Free elections will ensure stability of democracy: PM

Kathmandu, July 11 (RSS): Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that unless the political parties are committed to hold free and fair elections, mere formulation of laws and rules is insufficient.

Prime Minister Koirala was addressing a seminar hosted by the management, act and rules reforms suggestions sub-committee concerning elections under the high level committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister.

Mr Koirala said only free and fair elections will ensure consolidation and stability of democracy.

As there was no provision for a national government in the constitution and the elections held in 1999 would be the last to be conducted by him, I had called upon all the political parties to join the coalition government to hold the elections in a free and fair manner, and a coalition government was constituted with the participation of the CPN-UML, Prime Minister Koirala said, adding that as there was complaint of malpractice from the constituents of the coalition government itself, there must be something wrong somewhere.

Stating that as elections is a game of winning and losing, and there is competition within the party itself in the elections, Mr Koirala said competition with other parties can not be avoided.

We follow the policy of following what is bad in India and discarding what is good there, he said and pointed out the need for adopting stringent policy to prevent this tendency and take strong action against the criminals involved in elections.

Referring to a mistake made in the constitution in connection with delineation of the parliamentary constituency, he said that if population and not the area is made the basis for fixing the number of constituencies, there will be only one parliamentary constituency in the hilly districts in the next 10 years.

Speaker Taranath Ranabhat referred to election as an important tool for taking democracy to the grassroots and suggested that there should be less use of money power and the use of muscle power starting from the time of preparing electoral colleges should be put to an end.

"If the force derived from money power is considered the basis for fighting elections, the situation may arise when Nepalese have to regret for not having their representation in the parliament," he said.

National Assembly Chairman Dr. Mohammad Mohsin said the percentage of the voters’ turnout had not decreased even when the number of polling centres has been reduced in the last general elections.

Dr. Mohsin pointed out the need to evaluate the reason for ruling party receiving maximum percentage of votes in the elections of the local bodies, asking if it was due to the attraction towards the ruling party or pressure exerted by it.

Democracy is the rule of majority, he said, adding that attention should be paid to find out whether people empowered with sovereignty had exercised their franchise in a free and fair manner without any fear and whether the number of votes received by the party had been reflected by the number of seats it had won.

Leader of the main opposition party Madhav Kumar Nepal said elections is the heart of the multi-party democracy. If there was no faith in elections, democracy and multi-party system would not subsist, he added.

He warned that unless the errors in the election system is not rectified in time, a major crisis could take place in the country.

Lila Mani Pokharel of the Samyukta Janamorcha said that election was a system for the political parties to receive mandate from the people and the contradictions between the constitution and the election regulations should be removed.

President of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party Narayam Man Bijukchhe said that political parties should not be categorised as national or anti-national, or recognised and unrecognized. The office of the Election Commission should be set up in every district, he added.

General secretary of the CPN-ML Bamdev Gautam stressed the need for total change in the election process and suggested that the Prime Minister should be directly elected on the basis of adult franchise.

Rajeshwar Devkota of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Chand suggested that there should be two commissioners in the Election Commission. The Election Commission should not be given the powers to de-recognise the political parties, he added.

Chief Election Officer Bishnu Pratap Shaha said that as the Election Commission (EC), political parties and the employees have important role in holding elections successfully, all the rules prepared by the EC should be transparent, the political parties should select the locally popular figures as their candidates and abide by the code of conduct.

MP Ishwar Pokharel also expressed his views at the seminar chaired by subcommittee convenor Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

High population growth rate challenge facing nation: DPM

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 11: Nepal’s population touched 22,931,878 today. With the existing 2.37 per cent growth rate, the country’s population is likely to double in the next thirty years and reach 54 million after 50 years.

Within next hundred years, the population of the country is likely to reach 100 million.

"The high population growth rate is a challenge facing the nation," Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said addressing the inaugural function of World Population Day here this morning. "Rapidly growing population has hindered sustainable development."

"To control and manage population is a concern of all," Poudel said. "Population management programmes should keep women in the centre," Poudel told the function that was observed with the theme of Saving Women’s Lives. The function was organised by the Ministry of Population and Environment (MOPE).

