In depth Analysis

Mounting Problems ail Kishun Jee

Kathmandu: The congress crisis is deepening. Girija's Mahesh Acharya is out. Former speaker Ram Chandra Poudel is in as Deputy Prime Minister. Kishunjee's my dear friend Yog Prasad Upadhyaya is out. Sudden rumors spurt in Kathmandu of the Prime Minister's resignation. These indicators last week clearly hint that the long-standing tussle in the congress is very much kicking and alive.

Indeed events last week suggest that the crisis has heightened. The induction of Ram Chandra Poudel has actually confused the situation. It is said that Girija babu had prevented this entry earlier. But now Poudel has joined ranks with Krishna Prasad. This would seem a smart move on the part of the Prime minister who can now claim support from both emerging second rankers in the congress, former PM Deuba and now Poudel. However, it has threatened the Deuba camp that is said to be in actual control of the K.P cabinet. Moreover, K.Ps inner circle itself is said to have been weakened. Consider that Yog Prasad Upadhyaya and Basu Risal forms an inner trio with KP. Upadhyaya's resignation on grounds of having been bypassed in seniority by the Poudel appointment is not to be taken lightly.

The Girija camp has moved swiftly. The rumors of the KP resignation that spread like wild fire last week can surely not be accounted to the KP camp. Already aspersions are being cast on KPs much postponed India visit. Rumors are being floated deliberate or otherwise that the Prime minister will yield more to Delhi. There is already talk of him having acceded to Delhi demands of an Indian security team's presence at the Tribhuvan International Airport to supervise security needs of the Indian airlines as a precondition to the resumption of the now suspended IA flights to Kathmandu. KPs trip is being projected by a section of the congress as a weak team trying to appease Delhi.

Observing these events the sudden spurt of activities claiming "nationalists" credentials in the Girija camp carry meaning. Firstly, there is fear that Bhattarai has strengthened himself within the party. Secondly, there is need to prevent him from strengthening himself in New Delhi. This makes possible a third conjecture, Girija babu would want to beat KP in New Delhi. A trip to Delhi by Girija prior to KP is now foreseen.

Events last week suggest also that Girija babu is strong on congress organization. His trips outside the valley have been restless, his speeches strong.

T is not surprising therefore that charges of government incapability's fuelling increased Maoists' activities emanate also from within the congress, particularly Girija. Hectic activities within the congress opposing the Prime minister alone would adequately press the elderly Kishunjee to be bed-ridden. To add to this is the real fact that violent Maoists presence has been on the rise. It is not surprising then that the King should show his growing concern on the State of our democracy through yet another letter that would surely add to the Prime minister's numerous woes.

Pakistan tests yet another Missile

Kathmandu: In a move that is likely to aggravate the already strained relations with neighboring India, Pakistan, a powerful member of the SAARC regional body, on Monday test-fired a new missile that Pakistani officials opine improves accuracy and can hit targets 60 miles away.

A government statement reveals that the short-range surface-to-surface missile can carry a variety of warheads. The statement did not say whether that includes nuclear warheads.

``The new design allows a greater payload, improved accuracy and can successfully destroy targets'' up to 63 miles away, the government statement said. It also claimed that prior intimation of the test was given to all of Pakistan's neighbors.

South Asia's hostile neighbors India and Pakistan tested, to recall, nuclear devices in 1998 and declared themselves nuclear powers. Both countries possess now ballistic missiles with longer ranges than the one tested February 7 by Pakistan.

Pakistan's missile arsenal reportedly includes ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 900 miles, capable of reaching most targets in India. Those missiles also can carry a nuclear warhead.

Pakistan and India have in the last five decades fought three wars since the South Asian subcontinent gained independence from Britain in 1947.

Their usually strained relationship worsened following last year's hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane after few minutes the plane took off from Nepali capital, Kathmandu.

 India continues to accuse Pakistan of having engineered the hijacking, a charge Pakistan has outrightly denied.

The hijacking episode was followed by an increase in cross-border attacks along the disputed border that divides the former Himalayan state of Kashmir between the two countries.

