NRB claims Rs 500m from Delloitte for reneging on RBB management take-over

By Prem Khanal

KATHMANDU, Jan 9 : Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has claimed around Rs 500 million compensation from Delloitte Touche Tomatsu (DTT) for the financial loss incurred due to DTT’s unilateral breach of the management take-over contract of Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB).

A high-level government official said that NRB sent the claims letter to DTT two weeks ago, but has yet to receive a response. "We had made the claim, but the DTT has not yet made any official comment," said Dr Tilak Rawal, Governor of the NRB.

DTT had signed a contract with NRB in January last year to take over management control of RBB, but unilaterally cancelled it six months ago citing the fragile security condition of the country. NRB claims the action led to huge losses due to DTT’s initial delay and eventual cancellation of the management take-over contract. The project is part of the World Bank’s financial sector reform strategy for Nepal.

A senior government official said that along with the huge financial loss of RBB, the total claim is mainly based on estimated expenditure that the NRB had agreed to pay for the contract. "The RBB alone had to bear a loss of around Rs 10 million everyday due the undue lingering of the process," claimed the source, adding that it had weakened the financial condition of the bank due to which the non-performing assets climbed to 48 percent. He also said that the NRB would blacklist the DTT if it declines to clear the compensation, and NRB will even go to court.

During its last meeting with International Monetary Fund and World Bank held in Washington DC, the NRB had also apprised them of breach of trust of DTT and requested them to take the issue seriously.

Despite the latest development, the Nepal-based DTT representative, BRS Neupane and Company, said that the office has no knowledge about the claim and added that the NRB might have directly sent its claim to DTT’s headquarters in the USA. DTT is a multi-national accounting firm.

Earlier on October, as per the provision on dispute settlement made in the agreement, the DTT had asked the NRB to send its delegation to Bangkok for the amicable settlement of the problem. But the NRB rejected the proposal since the final agreement clearly stated that Nepal would be the venue for negotiations if any dispute arose.

As per the agreement, both the parties are first required to seek amicable negotiation to settle the dispute. If that fails, then both parties will go for arbitration. Either party can go to court, if the arbitration settlement fails to satisfy them.

Apart from the direct financial losses that estimated to run thousands rupees per day, the lingered management hand-over process also blocked the entry of Nepal into International Monetary Fund-sponsored Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). With the entry into the PRGF, Nepal would get Rs 20 million of annual aid to be used in launching anti-poverty programmes and other reform processes for next three years.

Crowds converge to catch glimpse of Nava Yuvaraj

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 9 : Hundreds of people waiting to see His Royal Highness, Nava Yuvaraj Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah, had to return disappointed. With the tight security and the armed soldiers all around, people could only see the chariot.

Only a lucky few managed to have a clear view of Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, taking His Royal Highness around the Maru Ganeshthan Temple, as part of the ritual that has to be performed after the rice-feeding ceremony.

Kesharjung Rayamajhi, Chairman of Raj Parishad Standing Committee, Mohammad Mohsin, Chairman of the Upper House, and Tara Nath Ranabhat, Speaker of the House of Representatives, were also present at the function.

Kathmandu Durbar Square was filled with securitymen in green and blue uniforms. However, a few people in the national dress of Daura Suruwal, were also in evidence. The massive crowds at various places, waiting for the chariot’s arrival to have a view of Nava Yuvaraj, had to make do with watching the procession from distance.

Most of the people had to satisfy themselves with only a glimpse of His Royal Highness, bedecked in a red dress with the golden zari.

In the afternoon during the reception hosted by Her Majesty Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah in the Narayanhity Royal Palace, Her Royal Highness Princess Himani held the Nava Yuvaraj on her lap and passed through the shades in company of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras, accepting greetings from the invitees who included diplomats, high-ranking officials and social and political elites.

His Majesty King Gyanendra with Her Majesty Queen Komal, Queen Mother Ratna and other royal family members graced the occasion from balcony of the Mangal Sadan, as Paras and Himani moved along the audience. "This ceremony is an auspicious rite for all Nepalis" was the common feeling among most people and the huge crowds gathered at various viewing points.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Latamaya Shrestha, 78, of Teku, said, "Children are the model of god and His Royal Highness is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, so missing this opportunity to have a glimpse of Nava Yuvaraj is like missing a darshan of Lord Narayan."

