DPM, FM advise PM to resign

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 26 - Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel and Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola gave an extra turn to already tightening political screw against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala suggesting him to resign "in a round about manner" in the light of the CIAA’s critical comments aimed at the Prime Minister, according to the sources close to the Prime Minister.

The sources added that the DPM was in a mood to quit the government if PM Koirala did not step down. A dozen of lawmakers who met Poudel today asked him not to take any hasty decision and instead work for the unity in the party. These lawmakers also suggested the DPM, who also heads the Home Ministry, not to resign at least until the three-day bandh was over, even if he had made up his mind to do so.

The two ministers, known as moderates in the ruling Nepali Congress and who have been trying to unite the two factions in the party, reportedly told PM Koirala that his resignation would be in favour of the nation, the party and himself. Poudel and Bastola gave the suggestion to the Prime Minister at his official residence at Baluwatar. The PM had called an important meeting today to solicit suggestions from the ministers and the party leaders in the wake of ensuing political crisis.

The sources added that there were only a few of the ministers and the party leaders, who strongly opposed the call for PM’s resignation. Most of those present, numbering about 20, however, left the decision to the PM, according to the sources. These ministers and the leaders asked the PM to resign if it would foster moral values and principle. They also said that if the PM felt otherwise, they asked him not to resign.

In a significant development, DPM Poudel met former Prime Ministers and dissident leaders Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba at the former’s residence today where the dissidents were holding an informal meeting.

Party leaders said that the DPM’s visit to the meeting of the rebel camp was "very significant and it hinted at many possibilities". The DPM reportedly asked the rebel leaders to rise above parochialism and confrontation in the party. He also offered to resign if it helped unite the party.

However, Poudel did not attend the rebel camp’s meeting that ran for three hours. During the meeting, dissidents today asked Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to find a way out, saying that he was responsible for the current crisis.

According to a source in the rebel camp, the dissidents were of the opinion that since Koirala was both the PM and party president, the onus was on him alone to find a solution to current political stalemate. However, there was no discussion on bringing a no-confidence proposal against PM Koirala in the ruling NC parliamentary party. "We will decide our move after taking into account what steps the PM takes," said a rebel lawmaker who was among the 30 lawmakers that attended today’s rebel camp meeting.

Significantly, a press conference of the Prime Minister scheduled for today was postponed. The press conference that was to focus on the leftists’ three-day bandh and the CIAA’s comments on the PM’s reply to the Commission would now be held after the bandh. Talking about the postponement, sources close to the Prime Minister said that the "agenda concept" was not ready.

UML to challenge PAC decision

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KATHMANDU, May 26 - The main opposition party CPN-UML today defended its decision to challenge the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) decision implicating its senior party member and former Civil Aviation Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal of corruption while leasing a Chinese jet for RNAC.

In a press release issued by the CPN-UML and undersigned by Pradeep Nepal, spokesperson of the party, it is stated that the decision to form a three member committee to investigate on the charges made by PAC was taken after serious discussion by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Party.

"By the end of the meeting it was agreed by every member of the party including General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and senior leader KP Sharma Oli to the statement that the party was shocked at the PAC’s decision made without complete facts and proper evidence", stated the release.

"Both PAC and the UML have their own relevance at their own respective places and it is not mandatory that UML agree to all decisions made by the PAC," added the release explaining further that the UML only supported the "right decisions made by the PAC."

Meanwhile, Chairman of the CPN-Maoist Prachanda in a press release has said that it is now clear that the officials at the CIAA are victims of greed and fear as they have not touched Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala but only charged some of his "pawns". "Therefore it has been once again proven that the present parliamentary system cannot eradicate corruption," the release said.

"The fact that UML’s leader and former minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal has also been charged of corruption proves that the UML ‘s principle has been degraded and the party is falling morally. Thus the relevance of "people’s war" has been more strengthened," the release added.

In yet another press release issued by the CPN-UML and undersigned by Madhav Nepal, General Secretary of the party, it is stated that the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority filing cases against 10 high level former government officials had once again proved Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s involvement on the Lauda air scandal.

"It is really unfortunate that the PM is still clinging on to power even after his direct involvement in the scandal has been proven," the release said. " This has once again justified the protest program launched by the alliance of six left parties, demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister," the release added, further appealing to all the citizens to support the alliances’ protest program.

Govt prepares to counter bandh

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KATHMANDU, May 26 - The government has arranged for necessary security to lessen the impact of the three-day bandh (general strike) called by six left parties, Home Ministry sources said today.

Six left parties including the main opposition CPN-UML have called for three consecutive day Nepal bandh starting May 27 seeking resignation of the Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

The six left parties have announced that all transport, factories, business houses, educational institutions and offices would remain closed on May 27, 28 & 29. But pharmacies, ambulance, hospital vehicles, police and army vehicles would be allowed to run during the bandh.

