UML’s 10th national convention kicks off in Chitwan

After 7 years and 3 months from its 9th national convention, the main opposition party CPN (UML)'s started its 10th national convention in Chitwan today, though the law directs the political parties to regularly hold their national convention every five years.

The 3-day convention will conclude on Sunday by electing new leadership for the next five years.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba alongwith key leaders of various political parties were present at the inaugural session of the convention chaired by the party chair KP Sharma Oli.

Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal did not attend the meeting, and sent his aide Lilamani Pokharel to attend the convention of UML, which has not invited CPN (Unified Socialist) chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, who formed his own party after splitting from the UML following a long-standing dispute with the party chair Oli.

The convention is also being attended by some 15 foreign delegates from 16 political parties of various countries including India.

Party chair Oli inaugurated the 10th congress, where Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba also attended.

Though, Nepal's political parties have been blamed for their heavy expenses without any source of income, the CPN (UML) has claimed that it has collected Rs 100 leby from its 850,000 members. "Rs 100 donation from each of our 850,000 members has totalled to Rs 85 million," the party claimed, adding that the expenses will be met from the collection.

The Election Commission, has however, yesterday asked all the political parties to make their expenses transparency. "The EC has developed a format for all the political parties to keep their expenses transparent according to Political Parties Act-2073, article 40," the constitutional body said in its notice yesterday. "The EC has approved some 8 forms for the political parties to keep their accounts transparent," the notice reads, adding that all the political parties must keep accounts according to the prescribed format also for the uniformity. "It will help maintain transparency in all the political parties."

The political parties have been questioned for their heavy expenses, as they have no definite income sources.

Election Commission seeks Rs 7.79 billion to hold elections

 The Election Commission (EC) sought Rs 7.79 billion from the government to conduct the midterm elections scheduled for April 30 and May 10.

Writting a letter to the Finance Ministry, the commission today demanded the money to prepare for the mid-term poll announced by the incumbent government led by the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

“A meeting of the commission yesterday estimated that they will need Rs 7.79 billons to conduct the midterm election of the House of Representatives (HoR) scheduled for April 30 and May 10,” a press note from the commission reads, adding that the commission demanded Rs 374 million to arrange measures necessary for the safety of the Covid-19 pandemic also. “The commission does not plan to buy any new equipment and vehicles for the midterm polls as the equipment and vehicles that it has at its disposal can be operated after necessary maintenance,” the press note reads, adding that it has developed a work procedure to hold the election and manage other election-related expenses in an economic manner in view of the fact that the midterm election is being held in the immediate aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic that left the country’s economy paralysed.

The economists, however, claim that the elections will cost the country five times more than the commission has asked for. “Since the election also will have other huge costs, the overall expenses of the elections will come to around Rs 35 billion,” said economist Dr Chandramani Adhikari.

The elections have become costly as the constituencies are bigger than the previous polls, he said, except the expenses for the commission, there are other costs for the candidate and also the political parties. “The elections have lately been very costly due to larger constituencies, and also our electoral system.”

Though the Election Commission has fixed an upper limit of the expenses for a candidate of all the political parties, the candidates must spend more than the fixed amount to win the elections, he said, adding that the mid-term polls expenses will put pressure on development expenses. “Since the government is unable to spend the development budget due to coronavirus pandemic, the Finance Ministry will be forced to transfer the unspent development budget for the elections.”

The government has – in the budget for the current fiscal year – not allocated budget for the elections in the budget as the elections will be hold every five years, and this is not the election year. However, premier Oli dissolved the House and announced the mid-term poll – against the spirit of the Constitution of the country – due to his personal rivalry with another chair of the ruling political party NCP (NCP) Puspa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachand’ and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, both the former prime ministers.

