Tapping Nepal’s hydropower potential

Rajendra Bhandari

The parliamentary Natural Resources and Means Committee has been meeting to decide on what could be the turning point in terms of Nepal’s development. In this regard, the country’s huge hydropower potential has emerged as the strongest contender, as far as economic emancipation is concerned. Nepal, despite being a country rich in hydropower resources, has unfortunately been unable to utilise this asset to its advantage. It is estimated that less than 2% of its hydropotential is being tapped.However, realising this enormous possibility, positive steps are now being taken in the right direction. The government, after gaining and learning from past experiences, set up a bidding committee for hydropower projects with a comprehensive evaluation process to identify and select the most capable and feasible party. Some of these include 402 MW Arun 3, 300 MW Upper Karnali, and others totalling an approximate 2000 MW projects being processed by the government and private sectors collectively.

The Parliamentary Committee is now assessing the bidding process. Embroiled in a dynamic political environment, the process seems to be taking too long. The coalition has priorities changing from day to day. Meanwhile, the world is looking up to those in power to quickly take measures that will inculcate confidence in the investing community — be it national or international.This is what puts the Committee as well as the government in a position that will help them define the future of the economic progress of Nepal. An expeditious decision on the power projects will help send a signal to the world about the government’s seriousness of purpose in inviting investment that is important for Nepal’s development. But unending deliberations and a prolonged process may take Nepal right back to where it began.Nepal may even consider taking a leaf out of its neighbour’s book. Bhutan’s achievement in terms of hydropower development has helped establish it as the nation with the highest per capita income among SAARC countries. A remarkable feat considering that there is a two-fold increase in its GDP.

Nepal too can mobilise its huge water resources. Bearing in mind the similarities between the two countries in terms of geographical size, terrain and population, adopting a parallel strategy that can leverage hydropower resources to enhance national economy could well be Nepal’s ticket to prosperity, especially with the Indian economy promising to be a big market.The government has already got overwhelming response from the international community. The approach, process and criteria of selection looked much more apprehensive and credible. No wonder many good international parties have submitted their proposals this time. The selection committee must take a holistic approach towards the entire process and get out of small issues. Now, it is up to the government and the Parliamentary Committee to settle the bidding process and take a quick step towards economic independence.

Source: The Himalayan Times, June 28, 2007

Get it on

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula urged the people and the institutions concerned to initiate a social campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, June 26. The minister opined that since law alone would not ensure effective control over drug abuse and illegal trade in humans, the society at large should be involved in this cause. He also said a national policy should be formulated after appropriate debate and discussion with all the stakeholders. Sitaula is right in one thing: that a positive impact can only be generated if a nationwide campaign is undertaken with active participation of the citizens’ groups. Such a campaign must also involve people from the grassroots.

However, success of any social awareness campaign is contingent upon the depth of government’s commitment. Because legal protection is the most important instrument to check social ills, the state’s role becomes all the more crucial. If the government enforced stringent measures to check drug abuse and illicit trafficking, things would improve drastically. According to official figures, there are still around 70 thousand drug addicts in the country and around 55 per cent of them are HIV/AIDS victims. Some introspection is certainly warranted to find out as to why past government policies in this regard failed to become effective and why NGO-led programmes have proved by and large redundant in spite of the huge foreign assistance for over 15 years now.

Source: The Himalayan Times, June 28, 2007

The Growing Foreign Concern for Nepal

With the development of peace building process foreign concern in Nepal has increased in massive Level. Each and every country directly or indirectly related to Nepal is concerning about Nepal and its peace building process according to their global and regional influence. But the critics say that it is foreign intervention upon internal politics of Nepal. China, which often remains silent in Nepalese politics, has also been showing its concern since April movement of 2006. Especially it has seen in massive scale when Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Zheng Xianglin said any foreign intervention in Nepal "will not be tolerable for China," in an interview published in Nepal magazine, last month. Though China has not faced any charge from critic about intervention. But it is said that America and India have been playing vital role in Nepalese politics. Among the many Countries America, India and china are mainly have seen on the scene in Nepalese diplomacy. It is not new of American and Indian concern but in the latest day's Chinese concern has created a new wave.

Nepal is surrounded by India in east, west and south and by China in north. So she has geopolitical relationship with India and China. And, located between two large Asian countries China and India, America wants to gain the benefit of geopolitical and strategic significant from Nepal-U.S. relationship.Directly or indirectly these three country want to keep continue their relationship with Nepal in high level to maintain their political and economical impulse. America always wants to look through Indian eyes to Nepal; and India also does not make any different idea to look Nepal rather than American interests. Now, going on federalism and abolishing the monarchy are main political issues of Nepalese political ground. On the issue of abolishing the monarchy has disputes in the country. And it is charged that America and India want to keep continue the monarchy in Nepal, so, before a month some cadres of Young communist league, a sister organization of Nepal communist Party (Maoist) had hurled stone to James F. Moriarty, the American ambassador to Nepal.

India and Nepal have a geographical nearness and open boarder. There is monopoly of India in Nepalese commercial market too. So India wants to secure her dominant role in Nepalese market. And a few decades ago India was battled and defeated with china and it has remained a bit fear to India of China. This is why Nepal is important "northern frontiers" of India. Though, China and India have improved their relationship into fair competitive commercial partner from traditional enemy.China doesn't tolerate the activities about free Tibet in Nepal which happened sometimes. And, some analyst especially leftist says that the America is trying to encircle China through Nepali territory. So, it is said that china's relationship with Nepal is also a bit more strategic on the prospective of security. Even though Chinese ambassador to Nepal has said that it is not the time of cold war and china-America relations witness a smooth and healthy development. Nowadays China also wants to buildup the formal relationship with CPN (Maoist) which is said by Chinese ambassador in a press interaction, last week, organized by Reporters club. But America and India still doubtfully look to Maoist. And it is said that the Maoist's president Prachanda will visit to China after few months.

