Stalemate in Nepal-India trade talks continues

By Bijaya Ghimire

NEW DELHI, Feb 28 : The second day of the secretary level trade talks held between Nepal and India remained inconclusive as both sides failed to reach to an agreement on the percentage of value addition on Nepali exports to India, despite their efforts to renew the Nepal-India Trade Treaty.

Failure to reach to an agreement on the contentious issue has extended the talks by one more day, in the wake of the annual budget announcement in India.

However, there are indications that the talks will resolve the unsettled issues on Friday, which is expected to lead the Treaty to renewal prior to its expiry on March 6.

Commerce secretaries of both the countries are entrusted with the responsibility of finalising the status of duty-free access for Nepali goods into the Indian market on fixing certain percentage of value addition by Friday.

Except for value addition, both sides have almost reached to an agreement on other issues, which has heightened the possibility of the renewal of the bilateral trade Treaty, said one of the participants in the talks talking to The Kathmandu Post.

Nepal has been maintaining that value addition should be imposed depending upon the goods and such a slab should not exceed 30 per cent. India had earlier indicated scaling down the slab to 35 per cent while Nepal hinted at going up to 25 per cent.

However, both sides have agreed upon imposing quantitative restrictions on acrylic yarn, vegetable ghee, copper wire and zinc oxide, which India has been putting into "export surge" category, but they have to fix the quotas for those goods by Friday.

They also made an attempt to fix the quotas till late evening Thursday, but could not arrive at an amicable solution and ended Thursday’s talks to resume on Friday.

India has been adamant on its stance of renewing the Treaty only on having a provision of "safe guard" in case of "export surge" of Nepali goods to India, and Nepal went for quantitative restrictions and value addition on its export to India.

A local newspaper quoted Indian Commerce Secretary Dipak Chatterji as saying, "India would not be ready to renew the Treaty unless there is a provision for "safeguard" against export surge of Nepali goods.

It is learnt that talks were held at the top political level between the two countries regarding the renewal of the Treaty before the secretary level talks took place here. With just four days left for the renewal of the treaty, both sides are making best efforts to finalise the talks.

West concerned about Maoist presence in India

From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Feb 28 : Some western countries, mainly the United States of America and Britain, have expressed concern over the presence of Nepali Maoist rebels in India and have asked the Indian government to ensure that they do not get shelter there.

British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs responsible for South Asia, Ben Bradshaw, is believed to have raised the issue when he met Indian authorities during his visit here last week. Bradshaw’s visit to Delhi followed his two-day stay in Nepal which coincided with the killing of nearly 200 security people by the Maoists in Achham district.

Bradshaw had promised all military and monetary assistance to Nepal to overcome the Maoist rebellion. He is believed to have expressed concern about the possible base and presence of Maoist networks in India, a country which has openly sided with the global anti-terrorist campaign.

The Kathmandu Post has reliably learnt that senior diplomats at the Delhi and Kathmandu-based British embassies have taken up the issue at appropriate levels on the Indian side. The Indian side has been urged to take appropriate actions against the Maoists, whom the Nepal government has declared ‘terrorists’. Indian response was said to be ‘positive’ but details are not available.

Similar concern is believed to have been expressed by the U S authorities with India. According to reliable sources, U S and Indian diplomats based in Kathmandu also discussed the issue.

The rebel Maoists are believed to have opened bank accounts in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and used the porous border with Nepal to transport explosives and other weapons. Concrete Indian response to the U S concern is not yet known.

In Kathmandu, the Foreign Ministry said it had no knowledge about British and US authorities having taken up the issue with India. However the presence of Maoist leaders in India has been known for some time now, especially after it emerged that Nepalese opposition leaders had met top Maoists leaders in West Bengal’s Siliguri area last year.

Recently, the 11th South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation summit in Kathmandu had agreed to review the SAARC Convention on Terrorism signed 14 years ago, with the member nations agreeing not to provide shelter to terrorist organisations operating anywhere.

Eleven dead in encounters

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb. 28 : Maoist rebels killed two workers of the ruling Nepali Congress at Devbhumi Baluwa VDC of Kavre district on Wednesday night, our reporter quoted security forces as saying.

The district security officials said that about a dozen armed-rebels abducted Shyam Thakuri and Thule a.k.a Thakuri, and beat them to death a few yards away from their homes.

