It Won't Accept Rautahat Poll Results

The main opposition, Unified Marxist-Leninist party, has said that it would not accept results of the by-elections in one of the three constituencies that went into polls last week. General Secretary of UML and leader of the main opposition in the House of Representatives, Madhav Kumar Nepal, told reporters on Monday that his party would not accept the result of Rautahat constituency no. 4. He alleged that two ministers in the K. P. Bhattarai government, Minister for Works and Transport Khum Bahadur Khadka and Minister of State for Local Development Mohammed Aftab Alam were involved in massive rigging in the polls in Rautahat. The party has demanded that the government constitute an investigation commission to probe into the alleged irregularities that took place during the polls and culprits be punished. The party has also demanded re-polling in about one dozen polling booths in Rautahat-4 constituency. The ruling Nepali Congress had bagged all three seats in the by-polls held last week. Compiled from reports Dec. 14.

‘Corruption Has Risen In Nepal’

CIAA

A top anti-corruption official has claimed that corruption has become rampant in Nepal and it is on the rise. Addressing a press meet organized by the Transparency International Nepal Chapter here last week, Chief Commissioner at the Commission for Investigation on Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Madhusudan Gorkhali said that those who are powerful are the ones that indulged in corruption. "Without power nobody dares to indulge in corruption," said Gorkhali. "After the restoration of democracy in the country, those indulging in corruption and irregularities have been further invigorated," he added. Gorkhali, who recently participated in the ninth anti-corruption conference in Durban, South Africa, said that the Durban conference also discussed the issue of corruption in Nepal. Auditor General Bishnu Bahadur K. C. said that lack of transparency in the foreign aid provided to Nepal was also one of the causes for growing corruption in the country. Compiled from reports Dec. 14.

Eight Maoist Rebels Killed

At least eight suspected Maoist rebels, including a woman, have been killed during an encounter with Police in remote mid-western region on Tuesday. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Rajendra Bahadur Singh in Nepalgunj said that the rebels were killed during an encounter with Police inside a dense forest in Iribang village development committee in Rolpa district. Singh said that police have recovered probably the largest training center being used by the Maoist rebels inside the forest. He said that police have also seized a huge cache of explosives and rifles from the training center. Singh said that gun battle was going on between the police team and rebels till late Sunday. Further reinforcement had been despatched from the district headquarters, he said. No casualty has been reported on part of the police so far. Police also claimed that it was the greatest success achieved by the Police in the Maoist stronghold since the people's war was launched nearly four years ago. Compiled from reports Dec. 15.

Manisha Asks Youths To Promote Global Peace

Ms. Manisha Koirala, a leading Nepali actress in Mumbai, India, has called upon Nepalese youths to promote global peace and harmony in the new millennium. Talking to reporters, Manisha appealed to Nepalese youths to work hard and move with self-confidence in order to overcome problems like terrorism and unemployment. She said that events like up-coming "Global Youth Meet" would go a long way in promoting Nepal's image in the international arena. The National Youth Forum Nepal, an NGO, is going to organiae the event from December 28, 1999 till January 03, 2000, with the theme "Meeting of Minds on the Roof of the World." Nearly 300 youths from more than 50 countries of the world will gather in Nepal to bid good-bye to the 20th century and welcome the new millennium, the organizers said. Leading dailies reported, Dec. 16. (Photo)

‘Govt Is Not Serious Toward Promoting Exports’

A senior official at one of the government-owned body to promote exports from the country has alleged that the government is not serious toward promoting exports. Executive director at the Trade Promotion Center, Hari Adhikari, has demanded that the government award top priority to the export trade. He alleged that the majority government, too, was dealing in ad hoc manner toward the Center. In order to make Nepalese products compete in the global market, the Center must be made well-equipped, said Adhikari. He added that the Center was working as a pool between foreign importers and Nepalese exporters. "There is a need to make this Center autonomous rather than tighten government control on it," he said. Himalaya Times Dec. 15.

"I Did Not Talk To Boeing": Minister Gachhadar

Gachhadar

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, has said that he did not talk to the Boeing Company during his recent private visit to the U. S. Talking to reporters upon his return from the US, via Japan, at the Tribhuvan International Airport last week, the Minister said that he came to know about the state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation's decision while in the US. The Corporation had recently announced its decision to lease purchase a Boeing 767-300 ER wide body plane directly from the Seattle-based Company. "The government will extend every possible support to the national flag carrier to procure the new aircraft," said the Minister. Compiled from reports Dec. 17.

Majority Of Cancer Patients In Nepal Are Women

Experts have said that majority of cancer patients in Nepal are women. Senior Cancer Specialist, Dr. Madan Kumar Piya, has said that nearly 65 percent of estimated 40,000 cancer patients in Nepal are women. Dr. Piya said that most of the patients in Nepal succumbed to cancer as nearly 85 percent of them visited hospitals only in the last stage. Dr. Piya said that most of the women in Nepal were suffering from cancer in stomach, breast, uterus and lungs whereas most of the men suffered from cancer in head, blood and bones. Polluted environment and smoking were major causes of cancer among people, he said. Kantipur Dec. 17.

A Nepalese Diplomat Found Dead In Brussels

The dead body of deputy chief of mission at the Royal Nepalese embassy in Belgium, Jagdish Aryal, has been found within the cupboard at the upper floor of the embassy building in Brussels nearly two weeks after he had been reported missing. The 48-year-old diplomat was stationed in Belgium since August this year. AFP news agency quoted local press reports as saying that he was suffering from depression. He was reported missing on Nov. 29. Local Police have opened investigation into the case, the news agency said. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reported that the dead body of Aryal was to be flown in to Kathmandu. Foreign Secretary Murari Raj Sharma said that the government was seeking more information related to the death of Mr. Aryal. Compiled from reports Dec. 16.

Nepalese Rolling Mills Facing Crisis

Out of nine rolling mills operating in the industrial town of Birgunj, five have already been closed down whereas four more are on the verge of collapse. There are a total of 18 rolling mills all over the country. The availability of comparatively cheaper (by 5 to 8 percent) India-manufactured iron rods and smuggling of the same through common, open border are mainly responsible for the closure of the Nepalese industries, the mill owners said. They also blamed the government's policy of allowing the rolling industries to open more than the local market could sustain as equally responsible behind the present scenario. Industry sources said that Nepalese rolling mills have the capacity to produce 275,000 metric tonnes of iron rods every year whereas the annual consumption within the country stands at 180,000 metric tonnes only. Moreover, nearly 30,000 metric tonnes of iron rods are reportedly smuggled into Nepal from India every year. Nepalese industrialists, who have already suffered a loss of nearly Rs 500 million, have demanded duty facilities to the imports in their raw materials. Nepal Samacharpatra Dec. 17.