Poudel said that illiteracy and conservative thinking on part of the countrymen and the inflow of non-Nepalese were the main causes behind high population growth and appealed to the non-governmental sector to assist government to address these challenges.

"We will not be able to manage population, develop the nation and enhance the quality of life unless we can involve women (who make up half of the national population) in these activities," State Minister for Population and Environment Shiva Raj Joshi said.

Joshi said that the males had a special role to play to empower the women and bring them to national development activities.

Population Secretary Dr. Govinda Raj Bhatta said that the government had been running awareness raising and research programmes to control and manage population.

Stressing on programmes that would free the women from violence, promote their rights and provide them with quality reproductive services, Bhatta said, "This can be achieved only with the concerted efforts of the government, non-governmental organisations, private sector, media and the public at large."

National Planning Commission Member Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel said that mobility was essential for sustainable development.

‘Saving Women’s Lives’ is a relevant theme for this year’s World Population Day as millions of women lose their lives due to pregnancy related causes or in childbirth, United Nations Population Fund’s Representative Stewart McNab said.

McNab stressed on the need to advance reproductive rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment to ensure a better future.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Poudel also gave away National Population Awards-2056 to Family Planning Association, Nepal Population Association and the Central Department of Population under the Tribhuvan University.

IT important: Gupta

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 11: Minister for Information and Communications Jay Prakash Prasad Gupta has said that the government is well aware about enhancing information technology that acts as a facilitator for the country’s economic growth.

"One of the most remarkable sectors after the restoration of multiparty democracy, information technology is developing at a greater pace than we have assumed," he said at a workshop organised to discuss the draft of ‘Long Term Policy on Information and Communications Sector’ here this morning.

Minister Gupta suggested the draft working committee to evaluate whether or not the political commitment was reflected in the draft. "The draft should also include the policies that aim at enhancing the performance of the state-owned corporations and at the same time enabling them to increase income for their financial independence."

National Planning Commission Vice Chairman Prithwi Raj Ligal said that it was difficult to formulate long term policies on information technology, the fastest growing sector in the world.

"Since today’s society is knowledge-based, we would lag behind in all sectors if we ignored the changes information technology sector, which contributes almost two per cent to the gross domestic product," he said.

Ligal said that the private sector’s participation was essential for the development and maximum utilisation of modern info-tech services, including the Internet.

"In order to enhance the Internet use, the concerned authorities should reduce its tariff to affordable price," he said.

Information and Communications Secretary Sriram Paudel said that the concept of ‘knowledge economy’ emerged in the present day world due to the development of information technology that brought about a revolution in the world.

"In line with this concept, we are organising this workshop to formulate a 20-year plan on information and communications, essential for the country’s all round development," he said.

Stating that private sector’s involvement would prove invaluable in the campaign, Paudel said that the government would provide a suitable environment for that.

From the chair, NPC Member Dr Rameshananda Vaidya said that the necessity for the policy was felt while formulating the current Ninth Five-Year Plan a few years ago.

"Since information technology would be useful in our campaign of poverty alleviation, one of the highly prioritised agendas of the Ninth Plan, we should have people-based approach in planning, " he said.

Welcoming the guests and participants earlier, MoIC Joint Secretary and Gorkhapatra Corporation Chairman Prem Nidhi Gyawali, who is the co-ordinator of the draft working committee, also threw lights on the importance of the policy for the development of information and communications in the country.

Not all was well with the Motion Picture Awards

BY BISHNU GAUTAM

Kathmandu, July 11: Winners of the third Motion Picture Awards gathered Monday evening on the 8th floor of a posh hotel in Kathmandu. Loud music filled the air as the country’s prominent cine artistes turned in their casual wear, leaving the best attires in the wardrobes at home.

Film directors, singers and producers looked be in the lighter moods, albeit surrounded here and there by nosey scribes probing equally lightly whether there were news behind the tipsy smiles of the evening crowd.

Winners took all the prizes at stake, but that did not dishearten the others who were privately expecting surprises announcements when the Award ceremony was underway on Sunday afternoon. The non-winners threw happy smiles and exchanged greetings with one another, sipping drinks of their choice in white glasses rapped with red cotton napkins.

