Constituent assembly a means, not the end: Dr Bhattarai

By Suman Pradhan

KATHMANDU, March 30 : Sitting quietly on a chair inside a posh Kathmandu hotel, his hands fiddling with the microphone, his piercing eyes surveying the scene before him, Dr Baburam Bhattarai cut an impressive if unlikely figure.

Leader of the Maoist negotiating team, he is also a feared rebel leader, one of their main ideologues and a man who, along with topmost rebel leader Prachanda, has gained near-mythological status since the Maoists launched their violent ‘People’s War’ campaign seven years ago.

But here in Kathmandu, a day after emerging publicly for the first time in seven years, it was difficult to imagine that this was the same person whose calls to arms for political change had affected the lives of thousands of people and caused so much turmoil in the country.

Exuding confidence and even exhibiting a slight touch of humour, Dr Bhattarai on Sunday appeared before the foreign and domestic press to once again explain the Maoists’ goals. His intense personality would have made it easy to overlook the presence of other Maoist luminaries had they not been as important a player in the movement as he is. Flanking Dr Bhattarai were the Maoists’ top military brains, Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal) and Dev Gurung, as well as political leaders Matrika Prasad Yadav and Krishna Bahadur Mahara. But the forum clearly belonged to the bearded architect-turned-revolutionary.

Speaking in measured tones rather than the staccato bursts which characterised his first press conference yesterday, the immaculately dressed Dr Bhattarai lost no time in getting over with the niceties and into the heart of the matter.

The Maoists would like all the political parties which believe in parliamentary democracy to be included in the peace negotiations, he said. The reality of the country demands that. According to Dr Bhattarai, there exists two states with two armies within the country but three major political forces which are operational - the monarchical force, the Maoists, and the political parties which believe in parliamentary democracy.

"There will be no political solution if one of the forces is left out. So we will try our utmost to get the political parties involved," said Dr Bhattarai, adding that the Maoists had enough patience and would work to get the political parties to come onboard. But he also spelt out where the Maoists differed with the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.

Referring to demands by the political parties to either revive the dissolved House of Representatives or form an all-party government under the present constitution, Dr Bhattarai said, "The reality is that the old constitution is dead. They (political parties) say, restore it. But how can you restore it? This is what they don’t understand. They must come forward to build a new constitution."

And how do you draw a new constitution? The rebel leader explained that the first step would be to start the official peace negotiations, followed by a round-table conference of all political parties and movements which would then form an all-party government with the mandate to hold elections to a constituent assembly.

"Constitutional assembly is a means, not the end. We want to create a political system where all forces and movements are represented. The new political system we envision will go beyond the present multi-party system. We are absolutely clear that there will be no return to the status quo or to the situation that prevailed before 1990 People’s Movement," he said.

He added that the Maoists also favoured the re-drawing of electoral constituencies so as to give adequate representation to all peoples. And he even indicated that there could be a proportional electoral system rather than the first-past-the-post system in place now. But what if the elected constituent assembly fails to include the Maoists’ ideals in the new constitution? "If the election is freely held, then naturally we will abide by it," he said.

Asked to explain if republican ideals remained the Maoists’ ultimate goal, Dr Bhattarai said that though republican communism remained the party’s long-term goal, the Maoists are ready to compromise. "That is our long term goal. But as far as present balance of political forces is concerned, there may be some give and take. We don’t know right now what that will be...We want to explore it further...It is a reality that the monarchy is a political force at present."

The Maoist leader then urged the monarch to make some sacrifices. "The King should make some sacrifices. Then his name can be written in history in golden letters. Unless he makes the necessary sacrifices, it will be difficult for him to maintain control," Dr Bhattarai said. Pressed to explain what such sacrifices might be, Dr Bhattarai suggested the monarch could abdicate. But he made it very clear that this was not a demand but just a suggestion. "Best would be if he abdicates," Dr Bhattarai said, adding that even if the King is unwilling to do so, "we will still talk to him and try to reach a compromise."

