In depth Analysis

Nationalists' response needed to counter foreign competition!

Kathmandu: The confusing conclusion of Indian Airline hijacking case draws significant attention to the increased intentions in the region borne from the heightened competition between India and Pakistan-the two regional nuclear powers. It also draws attention to the fragility of the Indian system where reaction has been fuelled further by this competition. More recent incidents suggest that Nepal is an unwitting witness to this competition and may fall an unwary victim to the non-ending Pak-India rivalry if it is not to tread well with caution.

The demise of the cold war rivalry and the eradication of the Bamboo Curtain have been a significant reduction of US, Russian (former Soviets) and Chinese presence in Kathmandu. This has been replaced by increased India -Pakistan activity that does not bode well for this country if it is to retain its traditional aspirations in the front rank of the non-aligned.

By and large, it is the weakness of Nepal's multi-party democracy that deters the formation of a unanimous and organized opinion resisting any foreign activity in Nepali soil. Oneupmanship among rival political parties and political individuals have encouraged the notion that foreign blessings can result in domestic interference to the benefit of organizations and individuals in the country. It is this that has by and large encouraged foreign power activities in the country to the extent that such activities threaten to go beyond the control and supervision of the Nepali authorities.

If the precarious position of Prime minister K.P.Bhattarai within the Congress despite his new lease of life granted by the party is to be looked into, one could suggest that his term in office could well be shortened or lengthened at the whim of foreign powers tipping the shaky balance in the congress. It would seem the same for challenger Girija babu who can only revel at the hijack embarrassment to rival K.P. Bhattarai government but has yet to project a successful prognosis of the incident apart from adding to the embarrassment.

The opposition UML appears keen moreover, to strengthen its links with K.P. faction in government by not coming forth publicly on the real issues of the internal security in Nepal drummed up publicly by the Indian media with very clear cut a purposive official Indian motives.

It is equally noteworthy that the RPP appeared so enmeshed with its reunification program that its "nationalists" response to the hijack incident was so toned down as to steer away from the real security issues that the Indian media sought a response from. Indeed, even the very reunification is said to have been engineered at "foreign prompting"-read the BJPs Murli Manohar Joshi (who met King Birendra reportedly during his recent short trip to Kathmandu)- which explains the tight lipped acquiescence of Lokendra Bahadur Chand.

On the overall, therefore, the larger organizations of the country have, in the current milieu, too so depend on political resources that available as it is from outside the country can only reflect upon their feeble reactions to attempts from the outside to manipulate Nepali policies.

In the absence of any counter to such a situation it becomes very evident that Nepali politics will find it difficult to grapple with the real issues evoked by such incidents that will continue to reflect the heightened environment of tensions, insecurity and competition from outside in Nepal.

We share a common destiny says Kofi Annan

Kathmandu : The United Nations secretary General Kofi Annan  has said that a new century brings new hope but can also bring new dangers-or old ones in a new and alarming form.

Annan made these remarks while making his new millennium message for the people of the world. In his message Annan has also said that through the United Nations 'we are working together to preserve peace; to outlaw weapons that kill and maim indiscriminately; to bring mass murderers and war criminals to justice'.

Below we produce the full text of the UN Secretary General for the benefit of our readers.

"Today we celebrate a special New Year with a momentous number: the Year Two Thousand.

As we move into a new Millennium, many of us have much to be thankful for.  Most of the world is at peace.  Most of us are better educated than our parents or grandparents, and can expect to live longer lives,

with greater freedom and a wider range of choices. A new century brings new hope, but can also bring new dangers - or old ones in a new and alarming form. Some of us fear seeing our jobs and our way of life destroyed by economic change.  Others fear the spread of bigotry, violence or disease.  Others still are more worried that human activities may be ruining the global environment on which our life depends.

No one knows for sure how serious each of these dangers will be.  But one thing they have in common: they do not respect state frontiers. Even the strongest state, acting alone, may be unable to protect its

citizens against them. More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny.  We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations.

Through the United Nations, we are working together to preserve peace; to outlaw weapons that kill and maim indiscriminately; to bring mass murderers and war criminals to justice.

Through the United Nations, we are working together to defeat AIDS and other epidemics; to control climate change; to make clean air and water available to everyone.

Through the United Nations, we are working together to ensure that the global market benefits all of us, allowing the poor to lift themselves out of poverty.

Through the United Nations, we are working together to make human rights a reality for everyone – to give all human beings real choices in life, and a real say in decisions that affect their lives.

In all these areas and more, the United Nations is working for you.  But it can do little without you.  After all, it belongs to you – you, the peoples of the world.  And therefore it can work much better with yourhelp and your ideas.

