FRONT PAGERS
Monday, May 24th, 1999 / Jestha 11, 2056 B.S.

Talks between Koirala, Bhattarai

Girija Prasad Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai have begun talk on the formation of new government has begun between the incumbent and the future prime ministers, Girija Prasad Koirala and K.P. Bhattarai. The talk was focussed on the formation of the new government as soon as the results of all the constituencies are declared. According to party spokesman the two leaders may finalise their talks at the time of the new parliamentary party meeting.

Meanwhile, the future prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, talking to Nepal Television on Saturday, said he will follow and obey only the Almighty and no one else. He also said it was His wish that he was elected.

He said the line of people coming to him to become ministers is getting longer, but he said he would only make those who are capable and are graduates the ministers.

He said the Maoist is more a criminal problem than a political one and its solution is possible only by the use of force. He also said he was ready to talk with them, but they have shown no sign of coming to the table. Meanwhile, Sushil Koirala, vice president of the Nepali Congress has said the new government will be small one. He said the government should be of 15 member.

(Aajako Samacharpatra, May 23, Sunday)

Anti-Indians are defeated: Bhattarai

The future prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has said that the recent elections have defeated the anti-Indian elements and have made the friends of India victorious. He said this during a brief interview to Zee India television, a private Indian channel.

He said, "My whole education was in India, so I give priority to Nepal’s relation with India."

Saying, he was willing to resolve the Mahakali and Kalapani issues, he said he would try to resolve those problems with the cooperation of India.

He also said the Maoist issue also falls under the priority of the new government.

(Aajako Samacharpatra, May 23, Sunday)(Aajako Samacharpatra, May 23, Sunday)(Aajako Samacharpatra, May 23, Sunday)

Shailaja should go to parliament

Shailaja's plead that she should go to the parliament as a parliamentarian has been seconded by another woman of the Koirala family, Nona Koirala. Nona Koirala is also a member of the NC's Central Committee.

"It is necessary that a person like Shailaja should be in the parliament."

She said she was as sad at Shailaja's loss as she was glad as Congress's win.

She also said Shailaja's claim that she would fight from one of the constituencies vacated by Prime Minister Koirala, was right.

This has become a curious twist within the congress. On one hand people are curious about who, of the second generation leaders, will take the mantle of the Nepali Congress leadership, and on the other hand it is also perplexing who will take the political mantle of the Koirala dynasty.

Sujata's claim has created a sensation within the Congress. One of the winners, Sushil Koirala is also considered a strong contender to succeed Girija Prasad Koirala.

Meanwhile, it is still a mystery who Koirala will choose to contest in the constituency vacated by him.

Many people in the area believe Koirala has promised his daughter Sujata Koirala that he would vacate the Sunsari-5 constituency and give her the ticket from that constituency in the by-election.

Congress workers are also saying that Nona Koirala is pressing Girija to vacate the Morang's constituency No. 1 in favour of her brother-in-law Aamod Updhayaya.

(Himalaya Times, May 23, Sunday)

We will respect people’s verdict: Nepal

General Secretary of CPN-UML has said that the people wanted his party to sit in the opposition and his party would accept it. But he claimed that the verdict has provided that the UML is the only party which can work for the country and the people.

Speaking at a programme in Kathmandu he said though the poll results were unexpected, the result has proved that the people were not in favour of a split party.

(Aajako Samacharpartra, May 23, Sunday)

ML, RPP (Chand) also national level parties

According to the results of the General Election 1999, though the CPN (UML) and the RPP (Chand) were not able to send even one representative in the House, yet both the parties have won enough votes to get recognition as national level parties. It may be mentioned that a party has to win 3 per cent of the popular votes to be recognised as a national party.

According to the Election Commission, after the declaration of results in 195 constituencies, ML has been able to secure around 6 per cent of popular votes, much more than the 3 per cent needed. Similarly it is estimated that RPP (Chand) has won about 3.5 per cent of the total votes.

But on the other hand, the Rastriya Jan Moracha, the above ground party of NCP (Masal) has won in five places, but still it is not in a position to get recognition as a national party. It is estimated that RJM has received only about 1.5 per cent of the popular votes. Similarly, though the Samyukta Jan Morcha and the Nepal Majdur Kisan Party have been able to send in one representative each to the House, they have received even lesser popular votes.

According an EC source, the Nepali Congress by winning 106 seats (when this estimate was made) has won about 36 per cent of the popular votes. Because of the highest number of seats it has won and also the highest percentage of popular votes, NC has become the largest party.

(Deshanter, Sunday, May 22)

How many votes ML leaders received

This General Election has made it clear that nationalism canot be the agenda of one party alone. Also, it proved that politics is not a subject that like a song it goes in tune according to the music and dresses that go along with the weather.

