Debate on NC no-trust move on Thursday

By Binaj Gurubacharya

KATHMANDU, Jan 1 - Lawmakers of the ruling Nepali Congress(NC) will decide the fate of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Thursday when they begin discussions and vote on a proposal of no-confidence brought against him by the rebelling members.

All 113 NC lawmakers in the House of Representatives, the Lower House of Parliament, have been asked to be present on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. to discuss and vote on the proposal, according to NC parliamentary party secretary Benup Raj Prasai.

The rebels led by former Prime Minster Sher Bahadur Deuba need at least 57 votes to oust Koirala as the leader of the NC Parliamentary Party(NCPP).

The leader of the NCPP with the majority in the House is automatically appointed to the post of prime minister.

Though the proposal had signatures of 56 members and the pledge and support from senior NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, at least four of those signatories have openly withdrawn their support.

Ram Janam Chaudhari and Janak Raj Giri have joined hands with Mahendra Kumar Raya and Nagendra Kumar Raya and publicly announced their support for Koirala.

The rebels however are claiming they have the pledge from three ministers and their total support stands at 58. While the Koirala camp is boasting of 61 votes on their side.

However, the tug of war to woo and lure members on their camp is expected to continue until Thursday when the debate on the motion will begin.

Khum Bahadur Khadka, who so far has shown support for the Deuba camp today said that he was not bargaining with Koirala for positions for him and a few other rebelling members.

"Before the no-confidence motion I had proposed for unity in the party but after that there has been no proposals from my side," Khadka said without elaborating.

There had been reports that Khadka had sought the party’s vice presidentship and cabinet berths for some rebelling members to withdraw support for the motion during his meeting with the Prime Minister last Saturday.

Meanwhile, a source close to Bhattarai said that the two leaders (Bhattarai and PM) are slated to meet tomorrow morning at formers’ residence.

This would be the second time in less than a year that NC lawmakers would be meeting to discuss such a motion.

About nine months back, two such proposals were filed against Bhattarai by Koirala supporters accusing him of failing to curb corruption and quell the Maoists problem.

Bhattarai resigned even before the proposal came for voting the second time. The first one was withdrawn by the rebels themselves after Bhattarai promised to step down.

Deuba and a retinue of NC lawmakers had filed the proposal last week at the NC parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar.

Koirala supporters have been accusing that the no-trust move is aimed more at shoring up the rebel camps’ bargaining position in the party just few days ahead of the party’s General Convention scheduled to be held at Pokhara later this month.

In August, Koirala had managed to avert a similar no-trust move against him after he agreed to some of the demands put forth by the rebels.

Khadka, who was then Minister for Water Resources was sacked after he openly said that one leader should not hold two key positions - Prime Minister and the party president.

Koirala currently retains both the positions and has clearly stated he would not let go either of the positions.

This New Year’s Day isn’t quite the same

By Suman Pradhan

KATHMANDU, Jan 1 - There isn’t quite the same feel to this New Year’s Day. And it is not just the bandh called by the nine Left parties. Something else is tugging at the hearts and minds of most Nepalis this New Year. Could it be the deep-rooted prejudices that somehow or the other colour our outlook towards our own?

Many may not agree with this notion, but just reflect on what happened during these past few days of rage. If the anti-Hrithik Roshan violence underscored anything at all, then it is this glaring fact: we are a suspicious, prejudiced, disunited, chauvinistic lot. And all those prejudices came pouring out during one week of violence and mayhem.

What began as a protest against rumours of alleged derogatory comments by a Bollywood heart-throb turned overnight into a violent protest against everything Indian. The protests were further fuelled by pent-up fury against the establishment.

India, for its part, hasn’t helped matters either. Many of the real or perceived wrongs of the past have remained just below the surface here. Indian leaders and its press have often accused Nepal of everything in the past, from hijacking one of its jets to harbouring anti-Indian criminals amongst our midst.

And most recently, a senior leader of India’s governing BJP party made shocking comments at a very sensitive time. The resentments here have, and will, linger on. All it needs is a spark to ignite that, and the Hrithik Roshan rumours provided just the opportunity.

