KATHMANDU, JUL 31 - UCPN (Maoist) leader Baburam Bhattarai has vented his ire at the recent activities of former King Gyanendra Shah through social media.

In his facebook post on Wednesday, the former prime minister has claimed that it is his "moral duty as a conscious and responsible citizen to ring the warning bell about former King Gyanendra's recent activities driven by counter-revolutionary motives.

"I would not be surprised by the illusion created among the people by the publicity of Gyanendra's move to distribute relief aid while forgetting what he said during his overt and covert counter-revolutionary actions," Bhattarai wrote in his post.  He added that though he respected the devotion of former royalists he could not agree with them.

The Maoist leader said he felt embarrassed to see the corruption of Marxism when a weekly newspaper of leftists supported former King Gyanendra through its editorial.

Bhattarai has raised objection to that fact that the former King has not expressed any public commitment about the historic achievements made through the heroic sacrifice of the people such as republic, federalism, secularism, inclusive democracy and fundamentals of new constitution.

"Rather he [Gyanendra] is used to express his disapproval of those epoch-making agendas," said Bhattarai. He added that Kamal Thapa led Rastriya Prajantra Party-Nepal, which has the blessings of Gyanendra, has been openly claiming that it would reinstate the monarchy through revolt if it is not possible through consensus or elections.

Referring to the recent visit of the former King, Bhattarai said, "I don't think we need to wait long to understand the motive of Gyanendra's visit. Nepal is the only example in the world where a deposed king has been given a free rein."

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 - Limbuwan Mukti Morcha led by Rambhakta Kurumwang Limbu merge d with Rajendra Mahato-led Sadhbhawana Party amid a function organised in Kathmandu on Wednesday.

Mahato and Limbu--Chairmen of the two parties--signed on the unification letter.

Following the unification, Morcha Vice Chairman Jumalal Yadav, General Secretary Padam Adhikari, Treasurer Bahadur Singh Nemwang and Central Committee Member Raju Shrestha have joined our party, informed Central Committee member of Sadhbhawana Party Yogendraraya Yadav.

Besides SP Chairman Mahato, Co-Chairman Laxman Lal Karna  and Vice-Chairman Narsingh Chaudhary were present in the programme today.

Madhesh Rastra Janata Party (Revolutionary) Ranbir faction, Terai Mukti Morcha Agni faction, Akhil Terai Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha Avinash faction, Samyukta Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha have already merge d with Sadhbhawana before.

SARLAHI , JUL 31 -
Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa has claimed that environment for upcoming Constituent Assembly election will be created if the High Level Political Committee ( HLPC ) was dissolved.

Thapa dubbed HLPC as a remote to operate the government and the Election Commission and blamed it for the failure to create election environment.

" HLPC is the reason why parties have threatened to boycott elections," said Thapa at a press meet at Ishworpur in Sarlahi on Wednesday. "Conduction of fair election is a doubt if HLPC is not dissolved," he further added.

Thapa went on to claim that half of the country's problems will be solved if HLPC was dissolved. The remaining could be solved through all-party meetings and discussions, he added.

Given the growing public pressure and the protracted political crisis, Thapa said that there was no alternative to holding CA elections. He also said that his party has begun month-long election campaign and will go to election with a draft to end the crisis that lasted for seven long years.

SANKHUWASBHA, JUL 31 -
Locals of Chainpur continued Sankhuwasabha banda for the second consecutive day on Wednesday protesting against the statement by the Local Development Officer, Lila Adhikari.

The Struggle Committee, Chainpur has been enforcing a Chainpur shutdown since Tuesday in protest against what it called an ´objectionable´ statement made by the LDO Adhikari. Adhikari is accused of making a statement that the proposed Chainpur Municipality was not viable.

The banda organisers halted vehicular movement in Chainpur Bazaar on Tuesday as part of their protest and have called for a complete shutdown of market and transport services in Baneshwar, Siddhakali, Siddhapokhari and Chainpur VDC areas on Wednesday. RSS

SEOUL , JUL 31 -
South Korean "Gangnam Style" rapper Psy plans to release a new album in September and says he has already recorded three songs for the project.

"Already done with three songs and they are kinda nice," the singer announced on his Twitter account on Tuesday.

His agent said the singer was working on the as-yet untitled album in Los Angeles.

"Gangnam Style", released a year ago, made Psy an international star, and is the most popular video of all time on You Tube with 1.7 billion views.

His follow-up video and single "Gentleman" was inevitably less successful, but still managed to top the charts in a host of countries and has racked up 500 million views since its release in April.

In a recent interview with the Sunday Times magazine, Psy hinted at an alcohol dependency, describing soju -- a Korean liquor brewed from sweet potatoes -- as his "best friend" and "vice partner".

"If I'm happy, I'm drinking, if I'm sad, I'm drinking. If it's raining, I'm drinking, if it's sunny, I'm drinking. If it's hot, I'm drinking, if it's cold, I'm drinking," he told the British newspaper.

He takes a break from liquor "when I'm hungover," he added.

JUL 31 -
UCPN-Maoist leader Posta Bahadur Bogati has urged the poll opposing political parties not to push the nation towards uncertainty by talking of boycotting the Constituent Assembly (CA) election s slated for November 19.

He said there was no alternative to the CA election and that it would not be disrupted just because any political force opposes it. He added that the CA election would be held on the slated date even if the poll-opposing parties including the CPN-Maoist did not participate in it.

Speaking at a press conference organised by Revolutionary Journalists' Association here on Wednesday, leader Bogati said the sister organisation of the UCPN-M would be mobilised to conclude the election process in view of how the poll opposing Baidya-led CPN-Maoist moves ahead.

The CPN-Maoist has decided to boycott the current election process showing various reservations including on the formation of current government and the 'four-party syndicate' in Nepali politics.

During the press meeting, leader Bogati said the political parties have a compulsion to hold the CA election in November as per the public spirit and that none could disrupt the election .

Bogati further said that some poll opposing parties including the CPN-Maoist have talked of dialogue while at the same time forwarded the programmes of protest and anti- election campaigns thereby creating problems.

Responding to queries on a different context, former Minister for Energy, Bogati, stated that the UCPN-Maoist has no policy to disrupt construction of any hydropower projects. He stressed on the need of forwarding the construction works of Upper Trishuli 'A', immediately. RSS

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 - UCPN (Maoist) leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha has said that the High Level Political Committee ( HLPC ) has not used any unpleasant language in the letter sent to the Mohan Baidya -led CPN (Maoist).

Shrestha's remark comes at the time when the CPN-Maoist has been making excuses to sit for talks saying the letter sent by the government and the HLPC contains mean language.

Shrestha said the letter does not contain such language and pre-conditions as said by the CPN-Maoist and expressed his belief that the party's led by Upendra Yadav and Ashok Rai would participate in the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.

Speaking at an interaction organised in the Capital on Wednesday, Shrestha said his party would try its level best till the end to make the CPN-Maoist participate in the polls despite less chances of their participation.

He said the polls would not be postponed even if they ignore to make their presence.

"The talks would not go futile in any case," Shrestha said.

Underscoring the need to promulgate constitution from the upcoming CA, Shrestha said the country will loose all the historic outcomes and warned that it would plunge into severe crisis and head towards another conflict, if constitution was not drafted on time.

BEIJING , JUL 31 -
At least 26 villagers have died from cadmium poisoning and hundreds more fallen ill since 2009 near a disused factory in central China , local media said Wednesday, underscoring the country's mounting pollution challenge.

Soil samples from Shuangqiao in Hunan province contained 300 times authorised cadmium levels and excess amounts were found in 500 of 3,000 villagers tested by health authorities, the China Youth Daily said.

It said 26 people had died as a result of cadmium exposure in the last four years, eight of them under 60 and 20 of them from cancer, while children in the village were born with deformities.

A major chemical plant operated in the village until 2009, and a "huge" industrial waste pile remains in the factory grounds, as does "an odour that will not go away", the paper said.

