KING GYANENDRA lamented the growing digital divide between the developed nations and the rest of the world while addressing the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS) at Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. The conference, which is also attended by the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, is the important second phase of the World Summit of the Information Society. “We believe that there should be a mechanism to facilitate meaningful participation on Internet governance to accomplish the vision of the declaration principles of the WSIS,” King Gyanendra said, addressing the summit on November 16. He also stressed the need to harmonize technical and policy issues to the advantage of the global community even as the King expressed commitment to the Geneva Declaration of Principles.
US AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL, James F. Moriarty, has said the US government is working with the Indian government to forge a common vision “to help restore peace, prosperity and democracy” in Nepal. “The United States and India share a common goal for Nepal - to help it restore peace, prosperity, and democracy for the Nepalese people. Because of this goal, I have come here for two days to meet with colleagues in the US Embassy and officials in the Indian government,” Moriarty said in a statement, which was distributed at a press conference he organized in New Delhi on Thursday (Nov 17), reported Nepalnews.com. He added that his visit to the Indian capital, which coincides with the string of visits there of Nepali opposition political leaders, was part of the “latest series of discussions with Indian government officials on the situation and developments in Nepal.” Such regular diplomatic exchanges help coordinate efforts where practicable to support our similar vision for Nepal, the US envoy said informing that he met with Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, among others, in Delhi. “We discussed the continued need for the King to reach out to the political parties to find an effective way to work toward restoring democracy and to address the threat of the Maoist insurgency.” Saying that the discussion with Saran was friendly and constructive, and that both expressed “broad agreement on the way forward on Nepal”, the US envoy said in his statement, “I told him that the United States welcomes attempts by Nepal's political parties to convince the insurgents to rejoin the political mainstream.” He added, “I noted that the political parties have publicly ruled out any formal relationship with the insurgents, unless and until the Maoists firmly renounce violence, put down their weapons, and commit to supporting the democratic process.” The series of political visits to India, accompanied by the visits of US and Indian envoys, come at a time when seven opposition parties are talking about negotiations with the Maoists to bring them to the political mainstream.
SIX FORMER CHIEF JUSTICES have issued a joint statement saying their attention had been seriously drawn over the “unwarranted comments” against judiciary in recent times. They have stated that since independent and strong judiciary is the foundation of democracy, nobody should influence its administration of justice. They have also stressed on the culture of acceptance and respect of decision of the Supreme Court. The six CJs include Surendra Prasad Singh, Trilok Pratap Rana, Om Bhakta Shrestha, Keshab Prasad Upadhyaya, Gobinda Bahadur Shrestha and Hari Prasad Sharma.
THE DONOR AGENCIES AND the agencies of UN have urged the government to withdraw the recently introduced NGO Code of Conduct. UN Resident Coordinator Matthew Kahane, on behalf of major donors including residential embassies and UN agencies, has said, in a letter to the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Durga Shrestha that the donors believe the Code of Conduct was not conducive to improving NGO governance and fostering NGO endeavors. “It is inconsistent with Nepal’s commitment and obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other international human rights instruments,” stated the letter. The donor community believes the Code of Conduct clearly provides a means for undue political interference and it is also likely to hinder critical development activities, as the independence and impartiality of NGOs are essential to work in rural areas and to support the population affected by the conflict.
THE NEPAL OIL CORPORATION (NOC) has stopped supplying fuel to three airlines after the latter failed to pay their outstanding dues. Cosmic Air, Gorkha Air and Heli Hansa have dues outstanding with the NOC. “We were compelled to stop supplying fuel to them after they did not pay the dues despite repeated requests,” said an official at NOC. The NCO is currently suffering huge losses of Rs 550 million a month. It has also paid a partial amount of its total dues for November to the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). The NOC paid Rs 1.54 billion (out of total dues of Rs 2.57 billion) to IOC for the month of November. The NOC has to pay its dues to IOC every month on 15 th day of English calendar. The NOC is in a tight spot as commercial banks have started to refuse from providing it with loans.
FORMER MINISTER KESHAR BAHADUR BISTA has announced the formation of a new political party called Prajatantrik Nepal (Democratic Nepal). Bista chairs the party, which has 35-member central committee. The party has been founded with the “ideology of protecting sovereignty, nationality, national unity and integrity of nation” and to “institutionally develop multiparty democracy, constitutional monarchy, rule of law and parliamentarian system of governance.” The party’s formation was announced in a national gathering of over 600 representatives from 69 districts of the country. Bista had been trying to float a new party for quite sometime. He said that there was a need to form a new party as the existing ones were not able to meet the expectations of the people.
THE INDIAN ARMY FORCED the Avro aircraft of Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) to land in New Delhi airport and searched it thoroughly and even interrogated the Nepalese army officials on Tuesday, according to army officials. The aircraft was headed to Islamabad carrying relief supplies for victims of earthquake in Pakistan. The Indian army is said to have searched the whole aircraft thoroughly before allowing it to fly to Islamabad. Indian army and airport staffs harassed the Nepalese officials by asking unnecessary questions.
