Dahal on weeklong Rolpa ‘revenge’ tour

KATHMANDU, NOV 11 - After the ruling parties snubbed the meeting of the Political Committee that he had called, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal embarked on a weeklong visit of Rolpa on Monday, pushing the stalled constitution drafting process to the brink by crippling cross-party negotiations.

Maoist leaders read the move as Dahal’s tit-for-tat response to ruling parties and a hint of the slim chances of agreement on the contentious issues of constitution-writing. According to Dahal’s secretariat, he will spend one week in mid-western districts, a heartland of the Maoist insurgency that lasted over a decade.

If there had been a positive gesture from the ruling parties, he could have cancelled the visit but there are no signs of rapprochement, Maoist leaders said. Two days ago, Dahal, as the Political Committee (PC) chairman, called its meeting, promising “closed and focussed talks” on the outstanding issues. The ruling Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML refused to attend the meet saying that the body is not mandated to discuss issues of constitution writing.

Feeling “insulted”, Dahal decided to move out instead. Leaders close to him say Dahal will not attend the PC meeting and cross-party dialogue as the ruling parties “did not recognise” the committee formed to facilitate the remaining tasks of the peace process.

“The [Maoist] chairman is of the view that there is no meaning of talks as the ruling parties refused to attend the PC meeting,” said Dahal’s press assistant Shiva Khakurel. He claimed that Dahal notified the top leaders of other parties about his visit.

Dahal has often said it is impossible to reach consensus at the crowded PDCC. He suggests discussing the disputes at the Political Committee in an arrangement whereby an informal agreement reached at the PC could be formalised by the PDCC later.

Ruling party leaders said Dahal’s visit is a mark of his lack of commitment to promulgate a new constitution by January 22. “He wants to prolong the process by rendering the PDCC ineffective,” said UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali. “He fears that the PDCC can forward our proposal [to the CA] any time. He does not even fully trust Baburam Bhattarai [PDCC chairman].” The PDCC is set to resume its business on Tuesday but there has been no agreement on the approach to the disputed issues. After pressure, Bhattarai has called a meeting of the PDCC to discuss the proposal tabled by the NC and the UML together with some fringe parties.

Leaders charge that the PDCC will merely be a platform for parties to express views and it will not produce any positive results. Bhattarai announced the meeting after consultation with PM Sushil Koirala, Maoist Chairman Dahal and UML Chairman KP Oli. “We won’t let the NC and the UML send their proposal to the CA at any cost,” said Maoist leader Shakti Basnet.

Despite gaping differences, some leaders are working to find common ground on the contentious issues. UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, UCPN (M) Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula are working to explore a compromise.

BRB becomes Twitter celebrity

KATHMANDU, NOV 11 - Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s followers on Twitter have crossed the 100,000 mark, making him the most popular Twitter celebrity in Nepal.

The New York-based Nepali fashion designer Prabal Gurung has more than 165,000 followers. Gurung has 13,900 tweets while Bhattarai has close to 900.

Bhattarai’s fame is remarkable considering the period he has been on Twitter and the number of tweets.

The UCPN (Maoist) leader joined Twitter in January 2013 with the handle @brb_laaldhwoj. Gurung joined the social media in May, 2009.

Bhattarai has acknowledged his followers: “I thank all fellow 100,000 tweeple. Let us continue to use the social network for healthy debate,” he tweeted in Nepali on Monday morning.

His tweets range from political commentaries to congratulatory notes to the national cricket team.

According to Twitonomy, a Twitter analytical site, the most retweeted tweet of his was the praise for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modi has won d heart&mind of Nepalese people with his magical address 2 d legislature-parliament of Nepal.” The August 3 post was retweeted 667 times.

His tweets also include political promise: “@OmBhaktaUprety1...Give me single party majority govt. for 5 yrs like in Bihar. If i don’t show results, you can shoot me, young friends.”

Other popular public figures on twitter are Nepali Congress Leader Gagan Thapa, with over 71,000 followers, and Chief CIAA Commissioner Lok Man Singh Karki, who joined Twitter in May last year and has more than 44,000 followers.