It described the situation as "one of the country's 10 biggest pollution incidents".

Cadmium is highly toxic and exposure to the metal "is known to cause cancer", according to the US Department of Labor.

China is grappling with severe environmental degradation inflicted by decades of breakneck economic growth, and communities have protested industrial projects they fear will harm their hometowns or their health.

Amid growing concern about ground pollution, China recently carried out a five-year nationwide soil survey costing one billion yuan ($160 million).

But early this year it declared the findings a "state secret", underscoring the sensitivity around the issue.

The environment ministry this year acknowledged for the first time the existence of "cancer villages", years after domestic media reported on more than 100 polluted rural areas with higher incidences of the disease.

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
The government plans to spend Rs 390 million to build access roads for 14 cement factories under its policy of promoting manufacturing industries.

A sum of Rs 1.23 billion has been earmarked for the construction of access roads and electricity transmission lines and sub-stations for cement factories which are under construction in different parts of the country.

Out of the total allotment, Rs 390 million will be spent on building access roads, Rs 360 on connecting the cement factories to power supply and Rs 380 million will be used for the construction of special economic zones.

Industry Secretary Krishna Gyanwali said his ministry had recommended the names of 14 cement factories to receive the facility of access road a week ago.

He added that once the programme is approved by the National Planning Commission (NPC), the ministry will begin work on the access roads which will connect the mines and manufacturing units.

“Only those cement factories which produce clinker by using local limestone will receive the facility,” said Gyanwali. The government plans to complete construction of access roads for five cement factories within the current fiscal year.

In fiscal 2008-09, the government announced infrastructural support to cement factories utilizing local raw materials with the objective of promoting mega industries.

Under the programme, the government promised to construct roads and drinking water facilities and lay electricity lines to the factory sites stating that it would encourage investors to make use of the country’s huge limestone reserves, thereby saving billions of rupees spent on importing clinker.

Gyanwali said that new companies had also applied for access roads. The five cement factories which will benefit from the facility are Ghorahi Cement, Rolpa Cement, United Cement, Shivam Cement and Nigale Cement.

Other factories had asked for the facility last year, according to the industry secretary. “The applicants could not receive the promised facility in the last fiscal as the government could not announce a full budget, and so it could not release the necessary budget on time,” he said.

Cement producers have long been urging the government to provide basic infrastructure stating that a huge portion of their investment goes into developing basic facilities.

Meanwhile, the private sector has welcomed the government’s preparation to provide the promised infrastructure facility. “Though the government has not fulfilled its promises several times in the past, we are compelled to trust it this time,” said Atmaram Murarka, president of the Cement Manufacturers’ Association asking the ministry to provide the facilities at the earliest.

Industrialists said that a number of investors had put their money in cement factories in anticipation of government assistance in building basic infrastructure. “The delay in providing the facility has prompted many investors to give up their plans,” added Murarka. He also asked the ministry to provide electricity and transmission line facilities at the earliest. MoI officials said that once the NPC approves the project to build access roads, it will begin doing home work to provide electricity facility to three factories that have been waiting for it since the last fiscal year.

Budget Allocation

Factory    Amount (in millions)

Ghorahi Cement    Rs 60

Rolpa Cement    Rs 50

Sonapur Cement    Rs 50

Dang Cement    Rs 20

CG Cement    Rs 20

United Cement    Rs 20

Laxmi Cement    Rs 10

Bhardeu Cement    Rs 10

Shivam Cement    Rs 25

Makalu Cement    Rs 25

Nigale Cement    Rs 30

Sarbottam Cement    Rs 30

Palpa Cement    Rs 10

Maruti Cement    Rs 30

Total    Rs 390

(Source: Ministry of Industry)

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
The Limbuwan State Council has seriously condemned recent statements given by the leaders of CPN-Maoist of collaborating with the former King and monarchs.

The LSC has also warned to opt out from the alliance of 33 political parties if the statements were their principle claim.

Issuing a press statement, LSC Chairman Kumar Lingden  has said that despite opposing Constituent Assembly election , they can never think of collaborating with the former royals who were against republic in the country.

He said federalism, republic and religious tolerance were their bottom-line and that they would opt to stay out from the alliance if the CPN-Maoist stick to their claims.

Saying that the November poll was to be held favoring status quo and against federalism, Lingden said the party would launch agitation against the same.

Meanwhile, the LSC has announced to hoist black flags in nine eastern Limbuwan districts, padlock district VDCs, municipalities and election offices, among other programmes, against the Nov polls in the coming days.

CHITWAN, JUL 31 -

CPN (Maoist)-affiliated Young Communist League has called Chitwan banda on Wednesday.

The YCL called district banda demanding to release six of its cadres who were arrested by the police.

It has been reported that district police arrested them accusing them of extorting locals in the name of donation drive.

Academic institutions, market areas, have been shut down and transportation has come to a grinding halt due to the banda .

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
Nepal, yearning for their maiden SAFF Championship title this time around at home, found them on the precarious road as they were pitted against defending champions India, Bangladesh and Pakistan in Group A during tournament’s draw in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

India will take on their arch-rivals Pakistan before Nepal begin their campaign against Bangladesh later in the opening day of the regional championship, scheduled to kick off from September 1 at the Dasharath Stadium.

The greatest achievement summoned by Nepali side, who always enter into the tournament with high optimism, so far, has been making up to the semi-finals in 1993, 1995, 1999 and 2011.

Nepali skipper Sagar Thapa said that every match will be of “do or die” venture after the draw.

“We will be having a tough time for sure. It will be very tough even to reach the semi-finals,” he said. “We will have to train really hard as every match will be of do-or-die situation.”

Last time’s finalists, Afghanistan will be hoping to carry their momentum too, by reaching at least the last four of the tournament as they are pooled together with Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan in Group B  which is considered relatively an easier group.

Speaking at the programme Mohammed Salauddin, SAFF president and chief guest, said that the reason behind holding the regional championship in Nepal was football being the most popular game.

“We are delighted to organise the competition in Nepal because people are crazy about the game,” he said, adding “It is my dream to put on board SAFF Club Football Championship as well to raise the standard of the game and to make it more competitive.” Likewise, Anfa President Ganesh Thapa said that Nepal was honored and more than happy to play host to the tournament.

“We hosted the tournament in 1997, which was a huge success and we are honored and delighted to host it again. Dashrath Stadium will be renovated with the support of National Sports Council (NSC).” NSC Member Secretary Yubraj Lama vowed to make the tournament a grand success.

“We assure to extend every support  to Anfa to ensure the tournament’s success. Our reputation is associated with the event,” he said.

NEW DELHI, JUL 31 -
The Delhi Police is hunting for fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim, his aide Chhota Shakeel and eight bookies, three of them in Pakistan, in connection with the spot fixing scandal in Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, an official said Tuesday.

S.N. Srivastava, special commissioner of police (special cell), said: "Apart from Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel, we are still hunting for eight bookies. Three of them -- identified as Javed Chotani, Salman and Ahtesaam -- are Pakistan-based, while five belong to different cities of India."

"We have a man as witness who has identified Dawood's voice in two separate telephonic conversations," said Srivastava.

After confirming Dawood's link in the fixing scandal, we managed to get a non-bailable warrant against him and Shakeel from a court in Delhi, he said.

In a charge sheet filed in a Delhi court Tuesday, we have referred to about 12 voice samples as proof, along with phone conversations of accused and their cell phone ownership documents along with other evidence, he said.

Chotani was the mediator between Dawood and other bookies as he was in constant touch with the don, added the officer.

Bookie Ashwini Aggarwal, also known as Tinku Mandi, was named in the charge sheet as the main link between Indian bookies and the underworld, he said.

"Tinku Mandi and Chotani were in constant touch with Dawood. They were talking to Sunil Bhatia and Ramesh Vyas as mediator. Bhatia and Vyas were working as hawala operators," said Srivastava.

Police filed a 6,000-page charge sheet, along with a summary of 577 pages, in court in the IPL-6 spot fixing case.

