Oppn formally demands PM's resignation

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 - The leading opposition parties today handed over a memorandum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala seeking his resignation over the Lauda Air deal and the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Leaders and representatives of the CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), National People’s Front (NPF), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and United People’s Front (UPF) marched from Sundhara to the prime minister’s office, Singha Durbar, and handed over the document.

"The country cannot move ahead any more under the leadership of Prime Minister Koirala. His government has failed to provide security to the people and is steeped in corruption," CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal told reporters after handing over the memorandum.

After taking the document, Koirala told the opposition members that he would review the charges and give serious considerations to them.

"The prime minister has not set any time deadline on when he would respond but has assured us he would think over our proposal," Nepal said.

The opposition parties, that are represented in the parliament, had decided to jointly pressure Koirala to quit. "This was our first move we had all decided upon. We will be deciding soon when and if we will take further steps to press for his resignation," he said.

"Since all the opposition parties and a big section within the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) is demanding the prime minister’s resignation, we can conclude that it is the voice of the people," Nepal said. "How can he deny such a mass outcry?"

This group has also initiated discussions with other smaller parties including the Group of Nine Leftists, the umbrella group of nine smaller Leftist parties.

The only party in the opposition that was not present today was the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP). Nepal said all the representatives of the party were out of town but they have already assured their support for the quest.

Our reporter in Janakpur has however quoted NSP Chairman Gajendra Narayan Singh as saying that the party would not be seeking the prime minister’s resignation.

"We will not be seeking the prime minister’s resignation but are demanding for a high level committee to investigate into the Kathmandu incident (riot)," Singh said.

Other parties present said they would stick together to push forward the issue.

"We all are different parties with different views, but we have come together for a cause. We will not go different ways when it comes to this issue," said RPP Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa.

The move comes just days before the Winter Session of Parliament convenes. When the House does begin the session, the prime minister is likely to face tough opposition.

The prime minister too is being questioned over the now infamous Lauda Air deal that cost the job of Tarini Dutta Chataut, who was forced to quit as the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation over the controversial deal.

And, as the leader of the cabinet that endorsed the deal, the opposition members are pointing fingers at the prime minister too, demanding that he take moral responsibility and step down.??

CJ tightlipped on Maoist attack

By Satish Jung Shahi

KATHMANDU, Feb 5 - Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyay today said he would not comment on the foiled Maoist attempt to assassinate him on Saturday, to ensure "free and fair investigation" by the government-formed commission into the incident.

Landing here this evening after miraculously surviving a Maoist ambush on his convoy that killed six people, CJ Upadhyay also said that he was "always ready for dialogue" if he was not satisfied with the report of the inquiry commission.

The government formed a three-member inquiry commission, yesterday, headed by Narendra Bahadur Neupane, former Supreme Court justice, and includes former Inspector General of Police Hem Bahadur Singh and chief of National Investigation Department, Bishnu Raj Pant, as its members.

The committee is to present its report within 15 days of operation.

"As a Chief Justice, anything I say will disrupt free and fair investigation...I cannot speak anything at present on ethical grounds," said CJ Upadhayay, talking to the press at the Tribhuvan International Airport after he arrived from Bhairahawa.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Taranath Ranabhat and Inspector General of Police Pradeep Shumsher Rana along with numerous judiciary personalities were also present at the airport to welcome CJ Upadhyay, who was in Butwal to chair a legal training programme.

"The judiciary is not disheartened by such incident. We make decisions based on the merit of the cases we are involved in...But I can now say that God definitely saves those people who are very dedicated towards the people," CJ Upadhyay said.

"I am not disheartened by the incident but I am saddened by the death of police personnel deputed for my security," he added.

Chief Justice Upadhyay narrowly escaped the fatal landmine attack followed by firing and socket bomb hurls in Chhaisatthi, some 20 kilometres east of Birendranagar, the district headquarters of Surkhet. Five policemen and the Registrar of Surkhet Appellate Court, escorting the Chief Justice and other judges, died in the attack.

"My orderly and a justice immediately covered me after the first landmine exploded. Two of my guards were constantly on vigil with revolvers in hand and my driver sped the vehicle at high speed without stopping until we reached a place called Surba Kura," said CJ Upadhyay, recalling the entire episode. "Everyone including the army who later escorted me to their barrack were very helpful."

"I drank a glass of milk with the brigadier in the evening that day...I hadn’t eaten the whole day as I had undergone rituals of my mother’s death anniversary that morning," he further said.

