KANTIPUR REPORT
Kathmandu, JUL 29 – The UN said on Tuesday that the Pakistan-bound ship — The Aegean Glory — that was carrying, among others, military vehicles belonging to Nepal Army’s UN peacekeeping troops in Liberia hit rough weather, because the captain of the ship did not follow the route planned by the UN when it set sail from Liberia.
The 153-meter cargo ship, operated under the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), was stopped by Indian intelligence in Kolkata last week “for investigation” on the suspicion that it was carrying a huge cache of arms and ammunition without proper documents.
The ship was there to offload the NA military cargo. When the Indian authorities denied it entry, it sailed back to Karachi on July 25.
According to Martin Nesirky, Spokesman for the UN Secretary General, the ship was stopped by Indian authorities due to “inadequate communication” between the ship’s captain who did not follow the scheduled route and the Indian authorities.
The UN News Center states that the ship was originally scheduled to sail from Liberia on May 18 and dock at Karachi, and then Kolkata before proceeding to Chittagong, Bangladesh. The ship instead reached the Indian port city directly.
“Apparently, a unilateral decision to alter the route was taken without consulting the United Nations and that’s why it arrived in Bangladesh first and then went on to India. This resulted in the Pakistani cargo still being on board the ship when it arrived in Indian waters. That was obviously not the original plan,” said Nesirky in the press briefing at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.
Earlier, Indian media had quoted senior police officers as saying that the ship was carrying rocket launchers, smoke bombs and anti-aircraft guns, apart from other sophisticated arms and ammunition.http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/29/top-story/skipper-messed-up-na-shipment-un/319392/
2.PM Polls: Rivals set for fresh fiasco
PHANINDRA DAHAL in The Kathmandu Post
KATHMANDU, JUL 29 – Barring some last-minute surprises, it is almost certain that UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress (NC) Parliamentary Party leader Ram Chandra Poudel will set an unenviable record on Aug. 2: Theirs will be a hat-trick of defeat in the prime ministerial poll.
The drama began on July 21. Both failed to secure 300 votes to form a majority government and ended up doing so again on July 23. Two decisive forces who will tilt the vote one way or the other—CPN-UML and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM)—are likely to abstain on Monday, according to insiders.
The vote of UML and SLMM is a must for Poudel to form a majority government while 82 votes of SLMM would take Dahal to the hot seat. Both UML and SLMM had not voted for the two contestants in the previous two elections.
UML has been a deeply divided house after its Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal had to withdraw his candidacy in the first round election. Khanal wants both Dahal and Poudel to withdraw to prepare ground for a national unity government while his bete noire KP Oli, alongside Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, want the continuation of a “democratic alliance” under the NC leadership.
“The party will not rollback its stand to stay neutral in the upcoming poll,” said UML Secretary Yuvaraj Gyawali. According to him, the party’s central committee will not take any new decision before Aug. 2 election.
While they continue to court the SLMM, the Maoist party and NC have so far failed to get the backing of the Madhesi front. “We will not vote for any candidate unless they agree to go for a single Madhes province,” said Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Chairman Upendra Yadav. Both the Maoist party and NC are in favour of multiple autonomous provinces in Madhes.
Both the parties have expressed their reservation over the front’s demand for bulk entry of Madhesis in the Nepal Army. The Maoists have stated that they won’t accept pluralism in the new constitution while NC has opposed the condition for scrapping the formation of the high level state restructuring commission floated by the four Madhes-based parties.http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/29/top-story/pm-pollsrivals-set-for-fresh-fiasco/319393/
3. NC-led govt will be formed on Aug 2 : KC
NUWAKOT, JUL 29 -Nepali Congress Joint General Secretary and Spokesperson Arjun Narsingh KC Thursday claimed that a NC-led government will be formed on August 2.
According to him, the CPN-UML and the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) which had remained neutral in the previous two rounds of election for the prime minister will vote for the NC candidate on August 2.
He was speaking at a press meet organised by Nepal Press Union at his residence in Bidur of Nuwakot district today.
