Sindhuli locals preparing for civic polls

Sindhuli locals preparing for civic polls


Sindhuli, Feb 26: As the date for local level elections has been set for May 14, people of the district are preparing in full swing for the polls.

Deprived of their right to vote at the civic polls for the past 19 years, the locals are eagerly looking forward to picking their local body representatives through the elections.

With the likelihood of the polls to take place, they are undoubtedly hopeful of an end to many problems like sluggish development in the absence of their elected representatives for nearly two decades.

Every corner of local gathering places is filled with people from various walks of life including business persons, teachers and farmers talking about election-related issues like who to vote for and which agenda they should support.

The government's effort to set the poll date is a welcoming step, said Sushila Lama of Kamalamai Municipality. "Local people had to undergo various problems in the absence of representatives at local bodies for the past 19 years. I wish the elections should take place on time," she said.

Local resident Tankadhoj Thapa expressed hope that good and capable politicians would be selected as local body representatives through the polls.

The locals have also called for free and fair elections. RSS

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Local polls announced at last after gap of 19 years but challenges remain

Local polls announced at last after gap of 19 years but challenges remain


(Manoj Karki)

KATHMANDU: The Government has announced the date for local elections to be held on May 14. The date as reported in the media was announced in consultation with the Election Commission, a constitutional body responsible to hold the elections in a free and fair manner.

The announcement by the government comes after relentless pressure from all stakeholders, including members of the ruling coalition and the main opposition party in the parliament. It was also pressing given the constitutional provision of having to hold all the three tier (in the new federal set-up) elections by January 2018.

As elections are a must to accelerate the implementation of the new constitution drafted by the Constituent Assembly, it comes as a welcome move as far as the constitutional development of the country is concerned.

However, challenges remain galore as far as ensuring that the elections take place on the announced date. The first and foremost one is the dissent expressed by the United Madhesi Democratic Front (UDMF), an umbrella organisation of Madhesh-centric parties. Soon after the announcement of the date of the local elections, UDMF released a statement announcing a series of protest programmes, including torch rallies and general strikes. It has also warned of stopping the elections from taking place at all.

The UDMF has long been in an agitation mood since the promulgation of the new constitution from the Constituent Assembly in September 2015. The first amendment of the constitution soon after it was promulgated was an effort to address some of the issues raised by the UDMF. However, the UDMF continued to protest against the new constitution stating that the first amendment, done without proper consultation with them, failed to meet their aspirations.

As part of an effort to address their concerns, the government has already tabled an amendment proposal at the parliament. It has not been able to go to the floor for necessary deliberations and the due procedures mainly because of the vehement protest against it by the main opposition, CPN-UML. Any changes to be made in the constitution requires a two-thirds majority and without the support of UML that is unlikely. That is also not possible given the fact that fringe parties including the now unified Rastriya Prajatantra Party or RPP too is against the amendment proposal in the status quo.

An all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister a day after the announcement of the date of local elections too failed to reach to a conclusion in relation to the constitution amendment proposal. The UDMF did not attend the meeting. Parties present in the meeting however welcomed the announcement of the date of local elections, describing it as a positive step forward.

The second challenge before the local elections is the report of the Local Level Restructuring Commission. The government needs to finalize the report and give it to the Election Commission for it to hold local level elections in the new federal structure. However, the report too has been contested by the UDMF and wants revision on it before it is finalized. And coincidently, the UML is against any revision on it.

Though the Election Commission had itself suggested holding the local elections on May 14, it may not get enough time to prepare if the LLRC report is not formally handed over to it on time. And management of elections too may get complicated if the Madhesh-centric parties decide to boycott it.

Time is running out hard and fast for the government before it is able to address the challenges before holding a successful local election. And given that the people at large have not been able to vote at the local level since the last elections in 1997, any further delay would only not infringe on people's franchise but also push the country towards a serious constitutional crisis.

Hence, apart from the government, which has a greater responsibility of bringing all concerned parties on board, the main opposition UML and the Madhesh-centric parties need to exercise some degree of flexibility as far as their demands and positions are concerned, and give way to realizing local elections being held after a gap of 19 years.

This is a crucial time for parties to prove themselves before their voters, given the fact that they will be facing them three times in the next 11 months, at the local, provincial and federal level. It is also high time that Nepal gives up once and for all the political instability that it has been grappling with since the restoration of democracy in 1990, and takes the path towards much-needed and already-delayed economic progress and prosperity.

