Nepal & Bhutan Brief (11/15)

Nepal: Political Developments:

UML, UCPN (Maoist) want change in govt. leadership:

1. Even as the major political parties have reportedly agreed to form a national consensus government to deal with the national crisis emerging from the April earthquake as also to complete the long-delayed constitution writing process, serious disagreement continues on the issue of government leadership, presently held by the Nepali Congress. NC has proposed reshaping the incumbent government into a national consensus government by incorporating representatives of other parties while retaining its leadership. But the other parties including even its coalition partner, CPN-UML, do not agree with this view. UML leaders have laid their party’s claim over the proposed national consensus government, citing inability of the NC leadership to effectively respond to the situation post April 25 earthquake. It may be recalled that in February 2014, NC and UML, which command two-third majority in the 601-member CA, had agreed to form coalition government under the leadership of Sushil Koirala with an understanding of completing the constitution writing process within a year of the government formation. It was also then agreed that the NC would lend support to UML to lead the next government.

2. The main opposition party, UCPN (Maoist), also supports the idea of formation of a national consensus government under a new leadership. The party has already backed UML’s leadership bid. To this end, Maoist Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, have already held several rounds of discussion. Maoist leader Devendra Poudel, on May 28, proposed Oli’s name as the head of the proposed national consensus government with Dahal to head the proposed National Disaster Authority. UML Chairman Oli met senior leaders on May 28th to chart out the party’s next move in light of the recent developments. They decided to hold a ‘decisive meeting’ with Prime Minister Koirala on the issue of formation of a national consensus government and its leadership. KP Oli’s name is also being supported by the Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai.

Agreement to Finalise Constitution before National Government:

3. Leaders of four major political groups, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi Morcha, at a meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence on May 31, agreed to take up the issue of national government formation only after forging consensus on the new constitution. Serious discussions were held on finalizing the constitution writing and formation of national unity government. After the meeting UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal informed the media that they would continue the political dialogue to forge consensus on these issues before June 3, adding that it was necessary to move ahead by forging consensus on rehabilitation and reconstruction task after finalizing the remaining issues of the new constitution

Funds for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction:

4. Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) has sought NRs. 5 billion to rebuild damaged infrastructure in the quake-affected districts and to rehabilitate the victims in the earthquake. An action plan for this forwarded to the National Planning Commission is awaiting approval. The plan aims to construct community buildings in each electoral constituency in the hardest hit districts. The ministry estimated NRs. 1.5 billion would be needed for the construction of community buildings and NRs. 1.5 billion for ‘cash for work’ programme in the 14 worst affected districts to provide livelihood opportunities to the local people. The ministry has also sought NRs. 2 billion to rebuild rural roads and other infrastructure.

5. China is to dispatch its third phase of relief materials to Nepal worth NRs. 1.32 billion (80 million Yuan). During his meeting with Acting Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi, Chinese Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Liu Jinchao said that China would also assist in the establishment of an earthquake monitoring mechanism in Nepal. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liu further assured to help Nepal in capacity-building and rehabilitation of the affected people.

6. Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that India would assist Nepal as per the priority set by the Nepalese government. The Indian Home Minister further said that as immediate relief for the earthquake victims, the Indian government was going to provide seeds, iron rod, Zinc sheets and medical equipments besides other necessary items.

7. Among other countries, Mauritius has collected half a million US dollars to be donated to Nepal, while Haiti has provided USD one million (approx. NRs. 10 million) through Red Cross for the survivors of the earthquake. Relief funds are also being mobilized through internal resources. The Gas Dealers Federation (GDFN) handed over a cheque for NRs. 303333, to the Prime Minister, Nepal Financial Institutions Employee Association Contributed NRs. 511,111 and Nepal Army has announced a welfare fund of NRs. 2 billion to provide relief to the families of staff killed in the earthquake and to resettle those rendered homeless. The Nepal Army has also handed over a relief fund of Rs. 243.06 million to the Prime Minister Relief Fund. Meanwhile, addressing the 68th session of the World Health Organisation Assembly, on May 20, Minister for Health and Population Khagaraj Adhikari, urged the world community to assist Nepal in its reconstruction.

