In depth Analysis

Girija tampers with party votes!

Kathmandu: Last week saw a series of events corroborating reports of concentration of political parties in their organizational strengthening efforts. Focus was made on students’ organization. The congress, the UML and the RPP saw politics of youth and students take primacy. If the RPP youth wing too appears not bereft of the factionalism evinced in major parties, the conclusion of the All Nepal Federation of the Student’s Union-AANFSU- decidedly emitted the same. The UML, ML digressions remain in what is essentially the UML students’ wing.

It is the congress divisions’ that are likely to impact more on government. In a classic example of the tussles within the congress, the emergence of a strong Girija Koirala support base in the Nepal Student’s Union-NSU- is surely in the making in preparation of the January party convention. It is not for nothing that charges of kidnapping and threats of mass resignation have ensued.

Not surprisingly the government faction appears well aware of the need to chose suitable "active" party workers for it is they that select (or elect) the party conventioneers. It is the party convention that elects the new party chairman and a section of the general assembly. The party chairman nominates his executive in the congress. Process of selection of the electoral body appears very much underway.

It is this that gives meaning to desperate charges on part of the Bhattarai-Deuba lobby that Girija babu and his General Secretary Sushil Koirala are playing havoc in the matter of distributing the "active" membership of the party.

It is the incumbent central executive committees’ prerogative to identify the active members. Girija babu has clearly his advantage here. This is why the Bhattarai-Deuba combine demand for equal representation in the central committee carries meaning. While the Prime Minister is taking an appeasing posture and assuring his opponents of an impending change, the Koirala lobby has been suspending unsuitable district committees and replacing them with supportive bodies to the extent that he has been accused of being more selective and partisan in making the active membership list.. Of course, he has promised that the party apex will review the list.

By which time of course, the identity of the participants in the General Convention will have been determined. This is clearly the strategy also on the matter of the promised change in cabinet. The resources that the Bhattarai-Deuba camp demand from government on grounds of representation in the cabinet are likely to be ineffectual by time the reshuffle takes place ( if it does at all). It is not for nothing now that former Prime minister Deuba has bluntly and publicly threatened that any thing can happen to the congress if Girija babu does not deliver the change he promises.

I.K.Gujaral to chair Citizens’ Commission for SA

Kathmandu: Better late than never, some responsible citizens of South Asia have initiated a daring program of action which if brought into effect would in all likelihood ease the current tension to the benefit of all the countries in this part of the world.

The idea is to house some known and respected South Asian personalities in a forum which later would urge the government’s the SAARC nations to benefit from each others’ experience and expertise for the speedy development of their respective countries.

At a time when the entire SAARC process appears to have become defunct, the emergence of such high level forum would definitely contribute to give a new lease of life to the process what is called the SAARC movement.

The Coalition for action on South Asian Cooperation or otherwise the CASAC has taken this initiative. Below we produce the text of the press release, which CASAC issued after its freshly concluded Delhi meet.

"South Asia is at the crossroads today. While the rest of the world is moving rapidly in the direction of peace, stability and development, South Asia continues to remain mired in conflicts and poverty. It can either pursue a path of purposeful cooperation based on peace, development and reconciliation or it cal slip deeper into the abyss of hopeless poverty, deprivation, disease and illiteracy resulting in the gradual erosion of the very core of our ancient societies. Fortunately in South Asia the civil society is convinced of the inevitability, benefits and imperative of peace and cooperation. It is also eager and prepared to play a constructive role in persuading and urging the governments to pursue a path of peace, progress and cooperation. Indeed, the civil society has a major responsibility and role in creating an opinion and acting as an advocacy group in the interest of the peoples of this region.

In order to realize the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the peoples of South Asia, it is necessary to invoke the South Asian tradition whereby its elder statesmen, scholars and public personalities can guide the citizens of South Asia to realize the full potential of what this region has to offer to its people. Conflicts, bilateral or regional, are not the only impediments; we have to overcome and change the mindset, deeply entrenched through decades of hostility and suspicion into purposeful cooperation and collective action.

The Coalition for Action on South Asian Cooperation-CASAC, which is an independent non-profit network of South Asian opinion and policy makers committed to the promotion of regional cooperation in South Asia, has over the past 5 years played a major role in mobilizing and channelizing opinion in this direction. CASAC is now proposing to seek the advice and guidance of some of the most distinguished personalities of this region by constituting an informal "Citizens’ Commission for South Asia". Honorable Dr. Inder Kumar Gujaral, elder Statesman and former Prime Minister of India has agreed to chair this Citizens’ Commission. The proposed Commission comprising around 21 eminent personalities from the region will reflect and deliberate on the problems and challenges confronting South Asia. The moral weight of their call will help realize the enormous potential inherent in cooperation in South Asia. Some of the eminent "Citizens" who have agreed to join the Commission, among others, include Hon. Sher Bahadur Deuba, former Prime Minister of Nepal, Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen, renowned jurist Dr. Kamal Hussain, eminent human rights’ champion Ms. Asma Jehangir. Dr. Muhhamed Yunus, the pioneering visionary and the architect of the Grameen Bank, Mr. Abdul Sattar Moosa Didi, former vice president of the Republic of Maldives, Mr. Sartaj Aziz, former Foreign and Finance minister of Pakistan, Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Finance minister of India and Dr. Devendra Raj Pandey, former Finance minister of Nepal.