The formal set of charges named 39 accused, including Dawood, Shakeel and Rajasthan Royals cricketer S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, in the scandal unearthed in May.

"Till now, 29 people have been arrested in the IPL spot fixing case. Twenty-one of them are on bail, while eight are in judicial custody. Now we are hunting 10 more accused whose named we have mentioned in the charge sheet," said Srivastava.

According to Srivastava, they have mentioned Dawood's name in the first column of the charge sheet which has annexures that include transcripts of phone conversations, voice sample reports, forensic reports and confessional statements.

Police also file a plea in court to cancel the bail of 21 accused, including Sreesanth and Chavan.

Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila were arrested by Delhi Police from Mumbai May 16. The police later arrested 26 more accused. While Sreesanth and Chavan are out on bail along with 19 other accused, Chandila is still in Tihar jail with eight others.

Srivastava said they had recorded the statements of seven accused -- including bookie Ramesh Vyas, Tinku Mandi, Firoz, Sunil Bhatia and Deepak -- before a magistrate.

Police have named 168 prosecution witnesses, including former cricket board secretary Sanjay Jagdale, IPL CEO Sundar Raman, Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid and the team management.

The police have also attached the statements of Sidharth Trivedi and Harmeet Singh, both Rajasthan Royals cricketers, who said that bookies had approached them for spotfixing.

But the name of Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra and his wife Shilpa Shetty had not been mentioned in the charge sheet as they were not found to be involved in fixing.

Srivastava said Vyas told them during interrogation that they use a code 'Ek ka note 51 k 390777' for the transfer of hawala money.

"Vyas was told to show good conduct towards 'master', Salmaan, and 'doctor', Chotani. He was also threatened by the underworld," said the officer.

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
While the political parties are gearing up for the Constituent Assembly elections, the government is ‘quietly’ preparing for the local polls, which could be held soon after the CA ballot.

The Ministry of Local Development and Federal Affairs (MoLDFA) has proposed a seven-member committee headed by a joint-secretary to identify possible constitutional and legal hurdles in the existing laws to hold the local elections. Allocation of a small amount of funds for local polls in the current fiscal year budget has prompted the government to start preparations to this effect. The panel is expected to come up with its report in the next two months.

According to the ministry secretary, Shanta Bahadur Shrestha, the committee will identify and assess the possible hurdles in holding the local elections soon after the Constituent Assembly elections. “This is a proposal lined up in the Cabinet,” Shrestha said. “We have to discuss on it further.”

The committee comprises former secretary Ranga Dutta Awasthi and legal expert Chandrakanta Gyawali, representative of District Development Committee Federation Madhav Poudel, and three government officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice. The ministry’s joint-secretary will be ex-officio member secretary of the committee.

“The absence of local representatives has weakened the administration and effective implementation of the government programmes and plans,” Shrestha said.

It has been 16 years since the last elections for local bodies . In absence of the local representatives, the government employees have been taking charge at Village Development Committees, District Development Committees and municipalities. The Local Self Governance Act govern the local elections.

The Supreme Court on November 7 last year had issued a directive asking the government to make necessary arrangements to conduct the local elections in response to a writ filed by Madhav Poudel of District Development Committee Federation, Bidur Mainali of Municipalities Association of Nepal and Advocate Chandrakanta Gyawali on behalf of Village Development Committees’ Federation. The petitioners had sought holding elections of local bodies stating that the absence of local representatives resulted in irregularities and corruption.

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
If every thing goes well, Chairman of Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi will attend the upcoming 68th United Nations General Assembly to be held in New York from September 17.

If Regmi visits New York , it will be his first foreign visit after assuming the top executive post on March 14.

The Protocol Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has expedited preparations for his visit in coordination with Nepal’s Permanent Mission in New York . The Division is handling the logistic side, while the mission will work on details about the programme schedule, meeting with several heads of the state and governments and others.

“At a time when the country is going to the elections and the whole world is watching how Nepali politics will be move ahead, it’s important for Regmi to make best use of such important international platforms and hold crucial bilateral meetings. Following Regmi’s consent, we have started preparations,” said a MoFA official requesting anonymity.

Another team led by Minister for Foreign Affairs Madhav Ghimire will also participate in the assembly. Regmi’s departure might be in third week of September. We have not finalised names of the officials to be included in the delegation, but logistic preparations may end within a week, said the official.

Ahead of the UNGA and amid the prospect of Regmi’s participation, the government has already appointed outgoing Foreign Secretary Durga Bhattarai as Nepal’s permanent representative and ambassador to the UN.  To lay the groundwork for his visit, Ambassador Bhattarai will leave for New York in the third week of August.

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), an alliance of five Madhes-based parties, has expressed reluctance to forge an election alliance with allies of the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA), a loose alliance of 20 parties led by the UCPN (Maoist). The FDRA, of which the SLMM is also a key member, was formed last year.

On Tuesday, SLMM leaders skipped a meeting called by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also the coordinator of the FDRA. SLMM leaders said they first need to have a common position in their bloc on any alliance for the Constituent Assembly polls scheduled for November 19.

There are fringe parties in the FDRA that are ‘desperate’ for an alliance with the UCPN (Maoist) to secure their position in the elections.

According to SLMM leaders, alliance s with the FDRA allies, as desired by UCPN (Maoist), is not possible due to “some ideological differences.” They, however, said they could continue being part of the FDRA if its chief purpose is to exert pressure to hold the elections in November.

FDRA Spokesperson Prem Bahadur Singh, however, expressed optimism that the Madhes-based parties will join hands with them for the elections. “They have vowed to join a meeting on Thursday after they have a common position

(on the alliance ) on Wednesday,” Singh said.

Cross-party Madhesi leaders say an election tie-up with the FDRA parties is not possible also due to differences in the types of federalism advocated by the Maoist party and Madhes-based parties.

The SLMM members include the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic led by Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, Sadbhawana Party led by Rajendra Mahato, Tarai Madhesi Loktantrik Party and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic.

KATHMANDU, JUL 31 -
As the Capital on Tuesday witnessed the 15th bird flu outbreak in the last two weeks, health experts warned that the spread of the H5N1 virus has gone out of control and called for an immediate and more coordinated intervention from the government. While they say a government decision is being delayed due to strong lobbying from people in the poultry sector, the Nepal Chicken Sellers Business Association refuted such a claim.

Since the first outbreak in a poultry farm in Matatirtha and Chabahil on July 16, the virus has claimed over 25,000 chickens in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur districts.  Animal health authorities on Tuesday confirmed the flu in two more poultry farms in Bhaktapur. Tests on chicken samples were conducted by the Central Veterinary Laboratory at Tripureshwor in Kathmandu.

According to the experts, farmers selling the potentially infected chickens in the market in the absence of effective monitoring has worsened the situation. “There is total impunity; the authorities know who is at fault, but still they have failed to take immediate action,” said Dr Shital Kaji Shrestha, General Secretary of the Nepal Veterinary Association.

While some farmers have dumped dead birds openly in public places, others have buried them secretly without following the standard procedures. Such practices have increased the chances of the epidemic spreading, experts said. The police on Monday seized 426 chickens that were being transported to Birgunj for sale from a flu-affected farm in Bhaktapur.

Government officials concede that the existing measures fall way too short of what is required to combat the ‘epidemic’ and that this fact has led to the situation going out of hand.

“The trend in the past two weeks shows that the epidemic is showing no signs of receding,” Dr Bol Raj Acharya, Chief of the District Veterinary Office, Kathman-du, said. “We have realised that it needs bigger intervention, which means expanding the current volume of human resource, which is too small to control this epidemic, and a complete ban and quarantine of poultry products nationwide.”

The Kathmandu District Administration Office was supposed to take a decision on Tuesday on banning export and import of chickens in the Valley. However, according to sources, the DAO failed to even discuss the issue following ‘pressure’ from poultry traders. The sources added that a Cabinet decision will be taken soon.