India simplifies transit procedure for relief supplies:

8. Government of India has simplified the transit procedure for relief supplies entering Nepal. This was decided by the Central Board of Excise and Customs and the Ministry of Finance, after international relief organisations and foreign governments asked the government of India to facilitate smooth flow of supplies for the people affected by the earthquake. This will ease transit of relief cargo to Nepal supplied by the foreign government’s aid agencies authorized by the Government of Nepal or their embassy in India. Under the modified procedure the requirement of bound, security or bank guarantee for transit cargo to Nepal has been waived off. In addition to the Kolkata/Haldia ports, as per in the India-Nepal Treaty of Transit, relief cargos to Nepal will also be allowed through airports at Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Kolkata and Bagdogara. Similarly, containers can enter Nepal from the Inland Container Depot in Delhi and Kanpur.

Nepal Seeks help of Tourism Ambassadors to Revive Tourism Industry:

9. Nepal has sought help of leading Everest climbers to revive its tourism industry damaged by the recent earthquakes. The Ministry, of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation unveiled a list of goodwill ambassadors which included the legendry Japanese Everest climber Junko Tabel, to attract tourists to Nepal. Apart from the first woman to summit Everest, the list also has names like Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing, sons of the world’s first Everest summiteers Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgey Sherpa respectively. The recent earthquakes have dealt a devastating blow to Nepal’s tourism industry by destroying two trekking routes and damaging hotels. However, tourism entrepreneurs are hopeful that tourists will visit Nepal in the next autumn season as most trekking routes and tourism destinations are intact.

Meteorologists Fear Monsoon Floods and Landslides:

10. Meteorologists have warned of high risk of flash flood, landslides and even outbursts of glacier lakes in the country during the coming monsoon season and urged the people to stay alert. Director General of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Rishim Ram Sharma said that monsoon in Nepal was to begin shortly and soil in many hilly areas had developed crevasses due to the recent powerful earthquakes, increasing the possibility of landslide during the monsoon He underlined the need of having preparedness to manage disaster risks and minimize damages. He added that even the possibility of glacier lakes outbursts could not be ignored in the wake of the devastating earthquake in the country.

External Relation: Concerns over India-China Relations:

11. Nepal government and some political leaders have raised concerns over a recent understanding between India and China to expand border trade at Qiangla/Lipu-Lekh pass, a far western point of Nepal, which Nepal government claims to be a part of its territory. The 28^th point of the recent India China Joint Communiqué stated that “the two sides recognised that enhancing border areas co-operation through border trade, pilgrimage by the people of the two countries and other exchanges can effectively promote mutual trust, and agreed to further broaden this co-operation so as to transform the border into bridge of co-operation and exchanges. The two sides agreed to hold negotiation on augmenting the list of traded commodities, and expand border trade at Nathula, Qiangla/Lipu-Lekh Pass and Shipki LA”. Concerned over the matter, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has already instructed its missions in New Delhi and Beijing to carry out quiet diplomatic efforts to understand the details of the statement and the real motive behind it. The issue is likely to be raised with the Indian side during the visit of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to New Delhi in the second week of June. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said that the government was studying the matter through its own channel and that India and China, who always firmly stood for Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, would not undermine Nepal’s sovereignty.

12. Lipu-Lekh, also known as ‘tri-corner’, is the last point of Nepal’s western border with China and India and used to be an ancient route for traders and pilgrims transiting between Nepal and Tibet. China has regarded the area as the tri-junction boundary point between Nepal, India and China and a Nepal-China boundary agreement signed three and half decades ago has recognized that Kalapani, an area beyond the Mahakali River, lies inside Nepalese territory. The UCPN (Maoist) vice chairman and former foreign minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that India and China knew that it was a disputed land and some area in the vicinity of Lipu-Lekh had been encroached by India. He claimed that Indian government itself had admitted that the area was a disputed chunk of land.