News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Nepal Refutes Butan's Claims

Nepal has refuted Bhutanese allegations that Nepal was responsible for delay in the joint verification of the Bhutanese refugees. Shital Niwas expressed "surprise and disbelief" over the reports. A spokesman at the Foreign Ministry, Gyan Chandra Acharya, said that a joint verification exercise of the refugees in the camps was agreed to by Nepal clearly shows that her intention was not to impose any non-Bhutanese people on Bhutan. "It is beyond one's imagination how of all the places a refugee camp could be a place for somebody's voluntary choice of residence," he added. Urging Bhutan to show flexibility and facilitate the process, Mr. Acharya said Nepal was willing to dismantle the camps at the earliest opportunity. Nepal had always been frank and forthright in the bilateral talks with Bhutan for the early reaptraition of the Bhutanese refugees. The Foreign Ministry was responding to a news report in Kuensel, the only newspaper in Bhutan, saying that Bhutanese King Jigme Singye Wangchuk had blamed Nepal—suffering from political instability-- for deliberate backtracking from the issue. Compiled from reports July 13.

India To Act Against Rebels

A senior Indain diplomat has said his government was already cooperating the Nepalese government in its fight against terror. "India would take immediate action against the senior Maoist leaders provided the Nepalese government informed it about their shelters in India," Ashok Kumar, acting Indian ambassador to Nepal, said last Wednesday. Talking to reporters in the bordering town of Bhairahawa at the end of a program organized by Nepal-India Friendship Association, Mr. Kumar said the Indian government would immediately arrest them (senior Maoist leaders) if the Nepal government provided information about their hideouts. " I have heard that some Nepalese leaders, including some opposition leaders of the dissolved parliament, have authentic information about the Nepalese Maoist leaders in Indai. He disclosed that an Indian intelligence department is closely monitoring leaders of the outlawed organization. He also recalled that India had provided arms and ammunition to Nepal and banned a pro-Maoist outfit to control anti-Nepal activities from its soil. Compiled from reports.

Nepalese-Chinese Chambers Sign MoU

The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and All China Federation of Industries and Commerce (ACFIC) have signed on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote Chinese investments and joint ventures in Nepal. As per the MoU, signed in the presence of King Gyanendra in Shanghai on Sunday, both the Chambers have agreed to increase contacts and exchange information with regard to trade, technical transfer and investment. They have also agreed to form a task force for trade and investment in hydropower, tourism, agriculture and transport and civil aviation to make practical recommendations for promotion of economic links in these fields. Both sides have agreed to promote visits of trade missions and project study groups from the economic and trade circles and cooperate in jointly organizing workshops, seminars, trade fairs etc. Both the Chambers said they will continue to cooperate with each other for expediting the activities of the Nepal-China non-governmental cooperation forum established in 1996. RSS news agency reports July 15.

Koirala's Plane Landed Safely

A private airlines plane carrying Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister GP Koirala and other top NC leaders landed safely at the Dhangarhi airport in the far-western Nepal Sunday afternoon although there were no staff manning the Air Traffic Control (ATC) center at the rural airport, reports said. When the non-scheduled flight of the Yeti Airlines reached Dhangarhi from Nepalgunj, most of the staff of the airport including the station manager, were absent. "We were stranded in the sky for over 20 minutes, as there was no response from the tower at the airport," said NC spokesman Arjun Narsingh K. C. The plane could land only after a peon at the airport broke open the office and played the siren in order to clear the runway, he said. Joint General Secretary of the Koirala-led party, Govinda Raj Joshi, said it was a very serious and irresponsible act and demanded investigation into the incident. There have been no comments from the government side as yet. Compiled from reports July 15.

World Bank Not To Provide Funds

The World Bank has refused to provide loans for privatizing the management of the state-owned Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) in order to focus more on poverty alleviation program, a leading daily reported Friday, quoting government officials. According to Sohan Kumar Shrestha, joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, the government was now negotiating with the Asian Development Bank to obtain nearly 40 million US dollars. Officials said it would take at least one year to hand over the management of the NWSC to a private sector company after fulfilling necessary procedures. Privatization of the NWSC management has been one of the major conditions set by the donors while investing in the ambitious Melamchi Water Supply project. The project, targeted to be completed by 2007, is a major donor-government initiative to meet the growing demands for drinking water in the capital valley. Nepal Samacharpatra July 12.