Hence, the parties and their leaders need to rise above their party and personal interests and take a bold decision in the larger interest of the country and people that they claim to represent. RSS

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BP Highway in Sindhuli caves in

BP Highway in Sindhuli caves in


Sindhuli, Feb 20: A strip of the BP Highway along the Shitalpati section in Sindhuli has caved in and fallen into the Sunkoshi river below disrupting vehicular movement.

Around a hundred metre strip of the road caved in at Benighat Kholete area of Shitalpati – 9 at 11 pm last night, Chief District Officer, Tara Bahadur Karki shared. He said the authorities were yet to determine what caused the road to collapse.

CDO Karki added that the section of the road has become so narrow that not even motorbikes can pass. Hundreds of vehicles heading towards the capital city and those heading out have been stranded with severed connectivity along the road.

Vehicles heading into the capital city from Ramechap, Dolakha, Khotang, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga and the eastern districts in Tarai have been stranded.

The District Administration Office (DAO) has issued a notice to the concerned transport entrepreneurs to inform the small and large vehicles heading towards Kathmandu to stay off the road for the time being.

The DAO has also notified Mahottari district officials to divert the vehicles heading west via Sindhuli. CDO Karki said an appeal has been sent to the road department to make an alternate arrangement.

Locals blame the collapse on the road's weak foundation, cracks and fissures developed during the massive earthquake compounded by the monsoon downpour which had caused the road surface to subside. RSS

Trump reassures supporters in fiery campaign-style speech

Trump reassures supporters in fiery campaign-style speech


MELBOURNE, United States, Feb 19, (AFP) - President Donald Trump turned back the clock Saturday with a bold and aggressive Florida speech straight out of his 2016 campaign playbook, enthralling fans while insisting all is well in the White House despite weeks of turbulence.

     He also took aim at his favorite foil, the "dishonest" news media that he said has become "part of the corrupt system."

     At the end of a stormy first month in office, the billionaire took the power of the presidency on the road, revisiting the style and substance of the campaign trail.

     After stepping down from Air Force One to a deafening cheer, he was drawn into the collective bosom of several thousand of his dearest followers -- mostly white, mostly male middle-class Americans who feel they have been left behind by the country's shifting economy.

     "I'm here because I want to be among my friends and among the people," he said.

     Trump employed a loud and muscular delivery -- one which won over millions of voters on the campaign trail last year -- to assure Americans he is fulfilling promises to shrink government, rebuild the military, restrict immigration, and tear up health care reforms enacted by predecessor Barack Obama.

     "This will be change for the ages," the president said at the event in Melbourne, a sun-bleached city on Florida's Space Coast.

     But Trump was completing his first month in office under a cloud in Washington, where lawmakers pledged to further investigate his possible pre-election ties to Russia, his national security advisor was forced to resign in disgrace, and a cabinet nominee withdrew amid controversy.

     "The White House is running so smoothly, so smoothly," Trump stressed, before going on an extended rant about the US media.

     "I also want to speak to you without the filter of the fake news," Trump said.

     "They've become a big part of the problem. They are part of the corrupt system," he said, continuing the open warfare with the media that has marked his young presidency.

First Lady's prayer

     Aside from the fact that Trump is now leader of the free world, the event was eerily similar in style to his campaign -- from the layout, to the recorded music, to the president's largely impromptu delivery.

     About the only thing missing was attacks on his 2016 Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

     Trump acknowledged that he is always in campaign mode.

     "Life is a campaign," he told reporters on Air Force One ahead of the rally. "To make America great again is absolutely a campaign. It's not easy, especially when we're also fighting the press."

     During his speech, Trump reiterated his pledge to crack down on terrorism, saying he has "ordered decisive action to keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country."

     And he said his administration would submit "in a couple of weeks" a plan to repeal and replace "the disaster known as Obamacare."

     Republican leaders in Congress have said they will unveil their health care plans in the coming weeks as well.

     Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump, who is usually soft-spoken, broke with form by reciting the Lord's Prayer to begin the event, then issuing a scathing rebuke of her husband's enemies and her critics.

     "I will always stay true to myself and be truthful to you, no matter what the opposition is saying about me," she said.

     At one point, the president broke security protocol by inviting a supporter to hop a barrier and join him onstage.

