LHOSAR AT BOUDHA : (Clockwise form top left) Young monks lining up to enter the monastery, crowds thronging at Sherpa Sewa Kendra, a monk guards the prasad before distribution and artists performing a drama to celebrate Lhosar festival at Boudhanath, Monday.

Law to regulate NGOs soon

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 – The government is set to introduce a new law aimed at regulating the mushrooming domestic and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country and ensuring transparency in their activities.

To this effect, the government has already formed an advisory committee entrusted with a duty to draft the law, Dr Tika Prasad Pokharel, Member Secretary of the Social Welfare Council (SWC) told The Kathmandu Post at a workshop on non-profit sector in Nepal Monday.

Officials are planning to submit the Bill in the 20th session of the Parliament this summer.

"The Committee was formed nearly two months ago," said Dr Pokharel, who heads the committee. "Now we are in the process of drafting the law. After we prepare the draft, we will hold debate in all the five development regions and at the center and finally present it for discussion in the Parliament."

According to him, besides encompassing all the I/NGOs within a single legal framework, the new law will ensure that the funds allocated and received by the I/NGOs are recorded or screened before they are channeled into different projects.

"The legal provisions regulating the non-governmental sector are currently scattered in different books of law—such as the Social Welfare Act, the Society Registration Act, the Local Self Governance Act and the Muluki Ain (Civil Code)," he said. "The provisions are contradictory, and we are also working to ensure uniformity in the new law."

The government’s move is coming years after questions were raised over the financial transactions carried out by the NGOs working in the country and the funds received by them from various INGOs and other donors. According to a report – Non profit Sector in Nepal: A review - distributed at the workshop today, by July 2000, the size of the NGOs affiliated with the SWC had grown to 11,036, out of which 5,694 were involved in community development sector.

Of them, 1,355 (12.27 per cent) are working in the Eastern Development Region, 6,732 (61 per cent) in the Central Development Region, 1,592 (14.44 per cent) in the Western Development Region, 1,592 (6.90 per cent) in the Mid-Western Development Region and 5,95 (5.39 per cent) working in the Far-Western Development Region.

The report prepared for Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) says that growth rate of NGOs reached a record high level in the current fiscal year with an average growth of 2,146 NGOs.

Likewise, the report says, currently there are 87 INGOs maintaining official agreement with the SWC. "By the end of 2000, there were in totality 85 INGOs and four multilateral agency’s supporting NGO activities in Nepal through SWC," it adds.

The draft report was presented at the workshop today for discussion, which had representatives from a number of government bodies including the National Planning Commission, INGOs and NGOs and the IIDS, organizer of the program.

Though NGOs have come under increasing criticism in the country, activists point out that they are essential for the development of a free society, as well as to deliver basic services and goods to areas which might have been overlooked. The non-profit sector is also vital to raise issues of national concern. One recent example is the freedom of Kamaiyas (bonded labourers) in western Nepal. A number of national and international NGOs pooled resources to foist the issue on the national consciousness, ultimately winning their freedom.

The new law being drafted by the government, some NGO activists worry, could be targeted against NGOs disliked by officialdom.

China to lead Boao Forum

By Yubaraj Ghimire

BOAO, Hainan, China, Feb 26 - The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) came into existence today with China leading the 24-country initiative to give the continent a united and powerful forum.

The newly-formed BFA is to receive His Majesty King Birendra on Tuesday as its Guest of Honour. The monarch, who arrived here today with Queen Aishwarya, is scheduled to address the Forum on Tuesday. The Royal couple will then proceed to Beijing as part of the state visit of the People’s Republic of China.

On the opening day of the Forum, the newly-formed Asian body clearly deviated from its initial draft to make it strictly a non-governmental one as the government leaders will be entitled to use it as platform in pursuit of the declared objectives.

Chen Jinhua, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Chinese Chambers of Commerce has been elected the first chairman of the Forum. His election also signifies full endorsement and backing of the Chinese government which is moving gradually towards liberalization in its own pace and condition rather than totally falling to the outside dictate.

Asian economic leaders, mainly from Japan and Malaysia, are also in the top level set up of the Forum elected today. Japan’s former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone , former Philippines President Fidel V Ramos and former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke have been elected Co-Chairmen .

Tan Sri Ajit Singh, the former Secretary General of ASEAN with close links with Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammad Mahathir will be the Forum’s First Secretary General. All these leaders are known for a strong Pro- Asian bias in their respective countries’ national economy, some of them defying the US and World Bank’s dose or prescription on economic reforms.

The former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke has been apparently rewarded the position as it was he who had dreamt of such a forum way back in September 1998, an indication that those who think of Asia also have a place and role in the Forum.

"At present Australia has about six per cent of the Asian population which is going to be 14 per cent in the next 24 years. Asia is going to a major factor in our economics and the centre of gravity of world economy is going to move towards Asia from Europe and the United States of America", Hawke said.

