Ceasefire result of people's aspiration: PM

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 11: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said at the RPP central working committee meeting today that the ceasefire between His Majesty's Government and the Maoists did not occur suddenly but was a result of the aspirations of the Nepali people and a lengthy dialogue.
Prime Minister Chand also made it clear that no secret agreement or consensus has been reached other than the public announcement of withdrawal of the red corner notice issued against leaders of the Maoist Party, which had been declared a terrorist organisation, and of the decision to award those giving information leading to the arrest of Maoist leaders.Stating that political parties have a very important role to play in the peace process, Chand said there is no truth in the accusation that effort has been made to minimise the role of the parties.

Effort is being made to win support from the political parties, Mr Chand said and expressed confidence that he would receive positive cooperation from them.

The meeting welcomed the cease-fire agreement reached between government and the Maoists and called for cooperation from all sectors in order to transform it into lasting peace.

It also urged that no sector should express or do anything that could have an adverse affect on the peace process.

The meeting said that both sides should develop a code of conduct for the ceasefire, neither should allow the ceasefire to be utilized as an opportunity to garner power or reap fruit in future and they should develop a proper mechanism for monitoring and supervision to safeguard the reliability of the cease-fire.

An atmosphere should be developed immediately to involve political parties in the peace process in order to maintain the legality of the process and to make the talks successful, the meeting said adding that the government should take effective steps to take into confidence the political parties, civil society and other sectors which are an integral part of the state which is holding talks with the Maoists.

The government should work to wipe out the misconception that a secret agreement was reached while declaring the ceasefire and a policy adopted to ignore the political parties in the process, sufficient home-work has to be done to manage the peace process in a planned, systemic and successful manner, the process should be transparent and immediate programmes launched for the rehabilitation and well-being of people fallen victim to the people's war.

As the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990 was developed as per the wishes of the Nepali people in course of building a political system based on people's sovereignty, constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy, any agreement reached against the spirit and norms of the constitution would not be acceptable to the RPP, the meeting has made it clear.

Calling for a commitment to carry out extensive and far-sighted reforms in the political, socio-economic and cultural sectors for a sustainable resolution of the Maoist problem, the meeting said in this connection that special attention should be given to uplifting the indigenous people, the nationalities, the Terai people, the Madhesi community and women.

The meeting also expressed determination to carry out organisational activities to create a popular mandate for the peace process and called upon all political parties, civic society and the general public to play a historic role in the overall interest of the country and for protecting the people's rights.
A working paper on the RPP's approach and policy in the present political circumstances presented by central member Kamal Thapa was approved with amendments by the meeting.

Former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa was also present at the meeting chaired by RPP central president Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana.

Former vice-president Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani and former central member Rabindra Nath Sharma were present as invitees.

Left alliance for peace

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb. 11: A meeting of nine communist parties today called for an alliance among the left and democratic forces in a bid to keep the ceasefire announced by the government and the Maoists intact.

The parties also demanded that both the sides show transparency while holding the peace talks so as to protect and consolidate the achievements of the popular movement of 1990. The left parties have taken the cessation of armed hostilities positively.

All the left parties, except for the CPN-Maoist, took part in the meeting organised by the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) at its central office at Balkhu Tuesday.
Highlighting the objective of the meeting, UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said that he had invited the other left parties to discuss an alliance and prepare a common agenda to face the current critical situation in the country.

"The left and democratic forces should play a vigorous role in consolidating the people's rights," added Nepal.

At the meeting, the reorganised CPN (ML), a breakaway faction of former UML rebels, was also present.

"A round table meeting of the representatives of the CPN- Maoist, the Royal Palace and the political parties is the need of the hour to find a way out of the present crisis," said CPN-ML coordinator Chandra Prakash Mainali.

This is the first time Mainali has stepped into the CPN-UML central office after abandoning the UML four years ago.

Other participants in the meeting included Subas Nemawang, Raghu Pant and Yub Raj Karki of the UML, Sonam and Govind Singh Thapa of the CPN (Unity Centre-Masal), Amik Sherchan of the People's Front Nepal, Lok Narayan Subedi and Achutraj Gyawali of the CPN (Marxist), Krishna Das Shrestha and Ram Bahadur Shrestha of the CPN Marxist-Leninist-Maoist (MLM), Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar and Prakash Adhikari of the CPN (United), Tanka Rai of the CPN (ML), Narayanman Bijukchhe and Ramesh Thapa of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Nanda Kumar Prasai of Nepal Samyabadi Party (MLM).

Unsafe birth claims one woman every two hours

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Feb. 11: A woman dies every two hours in Nepal due to birth complications. Maternal mortality in the country is put at 539 per 100,000 births, which is, sadly, one of the highest in South Asia and in the world as well.

More than 80 per cent of the women die due to ignorance about birth preparedness and complication readiness prior to delivery before reaching hospital, and 20 per cent die after they are taken to hospital, said Madhu Dixit Devkota, a teacher on safe motherhood and family health at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH).

Despite the availability of facilities and services, they cannot be utilised unless there is awareness among the people, added Devkota.

About 4,000 women lose their lives every year during child birth in Nepal. Even in Kathmandu, mortality is high, not to talk about the situation in rural areas where most of the women are uneducated and unaware about safe motherhood, says Dr. Arju Rana Deuba, honarary chairperson of the Safe Motherhood Network (SMN).

In a bid to advocate and raise awareness on safe motherhood at district and community levels, the SMN is organising a fund raising programme 'SUMATA Saanjh', for a humanitarian cause on the occasion of International Women's Day 2003 on March 8. A musical programme will be staged along with informative slide show on March 1 at the Royal Nepal Academy hall from 4 pm to 6 pm.
About 40 per cent of the total population of Nepal belong to the young generation. "So we have focused on both young men and women in raising awareness through multisectoral approaches such as by holding a musical programme staged by famous young Nepali artistes," said Deuba.
This would lobby the Nepalese people in pressurizing the government to provide safe motherhood facilities for women, added Rana.