But the evening turned out to be rather empty for Prakash Thapa, who claimed the Best Direction Award, and Shambhu Pradhan who was feeling sorry for his daughter because she did not get any, preferably the new actress award that went to Anju Bista. "How did she get the award when my daughter (Ishwari Pradhan) is far superior to her?" wondered Pradhan, who was engaged in the review of how things went wrong with Thapa. Sitting relaxed on a alongside Laxminath Sharma at a remote corner of the hall, the septuagenarian Thapa had his own concerns: "When the Nata Ragat Ko won the Best Film Award, it should as well have secured more other awards."

Sharma who clinched the Best Dialogue Award was wordless, perhaps thinking of so many others who did not get any, but still managed to conceal the disappointment in each peg of whisky they had.

Nata Ragatko won four awards—the Best Direction Award, Best Film Award, Best Female Singer Award and the Best Lyricist Award. Anju Bista of Rabi Baral’s much talked-about Chameli won the Best New Actress award.

"Nepali Babu should win the Best Film Award," Shambhujit Banskota, the senior musician and winner of the Best Musician Award was arguing.

Similarly many artistes were surprised when Gopal Bhutani was not selected for the Best Art Direction Award. "The commitments made by sponsors were correct but the management was not free from weakness," he went on. "Journalists were hooting, the announcers did not think it necessary to announce the names of the guests from other SAARC countries and even the lamp was not lit."

Even Prakash Sayami, the noted director who was also a member of the Special Souvenir publication was not invited. "I wrote an article on the request of Uddav Poudel, the Chiraman of the Motion Picture Award, but I was denied the invitation card," Sayami lamented.

Bhuwan K. C. the popular actor is not also happy with the selection. "The selections were not free from biases. Even the thousand-tongue snakes cannot explain the riggings that occurred while bringing out the results," K. C. claims.

Though this year’s Motion Picture Awards were concluded successfully, the organising Committee failed in managing the programme in a proper way. As a result a number of invitees and those who had afforded the ticket paying Rs. 3,000 could not get seats. Even, Kiran Singh Kunwar, a member of the fund collecting sub-committee was not satisfied with the way the programme was organised.

Worse was the situation of the representatives of the main sponsor — Upahar Tea. They were neither given the seats nor were they thanked for sponsoring the programme! The programme was jointly sponsored by Upahar Tea and National Advertising Private Limited. The Media Cooperative managed the programme.

"Though Uphar Tea of Budhakaran Tea Packaging Industry was the main sponsor of the Third Motion Picture Award, we were not provided the seats at the programme hall," says Bhupendra Kumar Singh.

"Even the four announcers did not think it necessary to thank the main sponsors. And we are not happy with the way we were treated by the organisers," says Hemanta Raj Prasain.

This was the first time that a Nepali industry — Upahar Tea — sponsored an important programme like Motion Picture Award. But the sponsors were furious as the event was drawing to its end.

In the past such large programmes would either be organised by joint-ventured cigarette companies or liquor industries. Even the Chairman was not present at the dinner party hosted by Upahar Tea on Monday.

"Though we had paid Rs. 700,000 in cash and spend quite a deal of money on advertising, the Chairman harassed us by threatening to pay cash of rupees three lakhs Saturday evening, otherwise he would cancel our sponsorship."

"Then we handed him a cheque of Rs. 300,000. Yet we were not treated well," says Bhupendra. Singh also objected the presence of political leaders in the programme.

Uddav Poudyal could not be reached on phone for his comments despite several attempts.

Foundation laid for Raxaul, Sirsiya rail line

Birgunj, July 11 (RSS): Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar and Indian Minister of State of Railways Digvijay Singh jointly laid the foundation stone of the railway line from Raxaul to Sirsiya in the inland container depot zone today.

The Raxaul-Sirsiya railway line is 4.883 km long and the total cost of the project is Rs 112.8 million.

On the occasion, Minister Tamrakar said relations between Nepal and India are unique in the world and spoke of the need to further deepen this friendly relations.

Stating that the railway line will add a new dimension to the bilateral relations between the two countries, he noted that this will reduce transportation cost to a great extent.

Minister Tamrakar also expressed his determination to complete works on the dry port and broad gauge railway within six months.