He said the NC and UCPN (Maoist) are contesting the prime ministerial seat. He added that the UML and the UDMF have institutionally decided not to support the Maoists until and unless the party fully disarms itself as per the globally accepted democratic norms. KC said the two parties are thus ready to support the NC. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/29/top-story/nc-led-govt-will-be-formed-on-aug-2–kc/319410/
4. Maoists prepare commitment letter on Madhesi demands
KATHMANDU, JUL 29 – In a bid to turn their long-cherished dream of forming a new government under its leadership into reality, the UCPN (Maoist) on Thursday prepared a written commitment letter on the concept paper of the demands put forth by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF)—an alliance of the Madhes-based parties.
A meeting of the Maoist office bearers held at the party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s residence in Nayabazar prepared such letter this morning to secure support for winning the prime ministerial run-off election scheduled for August 2.
The Maoists took the decision after the UDMF sought a written commitment on its demands from either of the parties vying for the prime minister’s post.
The Madhesi front with the strength of 83 seats in the 601-member Constituent Assembly (CA) could play a decisive role in breaking the deadlock over the prime ministerial race if it agrees to support the single largest party Maoists that has 238 seats.
Emerging from the meeting, Maoist Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the written commitment will be made public following a discussion on the points mentioned in the concept paper.
He informed that an official letter will be dispatched to the UDMF today itself and consultations on the issue will be initiated.
However, the Maoist has refused the UDMF demand for ‘One Madhes, One Province’, which means the entire Terai belt spanning from the East to West should be declared as a single state while delineating the federal structure.
The UDMF had presented its concept paper on July 23 putting forth its demands in exchange for support to the prime ministerial candidate.
The four Madhes-based parties—Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik, Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party and Mahato-led Sadbhavana Party—are the constituents of the UDMF.http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/29/top-story/maoists-prepare-commitment-letter-on-madhesi-demands/319407/
5. Can there be legal solution of repeated runoff PM elections?
by KAMAL RAJ SIGDEL in The Kathmandu Post
Having observed the Wednesday’s election that failed to yield result after a large chunk of lawmakers declined to vote any side, some legal eagles suggest going for legal revision.
Either the parties, they say, should come to consensus and clear the looming uncertainty or amend at least two provisions in the Parliamentary laws governing prime ministerial election if the current stalemate has to be addressed.
First, in the Parliament Rules of Procedures-2008, the lawmakers’ “unconditional” right to remain neutral during elections in the House should be curtailed and second, the system in the same law that bars entry of new candidates in runoff elections even in case none of the entrants from first election garner a required majority votes should be reviewed.
Experts of law and constitution suggest parties to go for these reviews also to make sure that the two contestants do not fight endlessly while keeping other interested candidates at bay.
However, legal advisors to the Constituent Assembly do not quite buy this argument as they believe the current problem is a political one rather than legal. Law experts point out that the very “flaw” in the current law is that it fails to foresee a situation whereby the runoff elections do not yield any result, no matter how many times they are repeated, due to conditions such as a decisive chunk of voters remaining neutral. “Though it is an issue related to political morale, the law has to be amended if it gives a way out,” says Dahal.
Irrespective of what happens with the current runoff elections, the law experts suggest the Parliament review its laws. Under the current condition, there are chances that the elections would be repeated indefinitely if CPN-UML or any other party chose to remain neutral — meaning neither saying Yea nor saying Nay to either Maoist candidate Pushpa Kamal Dahal or NC’s candidate Ram Chandra Poudel.
Another flaw, says Advocate and Maoist lawmaker Ek Raj Bhandari, is the legal provision that fails to spell out the solution when a certain number of re-elections fail to elect any of the two contestants. “The law does not tell what if we fail to elect a prime minister for 50th time,” says Bhandari.
The current laws do not permit entry of any new contestant in by-elections. Except for Poudel and Dahal, for stance, no other leader can fight in the coming forthcoming by-elections.
“Had the law permitted entry of new candidates, the current uncertainty could have been averted,” says former Nepal Bar Association Chairman Bishwo Kant Mainali. “If an election fails to yield any result, a chapter is closed. There should be a fresh start.”
Equally wrong is the lawmakers’ tendency to stay neutral, say some experts. “Lawmakers are not individuals. They cannot remain in inaction. It is ethically wrong,” says NBA Chairman Prem B. Khadka.
Drawing upon UML’s decision to stay neutral, advocate Bhandari argues that parties cannot held the House hostage for their interest. “If any party, for instance UML, continues to stay neutral, that would mean that the party actually wants to continue the caretaker government.” He suggests the lawmakers should go for an amendment if they really want to clear the hurdle.