But in the process of violent expression of these resentments, many local communities got caught up in last week’s mayhem. Plains-people from the Terai, no less Nepali citizens they, were intimidated and manhandled on the streets of the capital. Their businesses burnt, their bicycles forcibly punctured.

The offices of a national political party, which claims to represent the interests of Terai dwellers, was attacked. Indian tourists, without whom the nation’s whole economic infrastructure could crumble, were shooed away, sometimes violently.

Violence begets further violence, and so it was that two people were killed and scores more injured when the Nepal Sadbhavana Party called a bandh in some Terai districts to protest the arson attack on their party offices, as well as the manhandling of some Nepali madhises in Kathmandu.

Sociologists have a way with trends, and they know what all this reflects. Nepalis simply can’t stand each other. The nation hasn’t yet erupted in communal strife, but that could come some day if better minds do not prevail. Add to that the hills-plains divide that was underscored this past week, and what we have is a national crisis in the making.

To be sure, this divide between the Nepalis of the hills and the Nepalis of the plains has always been there. But it had never been expressed in violent terms before. And for this, the blame lies squarely with the politicians. And yes, with us, the media too.

The press failed to verify the facts about the Hrithik Roshan remarks. Minor protests against the actor were carried on news pages with headlines that proclaimed the "patriotism" of the concerned paper’s editors. Worse, the press failed to give Hrithik a full hearing. Most newspapers did not entertain his denials for a full 24 hours, and further fed the violence.

By the time corrections were made, it was too late already. For the politicians had jumped in by then. A government minister even went to the extent of banning Hrithik Roshan films. Worse, he demanded an apology from Roshan without checking whether the star had actually said something at all.

Political parties, most of whom are never in the national mainstream but on the fringes, became heroes overnight in the eyes of the frustrated youth. The venom they spouted snowballed into further protests against everything Indian, even against our own Nepali citizens of Indian origin. In the heat of the moment, protestors seem to have forgotten that most hill Nepalis too are of Indian origin, having fled to this land centuries ago after the Mughal invasion of India.

The situation today is a far cry from a year before. Last year, on New Year’s Day, Nepalis were a united lot. The nation had stood together in the face of vituperative Indian media allegations during the Indian Airlines hijacking episode. We decried Zee TV for its coverage then, slammed Indian leaders for unfairly feeding the anti-Nepal media frenzy during the hijacking.

But it now appears that we never took to heart the lessons we ourselves preached a year ago. No wonder, this New Year’s Day feels so different.

Bandh partially affects Terai 

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 1 - The first day of the two-day nation-wide bandh (general strike), called by the grouping of nine left parties passed off peacefully, with its partial impact in Terai and urban areas, reports received from across the country said.

The state-owned trolley buses, Sajha Yatayat vehicles and some public and private vehicles and motorbikes were seen plying on the streets of the Kathmandu Valley throughout the day. A large number of riot-police were deployed in most of the sensitive areas of the Valley to avert any possible untoward violence.

In a press communique issued here today, Home Ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey said that no major incidents of violence were reported across the country. It also stated that majority of shops remained open and public transport was plying across the country. Spokesman Pandey has claimed that tight security arrangement has also been made for tomorrow.

According to the press release, 23 people from Kathmandu and 22 from Lalitpur were taken into custody for forcibly trying to close down the shops and creating traffic obstacles in the streets. Police said two persons were also arrested in Jhapa for vandalising two public buses.

However, major highways, including the East-West Highway, remained deserted as the long distance public vehicles stayed off the roads. Major business establishments, industries and education institutions in Biratnagar, Birgunj, Chitwan, Bhairahawa, Pokhara and Nepalgunj remained closed due to the bandh. The Home Ministry, however, reported that bandh had no impact in almost all the hill districts.

Reports from Biratnagar and Birgunj customs offices stated that, the bandh heavily affected in the customs revenues as almost all the Nepal-bound cargoes lingered on the Indian border towns due to the strike.

General Manager of Birgunj Sugar Mills, Jayaraj Baral, said the mills had to shut down as no sugar-cane was supplied during the strike.

Likewise, a report from Chitwan said that the third Chitwan Festival, inaugurated on December 26, also remained closed due to the bandh.