Dr Bhattarai said that the Maoists were looking forward to negotiating directly with the King. "We have been talking to Minister (Narayan Singh) Pun who is only the King’s representative. He has no authority by himself. He is merely playing the role of a go-between. All decisions are made in the Palace. So we would like to talk to the King." During the press conference, Dr Bhattarai also laid down the Maoists’ foreign policy aims. "Our party is quite conscious about the sensitive geo-strategic positioning of the country...and is committed to have cordial and mutually beneficial relations based on the five principles of peaceful existence with all countries, particularly with our two immediate neighbours India and China," he said.

The rebel leader also informed the press that as part of the Maoists policy of improving relations with foreign powers, his group planned to meet with several ambassadors and diplomatic missions in Kathmandu to explain their position.

Two state powers in Nepal, admits Pun

By Ghanashyam Ojha

KATHMANDU, March 30 : The government today conceded what the Maoists have been claiming for long: there are two ‘state powers’ existing in the country.

This was stated by the government-designated co-ordinator for peace negotiations with the Maoists, Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Narayan Sing Pun. He said, "There is a balance of power between the government and the Maoists. Both the forces have their own armies and weapons to justify the existence of two state powers."

Speaking at a programme organised by the Human Rights and Committee for Peoples’ Concern (HRCPC) in the capital today, Minister Pun said that the current cease-fire was the outcome of this strategic balance between the two state powers. He also emphasised that neither of these state powers could defeat the other.

Denying the charge that the palace and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had reached a clandestine compromise before announcing the cease-fire, Pun said that the truce was the need of the hour and there was no secrecy.

Minister Pun also heavily flayed the political parties for their ‘non-cooperation’ to the Lokendra Bahadur Chand-government. "The question of nation-wide peace is more important than the legitimacy of the Chand-government," Pun said.

He warned that public might, one day, renounce the political parties if they do not cooperate with the present government-Maoist peace process. He also urged all political parties not to make any such remarks in public, which might derail the current peace process.

Pun stressed that the Maoists were in no way terrorists. "Terrorists have no political base whereas the Maoists were supported by a huge mass of people," Pun said. "We found the Maoists were not terrorists and withdrew the terrorist tag labelled by the previous Sher Bahadur Deuba-government."

However, Subash Nembang, the UML Central Committee member said that it was not a choice between democracy and peace. "We also support the lasting peace but it should not be at the cost of democracy," Nembang said.

He demanded the immediate dissolution of the Chand-government and said that the interim government was required to give legitimacy to the present peace talks. He added that the UML, in principle, was not against the constituent assembly but the Maoists should clarify on it.

Nembang also asked the Maoists why they unilaterally broke the cease-fire and resorted to armed struggle, during the Sher Bahadur Deuba-government.

The Maoists have been claiming that they agreed upon the proposal of cease-fire as the government withdrew the terrorist tag, red corner notice and the price tag on their heads.

Speaking at the programme, Matrika Yadav, a member of the Maoist negotiating team expressed doubts over the intentions of the palace regarding the peace negotiation.

"Pun as an individual is trustworthy. But now he represents the king and the palace is playing a dual role," Yadav said. He strongly criticised the political parties for their "irresponsible" remarks in the past few days. Another Maoist negotiator, Dev Gurung, called for the federal system of the state, saying only such a system could resolve the current political crisis. He also urged all political parties to go for the constituent assembly together, as there is no constitution at present.

Hom Nath Dahal, a central committee member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) however, chastised the Maoists for making a secret pact with the "regressive force". "The Maoists have now left their 40-point demand for which they had gone to the jungle in 1996. This proves their pact with the palace," Dahal said.

Similarly, Laxman Ghimire, the Nepali Congress Central Committee member, demanded the revival of the dissolved House of Representatives to legitimise the present peace process. He also asked the Maoists to justify their seven-year long peoples’ movement, which has claimed so many innocent lives. "The Maoists also have to answer for their destruction of physical infrastructure."

