News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Mixed Reactions Towards Royal Address

There have been mixed reactions to the address delivered by King Gyanendra at a civic reception organized in the eastern town of Biratnagar Friday. Major political parties have not formally commented on the royal address but said they would wait and see the forthcoming move from the monarch. A Nepali Congress leader, Arjun Narsingh K. C., said that King Gyanendra's call for national unity was a positive move. A senior UML leader, Iswor Pokhrel, said that his party would like to see if the royal call for reconciliation would be translated into action. But the King did not say anything specific regarding his future move in his address. The Nepalese monarch and major political parties are at the loggerheads over the royal move of October 4 in which he dismissed the caretaker Deuba administration terming him as "incompetent" for failing to hold parliamentary polls scheduled in November last year. The major political parties including Nepali Congress and Unified Marxist-Leninist have termed the royal move as "unconstitutional" and have been organizing mass meetings to pressurize the King. Compiled from reports Jan. 05.

King Visits Tehrathum Headquarters

King Gyanendra inspected Myanglung, the district headquarters of eastern hilly district of Tehrathum, devastated in a fire on December 8. King Gyanendra had provided Rs one million from his personal fund for the reconstruction of the Myanglung. Earlier, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) had handed over a cheque of Rs one million to His Majesty during the civic reception program in Biratnagar Friday to be used for the rehabilitation of the Myanglung fire victims. The entire town was reduced to ashes rendering 300 families homeless and causing huge losses. The king stayed for 45 minutes and listened to the victims who sought relief measures. According to locals, the king listened to them with keen interest and expressed commitment to fulfill their demands. Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, who accompanied the king, said that king has directed him to manage the relief for the victims. The king asked the prime minister to manage the relief materials, to provide employment opportunities for the youths and to provide the victims loans through Agriculture Development Bank, the premier said. Compiled from reports Jan. 05.

US, Nepal Sign Pact

Nepal and the United States have signed a pact agreeing not to surrender each other's nationals to any other international tribunal or in third country without the consent of the other. Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya and American envoy Michael E Malinowski signed on the agreement Tuesday. "This step was taken to bring justice against war crimes and genocide," said foreign secretary Acharya. "Nepali soldiers, taking part in peacekeeping missions, according to the agreement, need to be tried in international court. They will be tried as per the respective country's law in case of any wrong doing." "We welcome the signing of this agreement as just the latest and most significant chapter in the ever-deepening bilateral ties between our two governments, and our mutual commitment to support each other in the all-important fights against terrorism," said ambassador Malinowski. "Both of our governments have the highest regard for international standards of human rights, and remain firmly committed to prosecuting anyone guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide," he said. The US had already signed such pact with India. Compiled from reports Jan. 02.

Bhutanese Refugees To Go On Hunger Strike

A group of Bhutanese refugees have warned that they will go on an indefinite hunger strike starting January 7, demanding both the governments of Bhutan and Nepal to announce the results of verification concluded in Khudunabari a year ago. They also demanded for an immediate repatriation and rehabilitation of refugees back to their homelands. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Camp Management Committee at Khudunabari refugee camp said the decision had been taken in view of the worsening situation of refugees and following a lull in the process of verification and repatriation. "Even after a year of verification at Khudunabari, the results are not disclosed yet. We made a number of appeals to both the Nepalese and Bhutanese governments but in vain," the release said. The refugees have demanded that the status of those who are already verified be made public and that the verification process be resumed in other camps 'as early as possible'. Compiled from reports Jan. 03.

2003 To Be Observed As Export Promotion Year

The government has announced a program to mark the year 2003 as the Export Promotion Year (EPY). The program aims at sustainable and reliable development of the export sector along with making it more 'organized'. "Besides carrying out aggressive marketing in the international sector, the government will honor the largest exporters, importers and other people that contribute to the export promotion in Nepal," said Krishna Hari Baskota, director general at the Department of Commerce, told reporters Tuesday. Under the program, Nepali exporters would participate in trade fairs in America, Canada, Japan, Brussels, Germany, India, Bangladesh, Australia and China, among others. "Such participation would be ensured through government's seed money and private sector's investment," said Baskota. The government has also planned to organize international exhibition in Kathmandu in November 2003 to promote the country's exports. Compiled from reports Jan. 2.