The surroundings of Basantapur were crowded with hundreds of curious people, who had come there with the sole intention of having a look at the new prince.

Missionaries giving finishing touches to master plan in Himalayas

By Surendra Phuyal

KATHMANDU, Jan 9 : Christian missionaries have congregated at a quiet resort, on the outskirts of the capital city, where they are discussing the pros and cons of a strategic plan, which aims to multiply churches across the length and breadth of the Himalayas. They plan to achieve this by exploiting the marginalised conditions of religious communities in the face of the worsening conflict.

The missionaries will work in the Himalayan region, which includes "any area from the high Himalayan peaks south to the Terai region, extending into northern India". The region includes Nepal, India (Sikkim) and Bhutan.

More than three dozen senior Christian missionaries, fluent in Nepali and mainly from the Western countries, are partaking in what they assert is an ‘INGO Business Meeting’ that kicked off on Janaury 4. The low-profile gathering will conclude on Saturday, chalking out and finalising what they call "overarching strategies for the Himalayan region".

"We will work to establish churches in the Himalayan region, and sending churches and like-minded organisations in bi-vocational holistic ministry" is the vision statement of the Himalayan Partners, an INGO which is organising the meet.

The Himalayan Partners’ strategic plan, which is being discussed at length during the weeklong meeting, has a clear roadmap for the Christian missionaries’. Basically, it underlines three strategies: targeting not yet reached people groups; targeting the neediest geographic area; and empowering the national church for missions.

The Kathmandu Post has obtained a copy of the strategic plan.

As part of the strategies, the document says that the Himalayan Partners has selected what it feels is the most pressing people group to be reached in the Himalayan region. "A key part of reaching a people is to have the church geographically available," the second strategy reads. "Currently we have large tracts of land in Nepal, up to whole districts, without a single church."

"These are in geographical areas including the northern districts (all Tibetan Buddhists), the far west, and a few areas in the Terai. We have chosen the far west to continue to work."

As part of its third strategy to empower what they call the National Church for Missions, the document says, "the Himalayan Partners will work with the National Church to empower, encourage and promote an indigenous Nepali missions movement in the church.

"There are a variety of fronts where indigenous missions need to be promoted within Nepal. One area of growth that we will promote are induction of Nepalis in cross-cultural missions, both within and outside Nepal."

And key concepts of what they call "Himalayan Partners Ministry Philosophy", according to the document, are: working in the Himalayan region; working in partnership; working in diverse platforms; working in Holistic Ministry; working to strengthen national capacity; and working for sustainability.

Besides forging partnerships with "local churches and like-minded organisations", the missionaries have also emphasised the need to push forward what they call "bi-vocational missionary approach", meaning "performing a task or job that gives credible presence in the country, in addition to our church planting vocation."

"We believe that to be a proper witness for Christ," the document says, "we must maintain excellency in both professions. We encourage the use of non-tourist visas as a long-term method for maintaining residency, as we believe that it is easier to live and work in the Himalayan region as a resident expatriate. We will use any of the visa options below as means to establish residency."

The missionaries’ strategic plan also encourages such institutional projects as hospitals which - something the document says has been the historical methodology of TEAM Nepal, a partner of the Himalayan Partners.

"We believe this methodology is valid and effective and will continue to support this as one of the platforms we use in church establishment," the document says. "In keeping with TEAM’s philosophy of Health Care Ministry, our health care initiatives are to facilitate the growth of the body of Christ by restoring physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness to individuals, families and community through preventive and curative medical services while demonstrating the love and compassion of Jesus Christ."

The missionaries also plan to place personnel in national organizations or in government-sponsored positions, which is "another platform that can make an impact in church establishment". "A particular placement in a national organization should fit into the overall strategic initiative being pursued," it says.