Locals recovered the chopped bodies on Thursday morning. "It seems that the victims were severely tortured before they were killed," said one of the locals.

Chief District Officer Himnath Dawadi said a large number of security personnel had been mobilised in the area to smoke out the rebels. Earlier on Tuesday, the rebels killed a rural health worker, Indra Bahadur Tamang, at Shankhupati Chaur VDC in the same district.

Our reporter in Gulmi said that a group of armed-rebels shot at a Head Constable of the National Investigation Department, Leela Upadhyaya, at a hotel in Tamghas, the district headquarters, in broad daylight Thursday. Police arrested one of the four Maoists in connection with the shooting. Situation in Tamghas remained tense throughout the day after the policeman’s murder.

Meanwhile, security forces on Wednesday gunned down at least eight Maoists in separate incidents of encounter in four districts, and took 36 of them into custody along with arms and ammunition, the Defence Ministry said here today.

The Ministry said that three rebels were killed in Jalekharka and another one in Urukhola of Rukum district in west Nepal. Likewise, security forces killed two Maoists in Tapethok of Taplejung and one each in Kalikot and Udayapur districts on Wednesday.

While conducting search operation, the security forces arrested 33 Maoists in Thoksilla area of Udayapur and three from Dang districts, the Ministry said. The security forces also confiscated 15 guns from the jungle of Bhialabung in Baglung yesterday.

On Wednesday evening, a reinforcement of the security forces foiled a Maoist attempt to attack a Nawalpur-based police post in Sarlahi district. The Maoists had surrounded the post from all sides before the reinforcement reached the scene.

In Banke, a 20-year-old boy, identified as Hasan Mohammad Khan, was injured after a crude bomb left behind by the rebels exploded suddenly at his home in Ratiyarpur VDC, today morning, our reporter quoted his family members as saying. The victim was rushed to Nepalgunj for treatment.

In another incident in Udayapur district, the rebels on Wednesday evening set ablaze all office documents and furniture of a Sub-Branch Office of the Agriculture Development Bank at Nepaltar, about 40 kilometres west of Gaighat, the district headquarters.

Manager of the bank, Shivachandra Lal Karna, said the rebels forced them to open the office and set the documents on fire. He said the rebels also made off with Rs. 5,000 in cash from the bank staff.

PM calls for 4-party discussion on Constitution amendment

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 28 : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today sent invitation to four national parties, including his ruling Nepali Congress and the main opposition party, to send representatives for the discussion on the possible amendment on the present Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal.

PM Deuba today informed this to a task force of the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and assured that he would table the bill on the constitutional amendment once he gets suggestions from the four national parties. Other two parties are Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP).

During his meeting with the members of the task force constituted by the CPN-UML, Deuba informed that he has already sent letters to four national parties seeking suggestions for constitutional amendment. The CPN-UML had constituted this task force on Tuesday under the convenorship of party’s Standing Committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Other members of the task force are Radha Krishna Mainali, Pradeep Nepal, Subas Nembang and Bhim Rawal.

According to Adhikari, the PM has requested national parties to send a representative with suggestions on the constitutional amendment at their earliest convenience.

"The PM once again repeated his commitment on presenting the bill on constitutional amendment during the ongoing 21st session of the parliament," Adhikari said, adding, "I think this should not be delayed by more than a week."

He also said the task force would hold talks with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and senior Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai on Friday. "We have also approached to meet with the leaders of RPP and NSP tomorrow," he said.

UML leader Adhikari also urged the government to table the bill as soon as possible. "Since all the national parties have vowed to amend the constitution, there is no cause to delay it," he said.

The UML had put the constitutional amendment as one of their main conditions before supporting the government on ratifying the state of emergency on February 21.

One of the main amendments the CPN-UML has been demanding is the constitutional provision to form an all-party interim government during parliamentary elections.

Some of the other proposed amendments include a strong constitutional provision to control corruption, guaranteeing more rights to the local bodies and a provision to restrict the parties from forming a government of not more than 10 percent of the legislatures. The present government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has 40 ministers, excluding the PM. And the opposition parties and even his own party president Girija Prasad Koirala have flayed PM Deuba for not being able to bring down this huge cost to facilitate these members of the cabinet.

House approves Ordinances amid uproar

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 28 : The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (control and punishment) Ordinance and the Finance (first amendment) Ordinance that were brought after the declaration of the state of emergency in the country in late November last year.

