NC readies to face oppn wrath

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 -With the differences in the   party settled at least for  the moment, the governing Nepali Congress (NC) today began preparing to face the opposition during the winter session of parliament.

Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and NC President Girija Prasad Koirala today asked the party lawmakers to prepare themselves to face the rage of the opposition parties during the session.

NC lawmakers were summoned to the party central office at Teku today to brief them about the winter session of parliament that convenes this Wednesday.

“We have indications that the opposition will be harsh on us therefore we need to be ready to face the attacks as a united force,” Koirala told his party lawmakers.

Koirala asked them to be prepared to discuss and debate the issues raised in parliament.

“I urge you to be fully prepared to answer any and every questions raised by the opposition during the session,” Prime Minister Bhattarai said.

The two senior leaders’ plea comes at a time when the opposition is gearing up to strike harshly on the government.

Khadga Prasad Oli of the main opposition CPN-UML had warned last week that the party will come down “more heavily” on the ruling party in the parliament’s upcoming session.

Oli, CPN-UML’s second man, had said that his party would come down more heavily on NC compared to the last session if NC continues to ignore their suggestions.

Both Bhattarai and Koirala appeared relaxed while addressing their party members with conflict between them settled at least for now.

On Friday, a truce was finally reached between the two senior-most leaders of NC after Prime Minister Bhattarai agreed to step down by next week ending days of stalemate in the party.

In an agreement reached between the prime minister and Koirala, Bhattarai agreed to voluntarily quit within a week from Wednesday when the winter session of parliament convenes.

On Feb 16, 58 NC lawmakers had filed a proposal at the parliamentary party office expressing no confidence in  the prime minister and seeking his ouster from office he has held for the past nine months.

In the days that followed, marathon talks and negotiation were held before the two leaders finally decided to cease fire and ended the deadlock just a day before voting on the proposal of no confidence against Bhattarai.

The rebelling NC members had expressed “no confidence” in the parliamentary party leader who is also automatically elected the prime minister, over his poor performance as the leader of the country.

NC has a total of 137 members in the two Houses of Parliament, 113 in the House of Representatives and the rest in the National Assembly.

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

Maoist hold night march

 By a Post Reporter

SYANGJA, Feb 27 - A group of Maoists staged a procession in this Western hill district last night.

Around 12 demonstrators belonging to the underground CPN (Maoist) rallied from Lampata Bazar to the Nepali Congress Office in Abhiyan Path at 12:30 am last night, police said. They then headed towards Matruwa through Tribhuvan Adarsha Campus after stoning offices of the District Administration and District Development Committee.

The Maoists could not be followed after they crossed the Araudi river, police said. The police later found some empty bottles of beer, some Maoist pamphlets and heaps of stones within the Tribhuvan Adarsha Campus premises.

Police say, streets here at the district headquarters have been a safe haven for Maoist at night as it is still not equipped with street lamps. Moreover, locals do not turn on the lights outside their houses.

Activists want HRC Act altered

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 - A day after a committee formed to recommend names for president and members of Human Rights Commission (HRC) decided to enlist the probable candidates and discuss over them, rights activists and legal experts today said that the Human Rights Commission Act has to be amended if the commission is to achieve its desired goals.

They also said that a person with “clean image” and dedicated to protection of human rights should be the chairman of the Human Rights Commission.

The Recommendation Committee comprising the Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Leader of the main opposition party is to recommend the names for the post of the Commission’s chairman and four members to the King who will make the final appointment.

At a programme on Human Rights Commission and its Effectiveness organised here today by National Concerns Society, Laxman Prasad Aryal, senior advocate at Supreme Court, questioned the rationale of the HRC.

“There is no legal provision that would accord enough power to the human rights commission,” said Aryal. “The commission should act as more of a coercing institute that would urge the government to safeguard human rights rather than penalise the abusers of human rights. The job of penalising is being done by courts and they will continue to do so.”

He, however, said that the amendments will have to be made once the HRC comes into action. “The efficiency of the human rights commission depends largely on who gets to the position of its chairman.”

Spokesperson at the Supreme Court, Kashi Raj Dahal, said that the provision for HRC’s functioning is made in such a way that “it would not function any differently than traditional ways in which courts function.”  

