Withdrawal Of Polls Could Create Environment For Talks
Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala has said that the decision to withdraw the forthcoming municipal polls by the King could create an environment for talks. Talking to reporters at his residence in Biratnagar on Sunday (December 25), Koirala said there was no possibility of talks with the King at the present situation. Koirala said that the King has not controlled his steps towards hijacking people’s rights, which is widening the rift between him and the parties. “If he wants to have talks, the responsibility of creating a favorable environment is also his,” Koirala said. He also vowed to intensify the parties’ peaceful boycott of the polls. He also added that the King’s decision to withdraw the polls could also provide the parties with the basis to make new request to the Maoists to continue their ceasefire. Koirala added that the parties had done understanding and not agreement with the Maoists. He also termed as unfortunate the lack of initiative by the King in the aftermath of parties-Maoists pact. Meanwhile, upon returning to Kathmandu , Koirala told Kantipur daily that the parties were currently on the edge of sword. “If the Maoists extend their ceasefire, the King will hold election and gain recognition. On the other hand, if the Maoists start killing people, the (parties-Maoist) understanding will be disturbed and lead to difficult situation. We are on the edge of sword,” Koirala said. When asked how he will respond if the Maoists start ‘people’s action’ Koirala said he could respond depending upon the nature of such action. Leading dailies report.
Snow Blocks Highway In Far West
Thousands of passengers and hundreds of vehicles remain stranded following heavy snowfall that has blocked Sahukharka, Gaira, Hagulte and Ghanteshwore road sections of Dhangadhi-Bhimdutta highway in Dadeldhura district. Around 400 soldiers of far west regional division headquarters of Royal Nepalese Army and technicians of Road Department have been working hard to clear the road that remain blocked since the snowfall in Thursday (December 22) and Friday. Due to snowfall, electricity poles have uprooted at various place disrupting the supply of electricity to the region. Likewise, rural areas of Darchula, Baitadi, Bajhang and Bajura districts, too, have been covered by snow. The snowfall is reportedly the most heavy witnessed in last 40 years. Meanwhile, farmers in Jumla are pleased with the snowfall. They claim that the snowfall will help increase the production of barley, millet, wheat and potato, among others. Jumla airport is out of order due to snowfall and the VSAT connection of telephone has also been affected. Kantipur daily reports.
Govt. Never Expected Maoists To Cooperate With Its Poll Plans: Home Minister
Home Minister Kamal Thapa has said that the government did not announce the polls expecting cooperation from the Maoists. “Therefore, their threats of disrupting the polls was not entirely unexpected,” Thapa said, adding, “The government has made all necessary arrangements to ensure security to the polls.” Speaking at Bahas program in Kantipur Television, Home Minister Thapa said that the political parties now faced ‘real test.’ He warned that the government “would be forced to act as per the law if anybody tries to hijack the people’s right to vote.” He also claimed that the parties were now trapped in Maoist ploy. He said since the 12-point understanding (between the parties and the Maoists) talked about jointly disrupting the polls, it would seem like the parties have given license to the Maoists to do whatever they want. Compiled from reports.
State Will Be Responsible If Violence Erupts: Leaders
Leaders of the seven parties have said that the government will be held responsible if the Maoists resort to violence to disrupt the polls. “We are not in favor of asking the Maoists to hold ceasefire. It is meaningless to help the King conduct the drama of elections by having the ceasefire,” said Amik Sherchan, president of People’s Front (PF). Nepali Congress (NC) spokesperson Krishna Sitaula said it was essential to make the election failure. He urged the King to immediately withdraw polls if he wants to prevent bloodshed in the country. Bharat Mohan Adhikari, standing committee member of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), said that he expects Maoists to disrupt the polls in a peaceful manner. Adding that the Maoists had agreed to join peaceful politics in the recent understanding, Adhikari said no one should reach to the conclusion that ‘the Maoists would start beheading.’ Dr. Narayan Khadka, of NC (Democratic), said that the polls was becoming a testing event for both the King and the parties. He said his party had never supported violent activities of the Maoists. Kantipur daily reports.
Security Check Of Envoy’s Car Causes Tension
On Friday (December 23) night, tension erupted at the parking area of Hotel Yak and Yeti for few hours after security personnel posted at the American Center tried to search the vehicle of Chinese ambassador Sun Heping. Ambassador Sun Heping stays at the seventh floor of the hotel. The American Center is also located at the same hotel. After the envoy raised objections, the security personnel invited personnel of Armed Police Force (APF) who also demanded to search the vehicle. According to witnesses, the envoy then left the vehicle and went away saying on whose order his vehicle, which is not searched anywhere in the Kingdom, was being searched. Later, Additional Inspector General of APF Rabi Raj Thapa reached to the site. The counselors of both embassies also reached there and they ended the tension by agreeing that their vehicles would not be searched in the future. Kantipur daily reports.