Some others are also expected to join the group shortly.

The CASAC Executive committee which met in New Delhi on September 16 and 17, 2000 has commenced substantive preparations for this important meeting, which is being held in the context of the SAARC official process continuing to remain in a state of impasse. The Commissions’ deliberations therefore assume special importance as it is expected to discuss issues confronting South Asia and propose a series of actions for the consideration of the governments of the SAARC countries and the civil society at large.

European Parliament resolution on Bhutanese refugees in Nepal

Kathmandu: Find the text of the European Parliament, which urged India to take interest in sorting out the Bhutanese refugee imbroglio. The text came through the kind courtesy of the French embassy in Kathmandu. France is the present president of the European Union. The text follows:

The European Parliament,

1.having regard to its resolution of 14 March 1996 on the plight of Nepali-speaking refugees from Bhutan,

2.having regard to the visit to Nepal from 21 to 22 April 2000 by the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the SAARC, which incorporated an on-the-spot assessment of the continuing plight of the almost 98,000 Bhutanese refugees who are accommodated in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal,

3.recalling that both Bhutan and Nepal have given assurances to the European Parliament that bilateral negotiations would be speedily concluded and that actual verification in the camps would begin by July 2000,

4.aware that the growth in population of Bhutanese refugees, which is a natural process, means a demand for resources including additional huts and associated facilities in already cramped camps and that, similarly, food and non-food supply is another area in which demand continues to rise each year,

5.conscious of the vital role played by the World Food Programme-WFP- and the UNHCR, who are assisting the refugees, and that the European Union and other donors have provided funds for the two organizations, and welcoming the fact that the EU has also been supporting the refugees and refugee-affected areas through NGOs,

6.stressing that, while the EU remains one of the major donors, both the UNHCR and the WPF are finding it increasingly difficult to raise funds to run the camps and that in recent months the WPF has been facing the real and very serious possibility of a future food shortage, and expressing disquiet, furthermore, that donors are more and more concerned at the lack of progress being made,

7.welcoming the talks on the problem of the Bhutanese refugees held by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, with the Bhutanese and Nepalese authorities during her visit to these countries at the end of April and beginning of May 2000,

A.Reiterates its call to the Governments of Bhutan and Nepal, in cooperation with all other parties involved, to reach an agreement which will allow the early and voluntary repatriation of these Bhutanese refugees to their country of origin:

B.Regrets the officially instituted and illegal occupation of the homes and lands of those who have been driven out, as this complicates possible future repatriation and makes a just settlement more difficult to achieve;

C.Welcomes the latest round of bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan in Thimpu in May this year; also welcomes the fact that Nepal has accepted the UNHCR compromise on the crucial definition of the "family" unit for verification purposes and calls on the Bhutanese authorities to accept the UNHCR compromise so that the commitment to field verification for the early and time-bound repatriation of the refugees can begin immediately;

D.Welcomes the Bhutanese authorities’ commitment, given to the UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees during her visit to Bhutan and Nepal, to resolve the refugee issue and to display the flexibility necessary for an early solution to the problem of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal;

E.Considers that international donors should make sufficient funds available to permit the running of the camps during the negotiation and verification process and greatly appreciates the direct support for the camps which, so far, has cost USD 92 million, and calls on donors, furthermore, to insist that the Bhutanese Government facilitate a rapid repatriation of the refugees;

F.Recognizes the tremendous goodwill of Nepal in accepting the refugees who are the victims of arbitrary deprivation of nationality and forcible eviction and who came to Nepal through India, which consistently refuses to help in resolving the repatriation issue by pretending that it is a bilateral issue of concern only to Bhutan and Nepal;

G.Considers that the Indian authorities should take full account of the humanitarian situation of the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal and should take political initiatives in order to support the solution of the problem, while noting that there are 25,000 Bhutanese refugees in India;

H.Calls for and encourage all interests, including international donors, to contribute to finding an early and permanent solution bearing in mind that almost 98,000 people have been denied their human rights for the last eight years;

I.Welcomes the release of Mr. Tek Nath Rizal and 200 other prisoners as a positive indication of Bhutanese goodwill but at the same time regrets the lack of progress in other areas;

J.Welcomes the positive steps in defining the database and procedural aspects for the verification process and points to the important role that can be played by the UNHCR in facilitating the practical implementation of the process;

K.Notes with satisfaction that the Prime Ministers of Bhutan and Nepal will meet very soon in New York and will also meet Mrs. Ogata, High Commissioner for Refugees; hopes that these meetings will produce a final political settlement of this long-standing question; if not, calls on the Council to initiate meaningful discussions and consider financial support aimed at encouraging all parties involved to take the necessary political initiatives which will result in a final and durable solution at the highest political level;

L.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the member States, the governments of Bhutan, Nepal and India, the Secretariat of the SAARC, the WPF and the UNHCR.

