UML forms task force

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24 : The Central Committee meeting of the main opposition CPN-UML, the first after it merged with the CPN-ML last week, today constituted a task force to present a proposal on party reorganisation.

The meeting, according to a central committee member, also decided to carry out intense discussions on ways of restructuring the party systems at the local level.

"The meeting constituted a task force with Amrit Bohara as the convenor and Bamdev Gautam and Ishwar Pokharel as members, to present a proposal to the Central Committee on the reorganisation of the central committee and other party organisations in accordance with the spirit of party unification," said the central committee member.

The meeting, which was attended by most of the Central Committee members, has decided to initiate discussions from tomorrow on reorganising the party structures on a regional basis.

"Though the real unification has taken place at the central level, it is yet to be done at the grassroot level," he said, adding, "So, the respective regional in-charges will carry out the discussions for two days starting tomorrow."

According to another Central Committee member who preferred anonymity, the UML Central Committee will meet on Wednesday to present the results of the discussions.

Meanwhile, co-ordinator of the restructured CPN-ML, CP Mainali, who opted to stay out of the merger, today put forward a concept of "Broad Left Democratic Alliance" to resolve the present crisis in the country.

"The Broad Left Democratic Alliance is the only way to resolve the present fluid situation of the country," said Mainali at his party office. "Though we are small in number we can definitely make an impact on the country’s politics."

Mainali urged his party activists to stay calm and go ahead with the communist movement.

SC judge warns against tinkering with Constitution

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24: A senior justice of the Supreme Court, who is also a member of the present constitution drafting committee, Laxman Prasad Aryal, today called on those wanting to "tinker" with the present constitution to clearly point out its faults before going ahead with consititutional amendments.

Speaking at a face-to-face programme in the capital on Sunday, Aryal suggested that the specific clauses, which are creating obstacles in attaining the desired goals or spirit of the constitution, be identified before registering the motion seeking amendments in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990.

"Political parties should not raise the issue of constitutional amendments with a motive to gain power," Aryal said. "It needs a cool mind and adequate homework to make changes in the present constitution. It is a legal document, not a toy to tinker with…It is the issue of exercising constitutional power, not legislative power."

His comments came at a time when all the national political parties have agreed to make changes in the constitution to make way for, among others, provisions for national electoral government and strengthening of the prime ministerial process, while also voicing the need for drastic socio-economic reforms.

Aryal also said that the constitution could be amended at an appropriate time but not hastily. The present problem, he pointed out, arose because of practical problems, and not because of theoretical ones.

"Only those who have failed to improve themselves are putting the blame on the constitution," he said.

He also slammed the political parties for not raising the issue of activating the directive principles of state policy, and said, "It would be foolish to seek solution from outside the constitution, rather than activating the existing provisions. And the people’s consent is a must to amend the constitution, a common document of the people."

Nara Hari Acharya of the ruling Nepali Congress said that amendment was inevitable for addressing the changing aspirations of the people.

Acharya stressed for open debate to seek measures to empower the prime ministerial position. "Direct election of the prime minister can end up in political instability," Acharya said, adding that the provision of direct election could help the parliamentarians concentrate on the legislative process.

But Acharya did not buy the idea of forming a national government to hold general elections. "The elections held during coalition governments have proved to be more controversial than those conducted by a single-party government."

Ram Chandra Poudel of the ruling Nepali Congress said that an "abstract thing" could not be the subject of constitutional amendment. "I have suggested to the party President Koirala to call a Central Working Committee meeting to thrash out the parameter of the amendment after he spoke out on the issue in parliament".

Poudel also asked political parties to find out the causes behind the present problems, whether they were due to malpractice or systemic failure. "If it was due to systemic failure, why is the CPN (UML) criticising the Nepali Congress for failing to govern the country properly?" asked Poudel.

He also suggested that the proposed amendment should be confined to seeking ways to end the violent activities.

