News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Govt. To Announce Its Talks Team Within A Week

After the four big parties — Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and People's Front (PF) ñ boycotted the all party meeting called by the Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand on April13, the government has said it will now go ahead on its own. "We are still hopeful these parties will cooperate in the peace process," said Ramesh Nath Pandey, spokesperson of the government and the Minister for Information and Communication. Chand discussed with leaders of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) and other smaller parties outside the parliament. The government has announced that it will announce its full-fledged talks team within a week. It is the third time the mainstream parties boycotted the meeting called by the Prime Minister. The parties have been demanding that an all-party government should hold talks with the Maoists and not the "unconstitutional" Chand government. Compiled from reports.

Four Parties Announce Agitation

The four parties NC, UML, NWPP and PF have announced that they will conduct joint agitation to protest the regressive moves. The parties have decided to hold mass meeting in Kathmandu on April 23 to announce a series of protest programs. The meeting of the leaders of four parties held at Balkhu, the headquarters of the UML, decided to organize mass gathering of former village development chairmen, mayors and deputy mayors in Kathmandu on April 24. Meanwhile, student organizations affiliated to various political parties have decided to continue their agitation which began with demands for roll-back in the price hike of petroleum products and intensified after a student leader was killed in police firing in Butwal last week. The student organizations now say they would hold agitation in order to establish political rights. They have announced a series of protest programs including organizing Nepal Bandh on April 20, 28 and 29. Compiled from reports.

Rift In UML

Two and a half months after its seventh convention, the rift in the UML has once again come to the fore with majority and minority factions trading serious charges against each other. Khadga Prasad Oli, who had challenged the leadership of general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal during the convention, has accused that the majority faction has published the political report including issues that were contrary to what was endorsed by the party convention. He pointed to deletion of phrase that said "the party was willing to consider all options including constituent assembly". He also accused the party leadership of contravening other mandates of the convention. Oli's accusations come a day after party general secretary Nepal said dissident leaders were playing like pawns of regressive forces. Compiled from reports.

Bhattarai Meets With Professors

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, convener of the Maoists talks team, met with professors including vice chancellor of Kathmandu University Suresh Raj Sharma on Monday (April 14). According to sources close to the Maoists, they discussed about issues like constituent assembly and interim government. Professors also expressed their queries regarding what Maoists have been calling new model of democracy. Sources added that during the meeting, the professors said they wanted the Maoists to transform the peace talks into permanent peace and assured of all kinds of help. Leading dailies report.

Pun Hopeful Of Permanent Peace

Narayan Singh Pun, Minister for Works and Physical Planning and chief government negotiator, said the talks with Maoist leaders on Sunday (April 13) had made him more hopeful about the prospects of permanent peace in the country. "You can call it whatever you like formal or informal meeting," said Pun referring to his impromptu meeting with the members of the Maoist talks team on Sunday held after the government released two central leaders of the Maoists Krishna Dhoj Khadka and Rekha Sharma. Inaugurating the Ilam Festival in the eastern town, Pun also said that the government was close to expanding its talks team. Compiled from reports.

Three Ministers Sacked

King Gyanendra sacked three ministers of the six-month-old Lokendra Bahadur Chand government on Friday (April 11). Devi Prasad Ojha, Minister for Education and Sports, Mahesh Lal Pradhan, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies and Dharma Bahadur Thapa, Home Minister, were fired at a time when various student organizations affiliated to different political parties had been organizing agitation programs across the country to protest the hike in the price of petroleum products as well as the killing of one student leader in Butwal by police firing. All three Ministers who were sacked were somehow related to the current unrest in the country. Ojha looked after the education sector, Pradhan was responsible for the supplies and pricing of petroleum products and Thapa in charge of law and order. Thapa was also dropped amid charges that he adopted hawkish approach and was not too keen on talks with the Maoists. According to official statement from the Royal Palace, the cabinet reshuffle was made on the advice of Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand in accordance with the article 127 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990. As per the temporary arrangement, Prime Minister Chand keeps the education and industry, commerce and supplies portfolios while the home portfolio goes to Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal. Compiled from reports.

