UML unveils fresh program to oust PM

KATHMANDU, April 22 (PR) - The leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal today warned that if Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala did not resign from his post, the opposition would also disrupt the forthcoming 20th session of the parliament just like the 19th session.

Nepal was addressing a mass rally in Nepalgunj on the occasion of the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Party in Nepal. "It will be the only way to force the Prime Minister to resign, "he said.

If the 20th session of the parliament also the budget session is to be disrupted like the previous session then it is certain to fuel up the present crisis and push the already dismal condition of the country to a state of disaster.

Pushing their protest programs to oust Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala from his chair along with the celebrations of 53 years of establishment of communist party in Nepal, the main opposition CPN-UML and the supporting left parties today organized mass rallies in different places in the country including the capital.

Addressing a mass rally in the capital, KP Oli, an influential CPN-UML leader disclosed their further agitation programs demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. According to which a nationwide chakka jam has been planned for 26th April from 5-6:15 pm and blackout from 7:30 - 8 pm. Similarly, "checking misuse of government vehicle program" is planned for 28th and 29th April respectively where all the government plated vehicles if spotted in "wrong" places will be vandalized. Nation wide mass rallies has been planned for the May Day and on 3rd May it is planned that Girija Prasad Koirala will be crowned as the "Emperor of the Corrupts" amid mass rallies throughout the country. Likewise, nationwide torch rallies are to be organized on the 5th of May.

Citra Bahadur KC, the General Secretary of the National United People’s Front, said that no left party would support the government decision to send army to the Maoist-affected area. He also said that the ongoing protest programs would end only after "throwing all corrupt persons out from power".

Other left leaders like UML’s Bidhya Bhandari and Unity Front’s Nar Bahadur Karmacharya also addressed the rally in the capital.

Similar mass rallies were organised in different places across the country including Nawalparasi, Hetauda, Birgunj, Pokhara, Baglung, Bhairahawa and Banke.

Govt, NSP discuss ISDP

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KATHMANDU, April 22 With most of the opposition parties criticising the government’s Integrated Security and Development Package (ISDP), the ruling Nepali Congress is trying to drum up support for the program among its own party workers and the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP).

On Sunday, the ISDP’s political sub-committee held a meeting that was attended by leader of the NSP as well as by senior government ministers who are members of the sub-committee.

The ISDP is the most ambitious package program by the government to restore peace and security in Maoist-affected western districts but the Royal Nepal Army chief on Friday appeared to have thrown in the spanner by calling for national consensus on using the army. The army plays a central role in the proposed ISDP.

Soon after the army chief’s remarks, other opposition parties including the main opposition CPN-UML refused to attend a meeting called by the government on Saturday. But on Sunday, the government got some consolation support from the NSP which did attend the political sub-committee meeting.

The members held separate discussions in which the sub-committee informed about the various aspects of the package and sought help for its effective implementation.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post later, Nepal Sadbhawana Party’s Rajendra Mahato said, "We were provided with the ISDP document and briefed about the package." He said that his party’s stand on the issue would be made clear after the party studies the document.

During the meeting the NC parliamentarian, Chiranjivi Wagle had inquired that how could the government move ahead with the package, which requires army mobilisation, when the Chief of Army had made a statement seeking national consensus for the mobilisation of the army, and the main opposition parties too are far from agreeing to hold any dialogue.

Present during the Sunday’s meeting were Minister for Local Development Govinda Raj Joshi, Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mahanta Thakur and Defence Minister Mahesh Acharya as members of the Political Sub-Committee. The others present were Sushil Koirala and KB Gurung besides Wagle from NC and Muktinath Mandal and Mahato from NSP. The Nepali Congress representatives on the occasion had stressed for the effective implementation of the package to end the current violence in the country.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel addressing a gathering at Damauli, his hometown, said that beginning of the end of the Maoist movement has started. He said that the ISDP package has been introduced for the end of the Maoist movement. Poudel was addressing a gathering of mourners on the 13th day of the demise of Nepali Congress Tanahu Treasurer Bhisnu Prasad Jamarkattel killed by the Maoists.

