Nepal News

Race for rebuilding body CEO hots up
KATHMANDU, JUN 23 - With
President Ram Baran Yadav
approving an ordinance on Monday to
set up the National Reconstruction
Authority, a quiet race has begun for
the chief executive officer of the
high-level committee formed to
undertake post-quake rebuilding
projects.
Informed sources said the
government is planning to appoint
the CEO ahead of the international
donor conference slated for June 25
in a bid to garner wider international
support for rehabilitation and
reconstruction works.
Three names-National Planning
Commission Vice-chairman Govinda
Pokharel, Chief Secretary Leela Mani
Paudyal and former finance secretary
Rameshore Khanal--are making
rounds in Singha Durbar for the plum
post, a source said. “Though some
former secretaries have also shown
their interest for the CEO, they do
not meet the requirements.”
Appointing the CEO before the
conference, senior officials said,
would send a positive message to
donors as the government needs huge
resources for rebuilding the
infrastructure damaged by the major
earthquake s on April 25 and May 12.
“It will be desirable for the positions
of the CEO, four ministers and three
experts on the panel to be filled
ahead of the conference,” said NPC
Vice-chairman Pokhrel.
However, there are fears that the
CEO appointment process might be a
bone of contention between the
ruling parties, mainly the Nepali
Congress and the CPN-UML while the
decision needs Cabinet endorsement.
If the ruling UML and the main
opposition UCPN (Maoist) propose the
name of Chief Secretary Paudyal for
the CEO, Prime Minister Sushil
Koirala is expected to give his nod as
the two have a good rapport, sources
at the Prime Ministers’ Office said.
“However, NPC Vice-chairman
Pokhrel could land the position if the
NC lobbies hard for him,” a source
said. Finance Minister Ram Sharan
Mahat is said to be in favour of
former finance secretary Khanal.
When asked, Pokhrel said he had not
been offered the job. “As the NPC
vice-chairman, I led the preparations
for the Post Disaster Needs
Assessment (PDNA). This does not,
however, mean that I will join the
authority as its chief executive,” he
said, adding that he would think it
over if he is indeed offered the post.
Chief Secretary Paudyal and former
secretary Khanal said no one had
asked them to take the position.
Since Paudyal retires in mid-August,
he is believed to be a strong
candidate for the post.
The CEO of the authority is a
minister-level position, having
sweeping decision-making powers for
public procurement and land
acquisition. The candidate will have a
four-year stable tenure, to decide
over the allocation of billions of
rupees in its budget.
“It’s a powerful position as the CEO
will work closely with the PM,” said a
senior official. As per PDNA, the
country needs Rs666 billion for
rebuilding.
The requirements for the post are
special class civil servant with
extensive experience of working from
the grassroots to policy-making level.
Besides having expertise in the
development sector, the candidate
needs to have worked with donors
and development partners.

Maoists not to own up PM-led panel

KATHMANDU, JUN 23 - The UCPN
(Maoist) decided on Monday that it
would not join the prime minister-led
Reconstruction Authority set up to
carry out post-earthquake rebuilding
works, accusing the ruling parties of
unilaterally pushing through an
ordinance to form the committee
without addressing their concerns.
The Maoist party said the authority
did not have any meaning and it
could not lead the overall task of
reconstruction. Maoist leaders said
the ruling parties had left the
consensus course set by the 16-point
political agreement by introducing
the reconstruction authority .
Speaking at a programme organised
by the Reporters’ Club, Deputy
Parliamentary Party leader of the
Maoist party Top Bahadur Rayamajhi
termed the reconstruction authority
as “a farce”, adding that the Maoists
would not join the body.
The party, its senior leader Baburam
Bhattarai in particular, had proposed
an independent and powerful body
instead of one led by the prime
minister. Bhattarai
has expressed his interest to lead the
Authority for some years.
“The PM-led body cannot effectively
perform the task of infrastructure
reconstruction,” said Rayamajhi. He
added that such an Authority would
only promote corruption. “It would
have been better had the Authority
been formed under Bhattarai,” he
said.
President Ram Baran Yadav approved
the Ordinance on Reconstruction
Authority on the recommendation of
the government. Maoist leaders say
their chances of joining a unity
government after constitution
promulgation were diminishing as
the Nepali Congress and the CPN-
UML were trying to move ahead
against the spirit of consensus.
Maoist leaders argue that the
reconstruction authority should be
formed on the basis of consensus,
honouring the understanding to form
all-party mechanisms from the Centre
to the grassroots. In a separate
programme, Maoist spokesman Dina
Nath Sharma said the Authority is
just a platform for the ruling parties
to appoint some people close to them.
The ruling parties, however, want the
Maoists to be on the reconstruction
panel.
NC leader Prakash Sharan Mahat
asked the Maoists to join the body.

source :-ekantipur