On Monday, however, Pakistan's state-run news agency quoted Gen. Pervez Musharraf as discounting the chance of yet another war with neighboring India.

 ``I think there is no possibility'' of war, he was quoted saying.

Musharraf, who threw out the elected government in a bloodless coup last October, offered talks with Indian leaders, but also accused New Delhi of rebuffing Pakistan's overtures with belligerent statements.

In the meanwhile, General Pervez Musharraf's offer to meet Prime Minister Vajpayee to sort out the ``core'' issue of Kashmir is being taken with a degree of healthy cynicism by government circles in Delhi.

``We should meet...I would certainly like to meet him (Vajpayee),'' the general said in an interview to Karan Thapar telecast by Doordarshan on Monday. ``We ought to break the logjam, reduce tension, which can be done only through a discussion, cut hysterics against each other, and address issues of major concern,'' he said. Musharraf wanted both sides to simultaneously take measures to reduce tension. ``Let us take steps together,'' he said, but did not go into details of the steps the two countries must take.

Senior officials in the Vajpayee government maintained General Musharraf said precious little that were new.

Forgery inside Staff College

Kathmandu : On February 3, Dr. Narayan Manandhar, a resident of Lalitpur district has filed a case of forgery and deception against the Executive Director of Nepal Administrative Staff College, Mr. Shambhu Saran Prasad Kayastha at the Appellate Court, Lalitpur.

 About three years back, the then Executive Director of Staff College, Dr. Narasingh Narayan Singh has filed a case against Dr. Manandhar at the Lalitpur District Court charging Dr. Manandhar to compensate Rs 342,000 for not fulfilling the contractual obligations arising out of his overseas study course funded by the British Government in 1990-1993. During the court proceedings Dr. Manandhar had found that Dr. Narasing Narayan Singh has cheated the court by tampering his bond agreement. Mr. Shambhu Saran Prasad Kayastha, who took over the position of the Executive Director, after the completion of Dr. Singh's tenure in 1998, has deceived the court to make the verdict in its favor by deliberately conceiving the original but forged agreement paper.  

After prolonged court proceeding, based on the photocopy of the forged agreement paper, the Court has earlier given its verdict in favor of Staff College. Dr. Manandhar had singed the agreement to work for four years in the Staff College after returning from the overseas study course. But the photocopy supplied to the Court has been tampered to make the figure five. Dr. Manandhar has supplied the enough evidence that he had worked two and half years in the Staff College and another two years in the National Planning Commission in capacity of an advisor.  

When the Court ordered Staff College to submit Dr. Manandhar's original agreement paper, Mr. Kayastha has expressed his inability on the ground that he could not find the document from the College records. In earlier encounter with Dr. Manandhar, Mr. Kayastha has responded to Mr. Manandhar that he had personally checked the contract paper. Mr. Kayastha is denying the case of forgery. Why Mr. Kayastha could not produce the document of prime evidence at the court is a matter of suspense and investigation. Upon order to take action against his staff members who are or were in the possession of the contract document, Mr. Kayastha has also defied the court by flatly refusing to take actions against his staff members. It is widely believed that Mr. Kayastha, the former secretary for the Ministry of Supplies, has deliberately concealed the tampered contract paper to evade the possible consequences of forgery and deception. Under Nepali law, forgery and deception is a criminal act implying possible imprisonment.

 If a forgery of this kind can happen in an institute dedicated to the task of preaching good administration in Nepal, one can fairly imagine the situation in other institutions in our bureaucracy. It is also interesting to note that Nepal Administrative Staff College is an institution established, under royal directives in 1983, to train top shot bureaucrats in good administration and management. The College was established, particularly, under heavy funding by the British Government. It is now mired under deep controversy and infighting amid nepotism, gross discrimination and financial mismanagement. It is amusing to note how British Scholarships are being used up by the staff members as a proxy to overseas employment in Britain. Many of the past trainees have simply disappeared in Britain during their fellowships. It is interesting to note why and how the action was taken against Mr. Manandhar who was working at the Staff College after completing this overseas study course.

