News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

All Party Meet Concerned About Security

An all party meeting called by the Election Commission here Wednesday has expressed concerns over what they said deteriorating security situation in the country. Addressing the meet, Minister of state for home affairs, Devendra Raj Kandel, said the government was considering holding the elections in five to seven phases depending on the state of security and the decision to this end of the Election Commission would be final. The representatives of the political parties, however, suggested that as far as possible the elections should be conducted in as few phases as possible and that the span between two phases should be not more than one week. All sides stressed that security should be guaranteed at the time of election to the voters, the candidates as well as their representatives. The meeting also held discussions on the local body's elections too. Compiled from reports Sep. 05.

Khatri

NHRC Calls For Fair Polls

A delegation of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) called on Chief Election Commissioner Achyut Narayan Rajbhandari Tuesday and demanded that the Election Commission (EC) make adequate provisions to provide security to candidates as well as voters during the forthcoming general elections. The delegation, led by NHRC chairman Nain Bahadur Khatri, also demanded that the EC form an election monitoring group of independent people to observe the elections. The EC should take special initiative to create a conducive environment so that all voters could take part in elections in a peaceful way. Rajdhani Sep. 04.

Premier Deuba Returns

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the state of emergency would not be imposed in the country after the nomination papers are filed for the forthcoming mid-term polls. Thought the Election Commission is yet to publish election schedules, the common practice has been that nominations are filed 30 days ahead of the date of polls (that is, November 13 this year). "The government will arrive at a decision after consulting with political parties, security chiefs and HM the King," the premier told reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival Tuesday. The premier returned home after a nine-day-long visit abroad, including Brussels, London and Bangkok. Mr. Deuba did not speak on the arms deal with Brussels that has raised much controversy there over the import of 5,550 Self Loading Rifles for the Royal Nepalese Army personnel in fighting the Maoist insurgency. He also did not explain what made him to cancel his trip to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The premier is going to hold a crucial meeting with heads of security organs at his office Wednesday after which Thursday's cabinet meeting is expected to decide on the fate of emergency that expired last week, reports said. Compiled from reports Sep. 04.

Insurgents Destroy Powerhouse, Kill Farmers

A group of over two dozen armed Maoist rebels off two pipe bombs at Panauti† powerhouse at Khopasi† in Kavre district, adjoining capital Kathmandu, Monday night, causing extensive damage. According to official RSS news agency, the `terrorists' brandishing their weapons took the six employees at the† power house under their control. Installed with the economic and technical assistance of the Russian government† 37 years ago, the power house had been feeding 2,400 kilowatt of power into the national grid. In a separate incident, Maoist insurgents brutally shot dead at least four farmers, two each aligned to ruling Nepali Congress and CPN-UML and abducted two others early Tuesday in Tilpung VDC Ramechaap district, reports said Wednesday. According to KANTIPUR daily, a group of armed rebels shot dead all four farmers after dragging them out of their residences without mentioning any reason. The dead have been identified as Jhapad Bahadur Budathoki, 48, Prakash Ale, 46, Maheshwore Budathoki, 50, and 48-year-old Narayan Budathoki. On Monday, the rebels had killed another farmer in Bijulikot VDC whose name could not be known. The rebels also abducted Balak Bahadur Khatri and Tula Prasad Kandel in the same district, reports said. In eastern hilly district of Sankhuwasabha, the rebels hacked to death 63-year-old Jeev Prasad Dahal, a general public, on Monday evening without mentioning any reason. Compiled from reports Sep. 04.

Seme Court

Supreme Court Gives Verdict

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order to the government asking it to conduct he final inspection of the equipment belonging to the Channel Nepal Pvt. Ltd.-the first satellite TV company in the country-- within two months. A joint bench of Justices Govind Bahadur Shrestha and Dilip Kumar Poudel issued the directive in the name of council of Ministers and Ministry of Information and Communications. Though the Space Time Network (STN) - that runs the Channel-- had completed all necessary procedures to launch Channel Nepal via satellite some 18 months back, the government had been creating hurdles in the pretext of final inspection of the earth station and satellite-related equipment of the channel, the STN said. The Network had filed a writ at the apex court last year asking for the final inspection of its equipment. Compiled from reports Sep. 04.