Dahal, who was a member of the draft committee of the Human Rights Commission Act, said the bill was passed after  cancellation of a lot of provisions in the draft. “The Act has made HRC inefficient since it is incomplete and does not endow any authority to the commission.”

The Human Rights Commission Act was passed by Parliament in January, 1997, more than a year after it was sent to National Assembly, the upper House, in the form of a private member’s Bill sponsored by Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, then a member of the Upper House.

According to the Act, HRC cannot look into the issues of human rights abuse within the Army and cannot question any decisions made by the chief secretary and the Attorney General.

Krishna Prasad Siwakoti, General Secretary of Human Rights Protection Forum said the rights activists would go to the court if it failed to form a HRC immediately. “It has already been seven months after the Supreme Court gave order to form the commission, we would be forced to go to court if it is not formed without delay.”

On July 13, 1999, Supreme Court issued an order directing the government to immediately set up the Commission.

Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, on February 21 had promised to form the HRC within a few days. “The Prime Minister told us that he will make public the names of the Commission members before we leave Nepal,” a visiting Amnesty official had told The Kathmandu Post, after his meeting with the Prime Minister.

Nepal doubts PM’s decision to quit

By a Post Reporter

BIRGUNJ, Feb 27 - Leader of the main opposition party, Madhav Kumar Nepal today doubted that Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai would step down from power within a few days.

“The Prime Minister did not quit when there were pressures on him to quit two times on previous occasions,” the General Secretary of CPN-UML told reporters here today. “I don’t think he would step down that easily. And Nepali Congress will definitely see conflicts rising within the party then.”

A truce had finally been reached on Friday within the ruling Nepali Congress after Prime Minister Bhattarai agreed to voluntarily step down within the next two weeks ending days of stalemate in the party.

Last week, 58 NC lawmakers had filed a proposal at the parliamentary party office expressing no confidence at the prime minister and seeking his ouster.

He further said that the change of power within the ruling Nepali Congress will not resolve the crises facing the country. “Even if somebody replaces Bhattarai, the crises won’t be resolved. Nepali Congress leaders lack the vision and planning to give new directions to the country.”

Referring to Maoist insurgency, Nepal said that only CPN-UML will be able to resolve the problem of insurgency. “Girijababu and Sher Bahadur Deuba both talk about solving the problem, but none of them have the vision to resolve it,” said Nepal. “None of the NC leaders has seriously taken the issue of Maoist insurgency. They are busy fighting among themselves for power.”

Nepal claimed that if CPN-UML had been in power, the ever-growing Maoist insurgency would have gone down by 60 percent “psychologically”.

Activists want HRC Act altered

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 - A day after a committee formed to recommend names for president and members of Human Rights Commission (HRC) decided to enlist the probable candidates and discuss over them, rights activists and legal experts today said that the Human Rights Commission Act has to be amended if the commission is to achieve its desired goals.

They also said that a person with “clean image” and dedicated to protection of human rights should be the chairman of the Human Rights Commission.

The Recommendation Committee comprising the Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Leader of the main opposition party is to recommend the names for the post of the Commission’s chairman and four members to the King who will make the final appointment.

At a programme on Human Rights Commission and its Effectiveness organised here today by National Concerns Society, Laxman Prasad Aryal, senior advocate at Supreme Court, questioned the rationale of the HRC.

“There is no legal provision that would accord enough power to the human rights commission,” said Aryal. “The commission should act as more of a coercing institute that would urge the government to safeguard human rights rather than penalise the abusers of human rights. The job of penalising is being done by courts and they will continue to do so.”

He, however, said that the amendments will have to be made once the HRC comes into action. “The efficiency of the human rights commission depends largely on who gets to the position of its chairman.”

Spokesperson at the Supreme Court, Kashi Raj Dahal, said that the provision for HRC’s functioning is made in such a way that “it would not function any differently than traditional ways in which courts function.”  

Dahal, who was a member of the draft committee of the Human Rights Commission Act, said the bill was passed after  cancellation of a lot of provisions in the draft. “The Act has made HRC inefficient since it is incomplete and does not endow any authority to the commission.”