Maoists Signal Ending Of Ceasefire
Signaling that they could end their unilateral ceasefire, Maoists have announced programs to disrupt the forthcoming municipal polls. In a joint statement issued by Maoist chairman Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Maoists have said that the government took ceasefire as their weakness and 12-point accord as ploy. The statement came two days after vice chairman of the Council of Ministers Dr. Tulsi Giri claimed that the government had broken the back of terrorism. The Maoists have also urged the United Nations and other international community to stop all kinds of assistance to the current regime. Meanwhile, leaders of major political parties have said that following the King’s indifference to the parties-Maoists accord, the nation is heading towards dangerous situation. Leading dailies report.
Nepal Terms Giri’s Remarks As Aimed At Splitting Seven Parties
General Secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that Dr. Tulsi Giri’s remarks are aimed at splitting seven parties agitation. On Tuesday, Dr. Giri, vice chairman of the Council of Ministers, had said that while the Nepali Congress (NC) mass meeting in Biratnagar drew only 7 to 8 thousand people, the same by UML had drawn 25 to 30 thousand people. Dr. Giri indicated there was mystery in that. “Giri’s arguments give the impression that he has gone out of his mind,” Nepal told reporters. Likewise, NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel, speaking at Reporters’ Club, said Giri had spoken the mind of the palace by making it clear that the State is not in favor of peace but confrontation. Jhal Nath Khanal, of UML, countered Giri’s arguments that February 1 move was not a coup. “What do you call army men breaking into media houses?” Khanal asked. Leading dailies report.
RPP Face Further Dissensions
A dissident faction with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) led by its vice president Padma Sundar Lawati and Home Minister Kamal Thapa and including half a dozen central working committee members have applied pressure on the party establishment to accept the municipal polls. The dissident faction, dissatisfied over the indication of the party establishment led by president Pashupati SJB Rana that the party might not take part in the polls, has called for special general convention of the party. They have given the ultimatum of nine days for calling the same. Analysts predict that the RPP could face another split on this issue. Leading dailies report.
Health Act To Be Amended
Even as the government is preparing to introduce an ordinance to amend the Health Service Act, stakeholders related with public health service have claimed that the move could be counterproductive. The amendment aims to bring down the service age of public health professionals and doctors by two years, which in turn could lay off 4000 skilled manpower within one year. “This amendment, which is being introduced without any consultations with stakeholders, proposes to transform provisions related to transfer, promotion and age-limit of the professionals,” said a source at the Ministry of Health. The amendment plans to bring down the age limit from existing 60 years to 58 years for the public health professionals. At present, there is one health center in every VDC, one hospital in every district, 15,228 centers for immunization, 3190 sub health posts and 698 health posts. There are acute shortages of skilled health workers and doctors in remote districts. Observers say that in such a situation, the state will lose if available professionals, too, are made to retire earlier. Kantipur daily reports.
Chinese Arms Worry India , Says Pranab
India is worried about reports that China and Pakistan are giving Nepali military help, Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee was quoted as saying on Tuesday in New Delhi. “There is a problem,” Mukherjee said when asked for comment on military assistance from China and Pakistan to Nepal to help its army crush a Maoist insurgency, The Asian Age newspaper said. This is the first time India has said publicly that it is concerned over Chinese and Pakistani military aid to Nepal . New Delhi is trying to settle the issue at the diplomatic level, the newspaper quoted the minister as saying. “Lets see how we can resolve it,” he said. New Delhi , which had been Nepal ’s biggest weapons supplier, cut off non-lethal arms shipments to Nepal after King Gyanendra sacked the government and took over in February. Analysts have suggested that New Delhi has become increasingly alarmed over growing Chinese and Pakistani influence in Nepal . India , along with Britain and the United States , has suspended arms supplies. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
UML Leader Receives Death Threat From Maoists
Despite the 12-point understanding, Maoists have threatened a UML leader of Nuwakot district. Binda Dhungana, member of UML Nuwakot district committee, has been threatened by the Maoists who blame her as being informer. At a press conference organized by All Nepal Women Organization – women wing of the UML – president Bidya Bhandari condemned the Maoists for such threats. “The Maoists must change their policy and practice as per their commitment,” Bhandari said. Leading dailies report.
Election Symbols Of Only National Parties Will Be Secure
The election symbols of many parties are under threat after the Election Commission (EC) decided that only the symbols of national parties will be made secure. Other symbols will be distributed to independent candidates at the forthcoming municipal polls. After finding that its symbol is under threat, Nepali Congress (Democratic) has termed the move as a conspiracy. It has urged the EC to reconsider its decision. Meanwhile, reports say that the EC will distribute election symbols to independent candidates except those of the four national parties including the Nepali Congress (NC) and UML. EC spokesperson Tej Muni Bajracharya, however, added that these symbols will be made secure for the parties in parliamentary polls. Kantipur daily reports.
