Prachanda says he doesn't know about dummy candidates
Maoist chairman Prachanda has claimed that he does not know anything about 'dummy candidates' said to have been fielded by his party in Kathmandu 10 constituency from where he is contesting in the April 10 election. Responding to media reports that 15 dummy candidates had been fielded to help Prachanda use extra resources - each candidate is allowed to spend certain amount and is availed of certain facility by the Election Commission - in his constituency, he said, "I have no idea of who have been fielded by whom." But he was angry at Election Commission for sending a letter demanding clarification from him. "The way in which EC has written a letter and circulated it has stunned me. Independent candidates can decide to contest anytime and from anywhere. I didn't even know about it," he said at a program held to unveil Maoist election manifesto in the capital, Friday. The EC had sent a letter demanding explanation from the Maoists regarding the media reports on dummy candidates. Compiled from reports
NA No To Recruitment Of Politically Indoctrinated
Nepali Army (NA) has said it will open its doors for recruitment of people based on worldwide standard. It has said no to the recruitment of politically active people. "All over the world, there are certain standards for recruitment in army, which includes physical, mental and educational qualifications," said Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri, spokesperson of the NA. His comments have come amid pressures to integrate Maoist combatants into NA and recent agreement with the Madhesis regarding collective recruitment. "Nowhere it is mentioned that Maoist combatants will be integrated into NA. Politically active persons cannot be recruited into army. Likewise, there cannot be collective recruitment based on some ethnic group or community," he said. He, however, added that any Nepali citizen fulfilling globally-recognized standards can be recruited into NA. Compiled from reports
Schools To Be Closed, Border Sealed For Polls
The government has asked educational institutions to close schools for one week ahead of the constituent assembly polls so that the teachers could be mobilized for public awareness campaign. The Election Commission (EC) had asked the government to mobilize at least 60,000 school teachers for raising awareness among the voters. The EC came up with this idea due to lack of sufficient number of government employees involved in awareness campaign. The teachers would be mobilized as volunteers. One male and one female teacher will be deployed in each VDC and municipality for the purpose. Usually, schools remain closed during this period, except some, marking the end of the academic session. Meanwhile, the border with India would be sealed from March 10 and additional barriers would be set up in all checkpoints. According to Indian media reports, a senior police officer said the border would be sealed in view of constituent assembly elections scheduled for a month later. Policemen in plain clothes would be deployed keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the border. A meeting of senior officials of both the countries would be held before the elections for better coordination. Police officials from both countries have said vigil along the border had already started. Nepalnews.com reports
Robbery At Norwegian Envoy's Residence
An armed group robbed Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal Tore Toreng's Bhaisepati residence Friday (Mar 7) night. According to police, the armed group of 25 robbers took control of the security personnel safeguarding at the residence located at Bhaisepati, Lalitpur before looting one laptop, Rs 40,000 and clothes. A six-member team under the coordination of Police Inspector Saroj Khatri has been deployed to investigate and nab those involved in the robbery, Metropolitan Police Commissioner's Office informed. Kamala Bista, adviser to the Norwegian embassy, quoting ambassador Toreng, said the looters decamped with a computer and a mobile set from the residence. "It was not a big robbery," she said. Bista said the embassy had rented the house in January. The armed persons might have thought that the owner of the house, who is a jeweler, was residing in the house, she said. "I was told that the armed persons searched for jewelleries inside the house," she said, adding, "The looters had an argument with security guard when a guard told them that the house was rented by the Norwegian ambassador and that there were no valuables in the house. Compiled from reports
Businessmen Urge Parties To Raise Economic Issues In CA
Business community has appealed to the political parties to adequately raise economic issues at the Constituent Assembly (CA). National Business Initiative (NBI) had held an interaction, Friday (Mar 7), to push economic agenda at the center-stage of debates. The NBI also put forth 10-point paper soliciting support from wide spectrum of political parties. The paper includes expression of commitment against bandhs and strikes, creation of industrial peace and appeal for political parties to enter into partnership with business community, among others. The paper urges parties to express commitment not to call any bandh or strike for at least six months. Speaking at the program, Padma Jyoti, president of NBI, said business community favored peaceful political transition through the CA. Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said his party wanted to push self-reliant economy. "In order to protect the small economy, we need to control open border with India, which has a big economy," he said. Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel accused Maoists of destroying the economic base of the country through their violence. "People were killed and infrastructures destroyed in the name of people's war. What did the Maoists get? Only development was stalled," he said. Compiled from reports