The Human Rights Commission Act was passed by Parliament in January, 1997, more than a year after it was sent to National Assembly, the upper House, in the form of a private member’s Bill sponsored by Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, then a member of the Upper House.

According to the Act, HRC cannot look into the issues of human rights abuse within the Army and cannot question any decisions made by the chief secretary and the Attorney General.

Krishna Prasad Siwakoti, General Secretary of Human Rights Protection Forum said the rights activists would go to the court if it failed to form a HRC immediately. “It has already been seven months after the Supreme Court gave order to form the commission, we would be forced to go to court if it is not formed without delay.”

On July 13, 1999, Supreme Court issued an order directing the government to immediately set up the Commission.

Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, on February 21 had promised to form the HRC within a few days. “The Prime Minister told us that he will make public the names of the Commission members before we leave Nepal,” a visiting Amnesty official had told The Kathmandu Post, after his meeting with the Prime Minister.

NWSC’s monopoly days numbered

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 - Parliament’s upcoming winter session will pass all the laws required to hand over the management of Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) to private sector, and to end the monopoly currently enjoyed by the same, Minister for Housing and Physical Planning Bal Bahadur KC said here today.

Addressing the tenth anniversary function of NWSC here Sunday, Minister KC assured that the parliamentary session would pass all the three laws: a Bill drafted to amend NWSC Act 1993, another Bill drafted to hand over the corporation’s management works to private sector companies, and another Bill drafted to authorize a Monitoring and Evaluation Commission.

Donors interested to fund Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Project, a multi-million dollar project expected to meet the Valley’s growing drinking water demand, have been pressurizing the government to introduce legislations that among others would bring an end to the monopoly enjoyed by the corporation. The state-owned corporation is the sole supplier of drinking water in the country.

Secretary at the Ministry, Khagendra Basnet made it clear that the corporation was not being sold to private parties. He said, “These laws will not help the government sell the corporation to private parties. Only the corporation’s management works will be handed over to them (private sector), that too for a period of five to ten years.”

Donors say the corporation’s management will become “prudent” once the government hands over the same to private sector operators.

NWSC General Manager Kaushal Nath Bhattarai today presented a list of the Valley’s on-going and already completed small water supply projects and claimed that “the corporation is capable enough to successfully accomplish all the projects shouldered over to it provided we are equipped with all the resources”.

“We have successfully completed some exemplary water supply and treatment plant projects in recent times,” he said and challenged the donor communities that “NWSC can carry out the management works far better than a private sector company”.

His list of the completed projects among others included, a 700 tld tubewell rehabilitation project “left incomplete by World Bank”, another 600 tld tubewell rehabilitation project, another 500 tld Sinjabahiti (Kirtipur) surface water source project, and leakage control projects.

He also claimed to have brought down the drinking water leakage rate to 35 percent from 40 percent. “By completing of our recent leakage control programme we have been able to protect an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 ld water from leaking,” he said.

Although the Valley’s over 22 million populace require as much as 180 mld of water daily, NWSC have been able to supply only 130 million litres. Officials previously put the leakage rate at 40 percent.

And to cater to the Valley’s growing drinking water demand, officials and experts suggested Melamchi project as the most suitable one. It is said to divert 510 million litres of water daily into the Valley from neighbouring Sindhupalchok district’s Melamchi, Yangri and Larke rivers.

Multilateral donor agencies like World Bank and Asian Development Bank; Japanese funding agency OECF and Norwegian NORAD have shown interest to fund the US $ 50 million project. If works begin on time, the project will be completed by 2004, say officials.

RPP meets today

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 - The central working committee of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) will meet at 2 pm Monday at the party’s central office, Naxal.

The meeting, besides reviewing current political situation of the country, will determine the party’s future programmes, according to a press note issued here today by RPP central publicity department.

Sane advise on Maoist insurgency and Bhutanese refugee repatriation

Pierre Sane, Secretary General of Amnesty International, was here for a six-day visit (which ended Friday) to highlight Nepal’s worsening human rights situation due to the five-year-old Maoist insurgency. During his Nepal visit, Amnesty’s message was loud and clear: Nepal needs to improve its human rights situation urgently, or face a situation much like Kashmir, Karachi or Sri Lanka.