When asked if the security measures adopted were adequate to protect him, Upadhyay said it was upto government to think of that.

Meanwhile, addressing a four-day seminar of district judges from the Mid and Far Western regions in Butwal earlier today, CJ Upadhyay said that the attack has further inspired him to dedicate his efforts to the campaign for peaceful social transformation. "A judge should not budge from his responsibilities even in the face of adversity...They (judges) should be able to provide free and impartial justice to all helpless people," CJ Upadhyay said at the programme organised by the Legal Council.

Maoists ‘surprised’ at CJ in the convoy

KATHMANDU, Feb 5 (PR)- Exactly two days after their unsuccessful attack on Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyay, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) today officially expressed their "surprise" that Upadhyay "happened to be" in their line of action.

"We had no plans to attack a high-ranking official of that department. We will publicly disclose true facts as to how such an official happened to be in the attack," states a press release issued by CPN (Maoist), Western Region Bureau, late this evening.

"The fact that the visit of such a honourary person in sensitive regions was made without any public notice is indeed mysterious," adds the release. However, the release does not include any condolence message over the death of Baldev Dhital, registrar of Surkhet Appellate Court, who was shot by the Maoist insurgents.

Meanwhile, Harihar Dahal, president of Nepal Bar Association, today said that the Maoist attack was pre-planned and the rebels’ claim as "a mistake" was actually a justification on any "backlash" against the foiled attempt. "This was a very low and undemocratic move," he said talking to reporters while waiting for the arrival of CJ Upadhyay from Bhairahawa. A silent protest is being organized on the premises of the Supreme Court, Tuesday afternoon, to condemn the Maoist attack.

Nine Nepalis died in Indian earthquake

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 – Officials at the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Delhi have confirmed the death of nine Nepalis in the earthquake that ransacked Indian state of Gujarat last week.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post over phone today, Dhananjaya Jha, Consul at the Royal Nepalese Embassy in New Delhi said that an embassy official currently stationed in Ahmedabad, the capital city of Gujarat has confirmed the toll. The embassy official also confirmed that five Nepalese died in Gandhidham, two in Bachaun and two in Ahmedabad.

The people died so far have been identified as Bir Bahadur Thapa, 27, Krishna Bahadur Thapa, 25 and Akash Thapa, 19 of Ruchani Ranibas VDC – 9, Sindhuli; Gopal Nepali, 23 of Chisapani VDC - 2, Nawalparasi; Ghanashyam Sunar of Mijing VDC, Rolpa; Dip Bahadur Budhachhetri, 18 of Bijaura VDC – 7, Surkhet; and Lalit Damai, Rakesh Man Khatri (Chandra Bahadur Khatri), 35 and Isharaben Khatri, 32 of Ranikhet VDC, Surkhet.

Jha said that the toll could go up with the conclusion of the search for the dead bodies. Though the Indian government has officially called off the rescue work, officials are working day and night to clear off the debris. Over 40,000 Nepali people are estimated to be living in Ahmedabad.

The earthquake measured 6.9 Richter scale with the epicenter located 20 kilometers northeast of the mediaeval Gujarati town of Bhuj is feared to have claimed the lives about hundred thousand people. About 20000 death has been officially confirmed.

Deuba camp may join government

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 – The minority Deuba camp in the ruling Nepali Congress has changed its earlier stance and has said that it is ready to join the government.

However, the camp has set conditions to join hands with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. A meeting of the minority camp held here today evening decided that they would enter the government provided Koirala was ready to discuss and agree on issues concerning the formation of NC’s full-fledged Central Working Committee and other important party organs, "which are key to uniting the party."

The camp informed the Prime Minister about their stance through Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel after their meeting.

The camp had earlier said that it would not join the government protesting PM Koirala’s alleged role in Lauda Air controversy and irregularities during the party local level election prior to the Pokhara General Convention among others.

The government is working frantically to induct the minority camp into the cabinet to strengthen its position in the wake of opposition party’s growing assertiveness to pull down the government. The major opposition parties have already demanded Prime Minster’s resignation and have said that they would use both parliament and streets to pull down Koirala.

1,700 tons LPG to arrive in capital

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 - The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), the monopolist importer of petroleum products into the country, has claimed that the recurring shortage of LPG will end with the procurement of 1,700 tons of LPG this weekend.