Journalists are also popular on the site. Rabindra Mishra has 66,000 followers, Narayan Shrestha has 59,000, Narayan Wagle 55,000 and Sudheer Sharma has 33,000 followers.

There are a total of 64.5 million registered Twitter users worldwide with 135,000 new users signing up every day. The average number of tweets per day is around 58 million, according to Twitter.

While there is no exact number of Twitter users in Nepal, it is estimated around 3 million. Twitter was launched to public on July 15, 2006.

According to a survey conducted in 2013 among Twitter users in Nepal, 84 percent believe celebrities and politicians can benefit on the platform. In the study carried out by the Centre for Media Research Nepal, over 1008 Twitter responses were received, of which only 625 complete responses were considered for analysis.

With over 59 million followers, American Popstar Katy Perry tops the chart, followed by Canadian popstar Justin Bieber, who has over 56 million fans. US President Barack Obama comes third with 49.4 million followers.

Govt weighs options on Modi’s public address request

KATHMANDU, NOV 11 - The government is exploring options over allowing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deliver public speech in Janakpur and Lumbini.

The government and its agencies found themselves in a tight spot after Modi expressed his desire to address the public in two revered religious sites for the Hindus and Buddhists. Besides security issues, there were concerns over the kind of public platform to be accorded to Modi in Janakpur and Lumbini, said multiple sources. Although the Indian premier is said to have been given a go-ahead at the highest political level, the authorities are keen to keep the functions away from  controversies. After weighing several options, the government has prepared a template of the public function in consultation with the Indian side to avoid embarrassment.

The Foreign Ministry is closely coordinating with other concerned government agencies to honour Modi’s request, but they are yet to come up with a concrete template for the public meeting, conceded Khaganath Adhikari, Foreign Ministry spokesperson. “The best option to have crossed our minds so far is to organise these programmes under the local Nepali banner, where senior Cabinet ministers can address them ahead of Modi. Some local leaders can also deliver make speech,” said another ministry official involved in consultations.

According to the official, the Indian side had assured them that Modi’s speech would not have anything beyond  completely make a speech like in India or his political constituencies so that we should not remain that level of cautious in this respect, said the official adding that Nepali side sees this opportunity to strengthening the bilateral ties.

Should Modi’s Lumbini and Janakpur plans materialise, it would be the first public address in Nepal by any visiting foreign dignitary. In August, Modi became the first visiting head of government to address Parliament.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay are also scheduled to visit Lumbini on the margins of the 18th Saarc Summit.

Janakpur preparations into high gear

Authorities of both Nepal and India have stepped up preparations for a scheduled Janakpur visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month.

The 22 km road linking Vittamod in India to Janakpur in Nepal, which the Indian premier is said to be using during his visit, is being repaired.

Representatives of security agencies and officials from the two sides have started taking stock of development and security situation in Janakpur. That was preceded by the inspection visit by Home Secretary Surya Prasad Silwal, IGP Upendra Kanta Aryal and Jit Bahadur KC, chief investigation director of the National Investigation Department.

Likewise, Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae also visited Janakpur earlier to take stock of security situation of the town.

A helipad is being built on the premises of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial College at Sursand town of Sitamarhi district in the Indian state of Bihar for the visit. The Indian PM is scheduled to arrive in the Indian town on a helicopter and travel overland to Janakpur.

Army to coordinate Saarc security

The Nepal Army will be coordinating the overall security during the 18th Saarc Summit taking place on November 26 and 27.

The NA troops started patrolling the areas inside Ring Road on Saturday, said the Army spokesperson Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel.

Under the government plan, the NA will provide security to the heads of state and government from the Saarc region with assistance from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department.

Pokhrel said preparations are under way to finalise the integrated security action plan for the summit.

The government has  formed a committee consisting of officials from the security agencies and concerned ministries under Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam. The committee has formed various sub-committees, each commissioned to look after different aspects of the security plan including the transport services arrangements for the VVIPs, traffic management, threat assessment and medical service.

Members of various sub-committees have already completed observations of the Tribhuvan International Airport, hotel and retreat sites and are coordinating with the concerned authorities for security arrangements, the NA said.

