16 leaders leave for junket to Stockholm

KATHMANDU: The country is in a pass, but this has not stopped political leaders of different hues and colours from embarking on foreign junkets on one pretext or the other.

Sixteen leaders from different political parties today left for an INGO-sponsored weeklong visit to Stockholm, where they will take part in a dialogue on the contentious issues of the new constitution.

The fliers include UCPN-Maoist leaders Barshaman Pun, Devendra Paudel, Hisila Yami, Khimlal Devkota and Ram Kumar Yadav, Nepali Congress leaders Bimalendra Nidhi, Chakra Prasad Bastola, Dr Shekhar Koirala, Radheshyam Adhikari and Puspa Bhusal. Pradip Gyanwali, Prithivi Subba Gurung, Ram Chandra Jha and Agni Prasad Kharel of the CPN-UML are also part of the delegation and so are Jitendra Dev of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) and Atmaram Prasad Shah of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal.

However, Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai and UML leader Ishwor Pokharel cancelled their visit to the Swedish capital at the last hour.

The participants will discuss contentious issues, including federal structure and election system, with international experts, according to Congress Constituent Assembly member Bhusal.

Former chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal Ian Martin will also attend the three-day-long discussions arranged by International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), an INGO. The attending leaders said IDEA will bear all their expenses.

“I refused to go abroad taking the internal political scenario into account. As other major leaders, including our Chairman and Prime Minister, are abroad, I have more responsibilities to shoulder in the party,” said UML leader Pokharel.

Maoist leader Dr Bhattarai cancelled his visit as he is busy with the party’s works, according to the leader’s personal assistant Bishwodip Pande.

Despite criticism from all quarters, caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had set out on a 10-day tour to Phnom Penh and Brussels to attend conferences. He is returning home on December 9.

Nepal had embarked on the 10-day trip after returning home from St Petersburg, where he had attended an international conference on tiger conservation on December 25 after completing a four-day visit.

The list of high fliers’ foreign junkets does not end here.

UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal had left for South Africa on December 1 to take part in an international conference of workers’ parties on the invitation of the African country’s communist party chief. UML politburo member Prakash Jwala is accompanying him.

Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala is setting out on a three-week-long tour of three South East Asian nations — Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia — on December 9. During her trip, she will attend three conferences.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang had advised PM Nepal not to go abroad in view of the political impasse. Nembang has been publicly calling on the political leaders to stop flying abroad, but his calls have fallen on deaf ears.

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