Nepali Tourism sector invites media criticism

Kathmandu : For the first time perhaps, a private sector newspaper dared to bring in the noted travel trade persons, journalists, environmentalists,  Hoteliers and other personalities involved in the tourism-business together and gave them a common platform to discuss the potential and the accompanying hitches in the present day Nepalese tourism.

The People's Review, an English language political and business weekly last week arranged such a gathering wherein various speakers felt the need that the Nepalese media can do a lot in the promotion of this business provided the men involved in this business too cooperated with the fourth estate.

Welcoming the guests attending the seminar entitled Role of media in enhancing tourism business in Nepal, the People's Review representative Ms. Jasuda Pradhan hoped that this seminar would bring the media and the tourism sector together.

Mohan Khanal, director Publicity and PR at the RNAC, opined that the new millennium would both bring in challenges and opportunities for the tourism business in Nepal.

Mr. Bharat Basnet, chairman of the Explore Nepal Group stressed the need to make the tourist destination pollution free so that a positive image is projected by the foreign media regarding this Himalayan Kingdom.

Mr. Raju Shakya, executive director of the Lumbini Airways lauded the efforts of the newspaper in having been able to organize this sort of seminar which, opined Shaky, would go a long way in the annals of Nepal's tourism business.

P. Kharel, a noted media man lamented at the stance taken by the tourism sector as and when the Nepalese media have made some negative comments about the prevailing situation in the tourism industry. " The tourism sector must support the media as it is the media which propagates the scenic beauties of Nepal that in fact attracts the tourists from abroad", added Kharel.

Newly elected FNJ President Suresh Acharya too advised the media men and the tourism sector men to come closer and help boost the industry.

From the Chair, Mr. Pradip Raj Pandey, executive director of the Nepal Tourism Board, however, maintained that his institution had been maintaining regular contacts with the men from the press.

"We invite critical comments from the media sector. We will do our best to take in to account to the media suggestions for the improvement of this industry", concluded Pandey.

Congress in quandary yet again

Kathmandu: Suddenly the President of the Nepali Congress, Girija Prasad Koirala, has become restive.

President Koirala's blunt criticisms yet again against the government has emanated hardly had a fortnight lapsed of the supposed "verbal agreement" of the two warring congress stalwarts, Girija Prasad and Krishna Prasad, which had supposedly mandated the incumbent Prime minister to continue till the next winter session of the Lower house.

Why all of a sudden, despite the agreement after the fight as is usual in congress, President Koirala wished to lash at his own party government is worth watching.

At a Pokhara meeting of the Congress workers, President Koirala lamented over the shabby performance of the government and said that even the congress workers could not feel that they had their own party government at the center.

Analysts give importance to the Koirala criticism of the government, which has coincided with the Prime Minister Bhattarai's admitted "security lapse" at the Tribhuvan International Airport that caused the Indian airliner to be hijacked.

Analysts also attach great significance to the fresh Koirala overtures regarding the dismal performance of NC government that apparently   comes at a time when Prime minister Bhattarai is all set to proceed to India on a friendly visit some time by the end of this month if every thing goes well in the country.Prime minister Bhattarai's proposed visit to India is talked to be "agenda less".

Congressites belonging to the Bhattarai camp simply dismiss Koirala's threats and describe the latter's criticism as to have been guided by his personal lust for power. "In fact, President Koirala wishes to replace Bhattarai at the earliest so that he can regain the loyalties of some of his former chums whom Bhattarai has snatched away from him and has housed in his cabinet", said a Bhattaraite to the Telegraph.

Retorting to such allegations, Koirala loyalists maintain that Koirala's statements are hundred percent based on facts. The government has not been able to deliver goods to the people, they say. The Maoists issue is taking the talls in the form of loss of human lives and yet the state is insensitive. More so, say Koiralites, the Prime minister should not have apologized to the Indian counterpart extemporaneous the day the Indian plane had been hijacked. He should have awaited the commission's report that is yet to be released.

However, the Bhattarai loyalists totally reject the Koirala camp version of the scheme of things.

In the meanwhile, Prime Minister Bhattarai reportedly has told his inner coterie members that "God willing, he will never hand over the power to President Koirala come what may. I will never forget the Godavari accord episode and the political maneuverings of Koirala which caused his humiliating defeat during 1994 February by-elections."

The temporary truce arrived at in between the two top hats of the congress appears to be in jeopardy.

RPP reunification yet a mystery!

Kathmandu: The party of the former Panchas-the RPP-Thapa and RPP-Chand- have yet come together.

Personality clash that has remained the main problem of this conglomerate, say those who have been closely watching the functioning of these two political parties.

To recall, the cause for the vertical split in the united RPP remained L.B.Chand's close proximity with the Left forces, which even pushed Chand to the nation's Premiership. Annoyed by this new found love in between Chand and the Left forces, the Congress in close collaboration with the RPP chairman S.B.Thapa engineered an unceremonious ouster of Prime minister Chand who was till then his own party leader. To mark the grand ouster of Chand and the support extended to them by chairman Thapa, the congress blessed Thapa with the Premiership.

