News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Two Journos Released, One Kidnapped

The police on Monday released editors of two Nepali language weeklies-Kishor Shrestha of Jana Astha and Bishnu Ghimire of Jana Prahar - within 24 hours of their arrest, reports said. They were taken into custody on charge of printing "malicious and defamatory news reports." Shrestha was picked up from his office Sunday afternoon by a group of plainclothes policemen and was taken to Hanumandhoka police station in the capital. Police said they were interrogating him in connection with a news report published in the weekly related to unauthorized services acquired by Valley Crime Investigation Section's Chief, superintendent of police Ram Chandra Khanal, from a five-star hotel in the capital. Similarly, Ghimire was arrested on complaints that he tried to "extort" a sum of Rs 10,000 from the owner of the National Dance Restaurant in Lalitpur. Both Shrestha and Ghimire tendered written apology in connection with the reports published in their newspapers, reports said. Meanwhile, Dhan Bahadur Rokka Magar, news reader in Kham Magar language from the Surkhet station of Radio Nepal, has been abducted by Maoist rebels from the bus he was traveling in at a place called Jaluke bordering Rolpa and Pyuthan districts in mid-western Nepal. Magar was among half a dozen people kidnapped by the Maoist rebels on August 1. Purna Bahadur Shahi, an officer with the British charity, Gorkha Welfare Trust, was also abducted from the same place. Meanwhile, the Royal Nepalese Army has said it would investigate and taken action against the soldier who assaulted Bardiya-based reporter of the Kantipur daily, Kamal Panthi, last week. In a statement issued Monday, the RNA headquarters said that necessary action would be taken against the soldier after proper investigation. Compiled from reports Aug. 6.

British Charity Official Kidnapped

A welfare official attached to a British charity in Nepal has been kidnapped by a group of unidentified people along the Rolpa-Pyuthan border in mid-western region on Friday, the British embassy in Kathmandu said. According to the embassy, Purna Bhadur Shahi, assistant welfare officer at the Gurkha Welfare Scheme (GWS) for Rapti zone was kidnapped from the bus he was traveling in along with three other people at Jaluki, near Kimichaur. A civilian attached to the GWS and currently posted at Liwang in Rolpa district, Mr. Shahi was taking only administrative papers on a routine monthly trip to his head office in Pokhara. "The Embassy is deeply concerned by this action against a British Charity and its staff and asks for his immediate release," the Embassy said. Though the embassy has not blamed any particular group for the arrest of Mr. Shahi, reports say Maoist rebels were found responsible for arresting government officials and security personnel in the past. Officials haven't commented on the incident as yet. Compiled from reports Aug. 5.

40 Billion Worth Destruction Due To Insurgency

A senior official has said that Nepal incurred a loss worth an estimated Rs 40 billion (approx. 500 million US Dollars) in the last fiscal year 2001-02 alone due to destructive activities launched by the Maoist insurgents. Member of National Planning Commission, Dr. Shanker Sharma, told reporters, at an interaction program on Saturday, that while loss incurred in tourism, exports, business activities and transportation sectors due to security problems amounted to around Rs 20 billion, loss of infrastructure due to the Maoist attacks amounted to around Rs 16 billion and other losses have amounted to around Rs four billion. He said that loss incurred by the country due to insurgency was equivalent to 10 percent of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Dr. Sharma said that the only alternative to improve country's deteriorating economic situation was to increase foreign aid and loan while properly utilizing local resources. He also informed that leading donors of Nepal had agreed to assist Nepal at the tune of Rs 12 billion under the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). Kantipur Aug. 4.

K.C.

Task Force To Study Privatization Model Of RNACC

After years long dilemma, the state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) is finally heading towards its privatization. A task force formed by the government last fortnight to suggest criteria to incorporate private sector involvement in managing the Corporation is to formally launch its work beginning Tuesday. The six-member task force, led by National Planning Commission member Dr Shankar Sharma, is to submit its report within the next 15 days. Other members of the task force include Secretaries at the ministries of Finance; Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Council of Ministers and executive chairman of the RNAC. Minister for Culture, Tourism and civil Aviation, Bal Bahadur K. C., said that the task force would focus on measures for converting the national flag carrier into a public limited company. After receiving the report, the Ministry would look for strategic partners along with interested travel trade entrepreneurs and RNAC staff for sharing the ownership. Mr. K. C. said the government would retain majority shares and allocate the rest to other partners. Kantipur Aug. 6.

UML Alleges Govt. Of Misusing State Machinery

The opposition Communist Party of Nepal (UML) has blamed the caretaker government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba of misusing state machinery in the wake of forthcoming general elections. In a statement on Friday, the UML alleged that the government has been extensively misusing state-owned vehicles, including helicopters, for its party activities. It is against the democratic norms and election codes to direct various government institutions to construct welcome gates and compelling civil servants to be present at its party programs. The UML also accused the government of misusing the state-owned media and government machinery in promoting its party goals in view of the mid-term polls slated for November 13. The party said it would strongly oppose such malpractice. Compiled from reports Aug. 4.