Keshav Nepal, a central member of the Peoples’ Front Nepal, however, said that a joint revolution would only resolve the existing political stalemate. "The movement will force the king to rectify his constitutional errors, committed through the October 4 royal move," Nepal said.

9 killed, three dozen injured in fatal bus accident

By Khagendra Bhandari

KAVRE, March 30 : At least nine people were killed and more than three dozen were injured, 12 of them seriously, when a passenger bus fell about 200 feet off the B P Highway at Kusundedanda this morning, police said.

The site of the accident is located about 15-km east of Dhulikhel, the district headquarters here.

Army personnel and policemen were mobilised to carry out rescue operations. The ill-fated bus bearing registration number Ba 1 Kha 6167 was on its way to Banepa from Bhim Khori Village Development Committee.

Keshari Raj Ghimire, police chief at the district police office, said that five were killed instantly while four others breathed their last while undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhulikhel and in the capital. He said that around 80 people were travelling in the bus.

Police have identified the dead as Gopal Shrestha of Daraune Pani VDC, Premlal Shrestha and Tej Prasad Acharya, both of Fulbari VDC. Police said that the bodies of two women are yet to be identified.

Others who were killed in the fatal accident have been identified as army man Bir Bahadur Thapa of Morang who was posted at Bhakunde-based barrack, Sahila Tamang of Kharpachowk VDC and Sita Humagain of Daraune Pokhari VDC. Police said that another passenger identified as Krishna Bahadur Tamang of Sipali Chilaune VDC died while undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital in the capital.

Police said that the bus skidded off the road after its brakes failed all of a sudden. Arjun Adhikari, who is undergoing treatment at Dhulikhel hospital, said that some of the passengers managed to jump out of the bus, after the driver informed about the failure of the brakes. Police have arrested the bus driver, Bindralal Manandhar, who survived the accident.

Their Majesties return from India

Post Report

KATHMANDU, March 30 : Their Majesties King Gyanendra and Queen Komal returned here today from Bhubaneshwor of India on a special plane, after completing a visit of various pilgrimage sites of India.

Their Majesties were received by Crown Prince Paras and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Himani at the Tribhuvan International Airport this afternoon.

Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the Chief Justice, Speaker, Chairman of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers, MPs, Indian Ambassador to Nepal and senior government officials were also present at the airport on the occasion. Their Majesties were greeted by a large number of people on the way to the Narayanhiti Royal Palace from the airport. Their Majesties left here for New Delhi on a regular flight of the Royal Nepal Airlines on March 20.

Crown Prince to observe gharial releasing, rhino translocation

By Manish Gautam & Prabhakar Ghimire

ROYAL CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK, March 30 : Crown Prince Paras, who is also the Chairman of King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, will arrive in Sauraha tomorrow to grace the closing of the three-day consultative meeting of the trust.

The Crown Prince is also scheduled to open a programme, which will see conservation officials and technicians teaming up to release young gharials into the Narayani river. The endangered aquatic beings are reared at a breeding center in Kasara, and are released in the Narayani and the Karnali rivers.

On the same day, officials and technicians with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), will start capturing wild rhinos that will be moved to Royal Bardia National Park in western Nepal.

With support from World Wide Fund for Nature and the KMTNC, the DNPWC is planning to move 10 more rhinos from Chitwan to Bardia. Bardia is the newly created habitat of the one-horned Asiatic rhinos, whose total population had dwindled too less than 3,000. In Nepal, the endangered mammals are found only in Chitwan and Bardia.

Senior officials of leading donor agencies and conservation organizations - such as the WB, the ADB, GTZ, UNDP and WWF - and ambassadors of the foreign countries are participating in meeting organized to highlight the activities of the trust.

How dreams are fulfilled ever after death

By Perina Pathak

LUKLA, Solukhumbu, March 30 : Had Pasang Lhamu Sherpa- the first Nepali woman Everester and national heroine by dint of that feat- been with us, she would have seen her dream to have a hospital in Lukla fulfilled.

