Nepal Meets With Indian Ministers
Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), who is currently in New Delhi to garner Indian support for seven-party agitation, met with senior Indian Union Cabinet ministers on Monday. Nepal met with Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh. Nepal also met with leaders of Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) including its general secretary Prakash Karat and politburo member Sitaram Yechury. He also held talks with Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran. After the meetings, Nepal informed that he found Indian leaders positive about the stance taken by the political parties in Nepal regarding the restoration of democracy and poll boycott. Kantipur daily reports.
UK Envoy Leaves It To Parties
British envoy to Nepal Keith Bloomfield has said it is up to the political parties to take part or boycott the municipal elections. In a meeting with the local leaders of the agitating parties in Nepalgunj on Monday, Bloomfield said, “Use the elections in favor of the people if you can.” However, he added that it is his personal opinion and the EU has not backed the King’s move. A boycott of elections is also a democratic exercise, he said. Bloomfield added that the Maoists, political parties and the State should sit together to solve the crisis. Stating that constitutional monarchy is not a bad course, he said, “The problem can be solved within the system.” The political parties told him an election is not possible without solving the Maoist insurgency. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
All Parties Should Hold Talks
The UN Resident Coordinator Matthew Kahane has said that all the warring parties should move towards enforcing ways to establish durable peace in Nepal. Addressing a program held to mark the 60th anniversary of the UN, Kahane urged all towards the path of peace talks. He said that the UN would welcome all steps including ceasefire aimed at helping in the establishment of peace. He, however, said, UN was not in a position to do anything except appeal to the Maoists to extend their unilateral ceasefire and request the government to correspond positively. Kahane said that since 1996 when the Maoists launched their people’s war, the Nepalese people who were already suffering from poverty, hunger and disease had to face one more cruelty – that of conflict. Responding to the government’s announcement of holding municipal polls, Kahane said that the subject of whether the UN would send monitors (to observe the polls) would depend on ‘future activities.’ He added that the UN system was present in all 75 districts of Nepal helping the people there including disadvantaged groups, minorities, Dalits, elderly, women, children and disabled. Meanwhile, the UN system in Nepal has set up the regional office of UNDP in Nepalgunj. Leading dailies report.
Kantipur FM Raid Draws Widespread Condemnation
The mid-night raid at the office of Kantipur F. M.—a leading private sector radio station in the country—at Lalitpur on Friday (October 21) has drawn widespread condemnation. Major opposition parties, rights groups, Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and professional bodies have termed the incident as “naked aggression on independent media by the state.” After hours long stand-off, police in four vans entered the office of Kantipur FM at around 11:15 p. m. Friday and seized its satellite equipment used to uplink its transmission to its eastern regional station at Bhedetar. The incident occurred on the eve of seventh anniversary of the F. M. Managing director of the F. M., Binod Raj Gyawali, condemned the incident and said they had been operating their eastern regional transmission for the last five years after fulfilling all the formalities. Spokesman at the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), Ratna Raj Pandey, however, told the state-controlled Nepal Television on Saturday that the action was taken under the new media ordinance. He said the government was committed to implement the new law that prohibits criticism of the king and royal family members and broadcast of news over the FM radio stations, among others. Compiled from reports.
Nepal Has Contributed 50,000 Peacekeepers To UN
Nepal’s permanent representative to the UN, Madhu Raman Acharya, said Nepal has so far contributed over 50,000 peacekeepers to various UN missions during nearly last six decades. Addressing the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday (October 22), the former foreign secretary said over the years the peacekeeping operations have contributed significantly to building the image of the UN as an effective body for maintaining peace in the world. He said with avowed commitment to the principles and purposes of the UN charter, Nepal had been continuously participating in the UN peacekeeping operations since 1958. Nepali peacekeepers are still serving in countries like Burundi, Haiti, Sudan, Liberia and Congo under the auspices of UN peacekeeping missions. Compiled from reports.
Rs 76 Million Disbursed Under APPSP
The government had disbursed a fund of Rs 76.47 million to 20 poverty stricken districts of the country under the Agriculture Perspective Plan Support Program (APPSP) in the year 2004/05. The Kathmandu Post daily quoted deputy program manager at the APPSP, Dhirendra Kumar Karki, as saying that projects operating under APPSP have been effective in increasing participation of poorest of the poor farmers in agricultural and other development activities. The program, introduced in August 2003 to support the long-term Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP), has covered nearly 70,000 population in 20 districts. Compiled from reports.