The programme will feature a solo performance by popular Nepali artist Navin K. Bhattarai and guest appearances by Sugam Pokhrel and upcoming pop sensations. Both the artists expressed happiness for getting an opportunity to help women for such a noble cause.

This is the first time the two artistes are performing together. Approximately Rs. 250,000 is estimated to be generated from the programme.

Bangladesh welcomes ceasefire

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 11 : The Government of Bangladesh has welcomed the recent announcement of ceasefire and the decision to convene an all-party peace talks in Nepal."Bangladesh considers this to be a step in the right direction for ensuring continued peace and stability of the people and the government of Nepal" a press release issued by the Bangladeshi Embassy in Kathmandu stated here today. "As a friendly neighbouring country, Bangladesh hopes that this recent positive development will bring a peaceful and durable solution to the internal conflict in Nepal," it stated.The government of Bangladesh reaffirms its full support to Nepal's endeavours in resolving its internal conflict through peaceful political negotiations, it said.

Nepal-India talks focus on bus routes

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 11: The joint meeting of representatives of Nepal and India in connection with operating direct transport services between the two countries held discussions and consultations in this regard. As per information given by Director General of the Department of Transport Management Chhavi Raj Pant who is leading the Nepalese delegation, the meeting today focused on the routes on which bus services would operat. He said that a decision may be taken at the meeting tomorrow. The Indian team at the talks being held for the last four days is led by joint Secretary at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Ashok Rawal.

Copyright Regulations ready for approval

By Arhan Sthapit

KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Six months after the enactment of the Copyright Act-2059, a draft of the Copyright Regulations, necessary to enforce the Act, is ready.

In a bid to protect the copyrights of authors and promote copyright industries as a key sector of the economy, a new copyright act was introduced on August 15 last year by repealing the existing Copyrights Act 2022.The Act and its proposed regulations cover copyrights and related rights on art-related works such as music, opera, cinema, choreography, drama, computer programmes and database, research works, architectural designs, literary works, paintings and sculptures.
According to sources at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MCTCA), a task force is giving finishing touch to the draft of the regulations.

"The draft will be forwarded to the cabinet for due approval after collecting comments and suggestions from the stakeholders," said Binod Gyawali, spokesman at the Ministry.

"The draft has already taken final shape. The only part remaining was providing for the customs officers' role which has also been incorporated in the draft," said Surya Bhandari, chief of the Culture and Copyrights Cell of the Ministry.To collect feedback, comments and suggestions from the law enforcement agencies - Police Department, customs and government attorneys as well as other stakeholders - an interaction programme is being organised this weekend.

"The feedback from the interaction programme will be incorporated in the draft," said Bhandari.
Likewise, a national seminar is being organised by the end of this month in Kathmandu. The meet will be held with the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) under the joint aegis of the ministry and a private sector agency, the Copyright Protection Society of Nepal (CPSN), officials at the Ministry said.The regulations, once enforced, will remove the obstacles, besetting the enforcement of the new Copyright Act 2059, experts say.

"Cases of copyright infringement are rampant in Nepal and both the government and the authors lose millions of rupees annually," general secretary of the CPSN Santosh Sharma said.
That apart, copyright infringement has its biggest toll on one's creativity and innovation. Such infringement not only stifles one's creativity and 'innovation drive' but also clog the growth of the economy and the society.

"This must stop now," says Sharma. "The proposed regulations will help enforce the Act effectively."
Since Nepal is in the process of joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO), its copyright and other intellectual property (IP) right laws must comply with the TRIPS (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Properties) by 2005.

The TRIPS agreement for the Least Developed Countries (LDC) like Nepal will become operative from January 1, 2006.

Experts claim the new copyright act is TRIPS-compliant and has made scientific provisions for effective protection of authors' rights.

One of the salient features of the Act relates to the provision of voluntary registration of art works that was mandatory under the previous Act of 2022 B.S. More importantly, the voluntary registration clears the obstacle that persisted in joining the Berne Convention.

"The CPSN has already sent a request letter to the government to speed up things to join the Berne Convention," said Sharma. "This will further strengthen the copyright protection system in Nepal, and Nepali works will also be protected in the countries, which are signatories of the international convention."

Similarly, the new copyright law also provides for a separate copyright registrar's office that will function under the MCTCA. Under the previous Act, the registrar's responsibilities fell under the jurisdiction of the National Library's chief librarian (under the Ministry of Education).
It also provides for a collecting society that is responsible for determining and collecting royalties and distributing them to the authors, or their authorised nominees/heirs.

Artists and authors have hailed the Act that will protect their works not only during their lifetime but also for another 50 years after their death.

Anyone infringing on another's copyright can be fined upto Rs. 100,000 along with a jail sentence of six months.Under the new law, the copyright holder reserves the right to transfer the economic rights over the works in part or entirely to a third party.

Nepal to open embassy in Kuala Lumpur

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb. 11: Considering the rapid increase in the number of Nepalese seeking employment in Malaysia, His Majesty's Government is all set to establish a Royal Nepalese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

As recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), a meeting of the Council of Ministers took the decision last week to establish an embassy in Malaysia. However, there are no immediate plans to appoint an ambassador. A charge de affair and a staff member will man the embassy, a source at the MoFA said.Promoting bilateral trade, exploring new employment opportunities for Nepalese workers and securing their rights in the Southeast Asian nation will be the main objectives of the embassy. Currently, more than 80,000 Nepalese work there.The embassy will be the second in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) after Bangkok. Nepal does not have embassies in Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines although it has diplomatic ties with them.