NC leaders call for restraint to end impasse

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 18: Nepali Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) members today delivered in the line of shunning the differences between the government and the party and explored whether the government could be made efficient without altering the leadership.

"The CWC members acknowledged that since the situation of the country is quite serious and the Nepali Congress is faced with many challenges, the leaders must find a way out of the present impasse by resorting to self restraint," NC spokesman Narahari Acharya told reporters at the end of a five hour long meeting.

Following the dissatisfaction expressed by party president Girija Prasad Koirala over the government’s style of functioning, a large number of NC lawmakers are said to be demanding for the change in the government leadership.

Acharya said that the CWC members underscored the need to forge unity within the party and identify the means of making the government more effective.

"The discussions relating to the change in leadership have not come to a close yet," Acharya said.

He said those who spoke in today’s meeting expressed the view that a lawful decision on the differences that have surfaced between the party and the government ought to be taken without disrupting the traditional unity and structure of the Nepali Congress.

Acharya said today’s discussions focussed on the overall national scenario and did not confine itself to the issue of change of leadership of the government only.

The members today primarily came up with two possibilities, should the government be made effective through the change of leadership or should the CWC look for other options, to make the government effective without altering the leadership.

"The parliamentary party meeting that is to take place tomorrow will discuss on the rationale behind the amendments proposed to the resolution proposal tabled in the special session of the House by the main opposition CPN(UML) to discuss price hike," Acharya said.

All the CWC members except Mahesh Acharya were present in today’s meeting.

Those who expressed their views in today’s meeting were central members Chandra Singh Bhattarai, Sunil Kumar Bhandari, P.L. Singh, Rewati Bhusal, Shiva Raj Joshi, Krishna Sitaula, Laxman Ghimire, Gopal Pahadi, Shailaja Acharya, Arjun Nar Singh K.C. Dhundi Raj Shastri, Nona Koirala, Ram Chandra Poudel, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Bal Bahadur Rai, Govinda Raj Joshi, Maheswore Singh, Bijaya Gaccheddar, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Lila Koirala and Sushil Koirala.

The next meeting of the CWC will take place on December 24 at eight in the morning.

Polio drops to be administered to 3.8 M children today

Kathmandu, Dec. 18 (RSS):

Altogether 3,850,000 children up to the age of five throughout the Kingdom are to be adMinistered polio drops tomorrow, December l9, under National Immunization Day (NID) -l999 phase two.

The first phase of the immunization was carried out successfully on November 2l, according to the National Health Education Information and Communications Center.

Arrangements have been made for some 23,000 vaccination centers and about l00,000 volunteers and 20,000 health workers mobilised to facilitate the polio immunization across the Kingdom.

Government, non-government, national and international organisations, volunteers, local level political workers and health workers have been working to ensure that no child is left out in the vaccination tommorow.

Under the strategy adopted by the World Health Organisation, the world can be declared free of polio by the year 2005 if national immunization days and special vaccination campaigns are organised till 2003.

It was back in l988 that who urged all countries to eradicate polio from the face of the earth by 2000.

The number of new cases of polio in the world in l998 stood at 35,25l and this was brought down by 90 per cent to 3,500 by l998 through national level immunization drives.

At present 85 per cent of all new cases of polio in the world are concentrated in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

The war against polio is an outstanding example of community mobilisation in public health this century.

In Nepal over the past three years, more than 22,500,000 polio drop administrations have taken place among children five years or younger over six separate occasions.

Parents have been urged to take their young up to five years in age to the neighborhood vaccination center on December l9, as they did on november 2l.

Govt blamed for ‘culture of impunity’

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, December 18:To commemorate the adoption of United Nations Declaration formulated to protect citizens from arbitrary disappearance, the Nepalese human rights organisation INSEC released part two of the booklet titled "Where Are They?" in the capital today. The booklet consists of details of "disappeared" citizens and "incidents" that led to their disappearance that allegedly occurred after the restoration of democracy in 1990.