“There is a strong lobby from the poultry sector and it is very unlikely that the government could take a decision without taking them into confidence,” the sources said.

President of the Nepal Chicken Sellers Business Association, Junga Bahadur BC, however said, “We are in favour of public health and have already asked our members to comply with any decision taken by the government.” In the past, the government has taken measures like declaring emergency in certain outbreak areas, closing down of schools and launching culling operations.

According to the Animal Health Directorate, the country has witnessed 105 bird flu outbreaks in the past five years. Last year, 35 outbreaks were reported, while this year, already 80 bird flu cases have been reported with a majority of them inside Kathmandu Valley.

MUMBAI, JUL 30 -
Actress Nargis Fakhri says she is "adapting" and "adjusting" in Bollywood by working on her Hindi diction every day, but she wishes she would have learnt Urdu during her younger days.

Nargis used to stay in New York before she got her big Bollywood break with "Rockstar". Now she will be seen in "Madras Cafe".

“I'm still learning everyday, and I'm learning to adapt and adjust. I work as much as I can. I have leant to read and write, I try to watch films without subtitles so that I can understand (Hindi) better. I wish I would have learnt Urdu when I was a child," said Nargis.

“I started taking Hindi classes one year ago. I understand at least 80 percent. I'm trying really hard, but I don’t understand many jokes. But I'm happy now people cannot talk (bad) about me in Hindi, because I understand that,” she quipped.

In the time between "Rockstar" and "Madras Cafe", Nargis was occupied with travelling and reading scripts.

“I was busy reading scripts, dance classes, Hindi classes, travelling to see my family, moving my stuff from New York to Mumbai and adjusting," she said, adding that she will always do films that "I feel I want to watch as an audience”.

LAMJUNG, JUL 30 -

Rs. 80,000 has been looted from two businessmen reaching Archalbot of Lamjung district by a group led by one identifying himself as member of the Tamuwan State Committee of the UCPN-Maoist Rabindra Adhikari, police said.

Adhikari, Pratap Lamichhane and Tikaram BK looted the money from two Madhesi businessmen who reached Archalbot for business.

Bijaya Jaiswal and Natthu Mahato who went to the village after buying stationary from Bhoteodar were robbed of their Rs. 82,000, and one set of mobile, and they filed petition at the Area Police Office Bhoteodar on Sunday saying the three including Adhikari looted them on Saturday.

Police arrested all the three and enquired, and as Adhikari returned mobile and assured to return the amount in three days, they were released on general bail. RSS

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 - Flood water gushed into Singha Durbar, the central government secretariat, inundating the underground floor of the building following a heavy rainfall on Tuesday. The underground rooms were flood ed with up to three feet of water.

Karnali Development Commission, Far-West Development Commission and Press Department of Prime Minister, among other offices, were deluged. The flood s have soaked the office documents, while the civil employees came out of their offices.

Likewise, cars and motorbikes parked at the parking lot at the eastern gate have been submerged due to the flood s.

Staffers of Kathmandu metropolitan have swung into action to pump out the water.

ROLPA, JUL 30 -
A man from Hwama VDC of Rolpa is on the run after his wife accused him of raping their 12-year-old daughter.

The girl’s mother, who arrived at the District Police Office (DPO) to file a complaint on Friday, told police that her husband had been secretly raping their daughter for the past one year. She learnt about her partner’s dark secret only on Friday.

“I was devastated with shock and anger when I found out. I took my daughter and came straight to police office,” said the mother.

The girl said her father had threatened to kill her if she dared speak about their relations with anyone. She revealed that her father had rape d her many times in the past.

The girl’s mother has appealed the police to capture her absconding husband and take severest of action against him. “Such a father should not be let off scot-free,” she told Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Om Bahadur Rana Magar. DSP Magar has vowed to arrest the man and initiate necessary action against him for the crime he is accused of. The suspect will be charged with rape and incest at the court.

In the past three months, the DPO has received three cases of father-daughter rape . DSP Magar said one of the perpetrators was convicted and sentenced to jail, while two other suspects are still at large.

KATHMANDU , JUL 30 -
The official draw for the upcoming South Asian Football Federation ( SAFF ) Championship was announced at Soaltee Hotel in the Capital on Tuesday.

Nepal has been drawn alongside defending champion India, Bangladesh and Pakistan in the Group A of the competition to be held from September 1-11 in Kathmandu. Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are pooled in the other group.

India will play Pakistan in inaugural match of the competition while hosts Nepal will take on Bangladesh later on the same day. India is the most successful country in the championship winning it for six times.

The winner of the competition will bag US $50,000 while the second runner up will receive $25,000. The third and the fourth team will get $10,000 each.

SAFF President Kazi Salahuddin, National Sports Council member-secretary Yuba Raj Lama and All Nepal Football Association Chairman Ganesh Thapa were present in the draw ceremony.

This is the second time Nepal has hosted the championship. Nepal had hosted the competition previously in 1997.

TEHRATHUN, JUL 30 -

An infant has been killed and another child has fallen ill after consuming poison while playing on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Hari Prasad Khanal, 3, of Morahang-3. Pabitra Khanal has been taken ill.

The boy was taken to the local health post soon after the incident.

He died while undergoing treatment at a local health post. Meanwhile, Pabitra has been receiving medical attention in serious condition.

RAJBIRAJ, JUL 30 -
Bhola Kumar Saha, 8, the son of Narayan Saha Haluwai of Chhinnamasta-2 has been found dead near Chhinnamasta shrine pond on Tuesday morning.

Father Saha has been running a sweet shop at the temple, said police. The body has been handed over to the parents after postmortem at the Zonal Hospital Rajbiraj.

Likewise, an 18-month child Aakash Chaudhary, son of Ashok Chaudhary of Barmajhiya VDC-8 has been found sunk in the pond. He died on the way to hospital, said Area Police Office, Kanchanpur. The dead body is kept in the Zonal Hospital for postmortem. RSS

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
People from Buddhist community and Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) picketed entry points of Singhadurbar in the Capital on Tuesday. The protestors staged demonstration at Padmodayamod, Hanumanthan and Bhadrakali from 9 to 11 this morning demanding to install Buddha idol near Kakre Bihar in Surkhet.

Transportation went out of gear in the Capital due to the demonstration.

The Buddhist community says it resorted to protest as it was barred from erecting the statue near the Kakre Bihar premises in Latikoili-8 despite permission from the authorities concerned.

According to the protestors, stakeholders such as the District Administration Office, the Department of Archaeology, the District Development Committee and the Village Development Committee and the local political parties had given their permission for the idol placement but the Department of Forests kept them for two years saying that the placement required approval from the Cabinet.

The foundation stone was laid in April, 2007 but further works were stopped. The Department of Archaeology later allowed the plan to go reasoning that the site beyond the 35-metre radius of the Bihar does not fall under its purview.

MELBOURNE, JUL 30 -
Cricket World Cup co-hosts Australia and New Zealand have been drawn in the same group for the 2015 tournament, while title-holders India will face off against long-time rival Pakistan, officials announced on Tuesday.

The first match of the prestigious one-day tournament will be held in Christchurch, the New Zealand city devastated by an earthquake in 2011, when the locals take on Sri Lanka on February 14.

Later that day, Australia will face Ashes foes England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground -- also the venue for the day-night final match of the flagship tournament of the 50-over game on March 29.

"The 2015 tournament will mark 40 years since the first World Cup in 1975 and that history of great contests and heroes helps make the tournament what it is - the most sought-after prize in our increasingly global game," said ICC chief executive David Richardson.

"I'm absolutely confident that the success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will further strengthen the status of 50-over cricket as a successful and viable format alongside Tests and Twenty20 Internationals."

Australia and New Zealand, whose prime ministers attended launches at simultaneous events in Melbourne and Wellington, are grouped with England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and two qualifiers in the contest, held once every four years.

Title-holders India are pooled with Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and one other qualifying team.

"This is one of the biggest events in world sport," Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said of the tournament, which is expected to draw a global television audience of close to one billion people.