The bandh organisers held peaceful corner meetings in downtown areas and burned effigies of the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister,Ram Chandra Poudel, demanding his resignation on moral grounds, for the death of five persons during the last week’s riots.

In Nawalparasi, the bandh had no effect and almost all the shops and schools remained open, but the public transport remained off the road.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the government announced a compensation of Rs 100,000 to the bereaved family of Khusilal Yadav, who was killed in the police firing at Rajbiraj, Sunday, the Home Ministry release said. The statement added that the government would bear the cost of treatment of those injured in Sunday’s firing.

‘No-confidence proposal inopportune’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 1 – Mahesh Acharya, Finance and Defense Minister today termed the timing of the no-confidence proposal registered against the Prime Minister as "inopportune" since the legitimacy of the government was under attack from various quarters.

Acharya, a close confidante of PM and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, was commenting on the various problems facing the nation at a Face-to-Face programme organized by the Reporters’ Club here today. A few days ago, anti-Koirala group led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, had submitted the no-confidence proposal against Koirala in the Congress Parliamentary Party. The proposal is due for discussions and voting.

"The way of expressing dissent is not proper at a time when the legitimacy of the government has been challenged due to several factors, including rise in extremist views and communalism," said Acharya. "Party leaders do have the right to register such proposals but they need to keep in mind the sensitivity of the timing."

Acharya defended the open vote on the proposal by saying that the people had the right to know their representatives’ behavior and what they were doing. However, he expressed hope that the party would not split due to its flexibility in accommodating divergent views. He also hinted at the possibility of patch-up between the two factions in the party before the voting on no-trust proposal takes place.

Regarding the currently ongoing two-day bandh, the minister said that the talks between the government and bandh callers, the group of nine communist parties, failed as the group had insisted on the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel. The Nine Left parties asked the DPM to resign owning moral responsibility for the death of five persons due to police firing during last week’s riots. "In the present circumstances, no government can last if the ministers were asked to resign on moral grounds for the death of cops and the citizens

Speaking about the calls to ban bandhs, Acharya said that it was up to the people and civil society to take initiation in that direction. "As for our party, the PM has already said that Nepali Congress will not resort to this form of protest in future, whether or not it is in power."

The defense minister admitted that the police force was not trained enough to handle street protests. Neither the police is properly trained and armed to thwart Maoists’ assault. "Previously, baton-wielding constables were enough to maintain law and order, but now the time has changed and there are new challenges." He added that the police will be well-equipped, but before that legal, administrative and financial aspects had to be considered.

About the mobilization of the Army, he said the government would not hesitate to use it, although it was in favour of dialogue to resolve Maoist insurgency. Acharya also denied having said at the parliamentary State Affairs Committee that Army would be sent to all the villages.

DPM denounces bomb attacks

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 1- The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and the Minister for Home Affairs, Ram Chandra Poudel denounced the attacks on the residences of a minister and several Nepali Congress leaders, in the wake of the two days bandh called by the group of nine left parties, today.

A press release issued by the DPM’s office, stated that the DPM denounced the bombings at the residences of NC General Secretary, Sushil Koirala, former minister and NC Central Working Committee member Govinda Raj Joshi and Minister of State for Education, Dilendra Prasad Badu.

"His Majesty’s Government has taken this matter seriously. How can the callers of the bandh shirk from any responsibility in these incidents?" The release questioned.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the Home Ministry stated that the police are investigating on the bombings and the hunt for culprits is on. The Government is determined on taking stern measures on the guilty persons, the release added.

Likewise, NC District Working Committee issued a press release denouncing the bombings and has appealed to all to save democracy.

Similarly, a press release issued by the Nepal Students Union, the student wing of the ruling Nepali Congress, denounced the act of violence and called on its members to be more responsible and work to strengthen the social and communal harmony in the nation.

High drug store rent fuelling medicine substitution outside major hospitals

By Meena Kaini

KATHMANDU, Jan 1 - Have you ever been perplexed when the drug store outside the major hospitals of Kathmandu handed you a sound-alike but different medicine than what the doctor prescribed? If yes, you are not the only one.

Hundreds of people face a similar situation daily and can practically do nothing about it. Can do nothing because, a layman does not have any knowledge about drugs and feels that the drug stores would not cheat, in any case.