Scots start voting in independence referendum

EDINBURGH, SEP 18 - People in Scotland began voting on Thursday in a referendum on whether the country should become independent or stay part of the United Kingdom.

After an intense final day of campaigning, voters turned up at polling stations in schools and halls as soon they opened at 0600 GMT on a day that will decide the fate of a 307-year-old union.

The first to cast a ballot in Edinburgh's Waverley Court was a businessman who gave his name as Ron.

"This is a historic day for Scotland. I've waited all my life for this. It's time to break with England. 'Yes' to independence," he said after casting his ballot.

As he spoke, a couple of workers hurrying by shouted "Vote No.!"Four opinion polls on the eve of the vote showed support for independence at 48 percent compared with 52 percent for the union but a fifth showed it even closer on 49 to 51 percent.

The surveys also showed as many as 600,000 voters out of 4.3 million remained undecided with just hours to go before the polling stations opened.

Electoral officials said the result of the vote is expected by breakfast time on Friday morning.

14 injured in Chitwan bus accident

RATNANAGAR: As many as fourteen persons were injured in a bus accident in Bhateri jungle of Ramnagar, Chitwan, in the wee hours of Saturday. 

Of the injured, condition of a passenger is critical.

According to the District Police Office, Chitwan, the incident occurred when the bus (Na 4 Kha 6223) heading towards Sarlahi from Pokhara turned turtle in the jungle along the Mugling-Narayaghat road section.

Police said that the incident took place at around 2:00 am. 

The injured passengers are receiving treatment in the Bharatipur Hospital in Chitwan. 

34 Nepalis held in Costa Rica

KATHMANDU, SEP 11 - Thirty-four Nepalis have been detained in Costa Rica on suspicion of the illegal entry into the country, local English newspaper Tico Times reported on its website.

The Costa Rican National Police on Monday detained 27 Nepali migrant in the Paso Canoas community, along country’s border with Panama. Seven more Nepalis were arrested during a routine patrol near the central Pacific beach town of Jacó last Friday.

The human smugglers were using Costa Rica as a transit point north from Panama to Nicaragua to take the migrants to the United States, the newspaper has quoted Costa Rican Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa as saying. “We have reports that these migrants usually arrive by sea to Ecuador and then continue their trips by land, mainly to the United States. We are tenaciously working to determine who is responsible for these local [smuggling] operations,” Gamboa said.

The Nepali men were taken to a local health clinic for evaluation and then handed over to the immigration authorities, the Public Security Ministry said in a statement.

“Investigation is underway as to how they entered the country. It is presumed that they crossed the southern border with the help of coyotes. Once in Costa Rica, a car picked them up and dropped off to the other side of the country,” it added.

The ministry said that police had also detained the driver as a suspect in the smuggling of immigrants.

“All undocumented immigrants were taken to immigration offices for interrogation to determine their immigration status.”

The Foreign Ministry in Nepal said it has not received any formal information about the arrest, but added that it could start a diplomatic process for their repatriation.

Officials at the Department of Foreign Employment said that many gullible workers are paying millions of rupees to unscrupulous agents to go to the United States and European countries despite plenty of risks involved in the process.

“We are not in a position to do anything as these people readily trust smugglers despite their knowledge of the risks involved,” said Badri Karki, DoFE spokesperson. 

Big three to take shot at consensus

KATHMANDU, SEP 11 - The top leaders of Nepal Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) have agreed to begin closed-door informal meeting on Friday to explore the points of compromise on the disputed issues of constitution writing.

They said in the meeting of the Constituent Assembly’s Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) on Wednesday that the current modality of talks cannot ensure a breakthrough and that there should be serious discussions on the issues of federalism, forms of governance, judiciary and electoral system. As per the agreement, each party head will be allowed to include another leader from their party in the negotiation process that is set to begin from Friday.  

Cross-party leaders said since the number of attending leaders in the ongoing three-party meetings are high, the closed-door meeting will allow the leaders to hold discussions on the key contentious issues of constitution writing in unhindered manner.

The PDCC meeting also discussed about seeking more time to settle the contentious issues. Noting that it will require at least three more weeks to conclude talks with CPN-Maoist, the UCPN (Maoist) has proposed that the time should be extended accordingly.