"The NOC is importing 1,700 tons of LPG from India this week- 500 from Haldia, 200 from Mathura and about 1,000 tons from Barauni - which will stabilize the LPG supply. The four-month long LPG shortage experienced by the capital will end by this weekend," said Madan Raj Sharma, Executive Director of NOC.

Of the 1,700 tons of LPG, the first trench of 375 tons - 100 tons each from Haldia and Mathura, and 175 tons from Barauni, arrived in the capital today, he said. However, the market, which has been facing an acute shortage of cooking gas since last week may not see any let up from the crunch for the next two days.

"But LPG supply will fully stabilise from next week," he reiterated. The LPG supply almost stabilised a few days ago, but received a set back when the Barauni refinery in India remained shut for six days last week.

Sharma claimed that the NOC is taking extensive measures to ensure that such shortages are not repeated in the future. The NOC is contemplating on introducing a quota system of distributing LPG to dealers to ensure an equitable and adequate LPG distribution. The quotas will be fixed on the basis of the consumer base of the dealers, which will be determined on the basis of LPG procured by the gas dealers in the past, he said.

Engage experts to draft Bills: Speaker

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 - Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat said that the process of drafting and endorsing Bills should be modified to make them flawless and complete.

"The Bills at present get drafted by unexperienced people or by some Non-government organization and is hurried through parliament leaving them full of flaws and mistakes," Ranabhat said.

He suggested that there should be seriousness on the part of the government when it comes to drafting the Bills and should use experts to not only draft it but have it repeatedly checked and reviewed by other experts too.

"It is just not our suggestion but even the Laws Improvement Commission has said that there needs to be immediate change in the process," Ranabhat said. "I admit that there are not many legal experts among the lawmakers so these drafts are endorsed through without being able to correct the flaws."

And, when these Bills are endorsed through parliament and given the Royal seal of approval, converting it as the law of the land, many of them have been discovered to contain many flaws, incompletely defined or in conflict with the Constitution.

"We need to be serious and there has to be change in the process so that these Bills are mature before they become law," Ranabhat said.

The Winter Session of Parliament convenes later this week when the lawmakers in both Houses of Parliament will meet for over a month during what is traditionally a working session.

History blown to the winds, for few more coins to gain

By Razen Manandhar

KATHMANDU, Feb 5 – Authorities, in utter disregard to rules that they themselves have formulated, are allowing the construction of a thirty metre high structure on what once used to be public land.

While geologists are warning Kathmanduites against erecting huge buildings in the soft-bedded valley, the initial construction of a 30m (over 90 foot) high commercial complex has begun at Tebahal, Ward No 22 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) in the heart of the capital.

Not only does the construction goes against the "green area" designated by the authorities, the building has also permanently damaged the source of the over-150-year-old Sundhara water spout which, according to locals, is famous throughout Nepal for its healing powers.

The proposed building grossly exceeds permissible the 38 foot (12m) high limit, around the "green area".

In a warning last November, Dr Harutaka Sakai and his team from Japan indicated that any large construction in the Kathmandu Valley could be hazardous because the surface soil here is really soft and unconsolidated up to a depth of 20m.

Construction of the building has been stalled since 1988 because of various factors including the fact that water stopped flowing from the Sundhara spout after digging for the foundations commenced.

Still, after a 12 years gap, Karmachari Sanchaya Kosh (KSK), oblivious to local sentiments, has started building a huge eight-storey commercial complex over 21,304 sq feet of 138,481 sq feet of public land (around 10.5 ropani) it claims as its own.

The complex, designed by Mr & Mrs ML Kayastha and Associates, has parking capacity for 200 4-wheeled vehicles and 175 motorcycles.

The part of the Tundikhel, the only big open space in the metropolis, used by the army for parade practice, is now the property of KSK, thanks to the government’s ill-advised decision to distribute public land to government bodies.

And now the semi-government organisation, which is supposed to mobilize the funds it raises from the employees’ provident fund is, trying to make money by building the unnaturally huge structures and leasing them out for commercial gain.

As a KSK staff said, constructing buildings and earning money by renting them out, is one of the "functions" of KSK. The institution already has two commercial building complexes -- in Thamel and Pulchowk -both leased to shops and commercial firms.

Tebahal local, Man Bahadur Khadgi, 68, said the land used to be public property when he was young. "The land where the building is being constructed was a part of Tundikhel itself, where we used to play football. There was only one small long shed, used as an armoury," he said.

"The land should once again be turned into a green park where children can play and elderly people can breath healthy air. The local people have rights too," he insisted.

