COMMENT

Responsible opposition, please

The second phase of the nationwide protest programme of the CPN (UML), the main opposition party in the Parliament, began from Monday. The party had organised a more than a month long protest before that as well. After some new forms of protests like gheraoing what the party considered as corrupt government offices, forcefully stopping the use of government vehicles on public holidays and the ultimate bandh, the party had ended its protest with a huge mass meeting at the Open Air Theatre on April 8. Now again the UML has started a similar protest programme and warned the government that it will not allow it to function smoothly unless the demands of the UML are met. A senior UML leader even threatened that the party would not allow the 18th session of the Parliament, which is expected to begin in the first week of May, to run at all. But in the name of providing relief to the people, is the main opposition party acting responsibly by organising a string of protests only?

It may be recalled that even during the period after the first General Election in 1991, the UML, that time also the main opposition party, had disrupted normal life by going for frequent strikes, many times very violent ones and created obstacles for the then NC government. Now also, with the fear that the party will be virtually in oblivion for several years till the next general election, the UML leaders are probably feeling that they must make their presence felt by pushing the government to a corner. But what good will such a move do for the nation? For example, looking at some of the announcements of the party, it seems it wants to act as a parallel government, by initiating action against those that party feels have done wrong. As long as there is an independent judiciary in the country, is it a sound move for such a party to initiate such steps that would virtually be like taking the law into its own hands? There were complaints even during the last protest, of how UML supporters stopped even those vehicles that had permit to operate on public holidays. Yes, the government must be made to listen to the voice of the opposition, but it is the Parliament that is the best forum to do that. With the country already in a serious predicament with growing insurgency, diverting the government’s attention with street agitations would not be the wisest thing to do. The boat that the ruling party and the opposition are riding, is the same one. This must be well understood by all. And when outside threats are trying to sink this boat, it would not be in the interest of anybody inside it, to try and rock it.

We borrowed it from our children

It is all very well to celebrate the Earth Day with issues concerning the problems of the Earth today. But our actions have to go way beyond that. Our actions have to stem from a genuine care for our Earth, to restore its health and preserve it for future generations. Earth is suffering, a lot, and its illnesses are manifesting itself in forms of green house effect, depletion of the ozone layer, rising sea levels and many other ecological imbalances all created by man made pollution of air, land and water.

In our quest to consume as much as is humanely possible, we squeeze as much as we can from the Earth, be it forests, mountains, deserts, rivers and what have you. Little do humans stop to consider the effects their ever-increasing greed would have on the nature itself. Developing nations are way ahead in their exploitation and usage of natural reserves than other countries.

In Kathmandu, one needs only to go back thirty years, to see the visible detrimental changes this valley has gone through and is increasingly going through, thanks to over population and mismanagement of existing resources. It is a sick valley now - with a manifold of problems. The parched inhabitants of the valley resort to all means to extract water for their daily use. This is sure to have a lasting negative effect on the underground water levels and is sure to impact on other ecological factors as well.

The urgent need of the day is to stop overburdening the valley, create a suitable environment that would encourage people to stay in their villages or to migrate to less inhabited areas, manage the resources wisely and stop polluting the land, air and water.

People all over the world must learn to respect nature and take from it, only what is needed and use it wisely. Greed is destructive. We must all remember, we did not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we merely borrowed it from our children, so we must make all efforts to hand it over to them in the same state if not in a better condition.

World Bank: Developing countries growing faster in 2000

By Warner Rose

Strong growth in industrial countries, an “exceptional recovery” in world trade and higher commodity prices will help boost average growth rates for developing countries to 4.6 per cent this year and slightly higher in 2001, according to a new World Bank report.

The developing countries that are expected to grow the fastest are those that rely more heavily on trade, have more diversified economies, are attracting foreign direct investment and have “achieved recent gains in competitiveness,” said the World Bank’s Global Development Finance report, released April 4.

“Several economies in East Asia, EU (European Union) - accession countries in Eastern Europe, Brazil and Mexico exhibit two or more of these attributes,” the report said. China and India, with about half the developing world’s population, are also expected to “sustain fairly rapid growth while grappling with domestic reform issues,” it said.

Developing country growth dropped in 1997 and 1998 because of economic crises that began in Asia, then spread around the world.

Growth will be slower in oil-exporting countries — largely because of their debt overhang and the prospective moderation of oil prices — and in agricultural commodity exporters, the report said.

The global economy is forecast to grow by 3.5 percent in 2000, then slow to 3.2 percent the following year, the report said. The U.S. economy, which has been the main motor of the world economy in recent years, is expected to continue growing strongly, with a 3.8 per cent expansion in 2000. With the U.S. central bank — the Federal Reserve — expected to continue to raise interest rates, the U.S. economy should slow to 2.7 percent in 2001, the report said. The main European economies are forecast to grow 3.3 percent in 2000. Japan is forecast to recover slightly, with a 1.2 percent expansion.