Madhesis Reluctant To Join NA
Madhesi youths have given a cold response to the Nepali Army (NA)'s recent recruitment in Sarlahi district, the heart of Madhes. Of the 1,733 applications received for 953 rank and file at the NA's local Arjunban Battalion at Nawalpur recently, only 193 (11.1 percent) were from Madhesis. The figure is in sharp contrast to Madhesi leaders' claims that the NA was imposing an "unofficial ban" on Madhesis seeking to join the national army. One of the key demands of the terai parties during the last Madhes movement was group induction of Madhesis into the NA, and other state mechanisms. Besides Madhesi applicants, 171 were from indigenous groups (Tharu and Danuwar) and another 468 were Janjati. Likewise, 61 Pahade Dalit youths and 840 Brahmin and Chhetri had applied for the openings, according to an NA source. An army official said, "As very few Madhesis applied for the posts, the number selected is automatically low." According to the results published Wednesday, the battalion selected a total of 953 men for training, including 23 Madhesis. Similar is the picture at NA Headquarters. Out of 4,993 applicants received recently for officer level openings, only 76 (approximately 1.5 percent) were from Madhesis. Apart from Madhesis, 110 Pahade Dalit candidates have also applied. Here also, 3,883 (over 86 percent) applicants were Brahmin/Chhetri. The final results here are still awaited. Expert on Madhes issues Bhaskar Gautam terms this a "natural tendency" as there were few Madhesis in NA posts in the past. "As most semi-literate Nepalis often follow in the callings of their seniors, Madhesi youths cannot be any exception since their seniors were not in the NA," he opines. He further says that the Madhesi parties, which are raising the issue now, should encourage
Madhesi youths to join the army. The NA constituted two separate battalions of Kirantis and Madhesis some three years ago. Now it has two such additional battalions, of Gurungs and Magars. Kantipur reports
Entrepreneurs In Favor Of Multi VAT Rates
Private sector entrepreneurs have urged the government to introduce multi Value Added Tax (VAT) rates. They have said that based on the nature of business, VAT rate should be fixed at 1, 4 and 13 percent. Currently, the government has imposed 13 percent VAT in all kinds of goods and services. The business entrepreneurs have said that single VAT rate has eroded competitive capacity of different products that are produced differently. This demand has been put forth to the Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat following a joint study by Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Overseas Export Import Association. Entrepreneurs have claimed that despite imposing multi rate, the revenue collected by the government will not decrease. Pradeep Man Baidya, chairman of Income Tax and VAT Committee at FNCCI, said that revenue growth will continue to be 25.5 percent. He said that in 135 countries where VAT is imposed, 68 countries practice multi rates. Kantipur daily reports
Prince Harry Feels Safest With Gurkha Soldiers
Prince Harry of the UK, who had been in headlines for the last few days after his presence in Afghanistan was revealed, said there is 'no safer place to be than in the presence of Gurkhas'. For their part, Gurkhas praised the 23-year-old royal for his good manners while Harry described their goat-curries as "fantastic" following a stint at an operating base in the southern province of Helmand just 500m from Taliban positions, media reports say. "When you know you are with the Gurkhas I think there's no safer place to be, really," he said. Associated Press quoted him further, "They're all armed with kukhuris, so if they run out of ammunition they will charge you with their 'massive swords', as the enemy call them." Harry also praised food of Gurkhas soldiers - goat curries, chicken curries, terming it a good fun. Captain Yambahadur Rana of the Gurkha regiment said, "We are very lucky to have a prince on our team working with us. Definitely he's getting on very well with our boys and certainly in the Ops Room he works next to me and we have a very good working relationship," Rana added. Compiled from reports
Govt Signs MoU Awarding Arun III To Sutlej
The government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's state-owned Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) awarding it with the 402 MW Arun III hydropower project. According to the MoU, the SJVN will have to provide 21.9 percent of power (88 MW) to Nepal free of any charge. That apart, the SJVN will need to pay 7.5 percent of its total income as royalty to the government. The government will also clamp 0.5 percent of export tax. Studies have shown that Arun III can generate 2.9 billion units of power during wet season and 1.55 billion units of power during dry season. The cost of its construction is estimated at US$ 860 million. The MoU was signed by joint secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources Anup Kumar Upadhyaya and deputy manager of SJVN Sanjay Upal. Upadhyaya has said that as per the understanding, Nepal can also buy as much of power generated from the project as it wants. "They can sell the power to India only after meeting our demands," he said. The MoU awards the project on build-own-operate-transfer basis to SJVN for 30 years. It needs to first fulfill specified conditions to receive survey license following which it can obtain generating license. The development of Arun III was earlier planned by the World Bank. However, in 1995, it was cancelled under stiff protests by some quarters who claimed it to be highly expensive and environment-unfriendly. Nepalnews.com reports