The booklet claims that during the 30-year-long panchayat rule, 61 citizens disappeared. After the restoration of democracy the incidents of disappearance has " increased with the start of Maoist insurgency four years back". The booklet claims that in 1998 a total of 54 men and 9 women "disappeared" from police custody while in the subsequent year the "disappearance from police custody reached 72 people, including 15 women". According to the booklet human rights activists, journalists and students were among those who allegedly disappeared from police custody.

Similarly, the booklet says that Maoist insurgents abducted nine people in 1998 while in this year the insurgents have abducted and detained more than 20 people.

"The incidents of human rights violation is increasing, neither the government nor the courts have been very effective to protect citizen’s rights," alleged Lekh Nath Bhandari, the investigator for the booklet.

Basudev Dhungana who headed the commission formed back in 1992 to investigate into disappearance cases that occurred during the Popular Movement of 1990 charged that a "culture of impunity" has been established in Nepal. "The government does not seem to be showing seriousness in shouldering its responsibility in protecting human rights of the citizens," he said. He criticised the government for not making the said commission’s report public and also for failing to legally punish those who were found guilty of human rights violations. The commission prepared two part report on human rights violation during the Popular Movement, but till date it has not make it public, he pointed out. Neither has it carried out legal actions against the alleged human rights violators, he claimed. He further called for quick formulation of an act to punish illegal detentions.

Claiming that the 1992 UN declaration protected citizens from four human rights violations—arbitrary arrest, extra judicial killings, disappearance and torture—human rights activist Krishna Pahadi alleged that the government was becoming increasingly insensitive to human rights issues and encouraging a "culture of impunity". He also criticised the civil society for failing to create pressure on government for protection of human rights.

Former parliamentarian Ram Nath Dhakal claimed that the official data of around 1,200 deaths (including police, civilians and Maoists) after the start of Maoist insurgency was not true. "My personal estimation is that around 2,500 deaths occurred during the last four years," he claimed. He also accused the political parties of using the issue of Maoist insurgency as a handy propaganda tool to defame their political opponents.

President of Federation of Nepalese Journalists Suresh Acharya said that Nepalese journalists have failed to yield anything concrete to stop human rights violations due to lack of resources and support from the government. "Neither the government nor the opposition have shown interest to formulate acts to ensure the citizens’ right to information," he said.

Rights activists Dr. Bhogendra Sharma and Sushil Plyakurel said it was ironic that incidents of disappearance continue to occur under a democratic rule in Nepal. They also called for strengthening of courts, end of culture of impunity and activities from civil society to ensure human rights protection.

Contribute for motherland, non-resident Nepalese told

Kathmandu, Dec. 18 (RSS):

Minister for Commerce Ramkrishna Tamrakar in a statement issued on Friday appealed to all the non-resident Nepalese living and working in different countries of the world to do something for their motherland with all their skills and resources.

Human beings realise one important thing after all senses get enlightened, i.e. The very important realization in our duty towards our motherland for which a strong desire of contribution arouses through heart, words and deeds, Minister for Commerce Tamrakar observed.

Minister for Commerce Tamrakar also called upon the Nepalese expatriates to return to Nepal and invest in the field of industry, commerce, hydropower, communication and tourism citing stable government and the existence of a favourable environment for investment.

We can increase our exports to many countries including our neighbours and this will help strengthen the recently restored democracy by meeting the aspirations and needs of the people, Mr. Tamrakar said in the statement, calling upon all the non-resident Nepalese to come forward and contribute something to the development of their motherland.

Minister Tamrakar requested the non-resident Nepalese to use their skills, technology and financial strengths to accelerate the overall development of Nepal, stating that the government would always come forward to welcome and recognise their contributions.

In this connection, the Minister for Commerce invited the non-resident Nepalese and the prospective investors, importers and exporters to participate in the "Export Promotion Meeting-2000" which the Ministry of Commerce would be organising on April 5-7.

Unite to end distortions, Upadhyaya urges writers

Kathmandu, Dec. 18 (RSS):

Minister for Education Yog Prasad Upadhyaya inaugurated a Nepali, Hindi litterateurs conference here today.

Altogether 150 litterateurs including 75 from India are attending the 2-day conference hosted jointly by Dr. Krishna Chandra Mishra Academy and the Hindi Literary Sammelan, Prayag (India).

