Daily Media Report 06 August 2009 OHCHR and UN RELATED UNMIN team meets Maoist leader ‘Global Government’s borderless mismanagement IMPUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY AND RULE OF LAW Senior police officers in political “lobbying”, special security plan likely to be affected Hands of Annapurna Conservation Area Project alleged in Manang killings Term of committee on seized property expired before work began DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES / CA PROCESS Controversy over constitution-writing meaningless: Legal experts NC appoints chief whip, whip at parliament House disruption to begin 7 August STRENGTHENING NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS / CIVIL SOCIETY Immediately probe the food quality – Editorial , Nepal Samacharpatra, P4 DISCRIMINATION AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS JUDICIARY OTHER Maoist PLA members abduct defectors Some Maoist combatants will be integrated with the army: Foreign minister 22 parties meeting today PM takes Maoist decision to launch local governments seriously Deuba visiting Europe Vice president should take oath in Nepali: Gachchhadar New claim in palace massacre 10-year multiple visa for non-resident Nepalese Anti-Madhes verdict by court unacceptable: Mahantha Thakur Gachchhadar’s MJF abandons “one Madhes state” demand Let’s not create conflict situation: PM asks Maoists Income and expenditure of Unified CPN (Maoist) not transparent: Mohan Baidya faction Car rams into pavement killing six pedestrians Editorials Army’s service Compulsion of movement Op-Ed articles Constituent Assembly and security strategy Arms import episode and the scene of treason Jackal’s horn Challenges to constitution-making Writing an ethnic-based constitution or establishing constitutionalism? Vice-president’s oath and woes of Jajarkot OHCHR and UN RELATED UNMIN team meets Maoist leader A two-member delegation of United Nations Mission in Nepal Wednesday met with UCPN-Maoist parliamentary party deputy leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha and discussed about the current political situation. The Rising Nepal, p 1 ‘Global Government’s borderless mismanagement The state has failed in mid-west. Now direct questions have been raised over the ‘global government above the state’ which has been accused of distributing low quality rice leading to outbreak of epidemics and deaths of people. The WFP which has been distributing food under Food for Work scheme to make communities in the remote areas self-reliant, address hunger and reduce deaths should now probe mismanagement and corruption within it and punish the guilty. Naya Patrika, p 10 IMPUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY AND RULE OF LAW Senior police officers in political “lobbying”, special security plan likely to be affected A report says the Special Security Plan soon launched by the government is likely to be affected because senior police officers are visiting political leaders and using their political nexus in an attempt to get promotions and transfers at desired places. Kantipur, p 2 Hands of Annapurna Conservation Area Project alleged in Manang killings A committee investigating the killing of seven Yarchagumba pickers in Manang district has recommended scrapping the Annapurna Conservation Area Project and Manaslu Conservation Area Project while accusing the two projects of plotting the killings. Annapurna Post, p 10 Term of committee on seized property expired before work began The term of a government committee formed for returning the Maoist-seized property has expired even before the process of returning the seized property could begin. The committee’s term expired 21 July. Kantipur, p 3 DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES / CA PROCESS Controversy over constitution-writing meaningless: Legal experts Legal experts have said constitution-writing process will remain unaffected even if the government does not give final shape to the state restructuring commission. They said the report of the commission is not compulsory for the Constituent Assembly. Nagarik, p 2 NC appoints chief whip, whip at parliament Nepali Congress has named Laxman Prasad Ghimire as the party’s chief whip and Kamala Panta as whip in the parliament. Kantipur, p1 House disruption to begin 7 August The Unified CPN (Maoist) is resuming disrupting the parliament proceedings from 7 August demanding that the resolution against the presidential move presented by the Maoists be discussed at the parliament. Nagarik, p2 STRENGTHENING NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS / CIVIL SOCIETY Immediately probe the food quality – Editorial , Nepal Samacharpatra, P4 The National Human Rights Commission has claimed that the low quality food distributed by WFP is the reason for diarrhea outbreak in mid-west. The probe will find the fact. But NHRC claims hold logic as the diarrhea outbreak has affected those areas where the WFP had distributed foods. The government should halt distributing WFP food until tests confirm that it is safe. Side by side the government should also distribute quality food. Nepal Samacharpatra, p 4 DISCRIMINATION AND ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS Diarrhea