"It will attract cricket fans from around the globe and also promote Australia and our close friend New Zealand internationally -- especially in India and other parts of south Asia."

Forty-nine matches will be played in 14 venues across the two host nations, with Australia staging 26 games at grounds in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

New Zealand will host 23 games in seven cities, including Christchurch where international cricket is set to return for the first time since the 6.3-magnitude quake which killed 185 people in 2011.

The tournament, which was last staged in Australia and New Zealand in 1992, will also visit the cities of Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Nelson and Wellington.

The top four sides from each pool will go through to the knockout stage.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said he was encouraged by the draw.

"We've had recent success over both Sri Lanka and England in one-dayers, so to face them and a qualifying team in the first three matches is certainly an encouraging draw for us," he said.

Ireland has already qualified but the other three other teams will be determined by the ICC World Cricket League Championship 2011-2013 in October and a qualifier to be hosted in New Zealand in January and February 2014.

Pool A

England, Australia (co-host), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand (co-host), Qualifier 2 (TBD), Qualifier 3 (TBD)

Pool B

South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Qualifier 1 (Ireland), Qualifier 4 (TBD)

Matches scheduled for February and March 2015

PESHAWAR, JUL 30 -
More than 230 prisoners including hardcore militants escaped late Monday after Taliban insurgents armed with mortars and rocket propelled grenades attacked a prison in northwest Pakistan , officials said.

At least 12 people including four policemen were killed and seven others wounded in the brazen attack in Dera Ismail Khan, senior government official Mushtaq Jadoon told private TV channel ARY News.

"A total of 243 prisoners have escaped, six of them were later arrested by police," he said, adding that "30 among the escaped prisoners were hardcore militants".

The attack targeted the Central Prison in Dera Ismail Khan, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, close to the lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents are active.

Jadoon said militants had planted dozens of explosive devices in the jail and 14 of them had so far been defused.

"Police and other law enforcing agencies are busy in clearing the jail," he said.

Authorities have imposed a curfew in the city and asked the residents to stay at home.

"Through media, we appeal to the people to stay at homes. It is to avoid any damages if army, police and paramilitary take any action," he added.

Jadoon said around 50 to 60 militants managed to enter the jail as others fired rockets from outside.

"First they destroyed a police armoured vehicle parked at the front gate," Jadoon said, adding that two policemen were killed in this rocket attack.

CHITWAN, JUL 30 -

A teenager has been swept away by Trishuli River while trying to catch a boat on Monday evening.

The teenager has been identified as Roshan Gurung, 17, of Kerabari of Kabilas VDC- 5.

However, Gurung's other two friends Sandip Gurung ,20, and Ishwor Gurung ,16, were successful in swimming across the river.

They were flown away as the river was swollen, police said.

Meanwhile, police have been searching for Gurung.

Earlier, five children of Bharatpur had gone missing , while swimming at Kurintar of Chitwan. Of them, although bodies of two were found situation of others is unknown.

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
Hosts Nepal will be eyeing maiden U-16 SAFF Football Championship title when they take on former champions India in the summit clash at the Dasharath stadium on Tuesday.  

It has been a while since Nepali football team last won a major tournament. But the youth team’s promising  run this time around, through to the tournament final, has considerably raised hopes of the home fans. The home side have netted 16 goals—more than the total that all the other teams have scored in the tournament.

Nepal team coach Bal Gopal Maharjan is pinning high hopes on his wards to lift the title in front of the home crowd. “We have performed better in all departments against the opponents. And if we play according to the plan I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t clinch the title,” Maharjan exudes confidence in his side. “We have done better than India in this tournament and the statistics show that.”  But he is careful not to get ahead of himself, as he conceded that they needed to beef up their defence going into the final.

A semi-final defeat to India in the tournament’s inaugural edition has not lost on Maharjan—making them all the more keen to pay back the debt to the rivals.

However, the Indians themselves will be keen to reclaim the title they lost 2-1 to bitter rivals Pakistan in the final of the last tournament.

Both Nepal and India have travelled the distance without losing a match. After a 7-0 rout of Bhutan, Nepal played out a 1-1 draw with Afghanistan and knocked out Pakistan with a 3-0 win to reach their second successive semi-final where they defeated Bangladesh 5-1. India came into the final with the perfect record, starting with a 4-1 victory over Sri Lanka 4-1. They put off the challenge of Bangladesh 2-0 before edging Afghanistan 4-3 on penalties in the semi-finals.

ILAM, JUL 30 -
UCPN (Maoist) leader Barsha Man Pun has said that the country will get a new constitution and will be bailed out of the crisis despite protests by some ultra-leftists forces.

At a press meet organised by Revolutionary Journalists Association in Ilam on Tuesday, Pun said the ultra-leftist's attempt to foil election will not bear fruit.

Amid threats by CPN-Maoist to foil Constituent Assembly election , Pun claimed that conducting election at present context will be easier than the first CA election . "Earlier, there was movement in Tarai and armed outfit were also operating. Election was possible then, it will be a lot easier now," Pun said.

Pun was of the view that an environment of election was created as the major parties were actively participating in election process. He said that changes could be made in the number of proportional seats if the poll-opposing parties agree to join the election process.

The UCPN (Maoist) central member said that his party was for finding a political solution with the CPN-Maoist and was in no mood to confront with the party. He also clarified that the UPCN (Maoist) could coordinate with parties with similar ideologies on issues of identification and federalism.

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
The Kathmandu Post Career Edufair 2013, organised by the Kantipur Publications in association with the Global Education Counselling Centre, concluded formally on Monday.

Speaking at the closing ceremony organised in Kathmandu, Chairman and Managing Director of the Kantipur Publications Kailash Sirohiya thanked all exhibitors, participants and supporters for their contribution towards making the fair a grand success.

Stating that it is the right of students to get proper information about their career, Sirohiya claimed that the fair served real motive behind organising it. “We have achieved a great success in our second attempt and we are still learning,” he said. “I assure you it will be grader next year.”

Over 133,000 people visited the three-day fair held in Bhrikutimandap.

Also addressing the event, Akhilesh Upadhyay, editor-in-chief of The Kathmandu Post, said goodwill of the organisers was the main reason behind the huge influx of students in the fair. He said the participation of representatives from the Consular Section of the US Embassy in the fair, a new initiative of the publications, equally benefited students.

He said representatives from other embassies in Kathmandu, including that of Australia, the UK, India and Bangladesh, will also participate in the third iteration of the fair to be held in 2014. All the exhibitors and sponsors were provided with the token of love and letters of appreciation during the event. “Many of us were sceptical about the fair before its beginning, but it turned out to be a huge success,” said Mahesh Swar, chief marketing officer of the publications.

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
Nepal witnessed a record 63 percent growth in the tiger population in the last four years. A ‘scientific’ census conducted by the government in the last five moths shows the population of the endangered animals in Nepal shoot up from the 121 in 2009 to 198 this year.

Experts attribute this growth to proper habitat management, significant increase in prey species and controlled poaching.

The first ever nationwide census used camera trapping and highly sophisticated software, ‘SPACE CAP’ to track each individual tiger from its distinct stripe pattern and facial attributes captured in thousands of still photos and videos. This technology is one of the trusted ways to count tiger s with precision as it analyses the pattern of their stripes, which, according to experts, is always different  from one tiger to another.

“This is the most accurate data we ever gathered for our tiger s so far,” said Maheshwor Dhakal, ecologist and under-secretary at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). He was making public the census report at a press conference here on Monday, the day the world marked the 4th International Tiger Day.

The Chitwan National Park (CNP), the country’s largest wild reserve for tiger s, recorded 120 big cats, while it hosted 91 in 2009. The Bardiya National Park (BNP) recorded 50, a record high number in the park’s history. In 2009, there were 18 tiger s in the BNP. The significant rise in the number of tiger s in the BNP contributed to the overall rise in the national tiger numbers, experts said. Other tiger habitats, namely Shukhlaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR), Parsa Wildlife Reserve and Banke National Park, recorded 17, seven and five tiger s respectively. The count that covered a line transect of 1,659 km and occupancy area of 2,319 km from East to West and covering five protected areas of the country, saw a stable rise in the numbers in Chitwan, while the growth is promising in the SWR, Parsa and Banke for the coming years, the report said.