NC leaders, however, say that 7-10 days time will suffice to forge consensus on contentious issues and CA calendar should be extended accordingly. NC leader Krishna Prasad Situala said the political parties should not demand for a longer extension as it could affect the CA calendar.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML has proposed that the agreement on extending the deadline should be decided after seeing how the talks among the parties progress until September 15. 

The leaders of the three parties have said that they will take the decision after the talks with the CPN-Maoist on Thursday.

The purpose of talks is to finalise the modality and nitty-gritty of all-party conference as well as date. PDCC resumed talks with major parties in an effort to forge consensus on key contentious issues of constitution writing. PDCC Chairman Baburam Bhattarai held talks with top leaders of major three parties asking them to intensify talks to forge consensus on contentious issues, though it may not be possible to reach a final agreement before the talks with CPN-Maoist concludes

Indian Army turns saviour, wins the praise of flood-hit Kashmiris, but will the perception change?

New Delhi: The men and women in olive green and their counterparts in the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and National Disaster Response Force, who have never had a very healthy relationship with the people of Kashmir Valley, are putting their lives in danger while trying to rescue and provide relief to the flood-hit residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Despite being the target of terrorists, separatists and always viewed with suspicion by the local populace, the Indian Army launched the relief and rescue efforts on a war footing and have come as a saviour to the people.

ALSO SEE J&K floods: India shouldn't make it a prestige issue and take UN's help, says Hurriyat

Speaking to CNN-IBN Senior Editor Anubha Bhonsle at an Army run relief camp, a team of female golfers from Pakistan, who were stranded in Kashmir said, "We have been rescued by the Indian Army. They are doing a great job." It was unthinkable just a week ago. Forget the Pakistanis, not even the Kashmiris would have praised Indian Army just a week back.

The separatists have been systematically attacking the Indian Army and maligning it for almost 30 years.

Indian Army is much maligned in Kashmir, the most militarized zone in the entire world. Indian defence forces are being seen as 'invaders' or 'the occupiers' by the local population. The separatists have been systematically attacking the Indian Army and maligning it for almost 30 years. A majority of the Kashmiris are also of the same view.

But, the devastating floods seem to have changed that perception or mindset. The same Army and other security forces are now being hailed as saviours of the marooned Kashmiris. Everybody is sending distress messages to the Army pleading with the soldiers to rescue them.

The rescue and relief operations actually started only after the Army took charge of it. The local state government led by the chief minister Omar Abdullah was clueless till the flood water entered the state capital Srinagar. According to the local people, the state government's reaction was too disappointing.

The Army which has a huge presence across the state immediately swung into action. It has so far rescued more than 50,000 people and wants to rescue everyone stuck there. It is also airdropping food packets and other essential things in far flung areas.

The Army personnel on the ground are also reaching out to the people stuck at various places in Srinagar and other parts by boats and by road. They are taking the stranded people to safer places.

Omar Abdullah, who is under fire for 'inaction', said, "No state government has planes and helicopters. It has to be from the Centre. It is a national disaster."

The separatists, who work under the banner of All Party Hurriyat Conference, have completely vanished from the scene. The same leaders who claim that Kashmir can't be a part of India and they are the sole representatives of all Kashmiris are missing in action instead of helping the marooned people.

Former Union minister and the Congress leader Professor Saifuddin Soz was heckled by angry people in Srinagar. They accused him and other politicians of doing nothing to rescue the people. The same story is being repeated all over Kashmir.

The local police force is also doing little. Most of the police establishments are under water and the equipments have also been damaged. The morale is also very low among them while the Army men are doing a great job by risking their own lives at some places. They are working non-stop.

The people in rest of India are hoping that the floods will serve as an eye opener for those Kashmiris who advocate freedom from India. They hope that the Kashmiris will now realise that only the rest of India can protect them and the anti-India sentiments will disappear slowly.

However, the vested separatist interests are unlikely to accept their defeat. They are expected to start the usual anti-India tirade once the situation in across Kashmir returns to normal.

The good thing is Indian Army has won the praise of ordinary Kashmiris for the first time since insurgency started. Hope, it stays like this.