The House rejected two separate proposals seeking disapproval of the Ordinances from the main opposition CPN-UML and the National People’s Front (NPF), and approved them.

While presenting their proposals to disapprove the Ordinances, the opposition party lawmakers blamed the government of bypassing parliamentary norms, overlapping the rights of parliamentarians and parliament and misusing the constitutional provisions.

Lawmakers of the UML, the NPF, and the other left parties also expressed fears that the Ordinances could snatch the democratic rights guaranteed after 1990 away from the people.

Again, the parties are expected to present their proposals seeking disapproval of the Ordinances in the National Assembly, the Upper House, on Monday. The Ordinances will be ratified, if they meet with the same fate in the Upper House.

The constitution requires the government to present Bills to replace the Ordinances within 60 days of their issuance. Sources said preparations are underway to do so.

Meanwhile, a main opposition party lawmaker urged the government to soon fulfill some key positions at the constitutional bodies, the Election Commission (EC) and the Public Service Commission (PSC) that are lying vacant for months.

Two positions for the Commissioners at the EC and three positions for the members at the PSC are lying vacant. The lingering non-appointment has seriously hampered the day-to-day performance at the constitutional bodies, Pradip Gyawali, a lawmaker of the Communist Party of Nepal – United Marxist Leninist, said in the House of Representatives.

The PSC has not been able to go ahead with its decision to promote 27 under and joint secretaries as a result of this, he added.

He demanded that a meeting of the Constitutional Council be called soon and fulfilled the vacant positions and help make the daily performance of the bodies smooth and swift.

Taking Special Time in today’s session, another UML lawmaker Subas Nemwang informed that Wednesday’s inferno-like fire in the far-eastern hill town of Pashupatinagar ravaged the entire town. The fire gutted a total of 32 houses, according to him.

Later, Home Minister Khum Bahadur informed the House that property worth over Rs 250 million was destroyed in the fire, and fire engines from as far as neighboring India’s West Bengal state, too, had been rushed to put out the blaze.

Speaking during the Zero Hour, the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) party lawmaker Benup Raj Prasai asked when would the government crack down on corrupt politicians and officials as agreed upon in a recent all-party meeting.

Pashupati SJB Rana of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) demanded that the people of Sindhupalchok district, whose lands have been acquired by the Melamchi Drinking Water Project, be amply compensated.

Similarly, at today’s proceedings in the National Assembly, members continued with their verbal assaults on the persons, who criticized political parties for attempting to make amendments in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990.

"They are threat to the present system and are anti-constitutional elements," said Urwa Dutta Panta of the UML. "All those, who were justifying the Maoists’ terror, have now begun propaganda against the idea of constitutional amendments."

Jagannath Poudel of the NC, suggested parliamentarians not to take the issue of constitution amendment lightly. "It is a national issue and all the political parties are supporting the idea of constitutional amendment".

Mohan Chapagain, a Royal nominee, however, warned parties against meddling with the legal document. "No amendment in the constitution can help resolve the present crises if the move seeks to curb the rights of His Majesty the King."

Meanwhile, the Assembly unanimously approved Botanical Resources Bill 2002 and the Bill introduced to amend some acts related with Local Self- Governance.

Curtain falls on First S Asia Water Forum

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 28 : Curtain fell on the First South Asian Water Forum Thursday with experts from around the region vying for better coordination among the region’s governments and experts for integrated development and management of water resources.

Over 200 representatives, mainly from the region’s non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the field of water, participated in the three-day meet, which discussed scores of water-related issues. It was announced at the end of the meet Thursday evening that the second such forum would be held in Islamabad, Pakistan, in December 2002.

Meanwhile, Minister for Water Resources, Bijay Kumar Gachchhedar, said that the government was keen on establishing a strong electricity regulatory body and get the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the state-owned power monopoly responsible for generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, unbundled.

According to him, the existing Electricity Tariff Fixation Commission would be expanded to act as the regulatory body. "It would not only fix electricity tariffs but also oversee the qualitative aspects such as safety, quality of supply, reliability, safeguarding consumers interest, criteria for load dispatch," and so on.

He added, "We have also clarified our intention to go for multi users and multi buyers mode for the current monopoly enjoyed by the NEA. It will be restructured with necessary reforms leading to the formation of an autonomous National Grid accessible for wheeling energy to all the buyers and suppliers … at affordable prices."