Nepal became the pioneer country in studying this magnificent species through “Tiger Ecology Project” funded by Smithsonian Institute and World Wildlife Fund US in 1973, and since then various monitoring and counts have been carried out in fragmented areas and at different intervals, the report added.

The efficient law and enforcement at the local level, made possible with the collaboration of bodies concerned, including the park management, Nepal Army, Nepal Police and anti-poaching units helped revive the tiger population, it said.

Anti-poaching teams formed at the local level in Bardiya played a vital role in combating poaching of tiger and its prey such as barking deer, sambar, hogdeer, swamp deer and wild boar, conservation director at WWF Nepal Ghana Shyam Gurung said. “This is a great achievement for all conservationists working in the sector. If the present trend is maintained, hopefully, we will be able to achieve our aim of doubling the tiger population by 2022 ahead of the expected time,” he said. Gurung said the rise in the number of the tiger s cannot be attributed to the cross-border movement of the animals along the Nepal-India border as the census was conducted simultaneously in both the countries.

However, the report says retaining the present population, if not keeping the growth momentum going, is a major challenge.

The population is at the ‘saturation level,’ said ecologist Dhakal, as the increased density of the tiger population will lead to inter-species conflict, thus increasing chances of fatality. “It is very unlikely that the current growth rate will be sustained in the next four or five years.”

The increase in the tiger numbers is also considered a threat to humans. “If there is a steady rise in the tiger population without any substantive expansion of their habitat and prey species, the animals could come out to human settlements, triggering a human-wildlife conflict,” said director general at the DNPWC Megh Bahadur Pandey.

The estimated tiger population worldwide is between 3,000-3,200 in 13 tiger range countries including Nepal. India holds the largest Royal Bengal tiger population of around 1,700. Similarly, of the eight sub-species of tiger s, Bali, Javan and Caspian tiger s are already extinct, while the South Cina tiger is on the verge of extinction.

Upward, Ho!

•    Tiger population in Nepal shot up from 121 in the year 2009 to 198 this year

•    Experts attribute the growth to proper habitat management, increase in prey species and controlled poaching

•    First ever nationwide census used camera trapping and highly sophisticated software to track each individual tiger from its distinct stripe pattern and facial attributes

•    Chitwan National Park recorded 120 big cats, while it hosted 91 of them in 2009

•    Bardiya National Park recorded 50, up from 18 in the year 2009

•    Shukhlaphanta Wildlife Reserve now has 17 tiger s, Parsa Wildlife Reserve seven, and Banke National Park five

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -

Police and veterinary officials of Lalitpur confiscated 426 ‘ bird flu -infected’ chickens from Sundarighat in Balkhu on Monday morning, while a sack full of such chickens was strewn around at Shantinagar gate in Kathmandu. Also on Monday, fresh bird flu outbreak was reported in a farm owned by one Punya Bharati in Kirtipur-17.

At Balkhu, the driver of the vehicle laden with the chickens said the fowls, infected with the H5N1 strain of the flu, were being taken to Birgunj for sale by Balaram KC, the owner of the Bhaktapur-based DJ Poultry Farm. The police and veterinary officials acted on a tip-off from local people of Nangkhel-2, Bhaktapur.

At Shantinagar, foul smell emanating from the dumped chickens gave residents and passers-by a tough time.

While the Balkhu incident gave rise to fears that infected chickens are being sold in the markets, experts and doctors say haphazard disposal of the chickens poses a serious threat to public health. According to Dr Bijay Kanta Jha, executive director at the Animal Health Directorate, the infected chickens, if distributed in the markets, could lead to the virus spreading more rapidly to other poultry farms, ultimately exposing people to higher risks of contracting the bird flu .

Chief of the Lalitpur district veterinary office, Mogal Prasad Shah, said the chickens seized at Balkhu were ‘sick’ and that they were later disposed of safely. He said the chickens displayed bird flu symptoms, adding that they have sent the samples for tests.

He, however, did not want to say if any legal action will be taken against the poultry farm owner.

At Nangkhel-2 on Sunday, locals hit the streets after foul smell started emanating from chickens dumped haphazardly from the DJ farm. Chickens were also carelessly dumped in sacks in areas between Bhotedhikur and Nalinchowk near the Arniko Highway. Police and government officials later dumped the fowls safely. General Secretary of the Nepal Veterinary Association Dr Shital Kaji Shrestha said the dumping of infected chickens in public places and selling them are ‘unethical.’

“We condemn this,” he said. Shrestha attributed this act to two factors—low compensation from the government for the slaughtered chickens, and government officials themselves not complying to the standard practices while culling the chickens in the affected areas.

“The law states that chickens within a radius of one kilometre from the outbreak site can be culled.

“However, government officials often don’t follow this rule and leave other nearby farms untouched during an outbreak,” Shrestha said.

Symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to the common flu, like cough, fever, headache, malaise, runny nose and sore throat. The World Health Organisation states that the H5N1 virus “remains one of the influenza viruses with pandemic potential, because it continues to circulate widely in some poultry populations and most humans likely have no immunity to it, and it can cause severe disease and death in humans.”

Nepal witnessed its first avian flu outbreak in 2008 in Jhapa. Since then, major outbreaks have been reported in Pokhara, Nawalparasi and Banke. Similar outbreaks were reported in Dhading on December 21 and a farm in Bode, Bhaktapur, on October 15 last year. The first case inside the Kathmandu Valley was reported in November 2011.

Kavre bans fowl import

KAVRE: The District Administration Office, Kavre, has decided to impose a ban on import of poultry products in the district. The district has been listed a high risk zone after bird flu outbreak was reported in Bhaktapur. “We have banned the import of chicken through all the four entry points in the district and it will remain effective until further notice,” CDO Durga Prasad Bhandari said after a meeting of the ‘ bird flu control district committee’ on Monday. (PR)

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
In a bid to ensure free and fair Constituent Assembly elections, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday organised an integrated security meet with five Regional Administrators, chiefs of three security agencies and senior Ministry officials at the Nepal Police Headquarters.

In the meeting chaired by Home Minister Madhav Ghimire, Home Secretary Nabin Ghimire, the five regional administrators and security chiefs of the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department presented the overall security situation of the country and challenges facing the November elections, according to officials.

As the Post went to Press, the meeting that started at 9 in the morning, and which was about to finalise a comprehensive security plan for the polls, was under way.

“Elections can be boycotted, but not disrupted. Disrupting the polls is a crime,” the Home Minister told the meeting, adding that strong action will be taken against anyone trying to thwart the elections.

In the meeting, security officials concluded that the recent move of the 12 armed outfits in the Tarai to join hands is meant to bring together all the Madhes-based parties for the polls.

Participants in the meeting also discussed challenges posed by armed outfits in the Tarai and the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist if the latter stayed out of the polls. “The meeting also dwelt on the role of the Nepal Army in the elections,” a participant told the Post.

Nepal Police’s strategy

Meanwhile, Nepal Police has prepared its own security plan for the elections. According to the department, around 50,000 personnel—around 75 percent of the existing 67,181 strength of the police force—will be deployed during the polls.

The remaining 25 percent will remain at various police units and jail departments for regular duties.

According to the plan so far, two mobile police teams of seven personnel, under the command of a senior police official, will be deployed in all the electoral constituencies.

Apart from the patrol and mobile police units, every district will have a reserve force of 25 personnel, while reserve forces at the zonal and regional levels will have 35 and 50 personnel each, according to the plan. The police department has also formed regional desks led by SSPs at the Police Headquarters in Naxal. The desks have been tasked with managing the overall security in all the stages of the election.