Minister for Science and Technology Surendra Prasad Chaudhary observed that the inland container depot which is under construction with the World Bank’s assistance will help alleviate poverty.

Similarly, Indian Minister of State Singh expressed confidence that construction of the dry port will help prop up Nepal’s economic development and this will open new avenues for promoting Nepal’s trade with the third countries. The project will be completed as early as possible, he added.

Minister of State for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Narendra Bikram Nemwang, from the chair, said operation of the dry port and customs inspection will be made in keeping with international tradition.

Indian Ambassador Deb Mukherjee remarked that expansion of the broad gauge railway line and the dry port will benefit both countries.

Chief director of the dry port project Purushottam Ojha presented a report on the project.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy press statement said the railway line which is being built in conjunciton with the Nepal Multi-Modal Trade and Transit Facilitation Project (NMTTFP) would help boost internal and external trade and commerce in Nepal by reducing the transportation costs of imports and exports.

The Indian Railways will supervise the project that is to be constructed by India on Nepal’s request. The total cost of the project is estimated to be 275 million rupees, it noted.

Jorpati locals force back garbage trucks

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 11: Local residents of Jorpati today forced withdrawal of municipality trucks that had gone to dump the garbage lifted after days from different parts of the capital city.

Two dozen trucks were damaged and a number of helpers were wounded in a scuffle as angry locals hurled stones at the dumping site to force the vehicles back.

Hari Prasad Rimal, the Executive Officer at Kathmandu Municipal Corporation, said the scuffle started as a group of people standing by the dumping site started to attack on the trucks suddenly.

KMC trucks were compelled to return from their despite our attempts, he said.

Gopal Baral, the chairman of Jorpati Village Development Committee, however has another story to tell. "Even without consulting us here, the government and the Municipality officials began to move in the garbage trucks with the help of the local police for dumping. The police also mishandled the locals who protested the dumping.

He said an all-party meeting set to be held tomorrow morning to decide on this matter.

According to Baral, seeing this, more residents came to the rescue and things went out of hand.

Chairman Baral also said that the local residents are more interested in the save the Bagmati Campaign rather than getting compensation of the land.

Ramchandra Adhikari, chairman of the Area No 3 of same VDC, questioned the government and the Municipality "when the government is spending millions of rupees for making the Bagmati clean, why is the municipality the garbage here again?"

Meanwhile RSS adds: His Majesty’s Government has expressed concern over the vandalizing of the vehicles carrying solid waste and pelting of stones against the driver and helper by some persons and hoped for cooperation from all the sectors and persons in resolving the problem of solid waste management directly linked with public health.

Stating that evaluation of 13 proposals received from national and international level in response to the quotation called by the government to set up factories for producing organic fertilizer, electricity or gas from solid waste in course of a long-term and easy solution of the problem has reached its final stages, His Majesty’s Government has said that establishment of the factory would take only few months and this would permanently resolve the garbage problem pf Kathmandu valley, according to a press communique issued here today by the Local Development Ministry.

1.9% pension increase for British Gurkhas

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 11: As part of the generous British Gurkhas pensions settlement agreed by United Kingdom government ministers in December last year, it was announced that this award would be revised annually in line with the cost of living increase in Nepal. The revision would apply to the Gurkha Retirement Pension, the Gurkha Service Pension, the Gurkha Disability Pension and Gurkha Resettlement Grants, and take effect from 1 April 2000, according to the British Embassy press statement today. The 11.9% increase, an excellent result for British Gurkha pensioners, was recommended by an independent team from the United Kingdom which visited Nepal earlier this year. The visiting team alone was responsible for this increase.

All rates are held with Pension Paying Offices and Area Welfare Centres. However, the rate of an ordinary family pension at the enhanced rates payable to those in the rank band of below Corporal with 15 year’s service has increased to NCRs 7881.72 per month from the previous rate of NCRs 7043.35. It is anticipated that pensioners paid at the Pension Paying Offices will have the new rates and arrears due available from 20 August 2000. Banking pensioners will have their accounts credited at the end of August 2000 and payments from Area Welfare Centres will be made at the end of August/beginning of September, the press release said.