Sane has been occupying the office since October 1992 and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the organization and its primary spokesman, representing the movement to governments, international organizations, news media and the general public.  

He is a Senegalese citizen now residing in London.

On conclusion of his visit last week, he talked with Akhilesh Upadhyay and Gunaraj Luintel of The Kathmandu Post. Excerpt:

TKP: Now that you are here what do you make of our officials and police force regarding their commitment to human rights?

Sane: I don’t have any impression that there is any kind of entrenched opposition between two enemy groups in terms of political division or ethnic division. But somehow they are busy with other things.

They are too busy enjoying the fruits of democracy as opposed to seriously consolidating the democracy and begin human rights regime. Historically, the liberators have not been very good rulers because it requires a different set of skills to govern the country.

Once you have rivers of blood then it becomes more and more difficult because it starts the cycle of reprisal.

TKP: We can see that the cycle has already begun. What does the government need to do?

Sane: Government has always to take the initiatives first. It’s the government who has the responsibility to protect the people. They should seek help from UN bodies or from friendly governments who have experience in conflict management and the management of the human rights dimensions of the conflicts.

Yesterday I read in the press they had killed 19 Maoists and collected nine rifles, so it means that it takes two Maoists to carry a rifle...God knows whether they were Maoists because no police officials were wounded.

TKP: Maoists are challenging the very fundamentals of our democratic constitution. Do you see any solution in sight?

Sane: I don’t have solutions to the conflict; what we work on is human rights protection within conflict situations. But having said that, with the experience we have...each party starts from negotiating position because all conflicts ends in the negotiating table. 

TKP: Have there been attempts by Amnesty to listen to Maoists in some way?

Sane: We have made our documentation and our concerns known to them...but we have not met with the political leadership and they know what our position is. But we condemn all the abuses that they commit in the context of the People “People’s War”. There are things that they don’t have the right to do.

TKP: What does the Amnesty expect of Maoists?

Sane: It’s not for us to judge whether their demands are legitimate or not. What we are concerned about is the means that they use to achieve their objectives. And what we are concerned with is when those means are contrary to international humanitarian standards. In situations of conflict it is prohibited to kill arbitrarily civilian populations...We are not calling them to stop the “People’s War”. That’s not for us to decide.

TKP: Did you meet Maoists?

Sane: No. Their supporters may have met us without us knowing it.

TKP: Do you have any programmes to lobby with donor communities and international community asking government to show restraint?

Sane: Yes, we are doing it. At the moment a campaign is going on and our visit is the part of that campaign. We are asking the sections around the world to lobby to target the Nepali government.

TKP: Have you met the donor community here? What are they saying?

Sane: They are aware of the problem and share the concerns. They certainly have concerns over the behaviour of both the sides (Government and Maoists). And they understand that the government has a difficult task ahead. It’s complex and that’s why it requires politicians, bureaucrats, police officials to put their heads together and seriously look into it. And that they will only do so if they feel the pressure is coming from the international community: Don’t repeat the mistakes of other countries in the subregion and the way you are going about solving it is not adequate. More police, more power, more police, more power, it wont’ solve. 

TKP: Are Bhutanese under the international pressure? Are they changing for good or is it just another stunt before the Human Rights Commission’s annual meet in March?

Sane: I don’t know what is behind the actions they are taking and statements they are making. The prospect of repatriation seems to be greater. They seem to be making progress. But they still have differences.

TKP:...There’s light at the end of the tunnel?

Sane: They are still talking...

TKP: Are you lobbying with the Bhutanese government also?

Sane: Two years ago Rory (Rory Mungoven) was in Bhutan and met with government officials.

TKP: Does it make any sense to go on with bilateral talks with Bhutanese being so intractable?

Sane: Maybe you should seek a third party negotiation.

TKP: Are you suggesting India?

Sane: Not necessarily. We have encouraged officials to seek assistance from the international community. Even outside India.

TKP: Does that also apply to Maoist insurgency?

Sane: Yes.

MMF kicks off elderly tour

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 - In what has been described as an attempt to give continuity to the idealogies of Late Man Mohan Adhikari, Man Mohan Memorial Foundation (MMF) today kicked off an elderly citizen nation tour from the capital.

