Nepal election was conducted 19th November and just now the final result is coming up.
The clear message this time election result is the defeat of Maoist group who got the majority in the 2008 parliamentary elections which seems a major defeat of extreme left groups while Communist Party of Nepal [the UML] got second highest with 91 sheets in constituent assembly. However, the Nepal Congress, the country's oldest, pro Indian, close ties with India won 105 sheets out of 240 of the constituent assembly.
According to Farook Tariq, the General Secretary of Awami Workers Party of Pakistan, who was a member of the election monitoring team circulated a detailed report of his monitoring visit to Nepal claimed, the victory of the Nepali Congress is in the amidst of the majority voters sympathy over left parties, including UML and UCPN[Maoist party].
It is important note which comrade Farook sent to us about the new Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, [RPPN] which is calling for restoration of Royalty and has secured significant  number of votes from the capital city of Kathmandu leading with 106,830 votes with 6 constituencies out of 10.

Sadly, the Maoist who were played a significant role to defeat the Royal Family dynasty could not retain the trust  among the poor people during 2013 election.
Just a day after the elections the Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal known as Prachanda declared the elections as a "conspiracy" against them and announced boycott of the polling count. He only went to press after it was clear the Maoists are losing badly in the elections. They were the single largest group in 2008 parliament and failed to retain their support among the extremely poor masses of Nepal.
We need to wait and see, how the Nepal Congress lead the country from the constitutional crisis the country faced with the support of Opposition party UML at the moment. 
We congratulate Nepali people, our comrades at ANPfA and ANWA, RRN and SAAPE secretariat for their commitment to a Just and Free Society with democratic and socialist values.

Herman

Viva African Continent! Viva Women and Men in Africa

Friends,
There are so many progressive decisions and decisive events taking place all over the globe today.
African commission has adopted a resolution to recognize women's right to Land and other Productive Resources. This has been a very radical decision by the African Commission and we welcome this and congratulate the leaders who had the courage to take such decision.

As advocates of People's Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, we highly appreciated the brave stand of the people engaged. It is our struggle to gain equal rights for men and women who depend on the natural resources, particularly on Land.

Here you can see the important note as quoted from the message I received today.
Herman

African Commission Affirms Women’s Right to Land and Other Productive Resources

In November 2013, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted a groundbreaking resolution on women’s right to land and other productive resources.  With this resolution, the African Commission urged States “to fully comply with their obligations and commitments to ensure, protect and promote women’s right to land and property” and encouraged them “to repeal discriminatory laws and adopt legislative measures to sanction customary practices that limit or have a negative impact on women’s access to, use of and control over land and other productive resources.”  The Commission also called on States “to organise sustained public sensitisation, information and education campaigns for community and religious leaders in order to transform socio-cultural patterns of conduct that deprive women of their security of enjoyment of and equal access to property, land and adequate housing” as well as “to undertake land and agrarian reforms to ensure equal treatment for women in rural development, land distribution and social housing projects.”

The resolution further urged States to:

i) provide legal protection to women against forced evictions and dispossession of land for use by public and private actors;

ii) ensure widows’ right to inheritance, including the right to inherit the movable and immovable property of their husbands, as well as their right, irrespective of the matrimonial regime, to continue to live in the matrimonial house;

iii) ensure access to public justice services for underprivileged women by providing effective remedies for violations of their right to land and property, and free legal assistance in order to ensure compensation and the restitution of land;

iv) ensure that financial and microcredit institutions integrate the specific needs of women into their policies and practices, including access to credit and income-generating activities, especially for poor women and women heads of households;

v) integrate into national HIV/AIDS control strategies, as well as farming and land policies, women’s right to land and property;

vi) put in place special measures to protect the property rights of women with disabilities; and

vii) allocate specific resources to investment programmes that support and strengthen initiatives by rural women, in particular small-scale farmers.