Another major strategy of the missionaries is to make use of student visas. "Initially, access through a student visa is a valuable way to learn language and culture," the document says. "We encourage new personnel that are coming for specific initiatives to consider this option in the beginning as a temporary way to maintain access until other options become available."

And the missionaries plan to establish churches at a variety of levels. The levels include primary evangelism, discipleship, leadership development, consultation and finally withdrawal. "We believe that it is vital for the establishment of an active and growing indigenous church, to encourage and promote missions as part of the church establishing effort."

For sustainability, the missionaries "believe in ultimately establishing indigenous reproducing churches". "We believe that missionaries are most effective when we teach and train nationals rather than doing the work ourselves," the document says. "In order to foster independence and sustainability, we must focus on efforts in developing, training and finally turning over our projects."

When contacted for comments, the organizers refused to divulge details. "This is purely a business meeting, it’s organized by an INGO," Steve Novel of the Himalayan Partners said in Nepali, when this reporter, posing as a Kathmandu churchman, queried about the outcomes of the meeting. "We build hospitals around the country, you know." Interestingly, the missionaries’ 11-page action plan has used the conclusions or results of a recent workshop - on implementation of rural infrastructure projects - such as drinking water facilities - in conflict situation - which, the document says, was jointly organized by the HMG/ADB, PPTA and DFID.

The Christian Strategic Plan comes hot on the heels of Pope John Paul II’s recent call for greater evalgelisation in Asia, which has irked many religious leaders across the Asia Pacific region. During his historic visit to India in November 1999, the Pontiff of the Vatican Church emphasized that Christianity should spread in Asia in the third millennium.

He had recommended "aggressive conversion" in Asia to make that happen - a move Hindu and Buddhist religious leaders, gathered in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, shortly after the Pontiff’s India visit, described as "crime against humanity".

Ex-Gurkhas step up pressure, to launch advocacy campaigns in London

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 9 : Ex-British Gurkhas from Nepal are preparing to launch a massive public advocacy campaign in London, ahead of court hearings on several cases filed against the British government by them.

The hearings on a number of cases that charge the British government with discriminating against ex-British Gurkhas, mainly from the hills of Nepal, will begin in the third week of February, officials with the GAESO (Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Association) told newsmen in the capital today.

"We are planning to hold public meetings in London, highlighting the plights of ex-British Gurkhas and their families who have been discriminated," Gopal Siwakoti Chintan, a GAESO advocate from Nepal, said.

The GAESO and advocates will hold public meetings in universities and public places in and around the British capital. They are also planning to show documentaries highlighting the plight of ex-British Gurkhas, as part of the advocacy campaign.

Chintan also informed that hearings on different cases filed at the London High Court are scheduled to begin in the third week of February. The ex-British Gurkhas have filed at least four cases, demanding compensation and equal rights to not just the ex-British Gurkhas, but also the current recruits and wives of the former and present ex-Gurkha soldiers.

The case has an unusually high profile in London because Cherie Booth, the wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, is on the Gurkhas’ legal team, charging her husband’s government with human rights violations.

GAESO official Yam Bahadur Gurung, meanwhile, said that his organisation has collected the details of 350 former ex-Gurkhas that were made prisoners of war (POWs) by the Japanese during World War II.

"We have collected the details of 350 ex-POWs from around the country," Gurung said. "And more will follow in the days to come."

He also said that there was room for out-of-the-court-settlement of the issues. "We are open for that. But the British government has to come forward for that."

On November 27, the London High Court ruled that the government’s decision to deny the Nepali fighters compensation given to other POWs was both irrational and inconsistent with the principle of equality.

Tens of thousands of Nepalis have served the British government after the latter began recruiting young hillfolks from Nepal during the British Empire in India. More than 15,000 died in the two world wars, according to official estimates. While about 3,600 currently serve the British army; over 28,000 ex-Gurkhas live in Nepal.

Presidential system against Marxism: Nepal

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 9 : General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal, today termed the proposal of presidential system as against the Marxism.

General Secretary Nepal said that the leadership from the lower level in UML has been under the election process. "Accusation upon the general secretarial system as undemocratic is against the Marxism," Nepal said.