The tour participated by nineteen 60-plus elderly citizens from Bagmati zone formally started from CPN-UML’s central office, Balkhu Sunday afternoon, according to a press release issued here today. Adhikari was one of the founder leaders of CPN-UML. He died last year.

MMF Chairman Bharat Mohan and prominent CPN-UML leaders bode farewell to the elderly citizens. They left for Devghat, a famous Hindu Pilgrimage in along the bank of Narayani river in Chitwan, today.

Another group of 19 elderly citizens from Narayani and Janakpur zones will join them at Devghat, according to the press release. In all, there will be 38 elderly citizens from 19 districts of the country’s central region.

The citizens are scheduled to visit different destinations of religious and cultural significance scattered across the nation, including, Lumbini, Tansen, Pokhara, Manakamana and Pashupatinath. The tour will be formally concluded in Kathmandu on March 3.

Nepalese youth enjoy working in SKorea

By Gopal Tiwari

SEOUL, Feb 27 - Despite fears that many Nepalese who travel to South Korea  for employment ultimately languish in despair, a number of Nepalese youth from different nook and corners of Nepal said that they have been enjoying their jobs ever since they landed here.

As South Korea opened doors for Nepalese workers since 1994, more than 2000 Nepalese in  their mid 20s and 30s have come to accept this tiger economy as a country of jobs.

Ganga Thapa, 24, a young lady of Gaidakot, Nawalparasi, and educated upto secondary level, has been working for five years at a textile mill. Talking to The Kathmandu Post, she said, “I came here to work and am enjoying my job.”

When asked  about reports of torture meted out to foreign workers, she rejected the claim as rumor.  She feels her life is secured   although the factory is quite far from the capital,  Seoul. Still single, Ganga earns Rs 40,000\- per month and remits back home some every year.

Another Nepalese, Dal Bahadur Pun, who is a merely a literate from Rupandehi, said smilingly that he earns Rs 30,000 a month. However, he is determined to return home the day feels he has earned enough.

During 1997, when South Korea was deep in financial turmoil, the  salary drawn by these Nepalese workers had plunged to Rs 3,000 from Rs. 50,000. Since S Korea has bounced back, millions of foreigners are landing lucrative jobs once again. This holds good for Nepalese youths especially who land here as trainees.

Usually trainees arrive on two-year contract and receive extension if they satisfy the employer.

However, as Young Soo Jun laments, some tend to switch the employer illegally, a fact which can be detrimental to enhancing Nepal and S Korea economic relations.

Jun, chief of Seoul-based Lumbini Overseas Concern says, “Many more Nepalese can land jobs here since they  work hard enough which incidentally is what the Korean employers look for.”

Yun Kwa Hee, supervisor at Thogil Chanjang Company , a telecom-related firm, said that his company employs 13 boys and 20 girls from Nepal. He said that boys are involved in production units while girls in finishing. He too conceded Nepalese as very good workers and honest too.

His company pays Rs 60,000 on average which is at par with Korean employees. He is looking for more Nepalese workers for production unit.   Pradeep Devkota, one of  the Thogil’s employees and who hails from Bouddha in Kathmandu, has been with this company since 1996. He earns about Rs. 60,000 a month and expressed happiness at the prospects.

Since jobs are in abundance in South Korea, unemployed youth back home would do better if they come here, opined Tika Pun who landed here just three months back from Bhairahawa. He is with Dong Hwa, a leather factory and earns Rs 25,000 a month.

Although Tek Kanta Pandit of Chitwan lamented that Nepalese workers are discriminated against compared to the Koreans, he, however, still said that it was worth the ignominy as he earned Rs 30,000 a month.

A textile worker, Deepak Bajgain, from Sunsari,   has been here for  two years. He thinks that if Nepalese could work as hard as they do in South Korea, Nepal too could become like the former soon. He says good management matters to ensure economic prosperity. He suggested Nepalese back home not to jump  to  S Korea without properly knowing the nature of their likely job.

Mamta Dahal, from Biratnagar, is  mother of four children and is  employed at a garment unit. Asked why she came to South Korea, she replied, “I have to feed  five members of my family and that compelled me to come here.”

Mamta, 28, earns 40,000 a month.