While the systemic dangers to the global economy have lessened since 1997-98, “downside risks remains,” the report cautioned. These come from the need for four simultaneous transitions: a “soft landing” in the United States as the economy slows down, a change in Japan from fiscal stimulus to demand-led growth, the adoption of healthier financial and corporate sectors in Asia and adjustment in the oil-exporting countries. The report added that the higher oil prices pose “some additional risk in the near term.”

The rebound in world import volumes has been a significant factor in the global recovery, the report said. After slumping during the 1997-98 crises, world import volumes recovered during 1999 and “are now estimated to have grown 6.4 percent, about 2.7 percentage points faster than in 1998,” the report said. Largely behind the rebound was “a sharp recovery” in Japanese and East Asian imports beginning in early 1999 that was a result of fiscal stimulus in Japan, strong output recovery in the crisis countries and the real appreciation of the region’s currencies, the report said. The United States continues to be the world’s largest importer.

Private capital flows have been returning to the developing countries, with the change that foreign direct investment has become the largest category, the report said. Foreign direct investment totaled $192,000 million in 1999, compared with $130,800 million in 1996. The growth of direct investment “has been facilitated by the liberalisation of many developing economies and the growth of global trade and output in a context of rapidly falling costs of transport and communications,” the report said.

While projected growth indicates that overall the developing world has begun to recover from the 1997-98 crises, a group of 41 low-income countries, with more than 1,000 million people, is barely growing at all, said the report. Most of these countries are in Africa.

The improvement in prices for basic commodities has helped many developing countries, but except for oil and metals, few of these increases have been “especially robust,” said the report. While agricultural commodity prices appeared to be recovering, they remain volatile, the report said.

Security at TIA- Nepal’s headache

The proposal of posting Indian Security at TIA should be thrown out of window without even giving it a glance. I believe the proposal came up because of the incident of hijacked Indian Airlines just a couple of months ago. But the fact, as I have been informed by media, is that half of the hijackers as well as the weapons used in hijacking were all aboard that plane before it landed at TIA. (Unfortunately the incident took place after the plane left TIA.) Now, how does this fact lead to the need of  Indian Security at TIA?

I am not saying that our (Nepali) security management at TIA is one of the best.  The responsible ministry, organizations, and people must act wisely to come up with effective solutions to this problem. But posting Indian Security is NOT the one. Actually, it would be the beginning of another problem which Nepali people don’t need. Beside, everybody have an idea of the actual intention of Indian Government behind their insistence.

I don’t know about our so-called politicians and “wannabe” leaders but the people know where Indian Government is heading with this issue. So I call for an out and out rejection of this proposal by every concerned Nepali. Let those bribe-hungry, so-called “Nepali”, and “wannabe” politicians/leaders know that the power (or chairs) which they are enjoying so much is given by Nepali people and it can be snatched away from them by the same manner if they keep on fooling around with Nepal and Nepali people.

TIA is Nepal’s property so it is Nepal’s headache to deal with.   We may need some help from outside (in different forms) and that is on goodwill basis as well as ideas regarding positive development  of our existing security management problem at TIA. But we definitely don’t need Indian security people posted in the heart of our country. Wake up Nepali and smell a conspiracy!!!

A Nepali
U.S.A.
Via Internet

Girija no good for Nepal

We Nepalese staying in  various parts of North America, are very   anxious and furious about the step the  (Prime Minister) Girija may take against Nepal and her people. We never think that he will do good to Nepal.

If he allows Indian securities to operate in TIA, he is totally anti nationalist and it is better for Nepal and Nepalis if he did not exist.

Do you think Ganga Lal , Sukra Raj, Dashrath Chand and many other martyrs got martyrdom to make a person  like  Girija, a PM of Nepal? They sacrificed their lives for the people. Girija is a power greedy fellow, will not hesitate to even compromise on Nepal’s  sovereignty for personal benefit. Due to our misfortune, we have such a person as our PM. It is  for that is the reason  that India   is able to bully the Nepalese people. 

(But) who is going to stop Girija from inviting trouble to his country? Even UMLs are busy  diverting the people’s mind from this vital national issue by arranging mass rally against corruption which is necessary - but not now. Perhaps UML is helping Girija. There are many evidences that clearly show that UML is indirectly helping congress Girija.

Are some leaders in UML  playing drama to prolong the political life of Girija. This needs to be analysed and acted upon fast.

L.P. Pradhan
Texas
Via Internet

Lobbying for  the Gurkhas

The Gurkha Army ex-servicemen’s organisation delegation has been very successful in lobbying the plight of the Gurkhas issues’ in the 56th session in Human Rights meeting from 20 March-28 April 2000 in Geneva.

On 13th April, the GAESO presented a paper in the main podium and on the 14th, it organised a 25-minute documentary video programme followed by  panel discussion on the plight of the Gurkhas.

Yam Bahadur Gurung
General Secretary
GAESO