Six different working papers will be presented on various aspects of Nepali and Hindi literature at the conference organised with the objective of holding widespread discussions on the literature of the two countries.

On the occasion, the Minister for Education released a treatise on Bijaya authored by Dr. Mahasweta Chaturvedi and published by Ashish Publications Delhi (India).

Referring to the cooperation received from India for the development of Nepali literature, he said that all litterateurs should unite to eliminate distortions, anomalies and aberrations seen in literature at present.

Stating that though Nepal and India are geographically and politically two different countries, both countries share a common culture and religion, Minister Upadhyaya expressed the view that this kind of conference will help further consolidate the friendly ties between the two countries.

Vice-chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy (rna) mohan Koirala said that this kind of conference would have a significant role to play in the development of the Nepali and Hindi languages and literatures and discussions between the litterateurs of the two countries would provide a new direction to this field.

Rna member cum secretary Dr. Tulasi Bhattarai and various other speakers also expressed their views at the programme presided over by president of Dr. Krishna Chandra Mishra acacemy Dr. Birendra Prasad Mishra.

Nepal, China ties cordial, says Mahat

Kathmandu, Dec. 18 (RSS):

The Arniko Society organized a programme here today on the occasion of the resumption of sovereignty over macao by the People’s Republic of China after 450 years of Portuguese Colonial rule on Dec 20.

On the occasion, Foreign Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said both Nepal and China have enjoyed cordial relations and Nepal is always in favour of one China.

Highlighting the economic prosperity of China achieved through economic liberalization and its significant contribution to the world economy, Dr Mahat noted that in keeping with the senior Chinese leader late Deng Xiao’s policy of "One China, two systems", China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong two years ago and is now going to take over that of Macao.

Chinese ambassador Zeng Xuyong stated that Macao is going to be handed over to China as per an agreement reached between the two countries in 1987.

Like Hong Kong, Macao will be treated under the policy of "One china, two systems" as an administrative region, he added.

The Chinese Envoy also made it clear that China will always extend positive help to the social and economic development of Macao after its annexation to China.

Chairman of the Arniko Society Chakraraj Bhandari and society secretary Krishna Silwal also expressed their views on the occasion.

A documentary on Macao was also displayed on the occasion.

Special programme for poverty alleviation

Kathmandu, Dec. 18 (RSS):

The Asian Development Bank is to launch a special programme for poverty alleviation in Asia and the Pacific.

This information was given at a programme organised on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bank here today.

On the occasion, emphasis was given on the need to provide basic education, ensure health facilities and transparency in government work, and create job opportunities.

Speaking at the programme, Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat stressed the need for all those who are involved in development efforts to identify our shortcomings since Nepal has not been able to get assistance from donor countries and organisations as expected.

Vice president of adb, West Region Myong Ho Shim said that adb, which has been providing assistance to Nepal for the past 30 years will cooperate in the country’s poverty alleviation programme.

Adb Resident Representative Richard Vox stressed the need to raise the living conditions of women so as to alleviate poverty.

Meera Basnet wins Mrs Nepal title

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 18: Meera Basnet bagged the title of Mrs. Nepal International organised by Silver Star Promotion Centre at Eshan Club today. She was also awarded the title of Mrs. Photogenic.

Of the 17 contestants vying for the title, Banset was crowned Mrs. Nepal Beautiful amid a cheering crowd. She is to take part in Mrs. World Beautiful to be held in Virginia of the United States of America.

Similarly, Roshani Tandukar and Suman Paudel were declared First and Second Runners Up respectively. Tandukar also walked away with two titles, Mrs. Catwalk and Mrs. Best Dress, whereas Paudel was selected for Mrs. Etiquette and Mrs Perfect Figure.

Likewise, Tulsa Basnet Thapa, Sailaja Pandey, Radha Lamsal and Shahanshila Sharma Roy won the titles Mrs. Talent, Mrs. Best Hair, Mrs. Best Skin and Mrs. Personality respectively.

The Judges of the Mrs. Beauty Pageant were Fauzia Nasreen, Marily Sharif, Pamela J. Deen, Shanker Koirala, Shanta Rana, Yadav Kharel and Yasmine Rana.