Bharat Mohan Adhikari of the CPN (UML) said that the issue of constitution amendment was raised after a consensus was reached among the national parties. "By pressing for amendments, we are not trying to wrest power, but trying to bring about positive changes," said Adhikari.

He said his party is emphasising on amendments in order to render longevity to the constitution. He added, "Whoever speaks against the amendment, is trying to abrogate the constitution."

The constitution, an outcome of the 1990 popular movement for democracy, is considered one of the most democratic in the South Asian region. Suggestions to make changes in the same in the past have drawn flak from constitutional lawyers and experts.

NTC plans to alter phone numbers

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC), the state-run sole operator of telecom services, is making preparations to alter the existing telephone numbers throughout the kingdom targetting the Nepali New Year which begins on April 14, 2002.

The NTC plan is to add or prefix one more digit in the existing numbers, be it five-digit or seven-digit ones. For example, if the present number is 524900, it could become 6524900.

The proposal has been made since the Corporation has almost exhausted the numbers because of rapid increase in subscribers, and keeping in view the future demands.

The new number system has been mooted also because the NTC will soon have to contend with private players in providing basic telephone services across the country. Two private companies have already applied for licenses for operating the service based on "wireless in local loop" (WLL) technology.

"As some of our exchanges are totally packed and as newcomers too need fresh numbers, we have proposed to alter the existing phone numbers and have begun homework in this regard," says Madusudan Karmacharya, Manager of Switching and Planning Department at the NTC.

It is learnt that the NTC has already submitted the proposal to the NTA (Nepal Telecommunications Authority) for approval. The NTA holds the final say in allocating numbers to telecom operators whether state-controlled or private.

Specifically, the NTC has asked the Authority to allow it to use three digits— 4,5 and 6—as operator codes, which is to be prefixed to the existing numbers.

The NTC wants the Authority to approve the proposal as soon as possible so that it would be easier for the Corporation to inform callers and international operators about the change.

"NTC is only too well aware of the importance of informing the foreign operators about the alteration as otherwise it will incur call losses", says Manager Karmacharya.

However, he said the whole process might take six months, which means the plan to introduce the new numbering system country-wide by the Nepali New Year might not be feasible.

Along with the alteration in individual phone numbers, the Corporation will even have to change some of the existing area codes that begin with 1, 8 and 9, as those numbers are to be used for special services on approval of the proposal.

Five rebels killed, nine cops injured

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24: The security forces continuing their all-out offensive against the Maoists, on Saturday killed at least five armed rebels in encounters in Banke and Kalikot districts of the mid-western region, the Defence Ministry said here today.

The Ministry said that three rebels, including an area committee member of the Maoist organisation, fell prey to army bullets at Dhakeri of Banke district while another, identified as Sarpan Chaudhary, was shot dead in the jungle of Rambapur of the same district. The forces also shot dead an unidentified rebel at Kotbada village in Kalikot district yesterday. Arms and explosives were recovered from the encounter sites, the Ministry added.

Meanwhile, our correspondent from Tanahun reported that seven policemen, including an Inspector of the Armed Police Force (APF), were injured after a ‘pressure-cooker’ bomb buried by the rebels exploded today near Gohare Chautara of Bandipur VDC-6 on the Pokhara-Damauli section of the Prithvi Highway at around 11.45 a.m.

Five of the seriously injured policemen, including Inspector Mohan Thapa, were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. The explosion site is about 20 kilometres east of Damauli, the district headquarters of Tanahun.

The police suspect that the rebels detonated the bomb from about 300 metres, at a nearby jungle when over 50 policemen reached Gohare Chautara in two vehicles heading towards an APF barrack at Bhanu VDC. Locals said the APF personnel searched the area to hunt down the rebels shortly after the blast.