FDI Declines After The Royal Takeover
Officials say the foreign direct investment (FDI) has declined by nearly one-third in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. During the period, Nepal has received the FDI commitment of Rs 213.20 million as against the commitment of Rs 317 million during the same period last year. According to the Department of Industry (DoI), number of projects registered during this period has gone up but the sum of committee money has declined. Investors from India, Malaysia, UK and Germany, among others, have registered with the Department to set up industries ranging from manufacturing, service sector and tourism, according to officials. Kantipur daily reports.
Govt. Bans Import Of Bird Until Further Notice
In the wake of the threat of worldwide outbreak of ‘bird flu,’ Nepal has banned import of birds and bird products from abroad until further notice. The Kathmandu Post daily quoted Dr. Dhana Raj Ratala, program director at the Department of Animal Health (DAH) as saying that imports have been totally banned and that a formal notice will be published soon. Officials have, however, insisted that there have been no reports of bird flu in Nepal as yet. A team of officials from the DAH also concluded that death of dozens of pigeons in famous religious site of Manakamana in western district of Gorkha was not due to bird flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a global human flu pandemic is certain. Compiled from reports.
Seven Parties Decide To Boycott Municipal Polls
The seven party opposition alliance has announced formally that it will boycott the municipal level polls slated to take place on February next year. A meeting of senior leaders of the alliance in Bhaktapur on Wednesday (October 19) held that the polls being organized by an ‘unconstitutional government’ would also be ‘unconstitutional’ and, hence, there was no rationale in taking part in such elections. The meeting also alleged that the royal government was organizing elections only to hoodwink the international community. The meeting also authorized senior leaders of the alliance to hold negotiations with the Maoist insurgents in order to involve them in the peace process. Leading dailies report.
Govt. Warns Media Not To Violate New Ordinance
The government on Wednesday (October 19) has warned that action will be taken against those disobeying the `Ordinance amending some Nepal Acts relating to communications, 2005.’ The Ministry of Information and Communications said it has notified all the Frequency Modulation (FM) broadcasting institutions not to transmit or broadcast news-based programs as provided for in the said ordinance. The new ordinance bars FM radio stations from airing news-based programs and allows them to broadcast ‘informative programs’ only. The latest amendment in the National Broadcasting Ordinance 2049 B. S. has described the ‘informative programs’ as those programs prepared with the objective of providing information or raising public awareness on topics related to health, education, sports, population, weather or road transport. The government notice, however, did not say what type of action will the media institutions for violating the new law. Compiled from reports.
China Pledges Rs 72 M Military Aid
At a time when big military suppliers, including India and the United States, have suspended lethal military support to Nepal, China has agreed to provide military aid worth Rs 72 million to the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA). The Chief of the Army Staff General Pyara Jung Thapa disclosed this at the Tribhuwan International Airport upon his arrival from China on Tuesday (October 25) morning. “We can use the Chinese assistance to develop RNA,” General Thapa told media persons. He added that the Chinese officials extended “all possible assistance” to help RNA quell internal conflict in Nepal. According to him, Chinese authorities also expressed confidence that Nepal can resolve the conflict on her own. “China wants stability, development and peace in Nepal. It has realized the importance of RNA’s development in combating internal and international terrorism and has agreed to cooperate with us,” he added. General Thapa and the Chief of the Chinese Army General Liang Guanglie also signed a bilateral agreement on military cooperation during the visit. China had provided $5 lakh to RNA a few years back and has been providing similar military assistance to Nepal annually. Apart from the aid, China had gifted communication equipment, landmines and 14 mm Rocket Propelled Grenade to the RNA in the past. China will also deliver three MA-60 planes, two of which were bought by Nepal, while the third is a gift. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
US Disappointed And Concerned Over FM Attack
The United States government has expressed disappointed and concern over the recent raid by security personnel at the Kantipur FM station. “The US is deeply disappointed and concerned by the shocking seizure at gunpoint of radio equipment from the office of Kantipur FM station,” stated a press release by the US State Department. The statement further added that the Nepal government’s recent call for national elections rings hollow if other democratic institutions are systematically dismantled. The statement was issued by Sean McCormack, spokesperson of the State Department. Meanwhile, US Ambassador James Moriarty visited Kantipur FM station and inspected the damage caused by the raid. Leading dailies report.
Russia Supports Nepal Government
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday (October 25) that Moscow backs the Nepalese government’s fight against the Maoists. “We support the Nepali authorities’ efforts to resolve the armed conflict, suppress extremism and terrorism and bring stability and democracy to the country,” Lavrov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying after a meeting with Nepalese foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey. Chairman of the Committee on the International Links of Duma Kosachev Kanstantin Iosiforich had expressed support for both municipal and general polls, and the government’s fight against terror, during a meeting with Pandey.
Leading dailies report.