Dr. Manandhar speaks that, the case is purely a matter of personal vindication moved by Dr N. N. Singh and his hench men at the Staff College. It has been initiated to harass and assassinate his character. It is also a conspiracy to forfeit his ten years of accumulated gratuity money and paid leaves by the thugs working inside Staff College.

Government told to form HR Commission

Kathmandu: Contradictory statements emanating of late from the congress top stalwarts regarding the Maoists' activities and its possible solution has confused the population.

For example, Sher bahadur Deuba who currently heads a commission that has been entrusted to initiate dialogues with various political parties, individuals and Human Rights activists and submit its recommendations to the government, said only the other day that "if the Maoists shun violence and disarm themselves, I, for one, will manage to disarm the police personnel's as well".

On the other hand, an enthusiastic President Koirala revealed during his whirl wind tour to the Maoists' affected areas last week that (sic)" I will use the unerring weapon against the Maoists' if they do not abstain from the acts of killings and violence. I know the medicine to control their violent activities. I will surely use those medicines".

Clearly,  Deuba's statement talks of reciprocal bargain with the Maoists. His utterances speak of the conditions for a possible talk with the Maoists' leaders. President Koirala's statements are loaded with threats.

It is these contradictions which have annoyed the people. It appears that different leaders of the congress party have taken the Maoists' activities and its root causes differently. Unless the ruling party arrives at a consensus how the government of the party could initiate measures to bring the rebellions to the negotiating table?

In the meanwhile, a group of Human Rights activists have the other day suggested both the government and the Maoists' to immediately stop further killings and violence so that a conducive atmosphere could be created for the talks between the two opposing sides.

The HR activists have also suggested the Maoists and the government to initiate talks at the earliest.

The third proposal submitted by the activists' appeals the government to form the Human Rights Commission, which is long over due.

To recall, a few months back, the visiting Norwegian minister too had explicitly told the Nepalese Prime minister and the government authorities to constitute the HR Commission as early as possible.

A rough estimate has it that after the proclamation of the People's War by the Maoists some four years back, over one thousand innocent Nepali citizens have been killed. Those killed include Police personals, civilians and the Maoist activists as well.

Tarja Halonen: first Finnish female president

Kathmandu : Tarja Halonen, the Social Democratic candidate and the incumbent Finlandīs Foreign Minister, was elected President of the Republic of Finland on Sunday, February 6. Ms Halonen, who is aged 56, takes office on March 1, next moth. Halonen defeated her rival, Esko Aho, leader of the Finnish Centre Party, in the second round of the presidential election by 51.6% of the votes cast to 48.4%. The percentual difference translates into a little more than 100,000 votes. The number of votes cast was some 3.2 million. The election contest aroused an exceptional level of interest: 80.2% of the electorate voted in the second round. In the first round the turn-out was 76.8%. Tarja Halonen is Finlandīs eleventh president and she is the first woman to be elected to the post. There are four other female presidents in office at present, in Ireland, Latvia, Panama and Sri Lanka.

Last December on the eve of Finland's national day celebrations, Tarja Halonen in her capacity as Foreign minister had, to recall, said that she has a positive vision regarding Nepal's future. The goal of Nepal, as is the goal of her own country, is to set the nation on an economically, socially, ecologically and culturally sustainable track. She had further said that there was a common understanding in Nepal as well in Finland that real development is about expanding opportunities for their people.Halonen succeeds Martti Ahtisaari, who did not stand for re-election. She is the third president to come from a social democratic background. Mauno Koivisto started the social democratic sequence in 1982. Halonen was the favourite to win after the first round, in which she defeated Esko Aho by a clear margin of 40% to 34.4%. Halonen looked strong in opinion polls taken right after the first round, when it seemed as if she would finally win by a big margin. But in the final week of the campaign the contest intensified. Aho was able to build up a final surge and a number of significant supporters lined up behind him. One of the most visible moves was the decision by Elisabeth Rehn, the unsuccessful candidate of the Swedish Peopleīs Party, to support Aho. In the first round Rehn won 7.9 % of the vote. Late polls taken prior to the second round showed that the gap between Aho and Halonen had narrowed. A poll in the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, published five days before the election, gave Halonen 51% to Ahoīs 49.
From the outset Halonen had the support of the Social Democratic Party and the Left-Wing Alliance. In the second round she was also backed by the Greens and elements of the middle class Swedish Peopleīs Party, the SPP. Of the SPPīs two government ministers, one backed Halonen, the other Aho.