Nicole Niquille- a Swiss national- has contributed US $ 100,00 to build a 12-bed hospital, which has been christened Pasang Lhamu-Nicole Niquille Hospital. This has materialised nearly 10 years after the national heroine met the untimely death. The upcoming hospital is close by Lukla airstrip.

"My good feeling toward the country and people encouraged me to do something for Nepal," said Niquille, while speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony Saturday afternoon. Minister of Health and Science and Technology, Dr. Upendra Devkota, too, had flown in for the occasion.

Niquille was once a tour guide. But an accident in 1994 had left her paralysed, but saved the left hand. She has remained wheel chair bound ever since. A small stone, which had come rolling 300 metres uphill, had hit her on her head. This had left her hospitalised for 22 months for the treatment of cranial injuries.

"I am paralysed, but what I feel is I have successfully ascended a peak," said Niquille in smattering English. She also drew analogy between Nepalese and Swiss people for belonging to the mountains.

Niquille’s career as mountain guide back at home goes back to 1982. Prior to that she taught French, German and Spanish.

The money, which she had donated for hospital, has come to her from her insurers. "I am handing out the same money through Nicole Niquille Foundation (NNF)," she said, adding that the efforts to work in unison with Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation (PLMF) were going on since more than a year.

She also assured that there would be no crunch for fund. "I am a successful person and can mobilise fund. But what I want is help from local brothers and sisters of Lukla. This done, we expect a well run hospital here."

The year 2003 is being observed as the tenth death anniversary of Pasang Lhamu. This should be enough to encourage PLMF to complete the hospital by December. Once the hospital is ready, Luklaites- who have been living with a health post without doctor - will be proud to have biggest hospital in the Everest region.

That, incidentally, will end the bother of trekking to health facilities in Khunde or Phaplu, which are two-day walks away.

Executive manager of PLMF, Bachchu Narayan Shrestha, said that the fund provided by NNF would meet building construction cost alone. The total cost has been estimated at Rs.20m.

The hospital, which will have 12-beds and a cabin, is expected to serve around 5,000 residents of Chaurikharka and Jubhing Village Development Committees (VDCs).

Once completed, the locals are in for maternity, dental, emergency, surgery and family health care services. Since it is located 2900 meter above sea level, it would also provide treatment for ailments related with high altitude sickness. Incidentally, Minister Dr. Devkota, too, shared the view that the hospital could also be a developed as a research centre for high altitude sickness.

Maoists’ comment over king’s role ‘shocks’ NC

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Mar 30 : Nepali Congress (NC) has expressed shock at the way the Maoist leaders have been openly saying that the king has a role in the future course of political events.

The fact that the NC does not share this view was reiterated during a meeting between Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai and NC President Girija Prasad Koirala today.

During his meeting with Dr Bhattarai, Koirala wanted to know what the rebel outfit meant by saying that the "king is a political power and hence would be playing an important role to sort out the current political imbroglio."

Additional areas of concern include the much-hyped "new model of democracy" which Koirala wanted to be further explained and elaborated before other parties could be expected to join the peace process.

Similarly, yet another contentious issue was holding election to the constituent assembly, which was reiterated by Dr Bhattarai yesterday amid a press conference, but something which NC and CPN-UML have been flaying as a nefarious exercise.

Koirala has also been claimed to have expressed anguish at the way the rebel outfit was out to glorify the role and importance of the constitutional monarch, by considering him as the centre of power. Moreover, the NC has also expressed shock and disenchantment at the way the rebel outfit is whipping up sectarian issues including those related with gender, caste, region, language and class.

"We have all committed ourselves to all round development. There is no need to take up all these issues anew and in a way which inflames angst," NC source told The Kathmandu Post, attributing the comment to Koirala.