     "Mr President, thank you, sir," said Gene Huber, a car salesman from West Palm Beach who said he arrived at 4 am to be first in line for the event.

     "This is a world leader now who's taking control," Huber told AFP earlier. "No jitters at all."

'Total garbage'

     The commander-in-chief was clearly seeking to reconnect with his tribe in a reassuring environment.

     Tensions have soared in recent days as lawmakers pressed for more information about the Trump campaign's connections with Russia. On Thursday, Trump held a news conference that was startling in its vitriol against the media.

     He later took to Twitter to call the media the "enemy of the American People."

     White House chief of staff Reince Priebus warned the media not to brush off Trump's denunciation.

     "I think you should take it seriously," Priebus told CBS in an interview Saturday, which will air in full on Sunday.

     "I think that the problem we've got is that we're talking about bogus stories like the one in the New York Times, that we've had constant contact with Russian officials. The next day, the Wall Street Journal had a story that the intel community was not giving the president a full intelligence briefing. Both stories grossly inaccurate, overstated, overblown, and it's total garbage."

     Robert Sponsler, 64, a retired railroad worker from Jacksonville who was attending the rally, turned his nose up at the stew in the capital.

     "We don't care," he said of the various controversies. "He don't owe nobody nothing. I'm with him 100 percent."

Connectivity at the heart of economic success, PM says at Nepal Infrastructure Summit

Connectivity at the heart of economic success, PM says at Nepal Infrastructure Summit


Kathmandu, Feb 19: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said infrastructure is the foundation of development, and infrastructure development is the topmost priority as Nepal aspires to reach middle-income country by 2030.

"It is through robust and sustainable infrastructure, cost of production is minimized; productivity of workforce is enhanced; economic and industrial growth is propelled; and, ultimately the welfare of society is boosted," the PM said during his inaugural statement at Nepal Infrastructure Summit 2017 in the capital city on Sunday.

The PM said that lack of basic infrastructure has forced us to witness an average of below four percent economic growth over the last decade and the infrastructure gap has directly hurt the development activities.

He was of the statement that the public sector bears the responsibility to develop basic infrastructures but that responsibility was not exclusive as the private sector is an indispensable partner in this endeavour.

Saying that to develop the basic infrastructure, mobilization of private sector is not a luxury, Dahal added the government was committed to work in partnership with the private sector to bridge the infrastructure gap. "We have adopted the policy of Public –Private Partnership (PPP). Necessary acts, regulations and guidelines have been streamlined," Dahal assured.

On the occasion, PM Dahal said that infrastructure development in Nepal has been constrained by geography, by limited capital and by investment gap.

He also urged the private sector and financial institutions for increased investment in the country. Stating that domestic resources were limited, Dahal said that foreign investment was an essential source to meet the investment gap.

"Our water resources, biodiversity and human resources can be utilized to meet our development aspirations. If harnessed properly, they can contribute to our economy," the PM added.

Likewise, the PM said that cross-border connectivity of infrastructures was a key to benefit from the fastest growing economies of our two neighbours-- China and India.

"This is the world of interconnectedness. Connectivity lies at the heart of economic success. We can realize shared success through shared efforts. Partnership between the governments to develop cross-border infrastructures can bear remarkable fruits of development, PM Dahal underscored the need for partnership.

On the occasion, the PM said that Nepal has given top priority to energy and transport connectivity as the key components of infrastructure development. "Our efforts to make the country load-shedding free has been encouraging and we want to maintain the momentum to generate required energy to enhance our agricultural productivity, expand industrial base and promote service sector," he viewed.

Inviting the foreign investors in Nepal, PM Dahal said Nepal has adopted liberal policy in foreign investment and expressed commitment to further improve it. "Our labour policy is market friendly. Abundance of cheap labour is another asset," he claimed. 

Recalling the devastating earthquake and the consequent aftershocks, PM Dahal said that Nepal has an important task of building the infrastructures and expressed commitment to building sustainable and resilient infrastructures in partnership with private sector. He also hoped continued supports from the international community in this effort. RSS

Doze bridges being constructed in Tinau

Doze bridges being constructed in Tinau


Tilottama (Rupandehi), Feb 18: The Road Division Office, Butwal is set to reconstruct a dozen bridges over the Tinau River in Rupandehi.

