Protests

Between Drinking Water And Helicopters

• Nepal Army to buy four choppers from Kazakhstan:- Webindia123, India for Nepali Rs.2 billion ($17.43 million) besides training pilots at its own aviation academy...... a whopping Nepali Rs.1.1 billion loan..... Royal Nepalese Army currently has two MI-17s, in addition to two Polish Sky Trucks, two Islanders obtained from Britain and six Indian choppers - two Lancers, two Cheetahs and two Dhruvs. It also has several fixed-wing aircraft, like the Canadian Otter and at least three French brands....... Since 2000, the RNA has been increasingly deploying choppers to combat the escalating Maoist insurgency......Helicopters are also used to support ground troops during clashes with the communist guerrillas when the fighter choppers fitted with gun ships mount an attack from the air......airlifting troops is proving to be faster and less dangerous. .... The army also began its Aviation Training Centre last month to cut down costs as well as get a higher number of pilots. ..... The first batch of pilots from the training centre comprises six trainees who are being taught to fly choppers. Since the fledgling aviation centre lacks trainer aircraft, the pilots have to make do with actual helicopters.
• Nepali army to acquire four helicopters :- Webindia123, India In the budget presented last month, the government had cited lack of resources for not allocating funds for the purchase as requested by the defence ministry...... The loan is repayable in 10 years and according to the present army plans, the loan will be paid in ten equal instalments of $2.88 million..... Nepal's central bank, Nepal Rastra Bank, is said to be opposed to deal as the interest being charged is "high" and suggested that the army procure the loan from the Army Welfare Fund which has deposits totalling over $114.3 million..... the order for the helicopters has already been placed with the Kazak Helicopter Joint Stock Company..... The army says it needs the helicopters because of its greater security and developmental responsibilities.
• Nepal Army to buy four choppers from Kazakhstan (LEAD) NewKerala.com, India Royal Nepalese Army currently has two MI-17s, in addition to two Polish Sky Trucks, two Islanders obtained from Britain and six Indian choppers - two Lancers, two Cheetahs and two Dhruvs. It also has several fixed-wing aircraft, like the Canadian Otter and at least three French brands.
• Govt Buying Four Choppers With Bank Loans Kantipur ..... the first-ever loan of Rs 1.1 billion from a consortium of commercial banks to finance the procurement of four Russian MI-17 helicopters ...... negotiations between MoD and the consortium of banks led by Himalayan Bank has entered the final stages ...... the final agreement could be signed within two weeks, if existing differences - mainly on the rate of interest - is settled ...... the bank has asked 8 percent per annum interest, whereas the MoD has offered 7 percent ..... The government has been compelled to take the loan because it cannot afford to arrange such a huge amount of money to purchase the helicopters...... The brand-new helicopters would be directly bought from the manufacturer, Joint Stock Company of Kazakhstan, and the total cost of four helicopters, including insurance premium interest for 10 years and spare parts, would be around Rs 2 billion....... the consortium will finance 90 percent of the Rs 1.22 billion - that is Rs 1.1 billion (cost without insurance and parts) - for a period of 10 years. The remaining 10 percent will be financed by the defense budget earmarked annually ....... Nabil Bank, state-owned Rastriya Banijya Bank, Nepal Bank Limited and Rastriya Beema Sansthan are members of the consortium ....... MoD has agreed to repay the principal and incurred interest of the loan annually in 10 different annual installments from its annual defense budget. The ousted Sher Bahadur Deuba government, in January 2005, had decided to earmark Rs 200 million annually for a period of 10 years to purchase the helicopters, from the current fiscal year........ according to legal experts, the proposed deal violates a provision of the Loan and Guarantee Act 2025, which bars mobilizing internal borrowings for non-development purposes....... RNA spokesperson Brigadier General Dipak Gurung, said that apart from using the helicopters to mobilize troops when needed, they would also be used for civil purposes....... Commenting on the proposed deal, Kishor K Maharjan, deputy general manager of Himalayan Bank, said the proposed deal is a good opportunity for the banking system, which has been facing problems of excess liquidity in recent years.

This is a major travesty. This is what happens when you don't have a democratic, civilian control over the army. Melamchi is a waste of money, but these helicopters are a good use of a poor country's money. That is the suggestion. The army is a bulldog the king will keep happy at any cost. Monarchies and dictatorships are not designed to feel the people's pain. Their utter disregard for accountability leads them to misuse public money.

Several wrongs are being committed with this deal.

(1) The army is constantly encroaching the public political space. The army mafia is consolidating its hold, or at least trying to. They mistakenly think they are teflon frying pans, immune from demands from the people. They are sorely mistaken.

(2) The king has a major attitude problem, and he is showing it every step of the way. The same things, if allegedly done even if not proven, are wrong when those alleged are democrats. But when the king does the same thing many times over, one is to overlook the issue? The monarchy is expensive enough as is at $5 million per year in direct costs. That is not counting the expanded military budget. And now you have this $20 million bill pushed down the throat of the Nepali people.

(3) It is so obvious to me this regime only seeks a military solution to the civil war. It has no interest whatever to seek a political solution. It will succeed - not likely - or it will bankrupt the country trying. These people are not seeking to calm down the waters. They are happy to be in power. That is it.

(4) Monarchism and military rule are ideologies. They have to be understood for what they are. Members of the regime, if their pasts are any indication, would rather leave the country than feel at home within democratic setups. These people are not going to change their minds. They will have to be pushed out through a mass movement.

(5) This misallocation of money. This is beyond corruption. This is theft.

The democratic regime that will replace this autocratic one should not feel any need to honor this loan. After all, it is not being incurred by a legitimate government.

In The News

• Move On Path Of Complete And Mature Democracy: King Kantipur ..... while giving instructions to the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of all the four districts of Mahakali Zone at the Zonal Administration Office in Mahendranagar...... "It does not matter if a few persons make hue and cry by presenting themselves as the people's representatives" .... The King walked on foot for more than one and a half hour and accepted bouquets presented by thousands of people present to have a glimpse of the King.... The King held direct conversation with the local people and apprised himself of the grievances of the people.
• Koirala against collective leadership Kantipur .....unlikely to accept the proposal of several second-generation leaders to hold elections for all the key posts in the party to pave the way for collective leadership..... Koirala, through his close aides, has informed the second-generation leaders including Ram Chandra Poudel that he is unwilling to accept their proposal...... The second-generation leaders held a meeting on Monday to discuss the issue after Koirala's rejection of their proposal. Some of the leaders suggested that they should collectively challenge Koirala in the upcoming general convention of the party.
• Parties seek support to facilitate talks with Maoists Kantipur .... seven-party alliance Monday decided to seek active support from civil society to facilitate a possible dialogue between them and the Maoists...... the parties had good relations with the rebel leadership, but were not happy with the conduct of their cadres
• Maoists rape 25 women in Saptari Kantipur A group of Maoists raped over two-dozen women of a Dalit settlement at Jagatpur-4, Saptari district at gunpoint last week..... About two-dozen Maoists, who came five days ago, raped females of ages between 22 and 35 years...... After word spread about the heinous act, the Maoist leadership of the area came to the victims and "apologized". "They prostrated themselves at the victims' feet begging forgiveness and also pledged to take action against those involved," said 65-year-old Gopali Khang, father-in-law of a victim.
• Maoists seize rights activist Pahadi’s land Kantipur