A power lust congress, more so G.P.Koirala, then worked out a plan that forced Premier Thapa to resign which was too unceremonious. Later Chand formed his own party, which practically was routed in the last general election.

Kathmandu's political watchers say that some external forces have brought about the fresh unification of the RPP. This force tentatively wishes, opine analysts, that the RPP should assume the role of a third alternative democratic force in the Kingdom for obvious reasons.

However, a united RPP can contribute much for the cause of the nation than remaining a divided force. But, say analysts, much remains to be seen as to how the two RPP stalwarts who have embraced each other after a lapse of two years or so behave with each other and the political workers at various levels.

During the split, while Chand projected himself as 'nationalist', S.B.Thapa wished to portray himself and his party as 'democratic'. Now the two features of the two separate RPPs e.g the 'nationalist and the democratic ones' have reunified themselves only last week which they say was the best gift to the people of Nepal on the eve of the new millennium.

Rajeshwar Devkota, yet another RPP stalwart has kept himself out of the newly united RPP for unknown reasons.The purpose of the sudden unification of this party yet remains a mystery.

Tussle continues in UML leadership

Kathmandu: Congress party is in a mess. The tussle in the UML leadership continues unabated. The ML led by firebrand Bamdev also has plunged itself in trouble, which is talked to be heading for a vertical split unless a miracle saved the party. Bamdev and C.P.Mainali are talked to be not even in talking terms. The two estranged partners of the RPP till the other day - Chand and Thapa- had a happy 'home-coming' last week.

The UML after its Pokhara convention appears to have developed serious rifts among its top ranking leaders. In fact the crisis in the UML leadership began from the very day Chairman Manmohan Adhikari left for his heavenly abode. Since then a sort of fierce tussle in between the two, Madhav Nepal and K.P.Woli, remained intact till the Pokhara convention.

Unconfirmed reports have it that at the Pokhara meet of the UML, the incumbent GS of the Party, Madhav Nepal, was grilled by his party men supposedly for his lack luster performance in steering the party after the demise of late Adhikary. Sources say that those who were enthusiastic in deriding at Madhav Nepal in Pokhara were all doing so under the reported instigation of his political competitor K.P.Woli.

K.P.Woli's fresh overtures aimed at Madhav Nepal hint that the former wishes to replace him at the earliest possible time. The Woli moves are not hidden from Madhav who is equally clever and competent as well.

The Palace factor too contributed to the widening of the rift in between the two said a UMLite to the Telegraph over telephone.

To recall, Madhav Nepal all out supported the nomination of Ramesh Nath Pandey to the chairmanship of the Upper House recently which was objected by the rest of his party men including Woli. Woli felt that it was not the opportune moment to support a candidate nominated under the Royal quota. Since then Madhav and Woli are talked to have developed some sort of ill feeling towards each other.

The UML Pokhara meet has decided to go in for street agitation to press the government for reviewing the prices of some essentials, which had been, increased a month back by the government.

Pak embassy clarifies

Kathmandu: The Pakistan embassy in Nepal has issued a press release dated 3 January, 2000,stating that some facts need to be highlighted in the case of action by Nepal government against an official of the Embassy of Pakistan. The statement reads: " After completing the second in-vain search of the premises of the officials' apartment by a section of Nepali police at 2330 hours yesterday, five police officials along with the Deputy Chief of Protocol-DCP- of the ministry of Foreign Affairs came over to the Chancery to request the Ambassador to allow the senior officers of the embassy to sign certain documents which of course could not be granted by the Ambassador. Soon after the departure of the policemen from the embassy premises at 0600 hours on Monday, they broke into the apartment of the official and nabbed him at 0800 hours. Since then three notes verbale have been sent to Nepalese foreign ministry requesting consular access to the nabbed official by officers of the embassy; safety and security of the official; and immediate redressal quoting immunities of the embassy officials under the Criminal Jurisdiction of Vienna Conventions as against Civil and Administrative Jurisdiction. Also that the ministry may ensure immediate return of the official to the embassy as well as safety and security of the officers/officials of the embassy of Pakistan and their homes including Pakistani nationals living in Nepal, in accordance with reciprocal and universally accepted international norms and practices."

Telegrapg adds: In the meanwhile, a PTV team that was in Kathmandu, says the Pak embassy release, some days ago was detained and interrogated by the same section of the police and their hotel room thoroughly searched in vain on 3 January, 2000.

The PTV cameramen reportedly landed Kathmandu in connection with the coverage of safety arrangements at the TIA after the Indian airliner hijacking drama ended.

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