In fact, Hawke is also believed to have played a major role in opening the Forum as a platform for government leaders against the initial idea to restrict it to business leaders and intelligentsia. The move was accepted later when the "Boao Declarataion" was adopted.

"There are many complex problems we must confront. There are enmities, rivalries, and mutual suspicions left over from colonial history we must overcome. There are...claims and counterclaims we must resolve", former Philippine President Fidel Ramos said later in his address.

The Forum, Ramos said, would need to gain multilateral cooperation focussed on shared interests in peaceful development. The other areas the Forum could be active in fighting common security challenges "such as those posed by drug-trafficking, piracy, terrorism, and other trans-national crimes."

The Forum will, however, not engage in political issues.

The declaration said the BFA would become the premier forum for Asian leaders, businessmen and scholars which would, hopefully, provide tangible benefits for all nations through greater trade flows, enlarged investments, and the development of new strategic alliances.

The Forum, the declaration said, would draw more participation and begin to project Asian perspectives on global and regional issues and challenges.

The BFA will be established as a foundation under the laws of the People’s Republic of China with a permanent Headquarters in Boao, which will invite and offer membership to all corporations and institutions in the region. An elected board of directors would be managing the BFA. In addition, a Research Institute for the BFA would be established to pursue research of relevance to the Forum.

Govt, Oppn exchange brickbats

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 - The stalemate over the demand by the Opposition parties for the resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is beginning to pour out of the parliament with debates on the issue taking place in public forums.

Even at an interaction program on Democratic System and Conflict Resolution held today, leaders from both the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) and the Opposition parties were lambasting each other on the mode adopted by the Opposition as whether it is constitutional.

The Opposition parties in the parliament have been stalling the Winter Session of Parliament demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister over the government’s alleged irregularities in the Lauda Air deal.

"The PM is not going to resign as demanded by the Opposition charging him of allegations based on rumors. The Opposition’s action at present is unconstitutional and against the fundamental norms of democracy," said Arjun Narsingh KC, a NC Central Working Committee member.

"Neither are the Opposition allowing any Ministers to speak nor are they coming forward with a vote of no confidence. They don’t even have the patience to wait for the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority to come up with a report through their investigation into the case."

"The Opposition are also not coming forward with a demand for a Judicial Council or a Parliamentary committee to look into the matter," KC added.

KC further said that the NC was "ready to counter" the Opposition parties, if the latter took to the streets demanding the PM’s resignation.

Hom Nath Dahal, Chairman of the parliamentary State Affairs Committee and an NC lawmaker, accused the Opposition of acting like "an aggressive student union or an ignorant farmer."

"But the present conflict could be resolved if the PM himself showed initiation of bringing an end to the matter by presenting himself in the parliament... The PM was present only during the inaugural session," Dahal said.

Dahal, though a member of the ruling party is a dissident member of NC who had rebelled against Premier Koirala last month.

"All the parties are against the corruption and we should fight against it constitutionally. If there are shortfalls within the Constitution that bars us from punishing the corrupt, then we should seek ways to amend it." said Daman Nath Dhungana, former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, leaders from the Opposition parties were not willing to comply with the ruling party leaders’ comments.

"There is always a right to rebel if one (the government) turns a deaf ear to the Opposition’s requests," said Lila Mani Pokharel of the United Peoples’ Front.

He further argued that the NC government was not at all serious on curbing corruption adding; "The government isn’t working for the people and the opposition are just relaying that message."

"Where does the question of morality arise when head of the government himself is not following parliamentary norms? ...The ruling party is just by-passing various corruption cases simply because they have a majority," he said.

Khadga Prasad Oli, CPN-UML Standing Committee member, said that his party was not ready for any negotiations until "the PM resigns and the next appointed PM takes step to initiate progressive developments in the country."

"Apart from being involved in corruption, the present government has failed in all sectors ranging from economy, agriculture, business, tourism and security. Our action is justified as we are compelled to resort to stalling the Parliament," he said.

The program was organized by Foundation for Parliamentary Studies and Development.

Will 4-Star discussions bring an end to poverty?

By Ameet Dhakal

KATHMANDU, Feb 26 – About hundred people - who probably never experienced but have read about poverty in mundane text books - gathered today at a four-star hotel in the capital to discuss ways to tackle the worsening situation of poverty in the country.

They were discussing Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asia’s premier development bank’s new initiative on poverty. The bank as a part of its "overarching concern" has prepared a Country Strategy for Poverty Reduction.

ADB’s initiative coincides with the government’s preparation of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), a interim report which is already prepared. As such, poverty has never been missed in the government planning documents. Since the first Five-Year Plan that began in mid 50s, poverty alleviation has featured persistently as the overriding concerns of the government. And yet poverty situation has neither improved nor changed.