Mayra Gomez, Co-Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, noted that “The Global Initiative has worked with its partners in a concerted effort to achieve this goal and we are quite happy with this result.  The challenge now, however, is for all of us to use this resolution in our advocacy for women’s substantive equality in Africa and elsewhere, as well as to continually highlight the important link between human rights and access to, control over and use of land generally.”  She added that “The Global Initiative worked closely with Initiative for Gender Equality in Development – Africa, ActionAid – Burundi, FIDA – Kenya, and others to make this resolution a reality.”

With the adoption of this resolution, women’s right to land and other productive resources has clearly been established as a component of both the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).  The Commission also made clear that “women’s access to, control over and use of land and productive resources contribute[s] to promoting gender equality and constitute[s] a solid basis for improving women’s social, political and economic status.”

My colleague Sunesh, Basil Soosai's life is in danger.
Sunesh is working in Mannar district and serving as the coordinator of Mannar District Fisheries Solidarity Organization. He is active in many fields, including fisheries, IDPs, Families of the disappeared, Land rights groups, Citizen forum of Mannar, Fisheries Cooperative Federation in Mannar district and many more.
By now there were three attempts to abduct Sunesh and he was cleaver enough to escape all these times.
Again last 21st early morning around 1.30 am, some fellows came to his home and had asked him to come out from his home. Since he was on the way to Negombo where he was supposed to attend to National Land Convention while commemorating World Fisheries Day, organized by National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, NAFSO, this attempt was also a futile as he was not at home.
However, as Human Rights Defenders, we decided to approach various responsible agencies on Mannar urging the security of Sunesh.
Mannar SSP police, Divisional Secretary of Mannar and Army area Commander were some of the authorities whom we met and handed over the petitions urging security of Sunesh.
Bishop of Mannar Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, Fr. Sebamalai the chair of Citizen Committee, A.Jesudasan, NAFSO coordinator, Brito Fernando, Chairperson of Families of Disappeared, Fredie Gamage of Meepura news web and several community members of Mannar were attended the work conducted at Mannar.
People registered their anger with a protest at Mannar too.

Please see the video thanks and quoted from Global Tamil News.

http://www.globaltamilnews.net/GTMNEditorial/tabid/71/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/99363/language/si-LK/----.aspx#.UpBMtFEmSCg.gmail

Herman

68th National Budget and the Fisheries Sector

The 68th National Budget speech was held by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday at the Parliament and this is the 9th budget of his own government.

According to the budget proposals, President Rajapakse has proposed to maintain the imported tax for fisheries products in a higher rate. But, it is not clear on what level though we see this as an important move.
At the same time, the proposed allocations for fishery harbors in Gandara, Wennappuwa, Dodanduwa, Chilaw, Kapparathota, Kalamatiya in the southern and western coasts as well as Gurunagar and Silawatura in the north areas.
Encouragement of boat construction locally is another aspects of the positive side of the budget.
We need to study further the 68th budget in relation to fisheries specific matters and overall national economy.

Herman

The 4th General assembly of South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication, [SAAPE] was held at Kathmandu, Nepal from 17-22nd December. There were more than 40 prominent civil society actors representing political parties, trade unions, farmers, peasants, fisheries, women and many more attended the gathering.
The country up dates of each country was discussed in detail. And also seek the possible collective actions to the challenges of eradication of poverty, hunger, militarization and religious fundamentalism, social insecurity in the South Asian region which is largest poor population living in the globe.
According to the FAO, it is around 640 million people more than 60% of hungry people live in the region and is a big challenge to the Human kind in the globe. So, the SAAPE general body meeting was a decisive event to seek possible collaborative actions among the civil society across the region on Food sovereignty and Land grabbing issues, Gender, Militarization and Democratization of the region. 
Afganistan, Bangladesh, Bhuthan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lankan delegates reaffirmed their commitment to work together on above issues more than ever as the threats and challenges are also so severe on us.