The construction of motor able bridges over the River had begun in 2067 BS. Among them, the construction of bridges except the one located nearby Butwal suspension bridge has yet to be completed.

According to the office, 11 bridges are under construction right at the moment. Considering the inconvenience to cross Tinau River especially in the Rainy Season, the bridge construction has been expedited to ease the movements, shared Road Division Office Spokesperson Engineer Jaya Lal Marasini.

The bridge construction drive is moving ahead at the cost of around Rs 1 billion.

Many bridges are being constructed on the roads linking Gautam Buddha's birthplace, Lumbini, from the East-West Highway. The bridge construction drive that started in 2067 BS is likely to be completed by 2076 BS.

The bridges are expected to shorten the travel distance to the rural areas of Rupandehi from Butwal. The construction of bridge linking Butwal-13 Devinagar and Motipur has expedited in a way to complete the works within a couple of months.

Likewise, the reconstruction of suspension bridge nearby Commerce Campus has been paced up as it was swept away by the last year's flood. RSS

Sajha Yatayat test-operates night shift buses

Sajha Yatayat test-operates night shift buses


Kathmandu, Feb 15: Sajha Yatayat test-operated its night shift buses in Kathmandu valley from Tuesday night with an aim to facilitate night-shift workers and passengers' travel to their destinations.

Lagankhel to Basbari Neuro Hospital (via Patan Hospital, Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Gangalal Hospital) is one of the five routeson which the vehicles are operating.

Likewise, the second route for the buses includes Nepal Airlines Corporation in New Road to Koteshwor while the third route is Nepal Airlines Corporation to Kalimati.

The fourth route includes New Road to New Bus Park (via Thamel, Sorhakhutte) and the fifth is New Road to Chabahil (via New Baneshwor, Airport, Gaushala).

The night bus service starts from 8:30 pm till 11 pm. The buses are equipped with CCTV cameras and televisions.

One is charged Rs 25 for boarding a vehicle irrespective of where he or she gets into or drops (the fare is not set on the basis of distance), said Chief Executive officer of the Yatayat, Mahendra Raj Pandey. RSS

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Govt sets up Vaccination Fund

Govt sets up Vaccination Fund


Kathmandu, Feb 14: Stakeholders and experts have stressed the need for giving top priority for the Immunization Fund to give a continuity to the immunization programmes in the country.

At an interaction programme on sustainable financing for immunization organized by the Ministry of Health in the Capital City today, the speakers argued that Nepal should move ahead on the path to becoming independent in the immunization programme.  

The Immunization Programme is Nepal's one of the successful interventions in health sector.

Currently, the government is providing 11 different types of vaccines for free and the total cost of the programme is estimated nearly Rs 2 billion.

The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) has also supported by providing some fund for the immunization programme.

The government has already set up an Immunization Fund as the assistance amount being provided by the GAVI is likely to be reduced after some years. Currently, a total of Rs 70 million has been collected in the fund.

Speaking at the programme, Health Minister Gagan Thapa said that support of all sectors was needed to give priority for the Immunization Fund to ensure independency in vaccination programme.

"We need to be self-reliant in vaccination. The government is positive for this. Intensive discussions are needed to enlarge the fund," Minister Thapa said.

Likewise, President of Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare Committee of the Legislature-Parliament Ranju Kumari Jha suggested that some amount of money being spent in different sectors should be allocated to increase the amount of Immunization Fund.

On the occasion, Acting Secretary at the Ministry Dr Kiran Regmi, Director General  of Health Services Department Dr Rajendra Panta, Director of Child Health Division Dr Bikash Lamichhane, Rotarian Dr Badriraj Pandey, representative of the WHO Dr Jos Vandelaer and others expressed their opinions on the issue.

The government is preparing to introduce vaccination programme of Rota Cholera and typhoid while a total of 22 districts are declared fully-immunized zones. RSS

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QRT and Finance Taskforce to provide round the clock security cover in Chitwan

QRT and Finance Taskforce to provide round the clock security cover in Chitwan


Ratnanagar (Chitwan), Feb 13: A taskforce of armed security personnel has been mobilized round the clock to provide security cover to banking and financial institutes (BFIs) and gold and silver dealers in Narayangadh and Bharatpur of Chitwan.

The 'Finance Taskforce' of the police has been mobilized from today to maintain peace and security and to curtail crime, according to Chitwan's police.