In the 2008 CA elections, 1,635 of the total 9,824 polling stations were categorised as highly sensitive, while 3,556 of them were marked sensitive. The polling stations in districts including Bardiya, Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari, Sarlahi, Tanahun, Baglung, Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan and Kathmandu, among others, were categorised as highly sensitive.

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
The Cabinet on Monday appointed public administration expert Chuda Raj Uprety a new member of the Constituency Delimitation Commission.

The appointment follows the resignation of one of the members, Madhunidhi Tiwari, on July 25. Tiwari was reportedly unhappy with the way the CDC worked. Sources said he had been objecting to the bases for delimitation the CDC had been talking and was not convinced with the idea that constituencies need to be increased.

“There are constitutional ambiguities and the commission has a limited time frame. This will not allow the CDC to deliver as expected,” Tiwari said. According to him, political actors must arrive at a consensus to remove the constitutional difficulties. “If the commission files its report without the complications being addressed, there is every possibility that the elections will be disturbed,” Tiwari’s resignation letter said. He said the CDC has only addressed the population gap in the constituencies, but the “real work” will require the CDC more than a month’s time. “The commission has to look into a host of issues such as population, culture and accessibility while delimiting constituencies. But we worked only on adjusting the population in the constituencies,” he said.

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 - In a bid to set up permanent surveillance mechanism against crimes in Jorpati area of Kathmandu, the Metropolitan Police Circle in Bouddha installed 35 CCTV cameras along the Jorpati-Bouddha road on Monday.

Nineteen of the cameras, installed in the Chabahil-Jorpati road, have HD and night vision features.

According to DSP Manoj KC, incharge of the circle, the installation of CCTV cameras is aimed at keeping strict vigil on activities taking place in the area round the clock. He said the CCTV cameras help reduce manual effort in crime investigations, making police's work more scientific and efficient.

Local branches of various banks, business enterprises and local people supported police in installing the cameras. DSP KC said a committee comprising all local stakeholders was formed to carry out the job.

Police took the initiative to curb crimes in the area after a number of wildlife traffickers, drug smugglers and gangs of robbery and theft were arrested from the area recently.

Installation of the CCTV cameras in such area is always helpful for police to curb criminal activities and keep surveillance in the society, a police officer said.

Having deputed its Central Committee members to the 240 electoral constituencies for the upcoming Constituent Assembly election, the UCPN (Maoist) has begun the process to select candidates for the November 19 vote.

Party leaders say candidate selection will be the most difficult and challenging task for the party as the number of contenders is too high. Some have already started lobbying hard for candidacy. Therefore, the party has asked the CC members on the ground to recommend names of four possible candidates for each constituency. The mobilised leaders will have to submit the names to the party headquarters by August 26.

A party plenum recently decided to organise a national convention to settle organisational disputes created by an unexpected number of leaders willing to be appointed to various party committees. Leaders express fear that the problem could repeat while selecting the election candidates. The number of leaders aspiring for a seat in the central committee was 500.

The party has told its leaders to prepare personal details of the leaders to be recommended as election candidates. Once the party receives the names of possible candidates, the Post Bahadur Bogati-led Candidate Selection Committee will make a final decision on the candidacy in the first-past-the-post system. “Our leaders have already reached the field to prepare a report on the party's position and the names of possible candidates,” said party spokesperson Agni Sapkota.

The extended meeting of the party decided to send leaders to the grassroots level for poll campaigning. Meanwhile, the Baburam Bhattarai-led Election Manifesto Drafting Committee has started work.

In recent months, the Maoist party has received an influx of leaders and cadres from other parties. This has further complicated the candidate selection process. Leaders said they were trying to make the task free of any controversy.

MUMBAI, INDIA, JUL 29 - Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly , a prominent voice for the rights of gays and lesbians in the country, will support Free & Equal, the United Nation’s (UN) year-long campaign for equality and justice for people practising alternate sexuality. She hopes to create awareness about the problems faced by the LGBT community.

A press release from the United Nations Human Rights names Celina along with pop star Ricky Martin, and Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury who have taken the pledge to support the campaign. The Free & Equal campaign aims to raise awareness about homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination, and encourage greater respect for the rights of LGBT people.

When contacted in Singapore, Celina said: “I have spent half of my life fighting for the cause and finally with the backing of United Nations Human Rights and with the help of people I respect and love, I can take the campaign to another level. To get a platform like this to reach out to people across the world is a dream come true.” The No Entry fame actress feels there is a long way to go before we come anywhere close to realising equality for the LGBT community in India.

“In India, there is only lip service for

them. Equality is a basic human right and

it cannot be denied to any community. There is violence against the LGBT community across the world. At least in Mumbai they are relatively safer.”

For Celina even getting important people to support her cause is impossible. “A lot

of people in the entertainment industry feel that if you support gay rights, you might be considered a part of the gay community. Through the United Nations’ campaign, I hope to broaden the base of understanding the problems of the LGBT.

“At the moment in India, we only have tolerance, no understanding for the community, and that too in selected enlightened sections of society. I feel mainstream sections are only able to mask their intolerance towards homosexuality. Is that enough?”

Celina recalls with shock and disgust the incident involving the Aligarh Muslim University professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was caught on camera making love to a man. He later died under mysterious circumstances. Wonders Celina: “What was that poor man’s fault? That he preferred people of his own sex? It’s okay if people prefer not to come out of the closet. But if they do they should not be punished for it.

“Gay people should not be segregated at work places or in social spaces because of their sexual preference. I hope to work towards that through the United Nations’ initiative.”

Right now Celina’s prime focus are her twins. “Until they are two, they need me and I need them too. So I am completely focused on that, though I still need to keep going to Mumbai constantly for my endorsement activities. Once the twins start going to play-school after three months, I’d have a bit more time on hand.” Celina also intends to start producing films from next year. “But my first production would not have me in the cast,” she said.

BHAKTAPUR, JUL 29 - Police have seized live chickens, possibly bird flu infected, being transported to Bhairahawa from a bird flu -detected poultry farm in Bhaktapur on Monday.

The Ganga Jamuna Poultry Farm based in Katunje-2 in Bhaktapur was caught red-handed while transporting 450 live chickens to Bhairahawa.

According to the District Livestock Service Office Bhaktapur, chickens were seized from Sundarighat of Lalitpur district.

The confiscated chickens were later buried in a ditch near Sundarighat, District Livestock Service Office Lalitpur chief Dr. Mugal Prasad Sah said.

Bird flu virus ( H5N1 ) was recently detected in fowls of the poultry farms at Sipadol-9 and Nangkhel-2 of Bhaktapur district.

The locals claimed that over 2,000 chickens have died in the two poultry farms in the past week. The Bhaktapur locals had on yesterday hit the streets after the foul smell started emanating from Nangkhel-2 where the fowls were dumped.

MAHOTTARI, JUL 29 - A youth who was abducted on Saturday evening from Sasaula -4 VDC in Mahottari has been found murdered on Monday.

The body of 21-year-old Bikram Sahani, resident of Sarpallo-3 VDC in the district, was found this afternoon, according to Superintendent of Police Ram Prasad Shrestha. Sahani was reportedly kidnapped by an unidentified gang while he was returning home on his bicycle after selling fish at the Pokharbhinda Bazaar.

Police suspect that the boy was killed by the kidnappers. His eyes were covered with a cloth, mouth filled with sand and hands and legs were found fractured, SP Shrestha said.

Police said that they have been preparing to send his body to the District Hospital in Jaleshwor for postmortem.

According to the Sahani family, kidnappers had called them at around 10:00 AM on Sunday and demanded a ransom of Rs. one million.

Following kidnappers' call, the family contacted the police only to receive another call from the abductors warning of further consequences.

Meanwhile, an armed outfit of Jwala Singh faction, has claimed the responsibility for the killing of Sahani. Police said that they were investigating the case.