Bus ticket bookings for Dashain open today

KATHMANDU, SEP 10 - Bus ticket bookings for the upcoming Dashain festival are scheduled to open on Wednesday. A meeting of government officials and transportation entrepreneurs held on Tuesday decided to put the tickets on sale besides postponing a planned fare hike.

The conference held at the office of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) also agreed that ticket prices would be jacked up by 7 percent from October 18. Transportation entrepreneurs have urging the government to raise public transportation fares by at least 15 percent.

Despite the annual Dashain travel rush when hundreds of thousands of Nepalis head home to be with their families, government officials and transport operators both said that tickets would be easily available.

“People can book their bus tickets at current prices from Wednesday. Fares will be hiked only from mid-October,” said Dol Nath Khanal, general secretary at the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs (FNTE). People will be able to book their tickets without any hassles and serious measures have been taken to prevent trouble to travellers, he added.

Keeping in mind the festival rush when an exodus from the Kathmandu valley to the villages takes place, Khanal said that around 200 extra buses will be put into service on various routes. “Destinations having higher demand will get additional vehicles. Also, we will make sure that remote places too get abundant buses to carry passengers,” said Khanal.

According to a rough estimate, 1.5 million people will depart from the valley to celebrate Dashain at their homes this year. Around 3,500 buses are expected to leave Kathmandu on the day of Fulpati, the seventh day of the 10-day Dashain festival, said the DoTM.

Likewise, the meeting at the DoTM has also decided to limit bookings and sales to five tickets per person to prevent black marketing during the festival rush. “Transport entrepreneurs have expressed their commitment to abide by the rules,” said Mukti KC, director at the DoTM. “We will also be making monitoring efficient.”

To prevent black marketing and other undesirable activities, the DoTM has set up 10 help desks in the Kathmanduvalley and 12 more elsewhere in the country. The help desks will provide information about ticket sales and also receive complaints from travellers. The complaints will be promptly forwarded to the concerned authorities. The desks will be manned by officials of transportation offices. A monitoring team comprising staff from the department has been created to oversee the help desks.

KC added that there would be a monitoring team consisting of representatives from the DoTM, Traffic Police, Nepal Police, Federation of Transportation Entrepreneurs Association, consumer groups, trade unions affiliated with the three major political parties and the Department of Commerce who will conduct random checks.

Likewise, the meeting has also concluded that the buses should not stop at highway eateries marked by red stickers. Also, the DoTM has made it mandatory for bus owners to assign two drivers on long routes. As per government rules, bus drivers need to be changed every 250 km or 6 hours.

Meanwhile, the DoTM has booked 12 bus operators for selling tickets prior to the formal opening of bookings. “We have found 12 bus operators selling tickets during the market monitoring,” said KC.

UCPN (M) alliance objects Minister Mahat’s remark on federalism

Federal Republican Front, an alliance ofUCPN (Maoist) and Madhesh-based parties, has expressed serious concerns over the remarks made by Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat.

Minister Mahat, who is on a visit to India, has yesterday said that the new constitution could be drafted by keeping aside the issue offederalism if consensus eluded on the same.

A meeting if the alliance in the Capital on Tuesday concluded that Minister Mahat’s remark was objectionable, irresponsible and against public sentiment. Issuing a statement today, the alliance comprising of UCPN (M), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, MJF-Loktantrik, among other parties, deplored the minister’s statement dubbing it regressive.

“The question has been raised whether the statement also represents Nepali Congress, UML and the government,” further mentioned the statement, demanding the concerned stakeholders to clear this position on the same.

Yemen police shoot at Shiite protesters‚ killing 4

AP

Yemeni riot police use water canons to disperse Hawthi Shiite protesters during clashes near the Foreign Ministry at a main road leading to the airport in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANAA: Yemeni police on Tuesday opened fire on Shiite protesters marching toward the prime minister's office in the capital, Sanaa, killing at least four people and wounding 10, officials said.

The shooting erupted during a rally by supporters of Shiite Hawthi rebels who have been fighting against Sunni tribesmen in the country's north.

As the demonstrators marched up to the government headquarters, the police first fired tear gas to try and disperse the crowds, then started shooting.