Gaeso To File Two More Litigations

The Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation (GAESO)-- an organization of the ex-British Gurkha soldiers-- said that it was preparing to file two more litigations on behalf of the wives and children of the ex-British Gurkha soldiers in a London court. Addressing a meeting of ex-British Gurkha soldiers here Wednesday, President of GAESO, Padam Bahadur Gurung, said that his organization was preparing to file two separate cases of litigations on behalf of wives and children of ex-British Gurkha soldiers. He claimed that they were discriminated against by not being allowed to stay along with their husbands while they served in the British army. Mr. Gurung said that Gurkha soldiers who were held prisoners of war by the Japanese during the World War II have also filed separate cases in the London High Court last month claiming the payment of ten thousand pounds each. He said that if the British Ministry of Defense did not settle the matter outside the court, then over thirty thousand cases would be filed against the British government. GAESO has already filed some two dozen cases before the High Court of London for judicial review early this year. The British government says that there hasn't been any discrimination against the British Gurkha soldiers and that they are treated as per the 1947 tripartite treaty among Nepal, India and Great Britain. The treaty allows UK and India to recruit Nepalese Gurkhas in their national army. Leading dailies report Sep. 05.

Whereabouts Of Journos Made Public

As per the agreement reached between the government and Federation of Nepalese journalists (FNJ) on august 23, the Home Ministry made public the whereabouts of 16 journalists taken into custody under the Terrorist and Destructive Activities (control and punishment) Act. According to the ministry, journalists Om Sharma, Govinda Acharya, Manarishi Dhital, Khil Bahadur Bhandari, Dipak Sapkota, Nim Bahadur Budhathoki, Sambhakta Maharjan, Dipendra Rokaya, Dhan Bahadur Magar, Iswar Chandra Gyawali, Shiva Tiwari, Sangeeta Khadka and Meena Tiwari have been kept at the central jail in Kathmandu. Smilarly, Deviram Yadav has been kept in Saptari jail, Komalnath Baral in Kaski jail and Badrinath Sharma in Baglung jail, the Ministry said. All of these journalists belonged to pro-Maoist publications. Rights organizations say a total of† three dozen media personnel are still kept under preventive detention by the government. Compiled from reports Sep. 05.

Butwal Spinning Mills Shut Down

Nepal's largest thread-manufacturing factory, the Butwal Spinning Mills, has completely stopped production due to lack of funds. The company, which was set up with the technical assistance of the Chinese government in 1982, stopped production since Friday due to "lack of funds and bad management." Bad management and political interference were the main causes for it to shut down. According to sources, although the government decided to hand over the management of the mills to Salt Trading Corporation (STC)-a leading public-private venture-- two years ago, the actual handover has been stalled leading to the collapse of the company. Some 450 people worked at the company, which has a capacity to produce nine tons of thread per day. Compiled from reports.

Pashmina Exports Declines

The exports of pashmina, a major export commodity, registered a sharp decline of 75 per cent during the last fiscal year compared to the previous year. According to the Handicrafts Association of Nepal (HAN), the total export of pashmina stood at Rs 1.41 billion in 2001/2002, down from Rs 5.64 billion the previous year. Only Rs 377.37 million worth of pashmina was exported to India during the year well below 1.67 billion mark the previous year. Indian businessmen are said to be exporting Nepalese pashmina products in international market after importing it from Nepal. Likewise, pashmina exports to the US, the second largest market, declined by about 82 per cent to Rs 201.75 million. Last year, it was recorded at Rs 1.10 billion. Slowdown in global market and domestic disturbances have been blamed for the very poor show of the pashmina exports this year. Compiled from reports.