Koirala was also of the view that much can be achieved by way of amending the constitution rather than going for constituent assembly. The party had called an informal meeting of the central committee early today to debate the latest developments, before Koirala’s meeting with Dr Bhattarai in the evening.

The meeting between the two leaders was hastily arranged in view of what came forth at the end of the press conference, addressed by members of the Maoist talk team in the capital.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, NC central member Narahari Acharya said that the meeting between the two was part of the goodwill meetings and centred around what the Maoist leadership should do "if they expect to win over the support of the political parties in the peace process."

He discounted the claims that the party was shocked at the way the Maoist outfit was going all out to give undue importance to the king. "Rather than it being an acrimonious one, the meeting was free and frank in which NC and Maoists pledged and sought support and cooperation," Acharya said.

As Acharya further said, during the hour-long meeting Koirala suggested Bhattarai to explain their point of view to political parties and the electorate, before they can expect backing.

Journos warn against foreign editorial control

Post Report

KATHMANDU, March 30 : No foreigner should be allowed to have editorial and managerial control of any media in the country. This was consensus arrived at during a programme here today on various aspects and fallout of foreign investment in the Nepali media.

In the one day national workshop organised by Press Chautari and supported by German INGO Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), media persons called for transparency in investments into different media in Nepal. They also said that the absence of any clear-cut government policy on such a crucial issue was leading to much confusion and demanded immediate and forthright policy on the same.

There were some differences as to what constitutes foreign investment in the media and whether broadcast media should be covered under ‘no investment in media’ policy.

Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) agreed with the view and said that national interest should be the paramount concern while formulating policy on foreign investment in media. "If investments have been made with political motive, we should reject it."

Nepal suggested studying the nature and intent of any such investment and called for putting into place mechanisms to prevent any anti-national developments.

Presenting a paper on "Foreign Investment in the Media", Yubaraj Pandey, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and formerly Director General of the Department of Information, did not rule out "ulterior motive" behind media investments in the country.

Pandey pointed out that despite some publications not getting enough advertisements and also failing to collect operational costs through sales of the papers, they were still being published. "This indicates that direct financial gain is not the only motive," he noted in his paper. He also observed that lack of any forthright government policy was leading to confusion.

Speaking earlier, P Kharel, media advisor to FES, said that weakness in policy formation and lack of will to address the issue of foreign investment in media was so obvious. Citing examples from the West, he said that the governments there allowed foreign investment in the media, if only they were sure that the foreign investor could not prove to be dominant. Kharel argued that if foreign investments proved to be a threat they should not be allowed in the country.

Journalist Shiva Gaunle, speaking on behalf of the Federation of the Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) questioned whether only print media was to be kept away from foreign investors. He pointed out the Chinese aid in the making of a new building for Nepal Television, inside its premises in the Singha Durbar.

He further said that any foreign investment that was aimed at influencing public opinion in the country could not be welcomed. Gaunle also pointed out the need to look into riches of publishers/editors whose publications were sick and about to collapse. "Where are they getting the money from to run their papers?"

We are searching for our roles: Nepal

KATHMANDU, March 30 (PR) - Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) today refuted allegations that the major political parties are obstructing the peace process.

"We are searching for our roles," said Nepal at the one day national workshop on foreign investment in media here today. "Can’t we do that?"

Some ministers had accused four parties - Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, People’s Front and Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (NWPP) - of putting hurdles in the peace process and of them not wanting the government-Maoists talks to succeed. These four parties have announced joint agitation against the royal move of October 4 and have demanded either the restoration of the dissolved House of Representatives or the formation of an all-party government. The UML leader wished the talks a success but added that political parties could not be ignored or sidelined. "Only parties, despite their failings could safeguard democracy." He also ruled out any peace at the cost of democracy.

Nepal said under no circumstances could the Maoists be allowed to resort to violence. "Let us make efforts not to repeat the mistakes committed during the last time." He also challenged the Maoists to give a commitment that they would accept the people’s mandate, whatever it may be.