Medical officials said four people died. Witnesses at the scene said at least 10 were wounded by gunshots while several others were injured in a stampede that erupted after the shooting, as the protesters tried to get away from the scene. The officials and witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to media.

Tensions have been escalating in the Yemeni capital, where the Hawthis have staged week-long anti-government demonstrations, often clashing with the police forces and demanding that the government resign and reinstate fuel subsidies.

Negotiations have failed to diffuse the standoff and the Hawthis have kept up their rallies, camping out in the heart of Sanaa. On Sunday, one person died in the clashes with police as the Hawthi protesters marched near Sanaa's airport road.

The Hawthis had waged a six-year insurgency in the north against former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which officially ended in 2010. After Saleh's ouster, they have fought ultraconservative Sunni Islamists in several northern cities and towns, accusing them of turning their strongholds into incubators of extremism.

The Hawthi protest threatens to further destabilize volatile Yemen, the Arab world's most impoverished country where authorities continue to battle militants led by the country's al-Qaida branch, considered by the U.S. to be the world's most dangerous offshoot of the terror group.

President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi last week dismissed his Cabinet and promised to appoint a new premier within a week in a move to offer concessions, but the Hawthis only escalated their protests.

The violence in Sanaa prompted neighboring Saudi Arabia — a Sunni kingdom long at odds with the Hawthis — to evacuate its embassy over the past two days and suspend flights to Yemen. Also, the kingdom listed the Hawthis as a terrorist group earlier this year.

In 2009, while backing the former Yemeni government, Saudi Arabia unleashed a heavy offensive against the Hawthis after an incident in which the Shiite rebels crossed into the kingdom and killed a Saudi soldier.

AU to send medical support teams to fight Ebola

ADDIS ABABA: The African Union is to send medical support teams to the West African countries affected by Ebola for a six-month mission.

An Ebola outbreak that began in Guinea has since spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal, killing more than 2,000 people. The hardest hit of those countries desperately need more health care and humanitarian workers to respond to the crisis.

The African Union is sending at least 100 people, including doctors, nurses and others to support efforts to contain the outbreak. The European Union promised 5 million euros ($6.4 million) to fund the mission following an emergency meeting of the continental bloc on Monday. It was not clear when the first teams would arrive, but they will work in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. -

Indonesia parliament mulls ending direct elections for local leaders

JAKARTA: Indonesian lawmakers are expected to vote this week on legislation that ends direct elections for governors and mayors, a measure critics say would weaken the country's democratic advances and encourage patronage politics.

The world's third-largest democracy introduced direct elections of regional leaders in 2005, allowing for a new breed of politicians to emerge that were not linked to the political elite - such as president-elect Joko Widodo.

But direct elections have also proved to be costly for candidates, limiting the field to those who can afford to pay for their campaigns.

"High costs are required sometimes to carry our fair elections," said Robert Endi Jaweng, executive director of Regional Autonomy Watch, a local non-governmental organization.

"But the logic of democracy is not about the logic of efficiency, it's about the right of the people to choose their leaders."

The bill, which has strong support in parliament and is backed by several members in the coalition of losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, would give local legislatures the power to choose governors and other regional heads instead of their constituents.

"The selection of regional heads by local parliament is more effective and efficient than through direct elections," Prabowo's Gerindra Party tweeted on Tuesday.

"Those who say that elections through local parliament are contrary to the values of democracy are not right."

Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose party supports the bill, must approve the legislation before it becomes law.

Indonesia has embraced democratic reforms since the downfall of autocratic leader Suharto in 1998.

This year's presidential election, the closest ever in Indonesia's history, took place without any major violence or military intervention. That contrasts with neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia, which have seen recent setbacks to their democracies.

Advisers to president-elect Widodo, who is also known as Jokowi, said they believe the bill violates the constitution but would not have a significant effect on how they govern.

"If parliament passes the bill, there will be no impact on Jokowi's administration," said Faisal Akbar, deputy chairman of Widodo's transition team.

Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle is the biggest party for 55 percent of the country's 34 local legislatures, said Achmad Sukarsono, a political analyst for think-tank Habibie Centre. - See more at: http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Indonesia+parliament+mulls+ending+direct+elections+for+local+leaders&NewsID=426903#sthash.KZruFm0D.dpuf

Indonesia parliament mulls ending direct elections for local leaders

JAKARTA: Indonesian lawmakers are expected to vote this week on legislation that ends direct elections for governors and mayors, a measure critics say would weaken the country's democratic advances and encourage patronage politics.

The world's third-largest democracy introduced direct elections of regional leaders in 2005, allowing for a new breed of politicians to emerge that were not linked to the political elite - such as president-elect Joko Widodo.

But direct elections have also proved to be costly for candidates, limiting the field to those who can afford to pay for their campaigns.

"High costs are required sometimes to carry our fair elections," said Robert Endi Jaweng, executive director of Regional Autonomy Watch, a local non-governmental organization.

"But the logic of democracy is not about the logic of efficiency, it's about the right of the people to choose their leaders."

The bill, which has strong support in parliament and is backed by several members in the coalition of losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, would give local legislatures the power to choose governors and other regional heads instead of their constituents.

"The selection of regional heads by local parliament is more effective and efficient than through direct elections," Prabowo's Gerindra Party tweeted on Tuesday.

"Those who say that elections through local parliament are contrary to the values of democracy are not right."

Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose party supports the bill, must approve the legislation before it becomes law.

Indonesia has embraced democratic reforms since the downfall of autocratic leader Suharto in 1998.

This year's presidential election, the closest ever in Indonesia's history, took place without any major violence or military intervention. That contrasts with neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia, which have seen recent setbacks to their democracies.

Advisers to president-elect Widodo, who is also known as Jokowi, said they believe the bill violates the constitution but would not have a significant effect on how they govern.

"If parliament passes the bill, there will be no impact on Jokowi's administration," said Faisal Akbar, deputy chairman of Widodo's transition team.

Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle is the biggest party for 55 percent of the country's 34 local legislatures, said Achmad Sukarsono, a political analyst for think-tank Habibie Centre. - See more at: http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Indonesia+parliament+mulls+ending+direct+elections+for+local+leaders&NewsID=426903#sthash.wszRDPP2.dpufJAKARTA: Indonesian lawmakers are expected to vote this week on legislation that ends direct elections for governors and mayors, a measure critics say would weaken the country's democratic advances and encourage patronage politics.

The world's third-largest democracy introduced direct elections of regional leaders in 2005, allowing for a new breed of politicians to emerge that were not linked to the political elite - such as president-elect Joko Widodo.

But direct elections have also proved to be costly for candidates, limiting the field to those who can afford to pay for their campaigns.

"High costs are required sometimes to carry our fair elections," said Robert Endi Jaweng, executive director of Regional Autonomy Watch, a local non-governmental organization.

"But the logic of democracy is not about the logic of efficiency, it's about the right of the people to choose their leaders."

The bill, which has strong support in parliament and is backed by several members in the coalition of losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, would give local legislatures the power to choose governors and other regional heads instead of their constituents.

"The selection of regional heads by local parliament is more effective and efficient than through direct elections," Prabowo's Gerindra Party tweeted on Tuesday.

"Those who say that elections through local parliament are contrary to the values of democracy are not right."

Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose party supports the bill, must approve the legislation before it becomes law.

Indonesia has embraced democratic reforms since the downfall of autocratic leader Suharto in 1998.

This year's presidential election, the closest ever in Indonesia's history, took place without any major violence or military intervention. That contrasts with neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia, which have seen recent setbacks to their democracies.

Advisers to president-elect Widodo, who is also known as Jokowi, said they believe the bill violates the constitution but would not have a significant effect on how they govern.

"If parliament passes the bill, there will be no impact on Jokowi's administration," said Faisal Akbar, deputy chairman of Widodo's transition team.

Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle is the biggest party for 55 percent of the country's 34 local legislatures, said Achmad Sukarsono, a political analyst for think-tank Habibie Centre. - See more at: http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Indonesia+parliament+mulls+ending+direct+elections+for+local+leaders&NewsID=426903#sthash.wszRDPP2.dpufrutal ISIS murders, Foley