The decision to form the taskforce was taken during a discussion between the representatives of Chitwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gold and silver dealers and the police on Sunday in wake of increasing incidents of theft and robbery.

The gold and silver entrepreneurs had earlier demanded security, and warned of resorting to strike if the authorities turned their backs to their demand. "The 24 hour mobilization of QRT (Quick Response Team) and finance taskforce equipped with weapons and communication sets has started from today onwards," Chitwan Deputy Superintendent of Police, Deepak Shrestha said and added further, "Mobile teams have also been deputed as per the necessity."

On February 2, robbers broke into a modern jewelry shop in Narayangadh and made off with four kilos of precious yellow metal and 500 grams of silver along with Rs 700,000 in cash.

The gold heist was followed on Friday night by a robbery at Anugraha Jewelry Suppliers during which Rs 800,000 worth of gold-coated necklaces were stolen. The police are yet to make arrests in connection with the incident.

Narayangadh, which is the central marketplace of Chitwan and the surrounding districts, has a huge concentration of BFIs and jewelry entrepreneurs. The businessmen in Chitwan have already presented the government with a memorandum through the Chitwan's district administration citing a surge in incidents of theft against the backdrop of weakening security scenario. RSS

Quake-stricken desperately waiting for government aid

Quake-stricken desperately waiting for government aid


(By Sitaram Adhikari)

Malekhu (Dhading), Feb 12: Chandra Bahadur Chepang's house at Simthali of Mahadevsthan VDC – 2 collapsed during the earthquake, but he is yet to receive housing reconstruction grant.

He had shown his demolished house to a team of technical experts dispatched by the government but the team did not mention his house in the reconstruction aid list. Chepang's family is currently living under a makeshift shelter with a thatched roof.

Chepang has already notified the VDC office of the need for support as he has been living in the vulnerable shelter for the past two years.

One non-governmental organization had arrived and promised to build a toilet for the family but no one has pledged to build his home, a local teacher Tilak Chepang shared. "My two daughters have been handicapped, in such a situation why isn't the government seeing anything?" Chepang complained. "We are going to die in the field's track waiting for the government money," he added.

Many Chepang people are living in the primary school building after their houses were razed during the massive earthquake of April, 2015. The children are now feverish with deteriorating health conditions after spending prolonged time in makeshift shelters built in the open fields.

A total of 25 Chepang families living in Mahadevsthan – 2 have not made it to the reconstruction aid list. In ward no 3, there are 15 such families. The carelessness on part of the technical team have deprived them inclusion in the list of those entitled to receive reconstruction grant.

In Jogimara VDC, 52 households of the Chepang community have also not been listed. They complain that the government has neglected them. There are a hundred such families in Dhusha VDC – 3 and 4, according to Nepal Chepang Association.

From across the district the government authorities have received 15,000 complaints but none of them have been addressed as yet. RSS (Photo Available)

Cambodian opposition leader steps down for 'sake of the party'

Cambodian opposition leader steps down for 'sake of the party'


PHNOM PENH, Feb 11, 2017 (AFP) - The self-exiled leader of Cambodia's opposition party said Saturday he would step down from his post, the latest blow to a movement struggling to unseat the country's authoritarian premier.

Sam Rainsy, who led the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) since its inception in 2012 but has spent over a year in France to avoid several lawsuits, announced his resignation from the party on Twitter and Facebook.

The sudden move throws doubt over a party that poses the only viable challenge to strongman Hun Sen's 32-year rule in a general poll scheduled for 2018.

"I resign as CNRP leader for the sake of the party. In all circumstances I cherish and uphold the CNRP's ideals in my heart," wrote the 67-year-old, who has been a major force in Cambodian politics for decades.

His resignation comes shortly after Hun Sen proposed amending political party laws to bar convicts from leadership positions -- a clear threat to Rainsy, who has long been his top foe and the target of his political machinations.

The opposition leader has not stepped foot in Cambodia since 2015, when he fled to France to avoid a two-year jail term for defamation, which his supporters say was politically-motivated.

In December a Phnom Penh court handed him a fresh five-year prison sentence over a post on his Facebook page -- a conviction that made any imminent return from exile even more unlikely.

Hun Sen also lodged a new one-million-dollar defamation lawsuit against Rainsy last month and threatened to seize the CNRP's headquarters if he wins the case.

