8000 private schools closed

KATHMANDU, May 14 (PR)- Around 8,000 private schools across the country remained closed today, after talks between the student wing of the underground Maoist party, ANNFSU (R) and the government failed to reach any conclusion today.

The schools are not expected to open before May 21.

Private and Boarding School Organization of Nepal (PABSON) tried to bring the two tussling blocks - the government and student organization – to the negotiating table today, but to no avail.

PABSON Chairman Rajesh Khadka and vice-chairman Umesh Shrestha urged Lab Kumar Devkota, the Secretary at Ministry of Education and Sports, to create an environment conducive for talks, but the Secretary asked them to wait till Tuesday morning.

Secretary Devkota said that the talks could resume only after the release of two radical student union leaders, but did not say if they would be released.

PABSON and ANNFSU (R) called to shut down the schools Sunday. The student organization called the week-long closure of schools against the government’s failure to fulfill their 15-point demands.

Security not included in Nepal-China talks

By Damakant Jayshi

KATHMANDU, May 14 – Nepal and China did not discuss the security situation in Nepal during the official talks, visiting Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji said here today.

Speaking at a news conference after bilateral talks with a Nepali team led by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Rongji said that the question of Chinese concern about security apprehension due to the (Maoist) situation in Nepal was not raised during the talks between the two countries.

"We enjoy friendly relations and share 1,400-km border which is one of peace.

There is no dispute on our borders, so the question of security did not come up during the discussions," said Rongji.

On Wednesday, Zeng Xuyong, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal had publicly expressed his country’s security concern at the deteriorating law and order situation due to Maoist insurgency. Joining the issue two days later, Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Chakra Prasad Bastola said the matter could come up for discussions during the official talks between the two Prime Ministers.

Answering a question on the visa problems of Nepalis visiting Hong Kong, the Chinese PM said the issue was raised by the Nepalese side. Rongji remarked that since Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was autonomous in authority and had its own laws, the Chinese government could not interfere in the matter. "But we will convey Nepal’s concern to HKSAR." He said that he suggested to Nepal to raise the matter directly with the HKSAR, adding, "Of, course we will help them in the matter."

Until 1998, Nepalis received "visa on arrival" basis in Hong Kong but since then it was stopped.

One significant outcome in today’s discussions was the Chinese nod to Nepal opening a consulate in Shanghai to facilitate visas for the Chinese tourists visiting Nepal. This was revealed by Prime Minister Koirala while answering a question. Koirala expressed the hope that once the few of the remaining modalities were completed, it would facilitate the arrival of Chinese tourists in the Himalayan Kingdom.

Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation has a flight schedule from Kathmandu to Shanghai, the largest Chinese city. The opening of the consulate there is expected to help the Chinese acquire visas and their travel to Nepal.

PM Koirala also said that the development of the western region of China and the autonomous region of Tibet would help in the development of Nepal. The railway link between Qinghai province (in mainland China) and Lhasa, (the capital of Tibet) would be beneficial to Nepalese economy.

Both the Prime Ministers were speaking to the reporters after the signing ceremony on the six agreements that the two neighbours, Nepal and China, clinched today.

During the talks between the two Prime Ministers that lasted a little over an hour, both sides held discussions on a host of bilateral, regional and international issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) officials described the talks cordial.

The agreements are Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on agriculture, letters of exchange on polytechnic institute at Banepa, hospital for civil servants in the capital, Syabrubensi-Rasuwagadi new road link, agreements on economic and technology and avoidance of double taxation on merchandise. Both the sides, according to MoFA had already completed their homework on the agreements.

During his speech after the signing ceremony, Premier Rongji, while expressing his happiness at profound friendliness, invited PM Koirala to visit China again. Rongji’s this visit was on Koirala’s invitation.

Speaking after Premier Koirala, Chinese Premier Rongji, said that the two sides agreed "to reinforce our bilateral relations by expanding the areas of cooperation in different fields, particularly in technical cooperation". China would provide a grant assistance of over Rs 720 million under the economic and technical cooperation.

Earlier in the day, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji arrived today to be greeted with traditional welcome and a 19-gun salute at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). After staying at his hotel for over an hour, Premier Rongji went to the Martyr’s Memorial and laid a wreath there.