Private Sector Takes Over BPC

In what has been the largest privatization in the country, a consortium of Norwegian and Nepali investors have signed an agreement with the government to take over the management of the state-owned Butwal Power Company (BPC). Finance Secretary Bhanu Prasad Acharya, Water Resources Secretary Keshab Bahadur Chand and representative of the Interkraft Nepal, Bala Ram Pradhan, signed on an agreement to this effect here Friday. The Interkraft Nepal had bid to procure 75 per cent of the BPC shares at Rs 950.88 million. Of the total payments, the buyer had to pay Rs 874.2 million in local currency and the rest around US$ one million in foreign exchange. The Interkraft Nepal has already submitted 10 percent of the amount to the government and will submit 60 percent within a month. The Interkraft will pay 30 percent of the total amount to the government in the next two years. Similarly, the government has agreed to renew the power purchasing agreement between the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority and BPC for the next ten years, provide security to its properties and appoint two members in the seven-member board of directors. Constructed with the cooperation of the United Mission to Nepal in 1966, BPC owns 17.1 MW worth Jhimruk and Andhikhola hydropower plants and also owns 15 percent equity in the 60 MW Khimti hydel project. Gorkhapatra Jan. 04.

"Reconstruction Completed"

A senior official has said that reconstruction of three district headquarters devastated in Maoist attacks has been almost completed. According to KANTIPUR daily, Home Secretary Tika Dutta Niroula told members of the Social Justice Committee of the National Assembly Monday that reconstruction of district headquarters of Dang, Solukhumbu and Syangja has been almost completed. He said that the government, however, was facing financial crunch in completing the reconstruction of Achham, Arghakhanchi and Jumla district headquarters. The government is also paying only half of the stipulated compensation to the families of security personnel and civilians killed by the Maoists, he said. The government had decided to provide a compensation of Rs 750,000 to the families of security personnel and Rs 150,000 to the families of civilians killed by the insurgents. Compiled from reports Dec. 31.

SAARC Fails To Meet Deadline

The seven-member regional body, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), has failed to finalize the treaty framework of the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) within the given deadline. The 11th summit of the SAARC in Kathmandu had set December end this year as the deadline to finalize the treaty framework. The meeting of Committee of Experts ended here Sunday agreeing to finalize the treaty framework only after conducting an in-depth evaluation on implications of transition to free trade area from preferential trading arrangement among the member countries. The Sri Lanka-based consultant, Institute for Policy Studies, has been asked to submit the report by March-end next year. Kantipur Dec. 31.

Four Members Of A Family Killed

Four members of a family, including a two-year girl, were killed in a bomb explosion at Satberiya in the mid-western district of Dang last Saturday. According to police, some unidentified persons threw the bomb into their house as they were sitting by the fire in their kitchen. House owner, Khim Bahadur Thapa, was also injured seriously and is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nepalgunj, reports said. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the explosion. Police suspect the Maoist rebels to be responsible for the explosion. Compiled from reports Dec. 30.

PM Ready To Make Public Detained Maoists

Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has said that the government is ready to make public names of Maoist rebels detained in different prisons throughout the country. Addressing a function organized to mark the 58th birth anniversary of late King Birendra in the capital Sunday, premier Chand said. Saying that the only way out of the present crisis was dialogue, premier Chand assured that nobody will be kept in prison except in the case of those who have been found guilty. But the other side should also have to make positive efforts, he said. Mr. Chand said the common problem of the country is deteriorating law and order situation. The government alone and a single party cannot resolve the present problem and this is the time to devote for the welfare of the country, by giving up petty political interests by every individual and political party, he added. Compiled from reports.