It is also not a campaign which will be run by those who used their khukris 28 years back and then have been sleeping for that many years.

A burning example has also been given by the General Election that a political campaign cannot be run by the gold smuggled through the green channel of the airport. Politics has to go hand in hand with the realities of the society and its thought process. Those who ignore these facts while indulging in politics, they will have to face shameful defeats like Bam Dev and CP.

Here, we have tried to potray how much votes the ML, which split away from the main party, the UML, about a year ago and calling itself a super nationalist party, received in the election.

We are doing this to educate them and we have the hope that they will beat their brows and think about this. If one realises the mistakes of the past and has the guts to correct them, then it is easy to go ahead in politics.

The number of votes received by ML candidates in some constituencies in Eastern Nepal : Taplejung 1 Kul Prasad Upreti 1289, 2. Tej Bahadur Yakso 793, Panchthar 1 Bhupendra Nemwang 669, 2 Birendra Kumar Shrestha 702, Ilam 1 Kedarnath Bastola 357, 2Nobel Kemi Rai 768, 3Dharma Prasad Upreti 587, Jhapa 1 Dilli Kumar Mainali 2168, 2 CP Mainali 10,199, 3 Puspa Pokhrel 8219, 4 RK Mainali 5323, 5 Janga Prasad Chemjong 1896, 6 Devi prasad Ojha 3330, Sankhuwasabha 1 Durga Kiran Rai 2968, 2 Shyamsundar Sherpa 622,, Tehrathum 1Khagendraraj Sitaula5282, Bhojpur 1 Narendra basnet 4048, 2 Dhanaharka Rai 5772, Dhankuta 1 Rakam Chemjong 4685, 2 Rajkumar Rai 2280, Moran 1 Dhrubanarayan Shrestha 1552, 2 Lava Pradhan 1142, 3 Tara B. kafle 2080, 4 Rup narayan Shrestha 2219, 5 Mahesh Regmi 993, 6 Hari Prasad Ghimire 2354, 7 Jiban Kumari Ghimire 674, Sunsari 1 Dhyan Bahadur Rai 5799, 2 Malekhsmi Chaudhari 773, 4 Kaluram Gurung 623, 5 Madhav Kumar Pokhrel 337, Solukhumbhu 1 Bhim bahadur Rai "Kirati" 695, Khotang 1 Ganesh Rai 6143, 2 Hari Rokka 8312, Okhaldhunga 2 Lok krishna Bhattarai 3348, Udayapur 1 Ashok Rai 8356, 2 Bharat Kumar Thapa 1938.

(Chalphal, Sunday May 22)

Future PM’s Indian loyalty

Leader of the Nepali Congress and projected as the Prime Minister of the next government, who has a habit of uttering controversial and also anti- national sayings, spoke in a similar objectionable manner yesterday also. While talking to Binni Sharma of Zee TV of India, soon to be MP Bhattarai, showing more than necessary loyalty to India, said things which casts a dark shadow on such issues like the nation’s sovereignty, independence and integrity.

Bhattarai projected himself not only as a close friend of India but as a loyalist of that country and he said such objectionable things like he would take the advice and cooperation of India in every serious problems faced by the country.

During the interview, Bhattarai violated the very norms and foundations of the country’s foreign policy by saying, "I will give high priority to the country’s relation with India".

Whereas, the most vital part of nepalese foreign policy is to have relations at an equal footing with bothe neighbours China and India.

He also said," I will solve the Kalapani and mahakali issues with the understanding of India". Even Nepalese children know that solving the Kalapani issue with India’s understanding means leaving the Kalapani area in India. The future nepalese prime minister should have said that he will bring back Kalapani from India, isn’t it?

(Chalphal, Sunday, May 22)

NC starts process to form govt.

The peaceful holding of the Third General Election has heralded the arrival of a new dawn in Nepalese politics, in spite of the various rumours and predictions about the polling itself.

The Nepali Congress has started the process of forming the new government after the people have once more given it a majority.

The party projected prime minister and NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Congress president and prime minister Girija prasad Koirala must have received comfort and satisfaction.

It is said both the leaders have started the process for forming the new government.

Prime Minister Koirala has thought of the election as the people’s mandate against murder, terrorism, and for stability and development.

(Deshanter, Sunday, May 22)

The new parliament: House with a new look

The new faces will prevail in the third parliament. The voters this time have displaced almost 50 per cent old faces. So, everybody is curious how the new parliament with majority of new faces, will be like?

Of the results of the 197 constituencies declared so far, there are 125 new faces. The Nepali Congress has 61 new faces among its 107 MPs. In the UML there are 49 first timers among its 67 seats.

Even in the RPP, there are 8 new ones in its total 11 seats.

However more than a dozen old horses will be missing in the new parliament. But there are several who will not let their absence felt. It is hoped that they will not let the people down.