Our Biratnagar-based correspondent reported that two policemen were seriously wounded after the rebels attacked a Sankhuwasabha-based police post at Saturday midnight. One of the injured policemen, Saroj Kumar Singh, was airlifted to the B P Koirala Memorial Hospital in Dharan, while the other is undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Khandbari. Locals said the policemen had exchanged fire with the rebels for about half-an-hour.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Jumla said that the security forces foiled a Maoist attempt to set ablaze a building of the Mugu District Development Committee in Gamgadi on Friday evening.

Mugu DDC Chairman, Mohan Baniya, said the rebels who were dousing the building with kerosene, fled the scene after a security guard raised alarm. Security has been beefed up in the Gamgadi area after the rebels shot at former Mugu DDC Chairman, Bakhat Bahadur Shahi, about one month ago.

Another report from Kalikot said that the Maoists destroyed a repeater tower of the Nepal Telecommunication Corporation at Bharta Lagna hill of the district a few days ago. Earlier, a contingent of the security forces had been deployed there to protect the tower. The local telecom office said that with the destruction of the tower, the Marts-based communication system in the rural areas of district is completely out of order.

In Sindhuli, the local administration closed down two country roads for an indefinite period in order to prevent vehicles from being misused by the rebels. Last weekend, the rebels had forcibly used two buses in their attack on the Lalbandi-based police station in which five policemen were killed. The roads that have been closed down are the 35-km Sindhuli-Chakmake road, and the 25-km Sindhuli-Kapilakot road.

Capital’s sweepers fear serious injury or even death

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Kathmandu’s streets, with the advent of Democracy, was battered and damaged on numerous occasions. With the recent occurrence of the two-day strike, Kathmanduites are now experiencing an unexpected, unknown terror that has directly affected the poor inhabitants of this ancient valley who go about their daily chores, not knowing that death could be lurking just around the corner of the intersection of some street.

Keeping the capital city clean has become a ‘terror’ in itself for the sweepers of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, as the Maoists have started terrorising the public by planting bombs in garbage piles of the crowded market place.

Sweepers at KMC have reacted strongly against the lapse of security in the capital recently.

"Working has now become a matter of life and death for people like us," said Ram Krishna Pode, a sweeper at KMC. "I don’t think we can continue in this critical situation."

He said that neither could they refuse to clean the streets nor could they venture overturning every single packet of garbage left carelessly on the streets.

Pode is not sure when the sweepers will stop sweeping the streets but demanded that the government will have to control such activities or "We will stop working anytime in these minefields with risk on our lives."

Shanta Ram Pokhrel, the chief of KMC Department of Environment said that the sweepers have refused to sweep in fear of the possibility of bombs planted in the streets by Maoists insurgents.

"The sweepers are reluctant to go to their duty after the incident of Chabahil. We are convincing them to work cautiously and that such an accident would not be repeated."

Despite "heavy security checks" by army personnel on the streets day and night, explosives found on the streets have become a frequent affair these days.

Two children in Bhaktapur were injured Saturday when they ruffled through garbage thrown in the street, which suddenly exploded. Similarly, an explosive planted in a packet with orange peels blasted at Chabahil Saturday night when security personnel tried to defuse it.

Earlier, a local of Chabahil, Dhan Bahadur Rai, was badly injured when he was trying to pick a garbage packet in front of Chabahil Mitra Park Friday morning.

With the calling of a two-day strike, Maoists have started targeting civilians by attacking them with petrol bombs and planting bombs in crowded public places.

Uddav Badal, a ward no 7 member, which covers the Chabahil area, said the garbage could not be collected on Saturday.

Ward no 8 Chairman Narrottam Baidya said the sweepers stopped working at all on Saturday and they were convinced to work cautiously on Sunday.

He added that the officials of KMC are in the process of addressing the home secretary on this issue, and will highlight the seriousness of this problem by compelling the ministry to enhance security in the core city areas.

The Maoists Insurgency has now reached a phase in its death, and end, itself, by targeting the poor from where it had actually amassed the base of its strength, say critics.