The party's spokesman Yim Sovann told AFP he had no other information about Rainsy's decision to step down on Saturday, saying only that it was motivated by "personal reasons".

His deputy Kem Sokha, who has been serving as acting leader in Rainsy's absence, is expected to guide the party as it prepares for local commune elections in June.

Although nominally a democracy, Cambodia has been ruled for more than three decades by Hun Sen, a shrewd political operator who has amassed extensive control over the government, armed forces and economy.

Ever since he nearly lost his office to the CNRP in 2013, rights groups say Hun Sen has been bent on dismantling the opposition, using pliant courts to target his rivals and other critics.

Hun Sen claims to have brought much needed peace and stability to an impoverished nation ravaged by decades of civil war and the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.

But opposition groups have drawn growing support in recent years amid disillusionment with the endemic corruption and rights abuses that have flourished under his watch.

Rainsy's party made huge gains in the 2013 elections and say they only lost because the vote was rigged -- a claim Hun Sen has vigorously rejected.

PM says struggle is on for securing rights of minority communities

PM says struggle is on for securing rights of minority communities


Kathmandu, Feb 11: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said he is in a relentless struggle for securing the identity and rights of the minority communities.

     Addressing the Nepal-India poetry symposium at Jingahawa of Rautahat district today, he said, "I am in favour of all the ethnic communities, languages and cultures, and their identity and rights. I am also steadfastly support national unity comprising the mountainous, hilly and the Madhes."

     Noting that the People's War and the struggle for the rights of the oppressed were waged under his leadership, PM Dahal said the new constitution has institutionalised the identity and rights of the oppressed and marginalised communities, paving the way for securing the remaining rights through amendment to the constitution.

     The Prime Minister said the poetry symposium has a special significance in terms of strengthening the Nepal-India relations and that he would always be effortful towards establishing the identity and rights of the Muslim community.  He added that the rights of the Muslim community have been institutionalised in the new constitution by means of provisions as constitution of a Muslim Commission as a constitutional body.

     Thirty six Muslim Sayars (lyricists) from Nepal and India participated in the poetry symposium which saw the recitation of poems related to the language, art, culture, history, identity and rights of the Muslim community.

Directive to carry out works giving sense of change

     Meanwhile, PM Dahal has directed the chiefs of the Rautahat district-based government offices to deliver public services so that the people would get a feel of change.

     Addressing a gathering of office chiefs in Rautahat district headquarters after attending the Muslim poetry symposium, he also instructed the government employees to manage environment for election in the district as the government would soon announce the election date.

     "The constitution amendment proposal has been registered in the parliament and the government has already swung into action for holding the local level elections," the PM stated. He also gave directives to the office chiefs to prioritise development works to increase the capital expenditure.

     Addressing another programme in Rautahat today, the Prime Minister said that the constitution amendment proposal already tabled in parliament would be passed by putting it to a vote.

     Maoist Centre leaders Prabhu Saha and Matrika Yadav said that the election would be possible only after the amendment to the constitution.

     On the occasion, PM Dahal distributed bicycles to 1500 girl students of various schools in Sonarniya and Katariya VDCs in Rautahat district. The bicycles have been provided to the girl students at the initiatives of leader Saha and aimed at easing their travel to and from school.

     At the programme, 31 people announced their dissociation from various political parties and joined the CPN (Maoist Centre). RSS

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S. Korean acting president rises to 2nd place in presidential survey

S. Korean acting president rises to 2nd place in presidential survey


SEOUL, Feb. 9 : (Xinhua) -- South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as acting president, rose to the second place in recent presidential survey, benefitting from former UN chief's withdrawal from the presidential bid.

According to a Realmeter poll released on Thursday, Hwang garnered 15.9 percent in the opinion poll this week, up 3.5 percentage points from the previous week. The result is based on a survey of 1,508 voters conducted from Monday to Wednesday. It has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Hwang moved to the second spot for the first time as he emerged as the best hope in the conservative bloc after former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared his drop in the run for presidency last week. Ban, whose second, five-year term in the top UN post terminated at the end of last year, returned to South Korea on Jan. 12, and conducted a de-facto presidential campaign by making a nationwide tour and meeting politicians and ordinary citizens.

On Feb. 1, Ban abruptly announced his withdrawal from the presidential race as his approval rating dropped after the lunar New Year's holiday due to his mistakes during the actual campaign trail and his alleged involvement in corruption scandals surrounding his younger brother and nephew.