Cabinet green signal to split CAAN

The Cabinet has directed Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) to frame separate acts to split the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) into two autonomous bodies; regulatory body and air navigation service provider.
The Cabinet meeting on Monday has principally agreed to split the CAAN and directed the ministry to draft regulatory body act and air navigation service provider act for the two separate entities, informed the spokesperson of Cabinet and minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Baskota, today.
The ministry had proposed creating three pieces of legislation to run the country’s aviation body – Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Act, Nepal Aviation Service Act and Civil Aviation Act – but the Cabinet has given approval to draft two out of the three proposed acts. “A proposal to draft the third bill will be tabled at the Cabinet soon.”
Earlier on September 22 also, the Cabinet meeting had given permission to the ministry to divide CAAN into two different bodies as has been recommended by the European Commission (EC). Both the ministry and CAAN had prepared an act implementation committee, after the permission to split the aviation regulatory body. The ministry and civil aviation regulator both have also jointly prepared two separate drafts of the two necessary acts that are expected to eliminate conflicts and contradictions at the CAAN.
The ministry will now forward the drafts of the acts to the Finance, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ministries for feedback and further suggestions. The government plans to table the two bills at the ongoing budget session of Parliament for final endorsement. After the approval from the Parliament, the new law will replace the current Civil Aviation Act 1959 and the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Act 1996.
Though, the government had formally announced – in 2012 – to split CAAN into two separate autonomous entities, the agenda has been put at the back burner due to various reasons.
Established some 21 years ago CAAN has its own Civil Aviation Act, which gives it the authority to work on aviation services and safety, air transport and surveillance as well as the development of airport infrastructure. After splitting CAAN, the aviation safety and security is expected to be at par with the global standards.
Lack of improvement in safety oversight by the aviation regulator has led the European Commission (EC) to continue its ban on Nepali airlines from flying within the 28-nation bloc of the European Union (EU).
The EC blacklisted Nepal, placing restrictions on Nepali airlines, for the first time in 2013 immediately after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) raised significant safety concerns accusing the CAAN of ignoring the precautionary measures aimed at reducing aviation-related disasters.
The ICAO, however, removed Nepal’s aviation sector from its safety list in July 2017. But the EC has not yet lifted its ban on Nepali aircraft to fly to Europe as according to European Aviation Agency, there has been no change in Nepal’s six-year-old status as far as air safety is concerned.
The EU had insisted that Nepal bundle the CANN into civil aviation regulatory and operating body.
“There were concerns that the aviation regulatory body and airport operating body shouldn't be the same,” Baskota said, adding that the Cabinet nod for the two bills is aimed at addressing the security concern of the EU. “The government wants to promulgate CAAN Act and Nepal Airport Authority Act.”
After bundling, CAAN will issue license to airlines, scrap the license, monitor the aviation sector and take action against operators violating the rules, whereas the new Airport Authority will be responsible for aerodrome operations, air navigation services, air traffic control and training.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has also agreed to fund the study on splitting the services being provided by CAAN. The ADB has offered to provide $5 million to conduct study on bundling services and capacity building of the CAAN. In 2014, Spanish consultancy Ineco prepared the first draft with a $4.2 million funding from the Asian Development Bank following approval from the board of the CAAN in 2010.
The government can also include the private sector in ground handling – both domestic and international – in the facilitator unit, though CAAN will solely control the aviation sector regulator unit.

€8.5 million humanitarian aid for South and South East Asia

The European Commission (EC) has mobilised a new humanitarian funding package worth €8.5 million to help the most affected communities in South and South East Asia hit by natural disasters and humanitarian crises. This includes €1.5 million in emergency aid for the victims of ongoing monsoons in India and Bangladesh, reads press note from the EC. “The remaining funds will be provided in Nepal and the Philippines as well as for disaster risk reduction initiatives in the region.”
“The countries in South Asia are facing an increasingly worse monsoon season,” according to Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.
“Heavy rains and flooding have created a large-scale humanitarian situation in India and Bangladesh,” Stylianides said, adding that EU solidarity makes a difference its support will reach those most in need providing water, sanitation and essential supplies, during these difficult times. “In the wider region, the EU is also supporting Nepal and the Philippines to be better prepared for natural disasters and get aid to those most in need.”
EU funding for monsoon victims will be distributed between India and Bangladesh, where more than 500,000 people have been displaced. The situation has affected mainly the states of Assam and Bihar in India and the North of Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh where almost 1 million refugees live in the world's largest camp, is also affected.
The support comes on top of €2 million allocated to support several regional disaster risk reduction initiatives in South and Southeast Asia, and an additional €2 million dedicated to Nepal to improve both national and local response capacities in the events of fire, floods and earthquakes, particularly in cities.
Since 1998, the European Commission has invested over €88 million to fund Disaster Risk Reduction and preparedness programmes in South and Southeast Asia, supporting – among others – initiatives like the building of flood-resistant infrastructures and the reinforcement of Early Warning Systems.