On the eve of the three-day bandh, torch rally has been organised in various parts of the country including the Capital. In Tulsipur, Khag Prasad Pokharel was injured when a police bullet hit him in his leg. The police resorted to lathi charge in the torch rally held in Bhadrapur and the police blank-fired and fired tear gas in Dhading. There was a clash between the police and protestors in Birgunj for which the police resorted to firing tear gas.

Meanwhile, Nepal Sadvawana Party, All Nepal Women’s Association (Revolutionary), Nepal Tamang Student Association, Association of Nepalese Indigenous, Nationalities Journalists, issuing separate press releases today, supported Nepal bandh on Thursday called by the Aboriginal and Regional Front Coordination Committee (sister organization of CPN-Maoists).

Indian envoy positive about SAARC summit

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KATHMANDU, May 26 - Indian Ambassador to Nepal Deb Mukharji today said that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) "has not come to a standstill" and expressed hope that "the Summit will take place."

"Regarding SAARC, a lot of things have been going on at the operative level...There are various committees, various exchanges and meetings that take place on issues of cooperation. I hope that the Summit will take place sometime soon," said Ambassador Mukharji.

The SAARC Summit, which was scheduled for November 1999 in Nepal was postponed after India raised serious concerns over the military takeover in Pakistan.

Focussing on the softening Indian stand on Pakistan, the Indian Envoy today also claimed that India has not "ever taken an unnaturally hard position regarding any country (including Pakistan)." He further said that the recent Indian invitation to the Pakistani Chief Executive was a part of India’s "constant endeavor to engage in discussions in any country regardless of all differences." Last Wednesday, the Indian PM offered for peace talks with the Pakistani military government.

Speaking at a press meet today in the Capital, Ambassador Mukharji also declined of any "third party pressure" upon India to resolve differences with Pakistan.

Discussing the drop in Indian tourists coming Nepal since the introduction of passport and ID Card system, Ambassador Mukharji said that there were also other reasons for the tourism downfall though the system "may be creating some problems particularly in regard to children."

"Today there are countries that are carrying out very intensive tactics to get the Indian middle class tourists...and Indians have access to dollars," said Ambassador Mukharji.

When asked to elaborate the "other reasons," Ambassador Mukharji said: "You are perfectly well aware of what happened at the end of December." Understandably, he was hinting at the infamous Hrithik Roshan episode.

"...But this (the ID Card system) was not the decision of the government of India but jointly decided upon with His Majesty’s Government. Everything would be subject to review if there are certain measures which can be taken by mutual agreement to make things smoother...I hope that this will be the discussed by the home secretaries of the two countries," he added.

While speaking at the meet organized by Reporter’s Club, the Indian Envoy, however, supported the Indian media reports on growing ISI (Pakistan’s Intelligence) activities against India in Nepal.

"But the point is that (Pakistani) diplomats are caught burning currency or with enough explosives to blow up half the city...don’t blame the Indian media, the point is that they are not manufacturing these news. And exactly, the other problem is that a lot of people that we have arrested and interrogated in India tell us that they have controls in Kathmandu," he said.

On Nepal’s opening of check posts with Tibet, the autonomous region of China, Mukharji said it is a matter totally "for His Majesty’s government to decide." "There can be no question of India objecting to what Nepal decides to do in her national interest and for what is necessary," he said.

However, Ambassador Mukharji did not elaborate India’s delay over responding to Nepal’s proposal to sign a railway agreement. The broad-gauge railway link has already been constructed to connect Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Birgunj to Raxaul, India. But the project would be operational only when Nepal and India sign a railway agreement. Nepal sent a draft of the proposed railway agreement about a year ago but India is yet to respond to it officially.

On media reports of Indian militants assisting the country’s Maoist insurgency, Ambassador Mukarji said: "We have similar problems in India...but because India is such a vast country when you have problems in even large areas sometimes, insufficient notice is taken of it. But it is a serious problem and we hope that you will be able to resolve it."

Ambassador Mukharji also said, "India has not obstructed" over the launch of a private media going satellite in the country. "These are decisions of His Majesty’s Government," he said.

Nepal continues to remain a notorious transit route for wildlife trade

By Surendra Phuyal

KATHMANDU, May 26 - As it was in the past, traders of wildlife contraband and even poachers are upping their antes both in and around the country’s key border points and the protected areas as a law drafted to control the illegal trade continues to gather dust in officialdom.

Experts and officials working to conserve the country’s threatened wildlife species say illegal trades of such wildlife parts as the tiger bones and pelts, Shatoosh wool - a fine wool extracted from necks of Tibetan antelope or the Chirus, elephant and rhino bones and so on are continuing via various border points.