"Maoists Misusing The Name Of Mao?": China

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, reiterated in Beijing Thursday that anti-government forces in Nepal were misusing chairman Mao's name and that China had no relationship with them. Chinese government has extended its full support to Nepal in its fight against terror and has condemned terrorist activities taking place in Nepal. Meanwhile, chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of China, Li Peng, said China would continue to provide support and assistance to its neighbors and other developing countries. During his meeting with King Gyanendra, who is currently in a week-long state visit to China, Mr. Li said China believed all countries were equal regardless of size and wealth, an no interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country should be allowed. In response, the Nepalese monarch said that Nepal would uphold the one-China policy and that would not allow any activities in Nepal that would harm China's interests. Compiled from reports July 12.

Verdict On House Dissolution On Aug. 6

The Supreme Court is to deliver its verdict on the number of writ petitions filed at the apex court seeking reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives, chief justice K. P. Upadhyay said Wednesday. A special bench of the court comprising 11 justices has been hearing the petitions for the last few weeks. Over two dozen advocates and amicus curie (friends of the court) have already made their presentations before the august court. In similar cases in the past, the apex court had ordered the reinstatement of the House in 1995 while it had upheld then premier GP Koirala's decision to dissolve the House in 1994. Compiled from reports.

PM Deuba

"Talks With Maoist Commander Only" : Deuba

In what seems to be following the widely tested and tried strategy of "Divide and Rule," Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the government would hold talks with the commander of the Maoist guerrilla force. Addressing the workers of the splinter Nepali Congress in Pokhara Wednesday, the premier said the government will hold talks with those who have got arms. He said talks could not be held with Maoist leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Prachanda (said to be enjoying safe haven in India) since they did not have arms. He, however, did not take name of chief of the Maoist army, Ram Bahadaur Thapa alias Badal. Turn around in the Deuba's stand is attributed to the donors' emphasis on finding a peaceful solution to the Maoist insurgency in their recent meet in London. Rajdhani daily reports.

Two Left Parties Unite

Five months ahead of the general elections, two small left parties, United People's Front (UPF) and the National People's Front (NPF), that were represented in the now dissolved Parliament, have announced their formal unification amid a mass meeting here Wednesday. The new party has been named as the People's Front, Nepal (PFN). A 51-member ad hoc committee has been formed under the leadership of Amik Sherchan to pave the way for a bigger unity among the left forces. Lila Mani Pokhrel, Chitra Bahadur Ale, Pari Thapa, Kamal Chaudhary and Manoj Bhatta have been appointed as vice-chairmen, while Nawaraj Subedi and Ghanashyam Sharma as party's general secretaries and secretary respectively. Addressing the party workers, leader of the unified party, Amik Sherchan, said the unification was sought not just with an objective of making the party bigger or its leaders superior but purely in the general interests of the "tiller of the soil and the blue-collared workers". "The left parties have always been accused of not being able to forge an alliance and build unityÖtoday we have been able to overcome those accusations," said Lila Mani Pokhrel, the former UPF leader at the same program. The NPF had five members and UPF had one member in the now dissolved House of Representatives. Compiled from reports.

ADB Earns Rs. 93M Profit

The Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) has earned a net profit of Rs 93.2 million in the year 2000-01, up from the net profit of Rs. 88.5 million in 1999-00, a senior Bank official said. Addressing the 32nd AGM of the Bank here Friday, General Manager of the Bank Devendra Pratap Shah said in the year 1999-00, the total income of the bank stood at Rs 2.84 billion, expenditure Rs 2.49 billion and gross income Rs 350.3 million. The Bank disbursed a loan of Rs 8.09 billion in the year 2000-01, 13 percent up from the previous year. Similarly, the Bank recovered Rs 6.47 billion the same year registering 16 percent increase over the previous year. Since its inception 35 years ago, the Bank has invested Rs 51.51 billion as loan to nearly 500,000 farmers and recovered Rs 37.10 billion, officials said. RSS July 13.