kills five more in Jajarkot despite control bid The Risisng Nepal pg 1 JUDICIARY OTHER Maoist PLA members abduct defectors Members of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army have abducted former Maoist PLA members who recently defected to the Matrika Yadav’s Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Those abducted are Padam Rai and Santa Rai. Padam was UNMIN-verified combatant. Annapurna Post, p 5 Some Maoist combatants will be integrated with the army: Foreign minister Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala has said some of the Maoist combatants will be integrated with the Nepalese Army as per their individual eligibility. Not all Maoist combatants can be integrated, she said speaking in Hetauda on 5 August. Kantipur, p 5 22 parties meeting today The 22 political parties in the Constituent Assembly are meeting on 6 August to discuss the upcoming Maoist movement. A meeting between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML at Baluwatar on 5 August said the issue of “civilian supremacy” raised by the Maoists has already been resolved so the movement is meaningless. Kantipur, p 1 PM takes Maoist decision to launch local governments seriously A report says Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has taken seriously the decision by the Unified CPN (Maoist) to launch autonomous provinces and form local governments on its own. Kantipur, p 1 Deuba visiting Europe Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is visiting Europe on 6 August. Kantipur, p 1 Vice president should take oath in Nepali: Gachchhadar Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar has said Vice President Paramananda Jha should take his oath of office in Nepali languages as per the Supreme Court order. He was speaking in Biratnagar. Kantipur, p 5 New claim in palace massacre Tul Prasad Sherchan, who claims to be the chief of the Royal Bureau of Intelligence of the then royal palace, has claimed that that 2001 royal massacre was masterminded by him. Sherchan claimed that the palace massacre was carried out as part of action against the misuse of billions of rupees worth of foreign aid. He said 40 per cent of the foreign aid coming to Nepal was kept in foreign banks. Nepal Samacharpatra, p 1 10-year multiple visa for non-resident Nepalese The government is working to provide 10-year multiple visas for non-resident Nepalese. Non-resident Nepalese have been demanding dual citizenships. Annapurna Post, p 1 Anti-Madhes verdict by court unacceptable: Mahantha Thakur Tarai-Madhes Loktantrik Party President Mahantha Thakur has said the Supreme Court verdict on the oath- taking by vice president is anti-Madhes and the verdict is unacceptable. He was speaking in Kathmandu on 5 August. Annapurna Post, p 3 Gachchhadar’s MJF abandons “one Madhes state” demand Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar has said his party has abandoned the demand for “one Madhes state”. He said his party is a national party and will not remain entangled in petty issues. Annapurna Post, p 9 Let’s not create conflict situation: PM asks Maoists Prime Minister Madhav Nepal has urged the Unified CPN (Maoist) not to engage in activities and make statements that could invite conflict in the country. He urged the Maoist party to rethink its plan to launch movement over army chief row. Rajdhani, p 1 Income and expenditure of Unified CPN (Maoist) not transparent: Mohan Baidya faction The Mohan Baidya faction in the Unified CPN (Maoist) has alleged that the income and expenditure in the Maoist party are not transparent. Baidya said this in a secret report presented at the party’s recently concluded central committee meeting. Nagarik, p 2 Car rams into pavement killing six pedestrians In a bizarre road accident, a speeding car on the night of 5 August rammed into the pavement at Bhotahiti in Kathmandu killing six pedestrians including a child. Five of those killed were Indian nationals. Kantipur, p 1 Editorials Army’s service Nepal Army has launched house to house search campaign in Jajarkot and Rukum to find out diarrhea patients and treat them. The army’s initiative should be taken as relevant and positive. However the success of the campaign will largely depend on stakeholders concerned as well as the public. Annapurna Post, p 6 Compulsion of movement The government is not serious about implementing the one month old agreement reached with the Maoists to address the latter’s concerns within a month, forcing the Maoists to launch nationwide agitation. The Maoists have rightly floated the proposal for national government led by them to take peace and constitution process to a logical end, but that is not gong to be achieved without a massive and broad movement. Janadisha, p 4 Op-Ed articles Constituent Assembly and security strategy Maoist-nominated member of the Constituent Assembly Hari Roka says there needs a national consensus for formulating and implementing national security plan. Kantipur, p 6 Arms import episode and the scene of treason Nepali Congress leader Shobhakar Parajuli says we cannot keep our eyes shut and blindly follow the Maoists when various aspects need to be considered for the country’s security. Disregarding those aspects would be treason.