And all this is happening despite the government mobilizing the Royal Nepal Army in some of the key border points - Nepalgunj, Birgunj, Bhairahawa and Tatopani - since February this year. The army nevertheless was instrumental in seizing 39 kilograms of Shatoosh wool, reportedly headed for India, from a truck carrying shipment of Pashmina yarn on last March 29.

Knowledgeable conservation officials here say Nepal is neither a producer nor a consumer of such wildlife products, her territory continually being used - if not abused - by the illegal traders. Thanks largely to the porous border that Nepal shares with India towards the east, south and west, and the rugged and remote mountainous border she shares with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China towards the north.

At least a dozen poaching incidents involving rhino and tiger were recorded in and around Bardia and Chitwan parks this year, though.

While almost all the border points between Nepal and India record illegal wildlife trade of a kind or another, the trade is occurring via such traditional routes as the far-western frontier’s Darchula, Taklakot, Humla and others, as well as the Tatopani-Khasa road, which is the only roadlink connecting Nepal with Tibet, on the northern side of the Himalayas.

"Smuggling (in and out) of wildlife products keeps happening along the southern border," says Narayan Poudel, Senior Ecologist-cum-Deputy Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). "But the problem is really severe in the Darchula-Taklakot-Humla area, where I have seen markets selling Shatoosh wool, tiger and leopard skins, bones and a variety of other wildlife products."

According to experts, tiger bones and skins and other wildlife parts - which are popular among the Chinese diaspora the world over for its traditional medicinal values - are also bartered with the Shatoosh wool, which are normally used in making shawls - popular among Western aristocrats and the elite.

"Basically Nepal has been used as a safe transit route for illegal trade in wildlife products due to a lack of an appropriate regulatory regime," says Ukesh Bhuju an expert with the World Wide Fund (WWF), Nepal program.

"The law enforcement (Nepal already has at least four legal regimes discouraging and banning such trade) is so ineffective and corrupt that the smugglers easily make it through the border points no matter who guards them," adds another wildlife biologist, preferring to remain unnamed.

While many factors are responsible for Nepal turning into a "notorious wildlife transit route", experts say one important reason is that Nepal has not set up a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of flora and fauna) monitoring body and several units under it. And, as one expert puts it, "that is not possible without a separate law as the existent laws do not specifically look into the illegal wildlife trade area."

Progresses were made long time ago, though, at least in paper. Although the CITES Implementation Bill was drafted as early as in 1997, it is continuing to gather dust at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation. If the official version here is any thing to go by, the Bill was drafted to fulfil Nepal’s obligations under CITES.

Nepal is also a party to the convention, which was signed by most members of the world community in Washington D.C., U.S.A. in 1973. CITES, which was later amended in Bonn in June 1979, seeks to regulate trade in endangered species of flora and fauna between states party to the convention and between those states not party to the convention.

Of late, however, a CITES Unit has been set up at the DNPWC with support from WWF-Nepal, and some works too are being carried out. "Currently we are busy publishing a pictorial manual featuring the most commonly traded wildlife and their products," says Diwakar Chapagain, Coordinator of the Unit. "We want to distribute that among the concerned authorities—the Customs Department, the Police and even the District Forest officials."

But most important, "the long-pending CITES Bills needs to be passed by the Parliament before the Unit actually gets a legal status and expedite and expand works in the trade-prone areas," adds Senior Ecologist Poudel. And given the current political turmoil, that is unlikely to happen in the near future.

Safa tempo owners refute allegations

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KATHMANDU, May 26 - Entrepreneurs of the battery-powered Safa Tempos today heavily defended itself against the various accusations and allegations that it has been facing from different quarters in the recent days.

On the occasion of the second general meeting of the Lalitpur unit of the entreprenuers Devi Prasad Limbu, Chairman of the Central Transport Entrepreneurs Association lambasted the "false dissemination of news against the safa vehicles."

"Although it is clear to everyone that the battery powered vehicles are ideal for today’s roads there have been false and unfortunate accusations that the vehicles are not environment friendly," Limbu said in his speech. "I appeal to all the people not to listen to such rumours and look at the facts," he added.

He explained that the battery run vehicles were the most environment friendly vehicles plying on the road in the Capital today and demanded RONAST to investigate and publicise the report on the matter.

He also pointed out the need to open a lead battery recycling plant in Nepal so as not to let the "Indian brokers" benefit from the used lead battery of the vehicles.

Bimal Aryal, environment journalist of Martin Chautari also spoke on the occasion explaining how the battery - run vehicles were more eco- friendly than other vehicles run by petroleum.

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Omkar Prasad Shrestha was the chief guest of the program.