Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King Gyanendra, Queen Komal and Crown Prince Paras observing Janai Purnima festival

King Gyanendra, Queen Komal and Crown Prince Paras observing Janai Purnima festival

KING GYANENDRA AND QUEEN KOMAL will leave for London on August 24 for a medical check-up. They will be accompanied by some members of the royal family. The royal couple is scheduled to return home on September 10. Earlier, the doctors had suggested that the royal couple get their health checked up thoroughly at a good hospital.

PRIME MINISTER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA AND members of the government talks team — minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani and minister Kamal Thapa — met with the King on Thursday (August 14) to apprise about the government's political agenda to be put forth at the third talks. PM Thapa briefed the monarch about the government's concept paper on the progressive political reforms. Meanwhile, the government talks team members also met with the leaders of Unified Marxist Leninist, Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP-Mandal), indigenous people and Dalits to brief them about the government's proposal on political reforms. The talks team members will also meet with leaders of other parties in the days ahead.

DURING THE FINAL NEGOTIATIONS ON Nepal's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), as the developed countries have asked that Nepal should adopt Union for the Protection of New Plant Variety (UPOV). "They have asked Nepal to adopt UPOV model of legislation, which is totally against the interest of 18.72 million farmers of the country," said Ratnakar Adhikari, executive director of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE). A high-level Nepalese team is currently in Geneva, Switzerland for the final and decisive negotiations on Nepal's WTO accession process. It is noted that Nepal is most likely to accede to the WTO in the forthcoming Cancun Ministerial Conference in September in Mexico. "The adoption of UPOV model of legislation means the restriction of farmers' rights to save, reuse, exchange and sell seeds," said Yamuna Ghaley of ActionAid Nepal. She added that the UPOV provisions only allow farmers to reuse protected material only after paying royalty to the legitimate breeders. Stating that farming is not business in Nepal, it is a matter of livelihood, the UPOV is bound to spell disaster for the farming system of the country. "Nepal must not agree on UPOV at any cost, even if WTO membership is cancelled," she argued.

IN A PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED ON Thursday (August 14), the American Embassy in Kathmandu has applauded the decision of the government and the Maoists to ëre-engage' in formal peace negotiations. "It has been the long-held view of the US government that a lasting resolution of the current conflict in Nepal cannot be achieved through violence, terror and military confrontation," the embassy stated, adding further, "For political stability and economic growth, it is important that both sides respect scrupulously the agreed code of conduct for the ceasefire." The embassy also called upon Nepal's constitutional forces and peace-loving members of civil society to support the negotiations and work together to end the current national crisis.

A WOMAN LOST HER LIFE AFTER SHE WAS CAUGHT in the crossfire between the security forces and the Maoists in the Dovan area of eastern Taplejung district on Wednesday night (August 13). Two other civilians were injured in the same incident. Security forces claim that the Maoists initiated the attack against their joint patrol team.

A MEETING OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE COUNCIL (NDC) — the apex constitutional body — met on Tuesday (August 12) to take stock of growing armed encounters of the Maoists and the security forces. The meeting evaluated the clashes but made no policy-decisions, a government source said. The NDC is headed by Prime Minister and its members include defense minister and chief of army staff.

THE BILATERAL DISCUSSION ON INUNDATION PROBLEMS between the high-level technical officials of India and Nepal held in Lucknow, India ended inconclusively. The discussion was expected to resolve issues of Khurdalotan, Laxmanpur and so on. According to Uma Kanta Jha, executive director of Water and Energy Commissions Secretariat, who led the Nepalese delegation, said that the discussion broke down after the Indian side refused to accept the Nepalese proposal of starting the dialogue based on understanding of the Standing Committee on Inundation Problem (SCIP), a joint body. The committee had reached understanding that no construction will be carried out in the border areas without its approval. The construction at Mahalisagar, Laxmanpur had not sought SCIP approval.

THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB) is preparing a program to give Nepal's private sector better access to world market and improve productivity through a technical grant assistance of US$ 400,000. This is stated in a press release issued from Manila. The grant is from the Japan Special Fund, financed by the government of Japan. The technical assistance is expected to help Nepalese private sector cope with the challenges that will come after Nepal accedes to World Trade Organization (WTO).