Judicial Council to investigate bribery cases

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KATHMANDU, April 22 - Supreme Court Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal today informed that the Judicial Council is investigating the bribery case in which a government lawyer had tried to influence a district court judge.

Justice Aryal speaking at a programme organised by the Lalitpur District Bar Association about "Challenges in the Judiciary, the Judicial Council and the role of the Media". Justice Aryal referring to a recent appointments of 15 District Court Judges said that for the first time other qualities besides seniority have been looked while appointing them. Aryal is one of the five member of the Judicial Council.

Referring to a case in which the government lawyer had tried to bribe a district court judge, he said that the judge has been transferred to Dolkha to make him realise his mistake.

Government lawyer Lekh Nath Poudel had bribed Kathmandu District Court Judge Gopal Guragain to influence in a murder case.

Chief Judge of the Patan Appellate Court, Min Bahadur Rayamajhi said, "There are many problems in the judiciary, not just the one involving Rs 195,000 bribery case."

Rayamajhi said that one big hindrance in judiciary is the budget allocation. He said that the government has not been of much help to the judiciary.

Former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana said that the judiciary should also be democratic and it should be transparent to a certain extent.

Referring to a recent case of judge bribery case, Dhungana inquired, "Is this the only bribery case in the judiciary?"

Secretary of the Judicial Council, Kashi Raj Dahal said that the investigation is underway regarding the judge bribery case. He said that efforts are being made to make the council more transparent.

On the occasion the Kantipur Daily Journalist Harihar Yogi briefing about the bribery scandal said that both the government and private lawyers and especially the cooperation of the Judicial Council is important to bring out fairness in publishing news. "Only cooperation from these quarters, can distortions in the judiciary be decreased," said Yogi.

Yogi said that it is the role media played in the bribery scandal that ultimately led to its investigation. He even stressed that vacancy of the Spokesperson in the Supreme Court should be filled as quickly as possible as it is the spokesperson who disseminates informations regarding the court and the judiciary.

Advocates Tikaram Bhattarai and Bamdev Gyawali had presented the working-papers. After presenting the paper Bhattarai said that the Council should not only investigate the present bribery case but investigate other cases as well.

Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Agni Kharel said that the Judicial Council should come out publicly about its investigation and should develop the culture of providing feedbacks. Advocate Bishwokant Mainali said that a lot of controversies could be done away with if the Judicial Council become more transparent.

Parties stress national consensus

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KATHMANDU, April 22 - The Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the third largest party in the Parliament, Surya Bahadur Thapa today said that it is very necessary to gather support and goodwill from the monarchy in order to solve the existing crisis of the country.

Thapa was addressing a talk program organized by the CPN-ML, the breakaway group of the main opposition CPN-UML, titled "Present Political Crisis and Its Solution" in the capital today marking the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of communist party in Nepal.

Thapa stressed that everyone has to understand that it is not possible for any individual or a single party to find a solution of the existing problem. "The only way out from this situation is national consensus and any other step would only mean waste of time," Thapa said.

He stressed on the fact that the national consensus his party has agreed on would be well in accordance with the Constitution and it would only be a way to find the proper device for solving the present crisis.

Listing out the things to be solved prioritized by RPP, Thapa said that solving the Maoist problem, good financial and social governance, anti-corruption drive and impartial elections were the few major things that had to be ensured immediately.

"If there is any weakness on the part of the ruling Nepali Congress then it is that it has not been able to win the goodwill and the support of the monarchy".

Thapa clarified himself saying that let there be no illusion on the stand of the party, as the party has asked to work within the limitations of the Constitution.

Different communist leaders belonging to various parties speaking in the occasion were of the opinion that the inability of the Nepali communists to stay together was the only reason why the country was in the present state.