EC Directs State Media On NC Imbroglio

Six weeks after the ruling Nepali Congress underwent a vertical split, the Election Commission (EC) has directed the state-owned media not to identify Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his colleagues as the office-bearers of the ruling party in a unilateral way. "It is against the EC's order to publicize the name of party office-bearers at a time when the dispute over the status of the NC is still to be decided," the Commission said. The EC also drew attention of the government to stop misusing the state mechanism during political visits under the pretext of inauguration, supervision and similar other programs. The EC also asked the Cabinet Secretariat to stop approval of new plans and programs and making donations with an ulterior motive to influence the outcome of the forthcoming elections. Meanwhile, spokesman of the GP Koirala-led NC, Arjun Narsingh KC, said the EC's decision is "positive" and demanded that the constitutional body deliver its final verdict on the NC imbroglio as soon as possible. Compiled from reports Aug. 4.

New Leadership At RBB, NBL

In consultation with the Finance Ministry, Nepal Rastra Bank(NRB), the central bank in the country, has intervened in the management of the state-owned Rastriya Banijya Bank and has appointed Basudev Ram Joshi as new Executive Chairman in the largest commercial bank of the country. "The NRB intervened as per the request of the Finance Ministry," said Governor of NRB Dr. Tilak Rawal. He said that limiting the deposit burden, trying to scale it down as far as possible, carrying out selective lending and initiating actions related to loan recovery on a war footing would be the top responsibility of the new management. Dr. Rawal said the government will still pursue the plan of handing over the management of the RBB to an international consulting firm after the unilateral backing out by Deloitte Touche Tomahatsu, a US-based company. Joshi replaces Ganesh Prasad Adhikari, who resigned from the post of Executive chairman on Tuesday. Similarly, the NRB has appointed Bharat Bahadur Karki as the coordinator of another state-owned commercial bank, Nepal bank Limited, beginning Thursday. Kantipur Aug. 2.

Donors Continue To Pose Tough Stand

Leading bilateral donors in Kathmandu continue to pose tough stand against the government's decision not to extend the term of elected representatives at the local bodies. The donors' have pushing the government hard for restoration of elected bodies or announce dates for early elections for 75 district development committees, 58 municipalities and 3913 village development committees across the country. Director of German Technical Assistance Agency, GTZ, in Nepal, Peter Rhode, said we (the donor community) are still urging the government to hold the local elections along with the parliamentary elections. "Two elections at the same time will not only be cost effective but will also be viable in terms of security management. The German Development Service (DED) has already suspended the assistance and called back all its employees working in various parts of the country. Meanwhile, British government's Department for International Development (DFID) has warned the government of withdrawing its support allocated for local development. "Danish Aid Agency, DANIDA, has also warned the government of suspending its fund. Compiled from reports Aug. 2.

"EC Doesnt Have A Formula" : Rajbhandari

So, how is the Election Commission (EC)-a constitutional body-is going to resolve six-week-old dispute in the ruling Nepali Congress? Let's have a look. In an interview with the state-owned daily on Thursday, chief election commissioner (CEC), Achyut Narayan Rajbhandari, said that his priority at the moment was to hold general elections on November 13 this year in a free and fair way. "The EC doesn't have a formula to resolve the Congress dispute quickly even if somebody wants it," he said. Mr. Rajbhandari added that he was not in a position to say how long it would take for the Election Commission to resolve the dispute. Responding to another question, Mr. Rajbhandarid said the EC had felt that there had been significant improvement in the state of law and order in the country for past sometime. "The responsible officials of the Police and Army have assured the EC that elections could be held in a peaceful way," he said. The CEC said the Election Commission was currently busy in updating the electoral roll and managing logistics for the elections. "We are also discussing about the international election observers who would arrive here to monitor the elections," he said. Gorkhapatra Aug. 1.

PM Deuba

"State Of Emergency Might Continue" : PM

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has hinted that the state of emergency might continue right ahead of the next snap polls. Talking to reporters in the mid-western town of Nepalgunj Wednesday, the premier said, " I don't know anything else. The state of emergency would continue until elections are held," RAJDHANI daily reported. He said he (his government) would hold elections by deploying 60 soldiers and 60 policemen in every VDC during the elections. The on-going state of emergency comes to an end on August 29. Official RSS news agency, however, quoted the Prime Minister telling the reporters in Nepalgunj that the state of emergency would be lifted during the elections. It did not give details. The Maoist demand for constituent assembly is irrelevant, the premier has been quoted as saying by the RSS. Compiled from reports.