K P Sharma Oli, an influential leader of UML, terming the general secretarial system as undemocratic has proposed a dissent opinion of presidential system to Nepal.

Nepal was speaking at a press conference organised to make public the decisions of the 33rd central committee meeting at the party office. He also claimed that the general convention would endorse the decisions as they were more ‘Leninist’ and democratic.

He also said that the post of president was irrelevant in the party, following the death of Man Mohan Adhikari for whom the post was especially created.

He claimed that the leadership was trying to make UML more democratic. "The seventh general convention will make it further democratic," Nepal said.

Reiterating a direct political difference with the king, Nepal said that the ultra leftist and revisionist forces were trying to assimilate with the king. "It has further enlarged the disbelief between the king and the political parties."

He also accused the monarch of trying to cause division in UML. He reiterated that the party general convention would declare a new wave of agitation against the king.

This is how foreign guests changed their assumption about Nepal’s security woes

By Bikash Sangraula

KATHMANDU, Jan 9 : Until a few weeks ago, serious doubts arose over the feasibility of Nepal, acting as a venue for the staging of an international conference on juvenile justice and human rights. Legal experts and researchers from abroad had voiced grave misgivings from the ‘safety angle’. Despite this, the conference, a sequel to the Copenhagen conference of December 2001, concluded today in the capital without any hiccups.

"The media tends to focus more on bad news," Charlotte Flindt Pederson of Danish Centre for Human Rights (DCHR) told The Kathmandu Post. And media these days is full of gory stories about slaughter, rape, explosions, loot and all sorts of creepy incidents in this land long famous for peace. "We were monitoring the situation in Kathmandu to see whether or not it was feasible as a venue. It appears now that the valley is not that unsafe."

Even the organisers of the conference, though outwardly optimistic about the security situation, privately sulked at the thought of taking on the grave responsibility of two dozen distinguished lives from six countries, including China, Denmark, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. The delegates started the conference on January 5 and it concluded without a hitch.

So much so, that the delegates, who had readied themselves to go through some sophisticated security checks every half-a-kilometre or so and to hear explosions and gunshots every now and then, finally agreed to visit Nagarkot and Dhulikhel, as a bonus for the trip. Less than a week in the capital, it appears, is enough to drive away the fear psychosis, that the outside world of late associates with Nepal.

"When the chief justice was inaugurating the conference, some of our foreign friends were asking me why the chief justice needed armed body guards. They had somehow developed the false notion that death lurked in every nook and corner here," Yuvraj Sangraula, director of Kathmandu School of Law, told The Kathmandu Post.

The first few days saw the delegates keep themselves confined to their hotel. Once they discovered that gunshots and explosions were not a daily occurrence, they picked up the courage to venture and very soon they were out shopping at all the major outlets.

For Liliam Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza, living under the shadow of the gun is not a new experience. Her country, Uganda, too until very recently went through much political turmoil and according to her the death toll was way beyond what we are seeing in Nepal.

After 1986, peace has returned to Uganda and the nation has performed exceedingly well economically. Currently Uganda’s economic growth rate stands at seven percent, one of the highest in the world, adds Ekirikubinza.

"The present government enjoys a lot of support among the people. It introduced poverty eradication programmes, modernisation of agriculture and liberalisation, which have contributed to economic growth tremendously," said Ekirikubinza, adding, "Uganda’s worries are quite different from Nepal’s. The people there worry about how they can maintain the growth rate."

Justice Edward Bandawe Twea of Malawi was worried about the security situation in Nepal. He comes from a country that peacefully overthrew single party system and embraced multi-party democracy in 1994. "In terms of poverty, literacy and even weather, Malawi and Nepal are quite similar," said Twea, hinting that the causes of bloodshed in Nepal cannot be solely socio-economic.

According to Twea, post-1994 revolution, even the old guards managed to find a place in the new system. "Changing a political system is a frustrating task. And revolutions, even if successful, do not guarantee anything. Arms destroy more than build. Dialogue is always the best approach," opined Twea, alluding to the situation in Nepal.