Chand Warns Parties They Will Be Left Out Of Talks

Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has warned that the parties that do not take part in the Sunday's (April 13) all party meeting will be left out of the crucial peace talks with the Maoists. "If I don't call them in the meeting, they complain of non-transparency and if I call them, they boycott it. This time, we will form the peace negotiating team including members of parties that take part in the all party meeting," said Chand addressing a mass meeting in Phidim, Ilam on Saturday. Chand indicated that the government will announce its full-fledged peace negotiating team on the Nepalese New Years' Day (April 14). In an unusually strong-worded address PM Chand accused the political parties of trying to foil the peace process. "Instead of engaging in politics by exploiting school and college kids, they would do better by participating in the all party meeting and help us in resolving the crises facing the country," Chand said responding to news reports that leaders of all party meeting would once again boycott the meeting called by him. Chand also said that his government was in a hurry to hand over the power to elected government by holding polls as soon as possible. Chand also came down hard on the accusations that the government was going down the path of regression. "If they have any proof that this government has breached any article of the constitution, they are welcome to seek remedy from the Supreme Court," said Chand. Meanwhile, Chand defended the government's decision to hike the price of petroleum products. He said the government would soon provide relief to the people by distributing coupons that will entitle them for subsidized rate of kerosene. Speaking about the recent sacking of three ministers, Chand said that the ministers had been working honestly and that the "cabinet reshuffle" was a routine affair. Compiled from reports.

Nepal Calls Dissidents Pawns Of Regressive Force

Three days after four dozens of party leaders petitioned protest letter accusing the party leadership of unstable stances and power lust, general secretary of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal reacted strongly and alleged them of being pawns of regressive forces. "The regressive forces have called these dissatisfied persons and have used them as their pawns. We will expose these incidents in due time," said Nepal. On the other hand, Khadga Prasad Oli, senior leader of UML, defended the dissenting party leaders. "Whatever they have done is in the interest of the party," he said. Leading dailies report.

Maoists Meet With EU Representatives

The talks team of Maoists led by its coordinator Dr. Baburam Bhattarai met with the Kathmandu-based representatives of the European Union (EU) on Thursday (April 10). "We had very cordial and positive talks," said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a member of the Maoists talks team, after the meeting. Three officials of EU including its chief Kathmandu representative Rudier Wenk met with the Maoist team. "They expressed happiness over the ceasefire and stressed on the need to transform it into permanent peace," said Mahara. "The EU said it was willing to extend help in the villages if peace prevails." The meeting of the Maoist talks team with the EU representatives comes two weeks after Dr. Bhattarai said he was willing to meet with representatives of foreign missions to put his case before them. Kantipur daily reports.

Govt To Modify Security And Development Plan

The government is preparing to modify and upgrade the Integrated Security and Development Program (ISDP) at the earliest to expedite the existing development projects in the insurgency-hit region. The ISDP was formulated to provide development and security in an integrated manner in the insurgency-hit areas. "The program will continue but with a new name of Internal Peace and Development Program (IPDP)," an official at the National Planning Commission (NPC) said. The government will continue ISDP under the name of IPDP in 15 districts in the country. Following the ceasefire, there is an opportunity to implement the development projects launched in the remote districts. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Handicapped American Reaches Base Camp

Defying all the odds, Team Everest 03, an expedition team of Americans, Nepalis and other nationals, which contained majority of persons in wheels with severe challenges, including limbs, arms and other impairments survived significant impediments to make their way to the base camp of the Mt. Everest. The U.S. Embassy, Kathmandu has announced that in the spirit of the 50th anniversary of the first climb of Mt. Everest, there has been a special expedition in Nepal to Mt. Everest this year. The success of these handicapped people has shown that there is no challenge too great that cannot be met with people with brave hearts. The team members returned to capital last week. Compiled from reports.