In the mid-70s, Nepal Rastra Bank had billed over 33 per cent of the country’s population as surviving below the poverty line. With about three decades of development endeavours to attack poverty, the figure has bloated to 42 per cent (National Household Survey Report prepared by Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the World Bank in 1997).

Though the two figures are not strictly comparable for definitional variations, they clearly indicate worsening poverty situation in the country. Downward slide of Nepal in the Human Poverty scale vindicates this claim. Only 8 per cent of Nepalis have access to pipe drinking water, over half cannot read and write, average Nepali die at an age of 55, infant mortality rate is 75 and about half of the children below five years are underweight. Ranked 144 in Human Development Index, Nepal has left only Bangladesh from South Asia to see down the Human Development ladder.

And if we include the case of social exclusion in the poverty yardstick, the facts become more appalling. Nepali society is blighted by social exclusions primarily driven by institutions and processes that uphold or exacerbate income and capability-poverty on the basis of ethnicity, gender, caste and religion. Poverty incidence is significantly lower among Brahmins (the traditionally highest-caste group) than for the lower caste groups, the latter being deprived of opportunities in all dimensions of life (cultural, social, political and economic). And this has resulted into severe disparities in human development indicators between lower and upper caste groups. The literacy rate is 47 per cent among the upper caste groups while it is 18 per cent in the lowest caste groups; life expectancy swings from 51 to 57 years and infant mortality from 85 to 118 per year for the two caste groups.

In the backdrop of this failure, the government is trying to renew its efforts in the fight against poverty. And the major donors including the ADB and relatively conservative World Bank and International Monetary Fund have also pledged their support. Clearly the neo-classical thinking," Take care of growth and it will automatically take care of poverty is over" sales no more.

Yet, as some of the participants pointed out in the program, neither the ADB Strategy Paper nor the government’s Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (IPRSP), try to address the structural problems aggravating poverty. Since about half of the Nepali households have less than 0.5 hectares of lands, many argue that meaningful intervention on poverty is not possible without a bold land reform program.

However, the ADB Strategy Paper "is not itself a poverty reduction strategy," as put forward by Richard Vokes, Resident Representative of Asian Development Bank during the program, but a complimentary document that outlines a "summary of both indicative level and type of assistance that the ADB expects to provide over a period."

ADB’s attempt to help Nepal in her arduous fight against poverty comes as a part of the Bank’s increasing focus towards poverty alleviation in the developing countries of Asia. Tadao Chino, the current President of the Bank, had defined poverty reduction as the bank’s "overarching goal," while assuming office of the Bank in 1999. Whether the Bank will attain its overarching goal depends upon Nepal’s capacity to improve her so far poorly implemented programs to enrich the poor.

Counting still continues NSU wins in over 50 colleges and ANNFSU gets 28

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 - Even as counting continues in some colleges in a nation wide election for the Free Students’ Union held on Sunday, Nepal Students Union (NSU) has already staked its claimed in more than fifty colleges countrywide.

Nation-wide election was held yesterday in more than 150 private and government colleges affiliated to Tribhuvan University and Mahendra Sanskrit University for the Free Students’ Union (FSU).

According to election result made available to The Kathmandu Post by late evening, NSU, student wing of the ruling Nepali Congress, claimed that it has won in more than fifty colleges across the nation while All Nepal Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU), student wing of the main opposition CPN-UML claimed that its panel won in more than 28 colleges.

Colleges where NSU’s panel got elected includes Mahalaxmi Campus at Lubu, Ayurved Campus at Naradevi, Pashupati Multiple Campus at Chabahil, Lalitkala Campus, Balmiki Campus, Bhaktapur Multiple Campus, Bhiswo Bhasa Campus, Engineering Campus at Thapathali, Khalanga Campus of Rukum, and Nurshing Campus of Biratnagar among others.

NSU was elected unopposed in Public Youth Campus, Public Administration College at Tripureshwor, Hazarjanak Vidyapith of Janakpur, among others.

ANNFSU has been declared elected in Ratna Rajya Campus, Mahendra Ratna Campus at Tahachal, Baneshwor Campus, Maharajganj Nurshing Campus, Nepal Commerce Campus at Min Bhawan and Engineering Campus at Pulchowk among others.

Like wise ANNFSU (student wing of the CPN-ML) panel has been declared elected in Amrit Science Campus. IT has also won the post of President and one member in Nepal Law Campus.

Election was withheld in Patan multiple Campus yesterday after about 2500 votes were cast and disputes arose between various students organisations. The election was also withheld in Prithvi Narayan Campus of Pokhara and election could not take place in Shankar Dev Campus due to conflict within NSU.

The election result was yet to be declared at TU (Kirtipur) despite the conclusion of the counting. ANNFSU revolutionary and other students wing alleged of rigging during the election.