In the absence of Ban, Hwang emerged as an icon in the conservative camp, which is struggling to regain public support following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Hwang is former justice minister and now serves as an interim president, forming a personal image of stable manager amid the political unrest.

Approval scores for Hwang, however, are far behind Moon Jae-in, former chief of the biggest opposition Minjoo Party whose approval rating gained 2.0 percentage points to 33.2 percent this week.

Moon kept the top spot in opinion polls for the sixth consecutive week. Ahn Hee-jung, the governor of South Chungcheong province who is affiliated with the Minjoo Party, logged 15.7 percent in support scores, slightly below the prime minister's 15.9 percent. Support for Ahn increased for three straight weeks as the governor shares the same political support base as the former UN chief's in the Chungcheong province. Ban's withdrawal eventually divided his support base into Hwang and Ahn.

Dispute continues among political parties over election threshold

Dispute continues among political parties over  election threshold


(Narayan Prasad Neupane) 

Kathmandu, Feb 7: Dispute continues to run among political parties representing in Parliament over the election threshold system.

Of the total 32 political parties representing in Parliament, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party are in favour of setting at least three percent threshold while other 16 fringe political parties are against it.

The matter continues to become a prickly issue as political parties are divided on whether a party under threshold failing to secure one seat under the first-past-the-post-system or get three percent votes under the proportional representation will not be validated as a national political party. 

The matter also continues to become a thorny issue in the context when the country is preparing to go for three levels of elections—local, provincial and parliament—within 11 months as stipulated by the constitution as it has become a main basis for formulating election-related laws.

As a result of disputes over the issue, the Bill to Amend and Integrate Laws Related to Political Parties-2073 BS has been stuck in the State Affairs Committee. Amid the disputes over threshold, independent lawmaker Chandreshwor Jha viewed that at least 10 percent threshold should be set.

 The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal- 1990 had the provision of allocating the status of a national party to any political body earning at least three percent of the total cast votes in the election.

 The CA Election Bill had also proposed for 1.5 percent election threshold which was later removed by the government. Nepal's Constitution-2015 has fixed 110 seats towards the proportional electoral system.

 Majority of lawmakers are of the view that any political party taking part in the election should secure at least three percent of the total cast votes under the proportional electoral system to get the recognition of a national party.

 The Bill talks about separate provisions regarding the registration of a political party at the Election Commission and registration for taking part in the election.

Any political party should met criteria set by the EC  regarding the submission of election expenditure, registration, statute, party flag and the principle of proportional inclusion to become a political party.  

 The government has been accused of failing to accord much priority to taking the Bill to a conclusion and ensuring the three-tier election. Though political leaders share the same opinion that any individual convicted of corruption should not be given space in the parliament, government and even in a party, the matter of allocating a common election symbol is yet to be sorted out. 

 Political parties have differing views on the issue that political parties should get election expenditure from the State coffer. Mainly, big parties are against this proposal as they believe that registration of political parties would significantly increase in the hope of getting financial assistance from the State during the election if it was materialized.

   Parliament spokesperson Dr Bharat Raj Gautam said the State Affairs Committee worked around the clock and endorsed the four election-related bills swiftly. The Committee would leave no stone unturned to fulfill given responsibility and role to endorse the bills necessary for holding the local poll in connection to the enforcement of the constitution. RSS

Sparrows and drongos fast disappearing from villages

Sparrows and drongos fast disappearing from villages


(By Ram KC)

Chautara, Feb 7: The sweet whistling sound of sparrows and drongos is continuing to recede with increasing urbanization and use of harmful pesticides in farming.

The growing encroachment of their natural habitats had led these songbirds to gradually decline in number in the cities a decade ago, but now they have started moving out from the villages too.

The birds are an essential part of the fabric of our perspective towards the nature's beauty. They have been treated falsely as enemies at times and as friends by human beings. They are friends because these insectivorous birds clear out the insects that cause harm to our crops.

"Before the rooster crowed in the first attack before dawn we used to hear the drongos' whistle," Ekendra Bahadur Shrestha of Chautara Municipality – 9 said and added, "It has been a long time since that we have not been able to sight drongos."

"The sight of drongo chasing the eagle that hover around to pick up chickens in the villages will now only remain in our memory," local Jagat Bahadur Shrestha shared.