Leaders like Sita Ram Tamang of CPN-Marxist, Leninists and Maoists, Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar of CPN-United and CP Mainali of CPN-ML were of the opinion that if the communist had stayed or at least worked together in the past at present the communists would be ruling the country and hence problems such as the Maoists and the economic crisis would not have existed.

Among the communist parties present in the function only Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar, General Secretary of the CPN-United, said that his party was against the all-party talks. Most left parties also expressed their fears that the power would once again be diverted back to the Royal Palace.

Gajendra Narayan Singh, the leader of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party said that his party was ready for national consensus but it has to be assured that no party will bring forward any attitude to suppress another party during the meetings.

"In the past 11 years we have only been abusing each other, now its time that we seriously sit for talks and discuss something," he said. Defending his party and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who was lambasted by almost all the speakers, Arjun Narsingh KC, a leader of the Nepali Congress questioned why fingers were raised only on the government and not a word spoken against Maoist atrocities?

KC also lambasted the main opposition CPN-UML for changing its stance on the Maoist issue and for pressing the government to resign in "unconstitutional way".

However, KC agreed that NC had to be responsible in a way and said that the government was ready for talks if approached in a "procedural way".

General Secretary of the CPN-ML Bam Dev Gautam reiterated his party’s call for a National Government and fair election as the only solution for the present crisis.

Ex-RNAC officials demand impartial probe into Lauda deal

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KATHMANDU, April 22 – Former RNAC Executive Chairman Hari Bhakta Shrestha and one of the current Board members Tirthalal Shrestha who were hand in gloves in signing the controversial Lauda Air deal have written letters to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority for a thorough and impartial probe into the deal.

In a letter dated April 16 by former Chairman Shrestha and by the Board member Shrestha two days later, the two officials said that they leased the wide-body B-767 jet on instructions from the Cabinet and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. The two men, in the limelight right throughout the whole process, while reiterating that no irregularities were involved in the deal, made concerted efforts to wash their hands off the whole process.

When The Kathmandu Post contacted them with the copies of their petitions to the CIAA and asked them the reason for giving such petitions to the constitutional watchdog body, they declined to speak on the timing of their petition as well as on the reason behind it.

"There are reports that we will be made scapegoats," said Tirthalal Shrestha. However, he refused to explain why he and the former Chairman, suspended on CIAA’s recommendation, feared being made scapegoats if the deal was above board.

Meanwhile, Subhas Nemwang, CPN-UML leader and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee that had probed the Lauda deal, claimed in Dharan today "that the new petitions prove that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was involved in the irregularities in the deal".

The latest twist in the whole affair comes at a time when Lauda Air issue was fizzling out. The opposition led by the CPN-UML had disrupted the 19th Session of the parliament demanding PM Koirala’s resignation for his alleged complicity in the deal. Six Left parties have also taken to the street demanding the PM’s resignation.

Gagangunj sex trade lingers in Nepalgunj

By Razen Manandhar

NEPALGUNJ (Banke), April 22 Gagangunj, the infamous Nepalgunj Municipality colony has ultimately managed to get rid of age-old practice of prostitution by the Badi community, thanks to the awareness created by the local youths. But, prostitution as such has not been totally erased off this mid-western city.

For the last two years, scenes like women waiting outside their house or clients bargaining is not in the area, but prostitution as such still remains a big social problem for the whole city, the locals say.

The women of Badi community, the indigenous people of the mid-western hills, who made their livelihood by singing at rich people’s social ceremonies, making drums and smoking pipes, practiced sex-trade openly in the city suburb for several decades.

A five-year-old campaign by Drug Abuse and Prostitution Prevention Committee (Action Committee) forcibly stopped the flesh-trade in the area by 1998. But, the hundreds of women, including some Badis, have shifted their business to other parts of the city where flesh-trade remains still active, the locals claim.