However, legal Advisor to the CA Tek Prasad Dhungana says since the current problem is “created” not because of the legal flaws but because of the parties wrangling, no amendment could help end the deadlock. “Any amendment won’t be healthy. The parties should select the prime minister remaining under the current laws,” says Dhungana. “The parties could have selected the prime minister as per the current law if UML had not insisted on garnering 401 votes, which is mentioned nowhere in the laws.”
However, Dhungana, also says that if the parties agree there is the possibility of both amending the laws or starting a fresh election. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/22/editors-pick/analysis-can-there-be-legal-solution-of-repeated-runoff-pm-elections/318998/
6. Passport hassles add to people’s woes
by PRASUN SINGH in The Kathmandu Post
The serpentine queue of passport applicants at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) shows the sorry state of the country where people see no academic and career prospects, thanks to political instability having ripple effects on all sectors.
Maiya Rai, who hails from Morang, has been queuing up for passport for the last three days. Finding the environment here not favourable for employment, she wants to try out her luck in Dubai. Harrowing tales of exploitation and torture of Nepali women in the Gulf countries do not seem to deter her. “I don’t see any future here,” she said.
View of another applicant Sameer Aryal is hardly different. He has recently completed his Grade XII and is compelled to go abroad to pay off his family’s loan. Frustrated by frequent strikes and the political chicanery, he says, “The political leaders are busy fighting for positions rather than thinking of generating employment opportunities for youths like us.” The majority of the applicants want to fly abroad for study and employment opportunities. Those from outside Kathmandu Valley are compelled to come here and wait for many days to get passports. Adverse weather condition and expensive lodging charges have added to their woes.
The serpentine queues have been a common scene on the MoFA premises after it stopped distributing passports from district administration offices after April 1, the deadline for Nepal to switch on to Machine Readable Passport (MRP). According to MoFA Spokesperson Durga Prasad Bhattrai, passport applications at the MoFA Central Passport Office ranges from 800 to 1000 at present. “We have appointed more officials to issue passport on time and might establish separate desks for men and women if the crowd becomes unmanageable in the days to come,” he said.
Most of the time, the security guards deployed there find tough time handling the queue. At times, they are compelled to use force to manage the crowds.
“We start our job from 8 a.m. and it’s frustrating to keep on managing the queue all the day. Sometimes we are compelled to baton-charge the applicants when they disrupt the line and ignore our request,” said police personnel Anil Kumar Singh.
Among applicants are students who are unwilling to study in Nepal as sporadic strikes and protests staged by different interest groups cripple college routines. www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/27/editors-pick/passport-hassles-add-to-peoples-woes/319274/
7. Nepal to sign FTA with Pakistan in JEC meeting
KARACHI- Nepal intends to sign Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakisan in the next meeting of Joint Economic Commission (JEC), scheduled in October this year.
“Nepalese side has desired to finanlize FTA for the two countries in the next JEC which will be held on October 19-20 this year in Islamabad”, Pakistan embassy in Kathmandu communicated to Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce (MoC) recently.
According to sources, a taskforce comprising of representatives from ministry of commerce of both countries has been established for the finalizing the next FTA.
Nepal will be the second country in South Asia to enter in this trade arrangement with Pakistan after Sri Lanka entered into FTA with Pakistan some years back.
Over the years, the volume of bilateral trade remains very small (a few million dollars). Pakistan’s total exports to Nepal are worth $1.631 million while Nepal’s exports to Pakistan tally $3.166 million
Although, work on FTA between Pakistan and Nepal has begun, officials concerned don’t see any benefit for the country to sign FTA with Nepal.
Nepal, being a landlocked country, does its external trade through the transit route of India, which would be unlikely to allow Pakistan to get access in Nepalese market like Pakistan denying the same facility to India to penetrate in Afghanistan, which, too, is a landlocked country.
Officials said that also in the presence of SAFTA, there is not need to enter into a FTA with any member of SAARC. Officials said that if signed, the FTA would be an exercise in futility because country would gain nothing from this bilateral trade agreement.
Pakistan has so far signed FTA with Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka as well as Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with Iran and Mauritius. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/24/intl-coverage/nepal-to-sign-fta-with-pakistan-in-jec-meeting/319105/