In a written statement issued upon his arrival at TIA, Rongji expressed his great pleasure in paying the goodwill visit to the country. "My visit to Nepal is aimed at consolidating our traditional friendship and intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation," remarked the Chinese Premier, adding, "I am looking forward to having an in-depth exchange of views with leaders of your country on bilateral relations and other questions of mutual interest."

Rongji also said that he would explore with Nepalese leaders new channels of cooperation in various fields.

UN-LDC meet opens

By Ameet Dhakal

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 14 - The III United Nations Conference on the Least Developing Countries kicked off today in this one of the most affluent cities of the world and the heart of Europe gathering over two dozens of head of states and head of governments from the 49 LDCs and many developed countries.

Also present in the conference were the scores of leaders from the developed world and donor agencies, government officials and representatives from the non government organizations and increasingly assertive civil society.

However, this one of the titanic gatherings in recent years was free from any protest or violence that marred the World Bank/ International Monetary Fund’s annual meetings in Washington and Prague. There was not even a slightest sign of the violence that rampaged WTO’s last gathering in Seattle, United States. " This is a conference meant for us and the one which we see with hope and believe that it will address the plight of the world’s poorest," says Makawanu Kana, a participant from Lesotho.

King Albert II of Belgium inaugurated the conference at the European Union parliament building.

The leaders from the developed world and multilateral agencies that crucially matter for the development of the world’s poorest population expressed their commitment to improving the well-being of the poor. Almost all of them attached high importance to arresting HIV/AIDS that blights the whole of Africa, which is home to majority of the least developing countries.

Addressing the conference, Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, urged the developed world to adapt a concrete action plan to help the poor countries. He called for increased investment, better access for LDCs products to world market and reduction in the high tariff barriers in the developed countries for the agriculture products of the least developing countries.

James D Wolfensohn, The World Bank President, requested the developed and industrialized world to move ahead on debt relief, increase aid and open their markets to developing country exports.

He also criticized the developed countries for insignificant Official Development Assistance and their high level of subsidy. " Currently, rich countries spend close to US$ 300 billion on subsidies - more than five times the official financial flows to all developing countries."

However, Wolfensohn also urged the LDCs to clear up their own mess that critically dampens the development prospects. " Poor governance, weak institutions and conflict still plagues some LDCs, hampering their ability to attract and effectively use development resources," he said.

He also reminded the LDCs that though assistance matters, it is they who should work to build their nation. " These countries can certainly benefit from advice and technical assistance, but ultimately it is up to them to reform institutions, implement regulations, combat corruption and avoid conflict and political instability. The cost of not acting - both human and economic - rise every day."

The scores of other leaders from the international development agencies working in the area of development and humanitarian aid in the developing and least developing countries criticized the developed countries and The World Bank and International Monetary Fund for their role in perpetuating - even in increasing - global inequality and poverty. The Oxfam and Action Aid were on the forefront to attack the industrialized countries and the multilateral developing agencies.

Addressing the conference, J Sayer, Executive Director of the Oxfam warned the world leaders against the failure of the conference and urged for constructive efforts and tangible results. The conference should not be " high cost and low output show, " he said.

Among the distinguished personalities, who addressed the conference today were French President Jacques Chirac, President of European Commission Romano Prodi, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstad, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, which is also a coordinator of the Global LDC community, Seikh Hasina, among others.

FM Mahat seeks global support

Post Report

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 14 - Delivering a country statement here today Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Finance Minister and Head of the Nepalese Delegation to the III United States Conference on the Least Developing Countries urged for more favorable support from the global community to the LDCs in their fight against poverty.

He asked for duty free and quota free market access for all products from LDCs, debt relief, special concessions to the landlocked countries and speedy accession to the World Trade Organization, among others.

Dr Mahat called for cancellation of all outstanding debt owed by the LDCs. Emphasizing on the need of immediate debt relief measures, Dr Mahat said, " External debt has become a severe obstacle to the development of many LDCs including my country. Much of the scanty resources of the LDCs are directed to debt servicing." Debt cancellation will release significant amount of resources for investment in social sector and infrastructure development of the LDCs, which are crucial components of poverty alleviation.

Dr Mahat also emphasized on the need for special attention of the landlocked countries like Nepal. " The international community should provide special assistance, both technical and financial, for the improvement of infrastructure and trade facilitation.