The construction of new modern buildings in place of old houses, where sparrows used to find shelters, has created a shortage of place for these birds. The use of huge amount of pesticides by farmers is another reason as it kills the insects that these birds feed on, senior ornithologist, Dr Hem Sagar Baral said.

The jungle myna and sparrows used to make nests in the old houses, but now not only in the cities rather the old houses have mostly been replaced in villages. So not only jungle myna and sparrow, but also rock pigeons and city pigeons are getting displaced from the villages, according to experts.

Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) ornithologist, Jyotendra Thakuri, said the sparrows and drongos are hard to find these days due to their dwindling habitat and food sources.

Thakuri confided that they were now trying to find out the actual reasons that have led these birds to move out from places where other species of birds continue to be sighted. "A research has started in this regard in Kathmandu and we are waiting for result, but the research is yet to start in other districts," he added. RSS

Philippine communist rebels end ceasefire

Philippine communist rebels end ceasefire


MANILA, Feb 1, 2017 (AFP) - Philippine Maoist rebels said Wednesday they would end a five-month ceasefire, accusing President Rodrigo Duterte's government of treachery and human rights abuses.

The move comes after a third round of peace talks aimed at ending decades of bloodshed wrapped up in Italy last week with no deal on a permanent cessation of fighting.

The Communist Party of the Philippines said it would continue to support the peace negotiations, but ordered its 4,000 fighters to resume "military campaigns and tactical offensives" against government forces from February 11.

"The (government) has treacherously taken advantage of the (rebels') unilateral declaration of ceasefire to encroach on the territory of the people's democratic movement," the rebels said in a statement.

Soldiers and police had used the truce as a licence to "engage in hostile actions" including "human rights violations" in rebel-influenced rural villages.

Past experience had showed "it is possible to negotiate while fighting until the substantive agreements are forged to address the roots of the armed conflict".

The Duterte government was "dismayed" by the announcement, Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser to the peace talks, said in a statement.

But Dureza said he would urge Duterte to abide by the government's own ceasefire.

A presidential spokesman said the peace talks, which are due to resume in Oslo on April 2, would go ahead.

The communists have been waging an insurgency since 1968 that the military says has claimed 30,000 lives, to overthrow a capitalist system that has created one of Asia's biggest rich-poor divides.

Duterte, a self-styled socialist who was swept to power in elections last year, restarted peace talks that had been on and off for 30 years.

The two sides separately declared ceasefires as negotiators began talks in Norway in August, and the informal arrangement largely held as they continued discussions on the outskirts of Rome last week.

But the rebels rejected government overtures to sign a formal ceasefire and peace settlement this year, warning such a pact was unlikely to be achieved before 2019.

The rebels also criticised Duterte's failure to grant amnesty and free nearly 400 jailed guerrillas. The government released 18 jailed rebel leaders at the start of the talks last year.

Ex-UN chief vows not to run for presidency in S.Korea

Ex-UN chief vows not to run for presidency in S.Korea



SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday vowed not to run for presidency in South Korea, his home country, during an unscheduled press briefing in the parliament.

Ban told reporters that he will give up his "pure will" to lead the country's political change and the national unity, abandoning his ambition to become the next South Korean leader to replace the impeached president.

The former UN head has never officially declared any decision to run for presidency, but he has long been viewed as the most powerful presidential contender in the conservative bloc.

An early presidential election is widely forecast to be held in April or May as the motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 9 with an overwhelming majority.

The press conference was urgently held without any prior notice. He returned to South Korea on Jan. 12 after his second, five-year tenure in the top UN post terminated at the end of last year.

 Since his comeback, Ban had made the so-called "people-friendly" trip across the country to directly meet people in regions. He also proposed to amend the country's constitution for decentralized presidential power.

His actions and words in the past three weeks pulled down his approval ratings for his mistakes in the nationwide campaign and local media speculations about his involvement in a bribery case involving his younger brother and nephew.

During the conference, Ban said that his pure patriotism and ambition were damaged by slanders and fake news reports that were almost equivalent to "killing" his personality.

The career diplomat said he was very disappointed at the narrowminded, egoistic behaviors show in some of the political arena, noting that it would be meaningless for him to go together with them.

He expressed his deep apology to supporters, advisors and those working around him.  Ban, however, vowed to devote himself to resolving the country's crisis and bringing a bright future based on his experience as former UN chief.  Enditem