Local Shyam Kumar Bhatta is contented that there is no more prostitution around Gaganganj after what the Action Committee did. "We had to do a big exercise to clean-up Gagangunj," he says.

But a Badi youth, asking for anonymity, said that the so-called Action Group used all sorts of tyranny to dislodge the Badis, living in the area for over half a century. "The locals’ target was not prostitution but the poor community and the land they possessed," he says.

He remembers that the five-year-long period when tyranny reigned supreme in Gagangunj. "They attacked all women in the colony, presuming them of being sex-workers, looted our land certificate, and threatened our life. We even went to Chief District Officer and the police to seek protection but nobody helped us. Rather, they supported the terrorists," he adds. Harkha Bahadur Gurung, the chairman of Ward No 8, who was also the chairman of Action Committee, said that the committee first convinced the clients, then warned and threatened. "We used to torture the men as policemen do to the arrested thieves, when we found them in Badi women’s houses." He was, however quick to add that only women activists ‘tortured’ the Badi sex-workers.

The executive director of Social Awareness for Education (SAFE) Sukh Lal Nepali, himself a Badi, said that prostitution has been terminated there but a psychological impact continues to remain against the womenfolk and there is no social mixing between the Badis and others.

"The Badis themselves are desirous to end this repulsive means of livelihood but nobody has come forward to help them for alternative vocational empowerment," he said.

He further adds that the locals were actually against the Badis not because of social consideration but they as clients had children born to Badi women and fear that these children might one day demand property rights from their upper-class progenitor.

In recent years SAFE has been helping to educate Badi children and is taking steps to rehabilitate the Badi women in several districts.

Activist for women’s right Dr Aruna Upreti said that what was done in Gagangunj is not the proper way of freeing women involved in sex-trade. "The aggressive way adopted by the youths is like killing the poor to eliminate poverty."

She further said that though the Badis lead a deplorable life in western Nepal, the government has not tried to do any thing for their upliftment so far. Sociologist Krishna B Bhattachan said that the problem is associated with racial discrimination and violation of right to live for a community which has been living in a particular place since ages.

He says that prostitution might be a means of earning also for women belonging to the upper class people in the same area. But, only the Badis women were victimized because they are poor, illiterate and socially discriminated. This is a violation of fundamental rights.

"The Badis might have historical or social causes behind practicing sex-trade. But you can’t forcefully expel anybody you don’t like to live with. Let the law decide whether the Badis can live there or not, " he added.

Media consultative meet held

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KATHMANDU, April 22- The Federation of Nepalese Journalists organized a media consultative meeting to inform the media about the Global Movement for Children (GMC) at the capital, today.

The GMC plans to conduct interaction and information sharing programs in several parts of the country with children as major participants, in addition to publishing publicity materials for raising awareness about the issues on children. The program also includes launching of the GMC web page in association with Save the Children (SC) Alliance, UNICEF and Plan International. The web site will provide information on the status of children in Nepal, according to Anil Raghuvanshi, National Coordinator, GMC, SC UK.

The GMC will host an awareness creating campaign, "Say, yes for children" which will address the cause of issues like the rights and privileges of children through the electronic and print media as well as through information leaflets. The Campaign will also seek to record the support of the general public for child issues, through, among others, the internet.

Further, the SC (UK) will organize participatory programs among NGOs and persons working for the welfare of children to share their diverse experiences, as part of the GMC. The interaction sessions will also include children who will express their experiences and views.

Several regional workshops will also be organized by organizations working for children, which is expected to be participated by children from all over Nepal.

As a GMC program, the children’s club will be involved in collecting children’s opinions for the proposed New Agenda for children to be presented in the September, Special Session of the GMC. The GMC Secretariat will ensure that the perspectives of the Nepali children will be compiled into a document which political leaders are expected to follow as a global agenda for the next decade.

The meeting also stressed on the need to establish an effective media network to make the Global Movement for Children successful.