Besides located between India and China, America has another issue in Nepal of their interest. That is doctrine issue. America always hates communist. So, the entering of Maoist into government and their open politics has been challenging to America. America has still tagged to Maoist as terrorist. The out going ambassador Moriarty often talk about Nepalese politics in different programme and scold Maoist and her sister organization YCL. India has begun to invite to Nepalese party to visit India. Nepali congress and CPN UML has already visited India. Likewise many political mission and team of different western country come to Nepal to observe and talk about politics in Nepal. And they directly talk to Nepalese prime minister too. Last time American Former President had come to Nepal and met with prime minister and leaders of political parties including Maoist president Prachanda. These influential countries envoy frequently meet to the Nepalese prime minister directly and talk about Nepalese politics.

But critics say that it is not the right system to meet prime minister directly. Professor and political analyst Dr. Lokraj Baral said, "They must go through joint secretary of foreign ministry." Critics accuse that the foreign diplomats are being over smart in Nepalese politics out of their ethics. Some critics believe that our leader themselves give the environment of such type. Bhim Bhurtel, A political analyst says that if the political leadership believes on people rather than power center the foreign concern automatically reduce. He said, "in this situation Nepal should adopt the dynamic foreign policy in spite of accusing to foreign diplomats."

Source: Ohmy News International, June 30, 2007

Gimme more

The CPN-UML has described as ‘unacceptable’ the proposal put forward by Local Development minister Dev Gurung, a Maoist, before the Cabinet for the distribution of elective posts of the local bodies among the political parties. Under Gurung’s formula, the three parties — the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist — are treated equal, as in allocating the parliamentary berths, but the CPN-UML is insisting that the proportion of seats won by each party in the local elections of 10 years ago should form the basis for distribution. Its contention is that the relative strength of the parties in the last elected parliament was recognised as the basis for seat-sharing in the Interim Legislature-Parliament (ILP). The CPN-UML leadership seems to think it is possible to give the Maoists seats vacated by dea-th and switch-over to regression. Alternatively, it fav-ours creating more posts to adjust them a la the ILP.

In theory, the CPN-UML’s logic is not entirely without merit. It had won a two-thirds majority in the local elections — 56 and 51 of its candidates were elected chiefs and deputy chiefs of the DDCs respectively, compared with the undivided Nepali Congress’ 13 and 14. Similar pattern dominated the picture in the municipalities and VDCs. But, Gurung’s logic is also noteworthy. He says his formula conforms to the pattern followed for the House — an equal number of the DDCs, municipalities and VDCs for each of the Big Three (75 per cent seats for them), followed by the breakaway Congress, NC-D, (15 per cent), and the small parties (10 per cent). Both the CPN-UML and Minister Gurung can support their theses from the same relative position of the parties in the ILP.

It should also be borne in mind that the interim parliament was needlessly enlarged on the insistence of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. The idea of repeating the same mistake for local bodies at the taxpayers’ expense would send wrong signals to the critical public. Besides, the numbers of the DDCs, municipalities and VDCs cannot be increased, so the numbers of their chiefs will have to stay the same. In these circumstances, the CPN-UML stance ignores the completely changed political realities. The Constitution of 10 years ago no longer exists, and a decade-old electoral mandate can only be used as a very crude guide to the settlement of disputes among the SPA constituents. If the Maoists started insisting that they should get more seats because they had their own ‘parallel governments’ in many districts while the elected representatives hardly visited their constituencies, the situation would become even more complicated. Admittedly, it may be argued that the parliamentary distribution of seats could have been better. But that is now beyond repair. Besides, the appointments to the elective local posts will be only temporary. The local bodies should be provided with political leadership as soon as possible, after all the delays made so far. Quibbling over seats in the local bodies at this stage will only reflect poorly on the political leaderships of the parties.

Source: The Himalayan Times, June 27, 2007

Nepal Maoists opposed to diplomatic appointments

Kathmandu, June 29 : Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) has rejected the ambassadorial appointments proposed by the Nepal Government.Maoists say the appointments were proposed by the seven coalition parties before their induction into the interim Government.The seven parties had set aside Australia, France, South Korea and Denmark for Maoists to name their ambassadorial nominees.The Maoists have demanded that they should be given at least one out of the four "A-category" of nations - the US, Russia, China or India.CP Gajurel, chief of the foreign cell of the Maoists, said the list has to be approved by all eight parties.

According to the second amendment in the interim Constitution, ambassadorial nominees, besides the justices of the Supreme Court, must go through a parliamentary hearing before appointment.The special parliamentary committee on Thursday refused to proceed with the hearing on the list of recommended names after lawmakers of the CPN-M and People's Front Nepal expressed strong reservations over the procedure through which the names were selected.The committee asked the government to come up with a consensual list endorsed by the eight parties.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Tuesday had submitted a list of 14 nominees to the parliament secretariat for hearing."We will not let the hearing proceed as there is no Maoist nod in the proposed list", Maoists chief whip Dina Nath Sharma, was quoted as saying by a local daily.Among the Nepal ambassadors nominated by the Government are - Nepali Congress leader Shailaja Acharya for India, Prime Minister's foreign affairs advisor Dr. Suresh Chalise for the US, UML leader Tanka Karki for China, former Foreign Secretary Murari Raj Sharma for the UK and Parliament Secretariat General Secretary Surya Kiran Gurung for Russia.

Source: Malaysia Sun, June 29, 2007