Lord Nasby favors pressure on Prabhakaran

Kathmandu : British-Sri Lankan Parliamentary Group's joint Chairman Lord Naseby has recently told the House of Lords that it was high time the international community brought pressure on LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran to hold talks with the Government of Sri-Lanka.

 He has also expressed his belief that the UK could play significance role in bringing some pressure on Prabhakaran and all other parties to get together. Quoting excerpts from Kumaratanga's acceptance speech following her great victory at the December 21 Presidential election, where she emphasized the need to exercise influence to bring LTTE leader to the negotiable table, Lord Naseby said, "on the invitation of that Government, I feel that the international community could play a significant role to advance the peace process". Paying a tribute to the British Government for signing the UN's Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Financing, Lord Naseby has expressed the hope that was not a mere piece of paper, but the action would flow from it.  He further said that acts of terrorism have for the moment stalled negotiations aimed at enhancing the ongoing peace process.

Kathmandu annoys Yangoon !

Kathmandu : The list of the neighboring countries with whom Nepal deliberately or otherwise soured her bilateral relations in the recent weeks appears to be increasing.

After annoying India  and Pakistan over the IC 814 hijacking episode and the fake currency scandal, it was China, the northern neighbor which felt some what threatened security wise when the Karmapa Lama sneaked into India  using the Nepalese territory last fortnight.

It is for the first time in the diplomatic history of Nepal that this country has sent chilling waves in the three capitals of the region namely, New Delhi, Islamabad and Beijing.

The fourth country that has freshly joined the list of the nations annoyed by this Himalayan Kingdom is Myanmar.

A press release issued by Myanmar embassy in Nepal says that "it is regrettable that recently anti-Myanmar elements have held a conference in Kathmandu at the expense of existing traditional friendly relations and understanding between our two countries and peoples. It is also quite unfortunate that Nepal has been used as venue of the conference organized by International Confederation of Free Trade Union,ICFTU, which has failed in other places to hold such a smear campaign against Myanmar government."

The press release is full of strong words against the government of Nepal and the Nepalese who facilitated the convening of the seminar in Nepal. It says, "' it is a pity that some Nepali have accepted the credentials of such a person, Maung Maung, a terrorist, without checking and worst still, believing what he saud and later Nepali people were misinformed about Myanmar like other participants attending the conference".

The press release perhaps hints at Nepal's existing state of affairs and says at one point," we cannot hastily adopt a democratic system for our country and later suffer from economic turmoil, political chaos and disintegration".

It is perhaps this sentence that Myanmar wishes to pass on to Nepal by way of reference.

IFJ calls PRINT JOURNALISTS to seek Lorenzo Natali Prize

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is seeking entries from print journalists for the European Commission 1999 Lorenzo Natali Prize for Journalism.

The prize, which honours the memory of the late vice president of the European Commission, recognizes reporting that promotes human rights and democracy as key elements in the quest for economic development.

Two prizes of 10,000 euros each are to be awarded. One will be given for an article published in a developing country and the second for an article published in a European Union member state.

The deadline for entries is April 15, 2000. Entries must be for articles that were published or transmitted in general information media between April 1, 1998, and March 31, 1999. They must be submitted written in an official language of the European Union or with an adequate translation from the original into one of these languages.

A complete list of rules and an application form are available at the IFJ Web site.

For additional information contact Bettina Peters or Andrew Clark at;

IFJ, 266 rue Royale, B-1210 Brussels, Belgium.

Tel.: (+32-2) 223-37 29.
Fax: (+32-2) 223-03 43.
E-mail: ifj.prize@pophost.eunet.be.
Web site: www.ifj.org/hrights/natali.html

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