Bharat Sharma, deputy director general of Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) said the piece of land had environmental as well as archaeological significance.

Sharma said, "By constructing such a huge building on that sensitive land, the government has punctured the city’s lungs and broken its nose. This is harmful to the city’s growing population and the country’s reputation."

An urban development standard for Kathmandu and Lalitpur 2050 has categorised Tundikhel as a "green area" and states that construction in the area should be uniform with surrounding buildings.

Architect-historian Prof Sudharshan Raj Tiwari said that while the whole world is concerned with Nepal’s ancient monuments, a semi government institution’s step to earn money at the cost of the open space and an historical water spout, cannot be termed a sensible step.

Surya Bhakta Sagachhe, officiating member secretary of the Kathmandu Valley Urban Development Committee said that KSK can continue construction because they own the land. "But, if the workers had disturbed Sundhara, it becomes sensitive. KSK has to revive the Sundhara spout first."

However, the Department of Archaeology (DoA), the government institution responsible for taking care of and rebuilding century-old monuments, has not yet shown its concern over the construction and its visual and functional impact on Sundhara.

Director General of DoA, Sanu Miya Rana refused to comment on the issue.

Kathmandu Mayor, Keshav Sthapit, who continually reiterates his desire to safeguard the cultural heritage of the capital, is "determined" to go ahead with the construction of the complex. He said, "The construction must go ahead if it can provide parking for New Road shoppers. It will benefit all of us."

Transporters to continue agitation

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 – Transport entrepreneurs today reiterated their demand that the government reverse its recent decision to ban all vehicles older than 20 years from the Kathmandu Valley, and threatened to go ahead with strikes if their demands were not met.

At a press conference organized here today, representatives of the Nepal National Transport Entrepreneurs Federation and Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs announced their second phase protest program, as part of which they will nation-wide protest rallies on February 9, and stage a chakka-jam (transportation strike) in the Valley and along the Araniko (Nepal-China) highway on February 14.

"Because the government did not take heed of our just demands we have been forced to go ahead with the strikes," said Hira Udas, Coordinator of a Struggle Committee formed to press the demands. "It is a question of the bread and butter of thousands of transport entrepreneurs and workers."

Prior to this, transport entrepreneurs staged a protest rally consisting of old trucks and buses in the Capital City, and transportation strikes elsewhere. The government on November 10 published a notice in the Gazette saying that it will impose a complete ban on the registration and operation of all vehicles manufactured in or before 1980 inside the Valley from mid-November, 2001 (Mangsir 1, 2058 BS).

The Gazette notice also announced that all the petrol and gas-run three wheelers (with two-stroke engines) will be banned from operating inside the Valley from mid-July (Shrawan 1), three months before the ban on pre-1980 models comes into effect. Also, beginning mid-July none of the 600 diesel-run Vikram tempos that were ousted from the Valley in September 1999 will not be allowed to operate in any municipal areas of the country.

According to data made available by the Ministry of Population and Environment (MOPE), over 10,000 vehicles will have to leave the Valley. Of them, 5,678 vehicles are currently used for public transport services and 4,635 are owned either by the government or by private individuals. The entrepreneurs, however, claim that the move instead of serving to improve the air pollution level of the Valley.

Surprisingly, however, barely a week after the November 10 Gazette notice was made public, the MOPE relaxed the decision saying that the ban will not affect vehicles owned by private enterprises and individuals "as they are regularly maintained by their owners and tend to be in good condition".

Former minister Chataut in dock again

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KATHMANDU, Feb 5 – Former Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarinee Datt Chataut was summoned by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for the sixth time on Monday in connection with the controversial RNAC-Lauda Air jet lease deal.

Chataut was grilled by Commissioner Basudev Lamichhane, the Investigation Officer in he case for a little nearly three hours today. According to sources at the CIAA, the Commission has concluded today taking statements from Chataut. However, he will have to appear before the Commission whenever he is summoned till the conclusion of the investigation into the deal by CIAA.

Chataut was still a minister when he was summoned by the constitutional body for the first time on January 16. Before the second summons, Chataut resigned and has already spent 17 hours, besides today’s duration, replying to various questions over the lease of the wide-body jet from Lauda Air.

CIAA had instructed the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to lease or buy an aircraft only through a tender process. But the management of Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation ignored the directive, besides ignoring the Public Accounts Committee’s instruction not to go ahead with the deal, and brought the plane on December 1 last year.