Small parties against formation of national govt

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 28 : Five small parties of the country today issued a statement saying that formation of the national government cannot solve the problems faced by the country.

The statement jointly issued here today by Nepal Praja Parishad, Samyukta Prajatantra Party, Hariyali Nepal Party, Deshbhakta Prajatantrik Manch and Jana Congress has said the much-hyped national government cannot solve the major problems such as Maoist problem, corruption and bad governance.

The statement has also claimed that the national government cannot conduct free and fair elections.

NC statute violated by Koirala: Poudel

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 28 : A rift is growing within the ruling Nepali Congress after party President Girija Prasad Koirala formed a most powerful parliamentary committee of his own close allies without consulting the Deuba camp.

An influential, shrewd leader and also known as a mid-liner in the party, Ram Chandra Poudel has condemned Koirala’s move and called for a withdrawal of the decision for the betterment of his party.

Poudel in his statement submitted to party president has stated that Koirala has violated the party statute by forming this powerful parliamentary committee without consulting the party.

"Clause 27.3 of the party statute has been violated as there is a clear provision for selecting members by the Central Working Committee from among CWC members", Poudel said.

"Koirala’s de-unifying move draws the party towards a serious crisis in the future since it is the sole authority that chooses the contestants in general and local elections," said Poudel, in his press statement, adding that Koirala’s move has battered the six decade democratic history of the party.

"Democracy is a consensus against prerogatives, non-transparency and disorder", Poudel said, adding that leaders in democratic institutions are no more than "first among equals."

"The NC is seriously attacked from different corners and unity among us is the only way to face it", Poudel said, " but the party president’s move has endangered the party’s existence by promoting a situation that speaks of poor faith and insecurity within party ranks.

The lack of confidence among the party leaders on the one hand has compelled both the party president and the Prime Minister to bow before the opposition parties and it has left adequate ground for critics to point fingers at the concept of a broader democratic alliance floated by a party president on the other hand.

Poudel has called upon the party president to dissolve the committee formed against the party statute and boost the party consensus to face growing threats.

But Koirala allies have alleged Poudel’s move as personal ego. ‘Had he been included in the committee, it would have been alright," a CWC member Laxman Ghimire said, "Party activities should not be taken from the angle of personal benefits", he added.

"It is a tradition of the party to nominate the committee members and get it endorsed in CWC later", he claimed, " the previous two nominations in the party were made in a similar fashion and the concerning clause of the party statute has not been changed as stipulated in the Pokhara convention".

Five Maoist students held

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 28 : First time after the imposition of a state of emergency three months ago, police today rounded up five Maoist students after they broke into the Patan Multiple Campus manhandled a student leader and smeared his face black.

According to Ganesh Raj Rai, Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Lalitpur, the police held five members of All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union – Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), student wing of the outlawed Maoists this afternoon from a house in Gwarko.

Among the held is Milan Pandey, president of ANNISU-R Unit of the campus. Other names have not been disclosed.

"They were apprehended with banners, posters, pagers and other equipment related with the morning incident," Rai said, adding, "Further investigation is underway."

The Maoist students earlier manhandled Umesh Sharma Bajagain, president of the Free Students’ Union (FSU) of the Patan Multiple Campus, threaten him with a knife, smeared lubricant on his face and put shoe string around his neck Thursday morning.

"Milan Pandey came to my place at Jawalakhel and forced me to help enrol three students in the Computer Science Department," said Bajagain. "And, I brought him in my motorbike to the campus but he suddenly attacked me with the help of a group of hooligans."

The rebels had also distributed leaflets in the campus premises and announced the start of their jana karbahi (people’s action). "We are going to take action against the Campus Chief and Account Officer within seven days," said an eyewitness quoting the rebel students.

The ANNISU-R also chanted slogans, rallied around the campus premises for about five minutes and also threatened that they would take strong actions against the FSU leaders, added the eyewitness.

The leaflets say the rebel students have called for a shutdown of all the educational institutions on March 3-4. The students have also accused the FSU leaders of tipping-off to the police about their activities in the campus, which has led to the arrest of two of their members.

Campus Chief Siddhi Bahadur Shakya was of the opinion that the incident occurred due to lack of adequate numbers of security guards. "During the state of emergency, the government should provide us with proper security measures," he said.