to shoot on sight" said Sane. "Lethal force should not be used except when strictly unavoidable and in order to protect life. The government should also stop practice of incommunicado detention."

He also added that government should not give impunity to those who abuse human rights and said the government should ensure adequate compensation and redress for the victims and their families.

Speaking on the South Asian context, Sane said UN has confirmed 12,000 disappearance from Sri Lanka. "This is third big number in world after Iraq and former Yugoslavia," he said.

Also referring to the conflicts in South Asia, Director of AI Nepal Anil Pant said conflicts are bound to happen in any society that is as diverse as South Asia. "For these conflicts to be creative we need a society where individuals are aware of their rights," he said.

Rori Mungoven, Director of Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific Programme, said Nepal faces a fundamental choice at this point: "Will it pull back from the brink of disaster? Will it descend into the abyss of violation of human rights abuse?" He, however, pointed out that the results won’t just depend on the politicians, police and the media but on all the members of civil society.

Meanwhile, according to a press release issued by AI Nepal, Sane called on Foreign Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat today. He discussed the issue of Bhutanese refugee and human rights with Dr Mahat, states the release.

The delegation also called on leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal at his office in Singhadurbar and Attorney General Badri Bahadur Karki today.

Sane is scheduled to call on Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs Som Prasad Pandey and Chairperson of Nepal Bar Association Harihar Dahal tomorrow.

PM recovers

KATHMANDU, Feb 23 (PR) - The two senior doctors attending Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai today stated that he has satisfactorily recovered from back related pains that had confined him to bed a few weeks back.

A belated statement issued by senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Ashok Baskota said the prime minister with a combination of rest, physiotherapy and medication has been making steady and satisfactory progress in the past few weeks.

"At no point has he demonstrated any neurological deficits in his legs and all relevant investigations are within normal limits," Dr. Baskota said. "He is comfortably mobile with a cane."

The prime minister had been suffering from low back pain with difficulty in standing and walking due to a common orthopaedic condition known as Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis. Dr. Baskota said the primary problem is age-related spondylitis and degenerative intervertebral disc disease, which compromises the neural canal and can cause symptoms in some people.

The prime minister had been confined to bed rest by doctors for over a week that had delayed the swearing in ceremony of the Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel and rumours that he would be forced to quit for health reasons.

Senior physician and gastroenterologist Madhu Ghimire in a separate statement said that since the time of surgery in September 1999, there has been no change in the prime minister’s general health status except for the back problems. 

Nepal urged to combat illicit drug trade

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 23 - International watch dogs have urged Nepal to take more responsibility in combating the availability of illicit drugs in the country.

The 1999 report of the International Narcotics Control Board(INCB), released today by the United Nations Information Centre(UNIC), has urged Nepal to exercise necessary vigilance to prevent the abuse and illicit sale of psychotropic drugs and various codeine based cough medicines such as phensedyl.

Nepal is a signatory of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1998. However, as the report pointed out, it has as yet to sign the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971.

The report also highlighted the close proximity of Nepal and the South Asian continent to the world’s two main opiate growing nations, Afghanistan and Myanmar.

It pointed out North-eastern parts of India, the Indo-Pak border and Mumbai and New Delhi as areas which have been badly affected by drug trafficking and drug abuse problems.

As a result of this trend, the recent establishment of the Inter-Departmental Coordination Committee on Precursor Control, developed as a control mechanism in Nepal, was welcomed by the INCB report.

But it also made clear that 70 percent of cannabis cultivated in Nepal enters drug trafficking routes and that the country cultivates illegal opiates.

Though the illicit use and cultivation of narcotics was a major issue raised by the INCB report, it also said that a legal supply of narcotic drugs for medical purposes was essential for developing countries. It stated that Morphine and other opiates should be made available as pain relievers.

The World Health Organisation(WHO) has estimated that by the year 2015, 15 million cancer cases will arise in developing countries.

Therefore since 70-80 percent of cancer patients suffer chronic pain in the later stages of the disease, Morphine and Codeine would be essential to combat this and beneficial due to their affordability and analgesic attributes.

The INCB report further specified that a humanitarian approach to the supply of drugs which conforms to existing international rules and regulations must come into force to ensure the availability of controlled drugs for medical purposes in developing countries. This is especially necessary for countries which have the least access to the international pharmaceutical market, it emphasised.

The Board has called on international aid programmes to donate such essential drugs to countries which need them in this era of globalisation.

Consumption pattern found shifting

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 23 - Consumption pattern of Nepalese households has undergone a major shift in the last one decade with households spending shifting more towards key areas like education, health and housing.

Due to substantial rise in spending on education, health, housing and other non-food items, Nepalese household spending on food items, as a share of their total spending, has decreased sharply.

