In depth Analysis

Search for 'Third Option' Continues!

Kathmandu: Sudden rumors of a cabinet change last week turned to naught suggesting that the Koirala-Bhattarai tiff in the congress is far from resolved and, instead, continues to intensify. As the rumors go, Chairman Koirala's insistence the temporary nature of the present ministry would make any induction of more ministers redundant. What is suggested is that former Speaker Ran Chandra Poudel was asked to turn down the Bhattarai offer meaning that Poudel who acquiesced to his Chairman's demand is currently in the Koirala camp.

Bhattarai meanwhile, insists that his India trip is on and would want to settle his disturbed house prior to departure. The continuing disturbance in the party, thus, continues to cast doubts on the visit-taking place.

Typical of Nepal, the lack of certainty reflects upon performance and the series of talks the Prime minister is holding prior to the India trip has become enough excuse for the postponement of major decisions 'until after the India visit'.

The organizational preoccupation is very much also reflected in the UML which has not ceased to quote ML members where the rank and file appears ready for major gestures that are supposedly due, read 'after the visit'.

Where such developments appear of little effect is in the RPP camp where the credibility of the L.B.Chand merger is already being challenged by former members of Chand's own party who claim that RPP-Chand continues to exist separately and those who have joined Thapa have done so of their own will.

Attentions on the RPP events are not to be minimized. Widespread disenchantment at both Congress and Communist performance has yet to be capitalized by competing organizations. It is this that has been cashed upon by the Maoists' who provide alternatives outside the system. The RPPs strength in the parliament tempts it a separate role that can, if mobilized, give it the coveted terminology of a "third option".

However, the politics of the RPP-Thapa leadership despite its amassing former Pancha participation, prevents it from gaining the confidence of cadre given its previous history of proximity as a congress proxy with the Congress and the Left. In other words, it has yet to be convincing alternative separate from the congress and the Left and the induction of the Chand group in the party hardly builds the confidence that it will prove an alternative when the merger on part of Chand is seen as submissive.

It is this that leaves the initiatives to the Devkota grouping who have launched the gambit of a larger 'nationalist option'. Devkota's game, however, has yet to materialize, contrary to purposively floated rumors, given that what remains of the RPP-Chand has yet to give a convincing demonstration of resources that the creation of a viable third option entails.

Asia-Pacific education confce.in Bangkok begins

Kathmandu: To recall, in 1990, at Jomtien, Thailand, 155 nations committed themselves to not only make every school-age child complete their elementary education, but halve the number of adult illiterates by the year 2000.

Today, in the year 2000, over 25 education ministers, experts and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from 44 Asia-Pacific nations assembled in Bangkok this week to take stock of what progress they have made.

The Prime Minister of Thailand, Chuan Leekpai, opened the 17 to 20 January 2000 Asia-Pacific Conference on Education for All (EFA) 2000 Assessment at the United Nations Conference Centre in the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) building.

Koichiro Matsuura, the new Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was present at the Conference on his first ever visit to Asia, since taking over as the head of the organization in November 1999.

Using a set of 18 indicators and a uniform assessment technique to measure movement towards the Jomtien goals, the national progress report cards reveal a picture of impressive gains and persisting problems in the Asia-Pacific.

Primary school enrolment has kept a step ahead of the growth rate of the school-age population with nearly 70 million more children attending primary classes in these countries compared to the 331 million in 1990. The biggest gain has been in the field of pre-school education with enrolment in early childhood programs -- nurseries, kindergartens, day-care centres -- up by 50 per cent to 47 million.

The Asia-Pacific Conference on EFA 2000 Assessment is expected to discuss ways of tackling these issues.  Sessions on each of the six Jomtien goals was held for each of the four Asia-Pacific sub-regions -- Central Asia and the Trans-Caucasus, South and West Asia, East and South East Asia, and the Pacific.

The world education body, along with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ESCAP, is organizing the meeting in the run up to the global assessment of progress towards the targets set by the landmark World Conference on Education for All that was held in Jomtien, Thailand, in March 1990.  It is one of six regional conferences leading to the World Education Forum to be held in Dakar, Senegal, 26 to 28 April 2000.

The Conference is expected to adopt at the end of the event a regional plan of action, which will be put up before the World Education Forum in Dakar in April that will chart out the global road to education for all in the twenty-first century.