The Campaign against Land Grabbing continue among regional bodies. NAFSO and Mannar district fisheries solidarity together with the Organization of Disappeared people had organized a seminar, protest march and submission of memorandum to Mannar district secretary on International Human Rights day, 10 December 2012. There were around 450 people attended the seminar and the protest. Mullikulam, Pallimunai, Pesalai and Uppuveli landless people together with the families of disappeared people had gathered at St. Sebastian Cathedral at Mannar. Rev, Bandiwewe Diyasena Thero together with several other Buddhist monks, Leaders of Mannar landless communities, Priests including Vicar General of Mannar diocese, leaders of NAFSO and Right to Life organizations, Parliamentarians, Urban council members were attended the gathering. There was a letter handed over to the Mannar district secretary, demanding mediation between people and the GOSL on disappeared people and the landless internally displaced communities.

People demand, define development and design it based on People centered development. “Stop land grabbing and we need not this development"

The people who gathered at Colombo yesterday very strongly demanded from the government that they want a development which protect their life and livelihoods and not displace them. Praja Abhilasha Network and Land Forum of Sri Lanka organized a seminar followed by a street protest to register the people’s anger and protest on their land grabbing.
Most of people are isolated and no body is ready to take the lead. As Praja abilasha, we are trying to unite all these people and bring to a common struggle. Present development model is not meant for the development of the people. We are bringing people from all over the country and we will continue this struggle, says Geetha Lakmini in her speech at the objective setting.
“We expect development which protects us, our life and our livelihoods. We are farmers and fisher folk, living in peace and harmony with the nature. We want to sustain our lives without destroying our environment.”
The chief incumbent of Uva Wellassa two divisions, Panama Chandrarathana thero narrated at the National seminar organized on land issues. Hundreds of people representing various parts of the country attended the seminar and almost all are victims of the post war development program of GOSL.
People from Kalpitiya islands, Negombo, Rathgama, Vakarei, Arugambe, Pothuwil, Akkaraipattu, affected who are living in the coastal areas attended the seminar and the protest. All of them voice out not to displace them in the name of development. GOSL has planned to 99 year lease out of lands for hotel constructions, develop tourism resorts, Golf courts, sea plane, air taxi services for tourism development.
Dinesh Suranjan of All Ceylon Fisher Folk Trade Union said, “We have been living in the islands for generations. No body consider us as citizens and it proved with there was no consultation at all for capture the land for Kalpitiya tourism promotion zone development. What we want is to live in harmony with our livelihoods. We do not want to be the victims of this type of development at all. We demand to stop this land grabbing and all the disturbances on us in the name of development.”
Joseph Francis, an IDP from Mullikulam, Mannar stressed that “There were 450 families lived in Mullikulam and they need to go back to their own village. Agriculture, Fishing are the main occupation there and we want to revive them again. Why we do not get the benefit of the so called freedom while others are enjoying them? When do the authorities allow us to go back to our homes?”
Rathgama lagon is one of the most important eco systems in the country with cultural background. The Buddhists monks who used to these islands for meditation purposes which seems to disturb today with the new hotels come up. Dulip Rangajeewa said, “people around Rathgama lagoon will not allow hoteliers to build up hotels and will destroy them unless stop”.
In the same way, Anthony Thamel, a fisherman from Parakrama Samudra Polonnaruwa said, “We do not want Sea Plane to Parakrama Samudra. This is our life. Our livelihoods as fishermen will totally disturbed when Sea Planes are landed in our reservoir. No body discuss this and we do not know what is going to happen to us. What ever it is, we do not consider these as development for us.”

It was highlighted and highly discussed about the present development plan is as a process starting from 1984 tourism master plan and regaining Sri Lanka program which introduced 2002. These were badly defeated by the people and elected new regime which proposed Mahinda Chinthana development program for build Sri Lankan economy. However, it was clearly expressed almost all of the speakers, including Fr.Marimuthtu Sathivel, Fr,Sarath Iddamalgoda and Sr. Sharmindinie Fernando at the seminar. We want to strengthen all these isolated groups and bind them together for a common struggle. We will not end up this till we win. Said, Sandun Thudugala, one of a conveners of Land Forum.

The seminar was followed by a protest which was attracted by many media and security personals.