Finland proposes ASA with Nepal

Finland has proposed signing a bilateral air service agreement (ASA) with Nepal.
The Finnair – the national flag carrier and largest airline of Finland that is headquartered in Vantaa on the premises of Helsinki Airport – has shown interest in operating direct flights to Kathmandu. A flight between Kathmandu and Helsinki is estimated to take around nine hours.
The government has received a formal proposal from the Finnish government to sign an ASA some three weeks ago, following talks with Finnair officials and the Finnish ambassador to Nepal. “Though it is in initial phase, we have been working on the proposal accordingly,” informed the Tourism Ministry.
The agreement is expected to be completed by July, after the ASA document is prepared and both the countries approve it.
Since, the number of Nepalis including students living in the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – is growing, though the Nepali airlines have not been able to fly to neither Europe nor Nordic countries as the European Commission has imposed ban on all airlines from Nepal to fly on the European sky in December 2013. The European Commission (EC) – the 28-nation bloc – had asked European operators and travel agents to inform European travellers who will have a right to reimbursement if they have booked a seat on a Nepali carrier as part of a journey to Nepal and decide not to use it. Nepal has been removed from the air safety list of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) but the European Commission has continued its ban on all Nepali airlines.
Nepal has signed ASA with 39 countries since 1963. Currently, 28 international airlines fly to Nepal from various destinations.

EC experts arriving today to assess onsite six air carriers safety measures

A six-member European Commission (EC) delegation is arriving Nepal today to study the documentation system of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and look into domestic air carriers' safety measures.

The team will conduct safety assessments of six domestic air carriers – Nepal Airlines Corporation, Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, Tara Air, Sita Air and Shree Airlines – for five days on February 3-8.

After onsite safety assessment, the team will prepare a report and submit it to the meeting of EC's Air Safety Committee – in Brussels in April – that will decide whether or not to lift the ban on Nepali airlines from flying to European skies that the EC imposed on December 5, 2013.

The team will also reevaluate CAAN's documentation and progresses made so far on airworthiness and examine the improvements of personnel licensing mechanism of CAAN to ensure safety of passengers and aircraft.

Earlier, International Civil Aviation Organisation's Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) had pointed out several safety issues and raised questions regarding implementation of new guideline for providing Air Operators' Certificate (AOC) to new airlines and extending AOC for existing airlines.

Government spent Rs 12 billion for second CA election

The government has spent Rs 12 billion, according to the preliminary estimation.

"The security agencies have spent Rs 6.5 billion, whereas Election Commission (EC) has spent Rs 5.5 billion making it a total of Rs 12 billion, according to the primary estimate," said finance secretary Shanta Raj Subedi.

The government had allocated Rs 16 billion for the second Constitution Assembly (CA) election held on November 19.

The government had allocated Rs 8 billion each to securities agencies and Election Commission in the budget for the current fiscal year 2013-14.

Though the final expenditure will come in a week, the preliminary estimation showed that the securities agencies have spent almost all of their budget but the Election Commission has not been able to spend all the budget.

The former bureaucrat-led government that was formed with an aim to hold CA election has also planned local election within six months of the CA election.

"The government has allocated the budget also for the local election," he added.

The local bodies have been running on ad-hoc basis for the last one-and-a-half decade due to successive governments failure of holding election due to various reasons. Absence of elected local bodies have fuelled corruption in villages and districts, decreased accountability of the public purse and increased misuse of budget pushing development activities back.