Egyptian ex FM in Nepal

Kathmandu : A four member high level delegation of Afro Asian People's Solidarity Organization is currently in town.

The delegation is led by former foreign minister of Egypt, His Excellency Dr. Morad Ghaleb. Dr. Morad is also the President of organization.

The team arrived Nepal on 17 January and is leaving Kathmandu on 21 January, 2000.

Other members of the delegation include EA Bidyasekera; Mrs. Esmat Elmarghany and Mr. Shauki Mohammad Galal.

Bidyasekera, a Sri Lankan,  is coordinator of the South Asian affairs at the central office of the organization in Cairo. Mrs. Esmat is the president of the Afro-Asian lawyers association. Similarly, Mr.Galal is a prominent Egyptian writer of international standing.

The delegation is scheduled to attend a lecture program organized by the Nepal Council of World Affairs this afternoon.

In honor of the visiting Afro-Asian delegation, the Egyptian Ambassador to Nepal, H.E. Elsayed Aly Hussien is throwing a banquet today evening at his private residence.

The permanent central secretariat of this organization is based in Cairo, Egypt.

France-Nepal joint venture in art exhibition

Kathmandu: The Embassy of France in close cooperation with the Yak and Yeti hotel Monday presented an art exhibition to a select gathering of noted Nepalese artistes, journalists and some others as well.

The art exhibition is a joint effort of Nepalese and the French artists.

Brest Kathnmandu' Art, was perhaps somewhat different than similar exhibitions held in Kathmandu occasionally. Various art works displayed depicted the contemporary society and the human beings living in the same society. The society was specially depicted in the form of a cobweb of the spider.

The artists also used bamboo in the expression of their feelings.

Inaugurating the art exhibition, French Ambassador His Excellency Michael Lummaux praised the joint efforts of the Nepalese and the French painters which made the exhibition possible and said that such events definitely help promote the bilateral ties at least at the cultural front.

Sunita Rana,one of the Nepalese painter involved in this exhibition, opined that unless state supported the artists and the painters of Nepal as is being done by the French government, the art sector in Nepal will continue to lag behind others.

On the theme of IDENTITY this art show is an output of short-term workshop held in Kathmandu. The group of two energetic young artists from France and five from Nepal have worked together with their individual attitudes on the same theme Identity and end up with very interesting creations.

Bhattarai to visit Western Europe!

Kathmandu : High placed sources at the Nepal's foreign ministry  say that Prime minister Bhattarai is planning a trip to some countries of Western Europe in the near future.

The sources appear reluctant in naming the countries where Nepal's Prime minister would be received as official guest.

Given the fact that Prime Minister Bhattarai only recently visited United Kingdom en route to Kathmandu from Newyork, so his chances going there again is simply remote.

Unconfirmed reports point the Nepalese Prime ministers' possible trip to France.

To recall, since the visit of Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana to France, as yet no Nepali Prime ministers have been invited to visit that highly developed country.

 If France is Bhattarai's destination then by all angles it would be a historic visit as he would be the second Prime minister of Nepal to visit the Fifth Republic. So far only the Nepalese monarch has visited France at different intervals of time.

Apart from France, which other countries K.P. is visiting is yet unknown.

However, the authenticity of this news is yet to be verified.

FNJ team to pay courtesy call on Danish envoy

Kathmandu : The recently formed Foreign Relations Committee of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists will begin the first phase of its contact with various international donors and diplomatic missions stationed in Kathmandu from tomorrow.

In the process of initiating friendly contacts, the FNJ team is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Lars Hormann, the Charge de' affaires at the Royal Denmark Embassy, tomorrow afternoon.

Likewise, the FNJ delegation is meeting on the same day the local representative of the Department for International Development, DFID, Mr. Michael Low and his colleagues at his office in Kathmandu.

Next week, the FNJ group is to meet the USIS chief, Phillip Hoffmann and the Resident Representative of the Asian Development Bank, Richard Vokes.

Talks are being held with the officials of the World Bank and the UNDP for similar appointments.

The purpose of the meeting is to strengthen the FNJs contacts with these institutions for mutual benefit, it is learnt.

K.P seducing G.P. loyalists to ensure longevity

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Bhattarai appears to have concentrated his efforts on only two jobs.