Meanwhile both the treasury and the opposition benches will be led by new faces. The treasury bench will be led by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and the opposition bench will be led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, both new faces in the House of Representatives. Bhattarai, especially will be the main attraction of the new House of Representatives.

(Himalaya Times, May 23, Sunday)

Three children kidnapped from CWIN

Three children were kidnapped in broad daylight from CWIN on Saturday.

The three children are Keshav Pariyar, Umesh Pangali and Raj Kumar Century (BK).

They were kidnapped from the CWIN’s children home by three foreign women who came in a vehicle with diplomatic registration number.

The children were brought to CWIN from the children home run by a British national Christopher R. Fraser. Fraser has been running a children's home in Pokhara. Fraser was recently arrested by police for paedophilia.

Last week a Frenchman, working in a project of the French government, was also arrested for indulging in sexual abuse of children. Both of them are in police custody now.

These children were recently rescued by the police from Fraser’s Star Light Children home in Pokhara and were brought to CWIN.

Police suspect those children were kidnapped by Fraser’s men fearing his secrets will be revealed. The police are still searching for the children.

(Aajako Samacharpatra, May 23, Sunday)

Weak organisation cause of defeat

The Nepal Communist Party (ML) and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chanda) are trying find to the cause of their defeats. Both the parties failed to win even a single seat in the recently held elections.

ML has called a meeting of the party next week and RPP has been planning to call the meeting shortly. Senior leaders of both the parties have resigned from their posts. As chairman of the RPP Rajeshwor Devkota and General Secretary of the ML Bam Dev Gautam have resigned from their posts, the parties are facing more problem.

ML was the third largest party in the last parliament and also was a major factor in the power equation.

Now, both these parties are under the same dilemma. Following their separation from their mother organisation, they have not only become weaker, but their very existence is at stake.

The main cause behind their defeats is their weak organisation. Most of the leaders of the ML and the RPP (Chand) were well-established leaders in their parent organistions. But after the split they, instead of strengthening the organisation, look towards the power only. They had thought their being in power and their past will get them through. They were wrong.

(Patrika, Friday, May 21)

Underground water to be taxed

In the last 6/7 years, the use underground water has increased tremendously. From big hotels to small houses, everybody is puming out the water beneath.But nobody has any data of how much water is their inside, and how to use them without making serious impact on the reserve.

Now, the government is planning to control haphazard use of underground water. According to a source at the Department of Irrigation, the government is thinking of bringing an Act, which will levy charge on the use of underground water.

(Patrika, Friday, May 21)

Who will be ministers

Nepali Congress has succeeded in winning a majority in the House of Representatives. Prime Minister Koirala has thus fulfilled his commitment to bring the party to the same position, of majority in the parliament, it had after the 1991 elections. Nepal Congress reaped the harvest of the split of the CPN-UML and the RPP.

The parliamentary party meeting of Nepali Congress will held soon and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai will be proposed as the party’s leader in the parliament.

But the party has already started its homework on the new government. Both Koirala and Bhattarai have agreed that the number of ministers shouldn ot exceed 25, but conflict has already seeped concerning the names and the portfolios of the new cabinet.

Bhattarai has proposed Ram Chandra Poudel as Deputy Prime Minister whereas Koirala wants Sushil Koirala for the post. Bhattarai wants Ram Sharan Mahat and Khum Bahadur Khadka as Finance Minister and Home Minister respectively, but Koirala wants Mahesh Acharya and Govinda Raj Joshi. Both the leaders have agreed making Taranath Ranabhat the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The names proposed by Koirala for ministers are: Govinda Raj Joshi, Narendra Bikram Nembang, Mahesh Acharya, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, P.L. Singh, Ram Krishna Acharya, Baldev Majagaiya, Tarinidatta Chataut, Jaya Prakash Gupta, Ananda Dhungana, Chakra Bastola, Afaltal Aalam, Khelnath Neupane, Gopal Rai and Binayadhoj Chand.

Similarly, the names proposed by Bhattarai are Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Omkar Prasad Shrestha, Hom Nath Dahal, Bhakta Bahadur Balayar, Chiranjivi Wagle, Bal Bahadur K.C., Vijaya Gachchhedar, Siddharaj Ojha, Govinda Shah, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh, Devendra Kandel, N.P. Saud, Dr. Gangadhar Lamsal, Dilendra Badu, Gopal Man Shrestha, Mohan Bahadur Basnet and Surendra Chaudhary. Koirala has proposed Koirala are Sashi Poudel, Sushila Swanr and Savitri Bogati among women, while Bhattarai wants Kamala Pant.

(Saptahik Janasatta, Saturday, May 23)

Maoists explode bombs

Nepal Communist Party (Maoists) exploded a bomb at Mahendra statue in Lahan Bazar of Siraha district the day before yesterday.