Highlighting the disadvantage that Nepal suffers being a landlocked country, Dr Mahat said, " Freight and insurance as percentage of import value for Nepal is more than 25 per cent compared to the global average of less than 5 per cent."

Dr Mahat also addressed a separate conference today on improving public sector institutions’ performance to enhance good governance, peace and stability and conflict prevention, management and resolution.

Census prepares to count disabled too

By Subas Risal

KATHMANDU, May 14 – Finally the voice of thousands of disabled people across the country is being heard. Knowledgeable officials here say that necessary arrangements are underway to include various types of disabled people in the 10th Census which is scheduled to be held in June.

The first Census was held in 1911 and the ninth in 1991, but never was the status of the country’s disabled people included in the Census results. Which is why their actual status is not known, they are not mainstreamed and appear to be lagging behind in the path of development.

But with the Census barely a month away, those fighting for the cause of disabled people are heaving a sigh of relief. They say, now they are achieving what they were looking for, and that their persistent effort is bearing fruit.

Said Sanjay Bantawa, Executive Member of the Federation for Disabled People (FDP), an organization working to uplift the status of the disabled people: "We are satisfied with the 10th Census. Finally our voice have been heard and our vigorous efforts paying dividends."

Bantawa, however, laments the lost opportunities for the disabled who were ignored in the past Census. "As of now we are virtually non-existent. Since the category of disabled people was wiped out in the last Census, there is not any data or statistic whatsoever on our status. This is one of the reasons why we are finding it difficult to live a normal life."

The FDP has been organizing awareness programs to acquire the authentic data on the disabled people of the country. They have also prepared posters and pamphlets to raise awareness among disabled people and their family members.

Although their actual status is unknown due to a lack of an official count like Census, a survey done by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that 10 to 12 per cent of Nepal’s population of over 22 million are disabled of a kind or another.

"This is a sizable per cent of our population, which should not be ignored," said Bantawa.

According to Radha Krishna GC, Deputy Director of Central Bureau of Statistics, which is carrying out the Census, says that the government is doing its best to find the actual status of the disabled people this time.

"We are trying to include every little information about the disabled people which would help in formulating plans and policies," he said.

He admitted that the status and categories of the disabled people were not included in the last census. "We included two types - blind and handicapped – of disabled people in the 1981 Census, but that ran into controversy after people said there are other forms of disability too," he said. "And that led us to delete the disabled community in the 1991 Census."

FDP has categorized the disabled people into five categories – physically disabled, blind, deaf, mentally retarded and ones with multiple disability. These categories have been recognized by the upcoming 10th Census.

"Since it is very technical, we have tried to include only the important ones," GC said. "We hope that we will get the authentic data on the disabled people in this Census."

Now that the "entirely ignored section" of the population have found some space in the questionnaire of the upcoming Census, the disabled people appear to be happy. Prior to this, they had been accusing the authorities of deliberately wiping off the categories of the "disabled" in the last Census for vested interests.

PAC seeks clarification on MMHP

Post Report

KATHAMNDU, May 14 - Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the government to furnish written clarifications detailing why the state coffers need not dole out additional amounts in "variation order" to the contractors developing Middle Marsyangdi Hydroelectricity Project (MMHP) as claimed by the officials.

The PAC members on Monday discussed at length the dubious clauses in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the NEA with foreign contractors, and concluded that the officials should furnish written details specifying why there are no possibilities of "variation order" - which may lead to rise in the construction cost - of the 70-megawatt hydel project.

PAC has directed the concerned officials to come up with written replies within seven days. The PAC executives reached the decision after grilling Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Lok Man Singh Karki, NEA head Bishnu Bam Malla, and the MMHP chief Dhruba Raj Bhattarai.

The officials asserted that there are no possibilities of "variation order" in the project, and that the contractors have agreed to complete the project with the specified amount. A China-Spain-Germany joint venture company has proposed to develop MMHP for Rs 6.20 billion.

However, PAC officials fear that the cost could go up as in the 144-MW Kaligandaki A hydel project because one or two clauses in the MoU document leaves room for "variation order" in future.

The government was forced to cough up an additional amount of nearly Rs 6 billion in the Kaligandaki A hydel project, which is scheduled to come online by 2002.