The first strategy acquired by Bhattarai is to seduce as much of the NC lawmakers who are supposedly in the Koirala camp. This is to ensure his longevity in the government in case President Koirala suddenly begins his tirade against the government. In the process, rumors have it, Bhattarai is in close touch with some staunch Koirala loyalist and is tempting them of ministerial portfolios. A clever Bhattarai wishes to have the maximum number of Parliamentarians in his favor to thwart the ulterior motives of Koirala. Insiders of the Bhattarai camp say that the expansion of the cabinet might house some of the Koirala men.

Secondly, Bhattarai possesses a strong desire to pay an official visit to India prior to his ouster. His visit to India is scheduled for next month. To materialize his India trip say Bhattarai followers, he will spare no efforts come what may. If the Prime ministers' India visit bag success then his detractors will find it very difficult to dislodge him from power.

The general feeling in Nepal is that for a political party to continue in power, one must enjoy the blessings from the Indian establishment. However, the authenticity of such saying is yet to be verified.

This notwithstanding, there is a sizeable chunk of intellectuals who strongly believe that the time was not opportune for the Nepali Prime minister to go in for a trip to Delhi.

Talking to Telegraph on conditions of anonymity a scholar from T.U said over telephone that: (sic) " New Delhi is yet to exhibit its friendly gestures towards Nepal by resuming the abruptly suspended Indian Airlines flight to Kathmandu. The timing of the visit is also not suitable in the sense that India perhaps would impress upon Kathmandu to sign certain agreements that might have some direct bearing upon Nepal's sovereignty given the Indian anger towards Nepal exhibited immediately after the IC 814 hijack. The Nepali Prime minister might not resist his temptations to sign the deals forwarded by friendly India .

This apart, there is a section in the Shital Nivas as well who also think on the same line and strongly maintain that the proposed India visit should be shifted till the other side exhibits good friendly gestures.

However, Bhattarai appears determined for this trip. The foreign ministry officials are reportedly busy in finalizing the agenda for discussion in Delhi.

This notwithstanding, Bhattarai supporters say that there was nothing to panic from Bhattarai's would be India trip. "Krishna Prasad is a seasoned politician and hence to think that he will compromise Nepal's national interests in India 's favor will be utter nonsense", said a Bhattaraite to this scribe Tuesday morning.

Girija's one point agenda; ouster of Bhattarai

Kathmandu: President Girija Prasad Koirala has his one point agenda -the ouster of Prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai from the chair at the earliest. He is talked to be serious in his one point mission.

While Prime Minister Bhattarai is all set to please President Koirala by inducting some of the Koirala chums in the much-publicized expansion of his cabinet, Koirala, for example, appears to be least concerned in the affair.

That Koirala is really serious in his avowal gets reflected from the fresh utterances of finance minister Mahesh Acharya, a close confidante of President Koirala in all rough weathers even, who the otherday yet again spoke his mentor's mind and suggested the Prime minister to heed to the Party's dictats or else quit the chair.

President Koirala apparently is hinting his supporters that the expansion or even the reshuffle of the cabinet will not mean much given the host of issues plaguing the nation of late-the Maoists' problem being the daddy of them all.

By this time it has become crystal clear that President Koirala will not settle for less. He needs the chair at any cost.

But how, question his detractors in the other rival camp. Unless Prime Minister Bhattarai himself steps down, there is no mechanism in the existing constitution to dislodge the Prime minister save forwarding a no confidence motion against his own party Prime minister, opine supporters of the incumbent Prime minister.

If Bhattarai is forced to face the motion then the party will definitely witness a vertical split for which perhaps President Koirala will not be prepared, added a Bhattarai follower.

In the meanwhile, Prime Minister Bhattarai is thinking on the line on how to bring the Nepali Congress out of the family-lineage grip of the Koiralas.

The next congress general convention will perhaps witness a big tussle in between those who wish to see the domineering continuance of the Koiralas in the party and the one those who get rid of the Koiralas.

In the process, both K.P. and G.P. have been pushing the names of their close friends. Understandably, if Deuba is Bhattarai's man then Sushil Koirala is his rival's choice.

Editorial | Letter | National | Dateline | 5 Question | 2nd Impression | International | Past |