The statue has been cracked. On the same day, Maoists exploded another powerful bomb at the polling centre of Jhada VDC in Jhapa district. It is learnt that bombs were also exploded in Phidim Bazar of Panchthar district and Ourauni of Sunsari district. Recently a bomb was also exploded in Ishak VDC of Terhathum district.

(Asan Bazar, Saturday, May 22)

Army chief calls armymen to come to street

At the time when the country is going to form an elected government by next week, one of the major and sensitive organ of the government, the Nepal Army’s chief recently called army personnel to the street.

At the farewell party given in his honour the outgoing Army Chief Dharmapal Bar Singh Thapa, not only criticised all the political parties but also called all armymen to be united to fight against challenges presently faced by the country.

Blaming the political parties for the deteriorating condition of the country, Thapa said the political parties were going after personal and party interest only rather than country’s interest.

(Sanghu, Saturday, May 22)

Police don't obey court orders

Supreme Court has ordered police to release Journalist Deepak Khanal of Yojaha weekly, management assistant Danda Bahadur Gurung of Jwala weekly and ANNFSU (Maoists) Unit President Devi Bahadur Thapa Magar of RR Campus saying that their imprisonment was illegal.

The order letter was delivered on Friday noon but the victims have not been released saying that the jailor was not present.

(Mahima, Saturday, May 22)

24 police posts destroyed

Twenty-five polices posts in Maoists-affected districts of Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan and Jajarkot were destroyed this week. The police posts were destroyed because of insecurity felt by the people following the involvement of police in murder, loot and terror.

(Mahima, Saturday, May 22)

Mobile leaders defeated

This election saw the people’s wrath falling on the person who burnt the constitution, while enjoying all the benefits given by the constitution.People punished Gajendra Narayan Singh, who created animosity among people in the name of Sadbhavana, which means good-will.

This election also took revenge on those who were involved in corruption, falling of the government and creating political anarchy.

Leaders like Bam Dev, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Padma Sundra Lawati, shifting politicians like Kamal Thapa and Rabindra Nath Sharma of RPP, Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani etc. have also been punished by the people.

(Gatibidhi, Saturday, May 22)

Bam Dev secured, Madhav insecure

Despite shameful defeat in the election, Bam Dev Gautam has already announced that he would not resign from the post of General Secretary. On the other hand, Madhav Nepal is in insecure situation. The UML had contested election with the target of gaining majority. But it did not achieve its goal. Oli’s group within the party is active to oust Nepal from the post of General Secretary as the party failed to get majority in the election.

(Gatibidhi, Saturday, May 22)

Porno magazines in market

What is the demand for porno magazines in Nepal? Nobody knows for sure. But porno magazines can be found in the shops of Kathmandu, Dharan, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Narayangarh and Nepalgunj. Nobody knows who has been importing such magazines. The magazines can be found from the street to departmental stores.

(Saptahik, Friday, May 21)

We will not turn to Maoist

ML leaders, who were talking that their competitor was the UML, have been defeated badly. Even top leaders of the party failed to win. The ML leaders were saying they would win at least 20 seats. Now, the ML leaders are saying that the party was defeated as they had to contest the election under several adverse conditions.

It was said that ML would join the Maoists if they are defeated in the election. However, Rajendra Shrestha, one of the leaders of ML and a defeated candidate from Kathmandu constituency no. 5, says ML will not do so.

(Khabarkagaj, Thursday, May 20)

Small party’s existence in crisis

The existence of several political parties which emerged following the general election of 2051 B.S. are in crisis. After the present election political parties including RPP (Chand), Samyukta Jana Morcha (United People’s Front), Nepal Labour & Peasants Party and Nepal Sadbhavana Party are virtually marginalised and their existences are at stake.

(Khabarkagaj, Thursday, May 20)

Govt. will run for five years

Prime Minister proposed Krishna Prasad Bhattarai says that Congress government under his leadership will run for five years.

In an interview given to BBC Bhattarai said both PM Koirala and he had learnt lots of thing from internal conflict.

(Sarathi, Friday, May 21)

Door opened for smuggling

Sources claim that the smuggling of dollar, Indian notes and gold through the Tribhuvan International Airport is flourishing with the co-operation of police and employees of terminal duty office. It is said that the smugglers have got protection from political leaders and senior police official.

(Sanghu, Saturday, May 22)

We will work as watch dog of people

Nepal Communist Party (UML) General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal says that UML will work as watch dog of people in the coming days.

In a interview given to the BBC on Thursday, General Secretary Nepal said, "We wish political uncertainty and instability will come to an end, development process will moved ahead, corruption will be curbed, and we will work as the watch dog and police of the people."

He further said that UML will fulfill the opposition’s role constructively and responsibly.

(Sarathi, Friday, May 21)