While it cannot be called outright cheating, drug stores outside large public hospitals in the capital do substitute medicines to unsuspecting buyers. The reasons are varied, greater profits is the most common cause. But there are more serious reasons, often ones which are fuelled, ironically, by the large hospitals themselves.

Take for example the three large hospitals of Kathmandu - Bir Hospital, Kanti Children’s Hospital and Teaching Hospital. Drug stores regulated by the hospital administration near or within the hospital premises pay a stupendous amount to occupy the stalls, which are awarded to them on a tender basis. Since the competition is intense, bidders usually push up the prices of the stalls.

The shops in front of the Bir Hospital pay an amount from Rs 37,000 to Rs 86,000 monthly, depending upon which stall is rented. According to the retail shop owners in the Teaching Hospital premises, they pay Rs 300,000 per month for the three shutters within the hospital compounds. And the amount is equally high in the Kanti Children’s Hospital, where the only one shop is rented for Rs 192,000 monthly. National Maternity Hospital had a margin of Rs 160,000 in a call for tender to rent out its shops recently.

With a monthly rent as high as this, it is no wonder that drug store owners prefer to sell costlier medicines. They also tend to sell medicines which gives them the highest profit. And often, such medicines are the ones whose quality is suspect, according to those in the medicine business. A hospital prescription for a quality brand amoxycillin antibiotic could easily be substituted for amoxycillin made by an inferior, but more profit-intensive, company. In fact, that is what goes on daily outside the hospitals.

Pharmaceutical producers point out that the trend of substituting one medicine for another is fast spreading and this is much widespread with Indian drugs for which the retailers are given a huge benefit by the dealers that market the products.

"Most of the times it is a low quality product in which the retailers get a higher percentage of benefit that gets exchanged for the prescribed drug," says a pharmaceutical producer, who requested anonymity. "There is massive substitution up to 80 per cent."

According to the government’s regulation, the retailers can add a maximum of 16 per cent commission on wholesale prices of the drugs. But they get much more than that. "It is a fact that we take a higher percentage than what we are supposed to get," confides a retailer, pointing to the various bonus deals on offer by companies. Often, these bonuses are designed at making the store owner "push" that particular brand, with or without prescription.

Local pharmaceutical manufacturers argue that substitution is a serious business which should not be encouraged. But sometimes a prescribed drug is not found in the market, and patients have no recourse but to use substitutes. "Even if a substitution is to be made, someone with knowledge about drugs and its molecular structure should do it," says Hari Bhakta Sharma, general secretary of Association of Pharmaceutical Producers.

But most of the sales-persons in the shops lack any formal knowledge about medicines or drug formulations. In Nepal, anyone can sell medicines after going through a two-week course provided by the Department of Drug Administration (DDA).

The large hospitals are aware of the substitutions occurring on their prescriptions. They also know that much of it is fuelled by the high rents imposed on them on the drug stores on their premises. But in times of scarce resources, hospital administrations do not want to lose out a steady flow of monthly revenues provided by the high rents.

Experts say, the question that needs to be addressed is whether hospitals should indirectly be aiding these unhealthy practice among the drug retailers who try to earn their rent by hook or crook?

The chemists and druggists association has a different story to tell. Mrigendra Mehar Shrestha, general secretary of Nepal Chemist and Druggists Association agrees that the hospitals charge huge rents on the drug stores within their premises. But that is not the only reason for substitution, he argues.

According to Shrestha, the DDA allows manufacturers to market their drugs in Nepal only after they get a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate based on WHO guidelines. "But the doctors are not aware of this and they prescribe those drugs which do not have GMP as well," says Shrestha, adding that this is one of the reasons medicine sellers substitute the prescribed drugs.

And there is the confusion created by the "look-alike and sound-alike" drugs, where the exchange of drugs is not actually intentional but coincidental. The drugs nortriptyline and amoxycillin have a similar brand name - Primox and Primox 500 respectively. Whatever it is, intentional or coincidence, it is the patients who suffer ultimately.

Nepal has currently 1,200 drug stores registered by the government and around 2,000 more are unregistered. The DDA has only six drug inspectors to regulate those shops.