Dragon Air to resume Kathmandu-Hong Kong flights

Kathmandu: The Dragon Air is to resume its Kathmandu-Hong Kong flights beginning next month.

The resumption of the Dragon Air flights has come after a span of couple of years.

The aircraft landing Kathmandu twice a week will be A-320 whose total passenger capacity is talked to be 156.

While the resumption of the Dragon Air flights to Kathmandu will contribute to enhance the number of the incoming tourists to this Himalayan Kingdom, it would concurrently add to the coffer of the Nepalese government.

At a time when the Royal Nepal is in a permanent limbo, the Dragon Air is expected to fill in the gap created by the almost defunct RNA.

" I hope that the resumption of the now suspended Dragon Air flights to Kathmandu will give a boost to Nepali tourism industry", said a beaming Joy Dewan, the chief of the Zenith Traves which is at the moment the GSA for the Dragon Air, Hong Kong.

The first flight landing Kathmandu is scheduled for 29th October next month.

Qatar’s adventure club in Nepal

Kathmandu: The Qatar Airways last week organized a gala evening at the premises of the newly operated Hyatt Regency Hotel and amidst a crowd of four hundred invitees launched its widely acclaimed "Adventure Club, Nepal".

The club will provide passengers of this airliner with professional guidance from expert staff at its club headquarters in London and in Kathmandu office as well.

The club will offer detailed information on what Kathmandu has to offer and the airways passengers will receive special personalized services at the airport that include various facilities.

Fraser Teasdale,marketing director Europe sector said that Qatar airways had already become the favored airliner with European tour operators selling soft-adventure in Nepal.

Since its launch in 1994, the Qatar airways has grown rapidly to establish itself as a respected carrier with a fleet of modern Airbus aircraft and the best personalized service in the business.

Joy Dewan, GSA for the Qatar in Nepal, thanked all the guests attending the Qatar gala evening.

Various prizes were declared for the invitees attending the opening ceremony of the adventure club.

After Dolpa incident, Maoists in favor of an ‘extensive united front’

Kathmandu : The most awful has already happened.

While the Maoists’ hold of the Dolpa district headquarters for couple of hours the other day speaks of their mighty presence in the area, it contemporaneously exhibits the establishment’s helplessness in containing the insurgency that is perhaps growing by every passing days.

What is startling is the gossip that the government in Kathmandu had been informed about the possible attack by the Maoists by the local administration there, yet the center could not rise up to the occasion. However, yet another source claims that the Maoists themselves had communicated the government in advance that they would attack and capture Dolpa on that very particular day. Contradictory versions indeed.

Most astonishing of it all is yet another rumor that despite the local administration in Dolpa asked for substantial support from the Military barrack stationed some where in the vicinity of the district headquarters, the military personnel did not listen to the demand. However, there is yet another source, a congress weekly affiliated to Bhattarai-Deuba combine, which forcefully says that no such formal petition had come to the military asking for support.

Dolpa region, which created history through the film CARAVAN, is at the moment trembling with fear.

To recall till the other day Dolpa was considered to be an area where the insurgents had less penetration. However, the fresh ever violent occurrence and the colossal damage it has witnessed Sunday late evening during the face to face struggle in between the insurgents and the police men forces the intellectuals to conclude that the law and order situation in the country has touched the lowest ebb.

In the meanwhile, the Maoists’ high command has once again hinted that they were ready for talks with the government. This indication has come close on the heels of the Dolpa incident.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda says in his freshly released announcement that his organization was ready for talks even on the ‘provisions of the constitution and the system’ as well.

In a dramatic move evidently, the Maoists have told point blank that "we are ready for talks with those political parties and institutions who remained instrumental in bringing in the present parliamentary constitution." To recollect, the King too had been a party at time of the framing of the constitution. However, the statement does not spell out the name of the monarch.

Forwarding the raison d’ tre of their willingness for the talks, the press release adds, had been the chaotic situation of the countrymen and of the country itself as it stood today.

The press note signed by Prachanda also has appealed the left leaning leaders, progressive ones, nationalists and the likes to come under one single umbrella and form an " extensive united front" to get rid of the prevalent to what they prefer to call the atrocities of the establishment.

The Dolpa incident has undoubtedly jolted the Koirala government and imparted a sense of shock among the national population.

When the district headquarters were not safe, much could be guessed of the conditions in the remote parts of the country. Trying period in the nation.

Dialogue and only dialogue with the insurgents could avert the present crisis or else the country is to suffer very badly.

French team to scale Annapurna peak

Kathmandu: A French mountaineering team is currently in town.

The French expedition is comprised of eight mountaineers, which is leaving towards Annapurna Thursday morning in its adventurous bid to scale one of the mightiest mountains in the world.

The team is led by Mr. Nocolas Terror who is talked to be the son of Lionel Terror who had participated in the first ever expedition from France to scale Annapurna some fifty years ago.

To recall, Maurice Herzog, a French mountaineer during the same expedition had to lose the tips of his fingers due to frostbite.

Maurice is also considered to be one of the best friends of Nepal in France.

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