According to the newly released Urban Consumer’s Price Index based on Third Household Budget Survey conducted in 1995/96, Nepali household’s spending on food-item as a share of their total spending has decreased to 53 percent from earlier 63 percent. Accordingly, the share of spending on non-food item has increased to 47 percent from earlier 37 percent.

The UCPI is reconstructed at the interval of ten years based on the Household Budget Survey which studies the changing pattern of household spending. It was last compiled in 1984.

During the review period, household’s spending on education, healthcare and housing as a share of total spending increased to 7, 8 and 14.9 percent from earlier 4, 4.6 and 12.7 percent respectively. " Growing spending on education and healthcare, on one hand, reflects increasing awareness on the part of the Nepali households, on the other hand, it also reflects increasing cost of health care and education due to liberalization of these sectors," says Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Chief Economic Advisor at the Nepal Rastra Bank.

One of the interesting changes during the review period has been witnessed in decreasing spending on cigarettes and tobacco. Spending on cigarette and tobacco as a share of total spending declined to 1.7 percent from 2 percent, which is in line with the increasing awareness campaign and mass consciousness on health. " Till the early eighties spending on tobacco and cigarette used to be comparable to the spending on education and health but today this situation has under gone a drastic change, which indeed is a good news," says Khatiwada.

The survey also reveals some interesting shifts in the area of food consumption pattern of the Nepali household sector. Spending on rice has decreased to 14 percent from 24 percent of the total spending, while the spending on meat items has increased to 7 percent from 5 percent and the spending on beverages has increased to 2.7 percent from 1.5 percent.

The survey also shows an increasing trend of spending on restaurant meal among the urban Nepalese consumers. It has increased to 7 percent from earlier 5 percent. Spending on milk has also increased albeit nominally.

Similarly, the survey also reveals that the economy is becoming increasingly monetized and market-based. It shows that, during the review period, over 73 percent of the total income of the household sector were cash-income and over 76 percent of the purchase were market based.

This change in the spending pattern on various items of the "commodity basket" used in the construction of Urban Consumer Price Index has also brought about a change in the earlier estimated inflation rates of the post-1995/96 fiscal years. Earlier estimations had pinned the inflation rates for fiscal years 96/97, 97/98 and 98/99 at 7.8, 4 and 12.7 percent respectively. But the revised series of inflation rates put the figures at 8.1, 8.4 and 11.3 percent respectively.

The revised inflation series has become more representative and reflects the cost of living more realistically, says Khatiwada.

Rabindra Prasad Pandey, Chief Project Officer of Household Budget Survey Project informed that the survey was carried out in 21 urban centers of the kingdom and it covered 2500 families.  

TB still taking heavy toll

By a Post Reporter

LALITPUR, Feb 23 - Nepal has some 80,000 TB patients and half the cases are infectious, according to Dirgh Singh Bam, Director of the National Tuberculosis Centre.

He made these observations here today at an international conference where some 120 participants are discussing the link between the disease and poverty. Over 50 experts from across the world are connected to the conference by E-mail.

Every year some 44,000 new TB patients appear in the country and some 11,000 die.

"TB is a major global killer," said Dr Bam. "Two million people die every year from a disease that costs only $ 20 dollar to cure."

Closely followed DOTS (Direct Observation Treatment Short Course) will go a long way toward putting a lid over the growing number of TB patients, say experts. Under DOTS, patients are administered drug in close observation of health professionals. "Our experience with DOTS in Nepal has been very encouraging," said Dr Bam.

Nepal adopted DOTS strategy in 1996. Since then 55 percent of the total population has been covered and the rate of cure is more than 85 percent. National Tuberculosis Centre aims to cover the whole country by the year 2003. Some 125 countries use DOTS to control TB.

Nepal adopted DOTS strategy in 1996. Since then 55 percent of the total population has been covered and the cure rate is more than 85 percent. National Tuberculosis Centre aims to cover the whole country by the year 2003. Some 125 countries use DOTS to control TB.

"The conference aims to highlight the relationship between inequitable power structure, poverty and tuberculosis," said Ian Smith of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The conference is organized by TB.NET, a three-year-old global TB network based in Nepal which maintains an Internet resource centre for TB control.  

UML forms protest body

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 23 - The main opposition CPN-UML has formed a seven-member body under its powerful leader KP Sharma Oli to launch a movement against price hike of basic commodities.

The party standing committee’s three-day meeting, which concluded here today, also decided to fight against corruption, demand for a better law and order situation and protest "Congressisation" of the civil service.

Other members of the newly formed committee are Pradeep Nepal, Ishwar Pokhrel, Mukund Neupane, Keshav Badal, Rajendra Neupane and Vidhya Bhandari.

The party has dissolved an earlier mobilisation committee headed by the standing committee member Amrit Bohara.

According to a press release issued by the party, the meeting also "seriously discussed the internal disputes of the party and decided to overcome them". But it didn’t explain what they were.