Earlier on Sunday, an-all party meeting of different political parties and human rights activists expressed serious concerns over the increasing incidents of criminal activities in the district and submitted a memorandum to the District Police Office, demanding security. RSS

BUDAPEST, JUL 29 - The Indian Grand Prix is likely to be dropped from next year's Formula One calendar as Russia prepares for its debut, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said.

"Is India going to happen next year? Probably not," he said at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Asked what the problem was with the race at Greater Noida, near New Delhi, the 82-year-old British billionaire replied: "Very political."

Ecclestone, who has run Formula One for decades, draws up the calendar and usually presents it to the governing International Automobile Federation to be rubber-stamped in September.

He currently has a possible 22 races jostling for space on the calendar with teams expressing a strong preference for a maximum of 20.

Russia, with a debut race pencilled in for the Black Sea resort of Sochi towards the end of next year, and a Grand Prix in New Jersey are the two novelties planned for 2014 with Austria also due to make a comeback after an 11-year absence.

India first hosted a Grand Prix in 2011 to positive reviews from the Formula One community and this year's is scheduled for October 27 as the 16th round of the 19-race championship.

The two races to date in India have both been won by Red Bull's triple world champion Sebastian Vettel.

There have been bureaucratic hurdles to overcome, however, as well as concern about finances and the sport's exposure to high local taxation.

Promoters Jaypee Sports International issued a statement last month attacking "totally baseless and malicious" media speculation about next year's race.

"Our agreement with Formula One Management is to hold F1 races at Buddh International Circuit (BIC) till 2015 and we are fully committed to do that," said Jaypee spokesman Askari Zaidi in that statement.

"There is no reason for us to give up hosting F1 races."

Next year's Indian Grand Prix was the subject of much discussion in Hungary, with teams recognising it faced problems but hoping they could be resolved.

"It would be a pity if for these (tax) reasons we don't go there," Sauber's Indian-born principal Monisha Kaltenborn said.

"India is an important market for partners who are already in Formula One or who could get into Formula One because of that market so it really would be a pity if we would not manage to sort out these problems."

PARSA, JUL 29 - Chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, Kamal Thapa , has demanded to dissolve the High-Level Political Committee (HLPC) to create an environment for Constituent Assembly election . Thapa claimed that HLPC was the major obstacle to the CA polls.

Speaking at a news conference organised by the party in Parsa on Monday, Thapa said that the Interim Election Council chairman or the president should give an outlet to current crisis in the country by calling an all-side roundtable conference. He was of the view that HLPC has no democratic rights and legality to summon such meeting.

Thapa said it is wrong to obstruct the CA polls by using force if a person has a democratic right whether or not to participate in the election .

Thapa had arrived in the district to participate in a cadres' training organised by the party as a preparations for the upcoming election .

NUWAKOT, JUL 29 -
Nepali Congress Central Member Ram Sharan Mahat said the second Constituent Assembly election within the announced date was not possible if doubts over timely election were raised from within the four major political forces.

At a press meet organised by Nepal Press Union at the Nuwakot district headquarters Bidur, leader Mahat said all should have commitment to the election without any doubts to hold the election on time.
Now time for holding official talks with the political parties opposing the election including CPN –Maoist was over, he said, urging the major political parties not to waste time in the name of holding talks with any of the opposing parties.
Sitting for talks with the agitating parties again is to postpone the election , he added. As per the constitutional provision, only 35 places can be changed in the electoral constituency delineation, that's why it would be better to go with the previous constituencies instead of amending the constitution. RSS

SURKHET, JUL 29 -
Different student organisations, which are in agitation putting forth various demands, have locked in office-bearers of the Mid-Western University including vice chancellor, registrar and dean in a quarter, on Monday morning.

A group of students led by All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) locked Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Padamlal Devkota, Registrar Thekendra Prakash Giri as well as other office-bearers at Devkota's quarters at 10:00 am. All of them were at Devkota's quarters at the time.

Secretary of ANNFSU, Surkhet, Prem Khadka, said that the quarters of the office-bearers of the University was padlocked today under their agitation programme.

Khadka said that they have also seized vehicles of Vice-Chancellor Devkota and Registrar Giri and they have now been kept at the District Administration Office, Surkhet.

The students have launched agitation saying the university officials appointed employees illegally, politicised in the University, among others.

Now, the Nepal Students Union (NSU) and All Nepal National Independent Union (ANNISU)-Revolutionary have backtracked from the agitation although they had participated in it in the beginning.

The two student organisations backtracked from the agitation saying environment should be created for office-bearers to carry out works.

Meanwhile, ANNFSU, Surkhet, has also padlocked the Education Campus Surkhet and central office of the Mid-Western University saying students of NSU on Sunday night had thrown away the sign boards of ANNFSU, which were kept at the campus premises. RSS

BUDAPEST, JUL 29 - The Indian Grand Prix is likely to be dropped from next year's Formula One calendar as Russia prepares for its debut, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said.

"Is India going to happen next year? Probably not," he said at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Asked what the problem was with the race at Greater Noida, near New Delhi, the 82-year-old British billionaire replied: "Very political."

Ecclestone, who has run Formula One for decades, draws up the calendar and usually presents it to the governing International Automobile Federation to be rubber-stamped in September.

He currently has a possible 22 races jostling for space on the calendar with teams expressing a strong preference for a maximum of 20.

Russia, with a debut race pencilled in for the Black Sea resort of Sochi towards the end of next year, and a Grand Prix in New Jersey are the two novelties planned for 2014 with Austria also due to make a comeback after an 11-year absence.

India first hosted a Grand Prix in 2011 to positive reviews from the Formula One community and this year's is scheduled for October 27 as the 16th round of the 19-race championship.

The two races to date in India have both been won by Red Bull's triple world champion Sebastian Vettel.

There have been bureaucratic hurdles to overcome, however, as well as concern about finances and the sport's exposure to high local taxation.

Promoters Jaypee Sports International issued a statement last month attacking "totally baseless and malicious" media speculation about next year's race.

"Our agreement with Formula One Management is to hold F1 races at Buddh International Circuit (BIC) till 2015 and we are fully committed to do that," said Jaypee spokesman Askari Zaidi in that statement.

"There is no reason for us to give up hosting F1 races."

Next year's Indian Grand Prix was the subject of much discussion in Hungary, with teams recognising it faced problems but hoping they could be resolved.

"It would be a pity if for these (tax) reasons we don't go there," Sauber's Indian-born principal Monisha Kaltenborn said.

"India is an important market for partners who are already in Formula One or who could get into Formula One because of that market so it really would be a pity if we would not manage to sort out these problems."

KATHMANDU, JUL 29 - UCPN (Maoist) central member Haribol Gajurel said the nation would be pushed into uncertainty if the second Constituent Assembly election was not held on November 19.

Speaking in a press meet organised by the Revolutionary Journalists Association, Kanchanpur in Mahendranagar on Monday, the UCPN (Maoist) leader said the nation would plunge into a grave crisis if the election could not take place in the scheduled date, underlining the need of unity among all the political forces to prevent the nation from witnessing further crisis.

He accused the CPN-Maoist led by Mohan Baidya of fearing possible defeat in the upcoming election and thereby not wanting the election and added efforts were being made to convince the party to join the election.

The CPN-Maoist wants to join hands with the former king and boycott the election which is just an attempt to catch fish in murky waters and would in the end backfire the party, he added.  

He was here in course of the party's one-month long election campaign. "We are reaching to people's door not for seeking their votes, but to know their views about the election", he said.

The UCPN (Maoist) Kanchanpur has appealed to the people to help make the campaign successful. RSS

PUTRAJAYA , JUL 29 -
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Monday assured Malaysia that European rules on declaring product ingredients would not "discriminate" against palm oil, the target of environmentalists over its ecological impact.

Malaysia is second only to Indonesia in the production of palm oil, which is blamed for the destruction of huge swathes of rainforest to make way for vast plantations of the palm trees from which the edible oil is derived.

The French Senate last year approved a quadrupling of the tax on palm oil despite protests from major producing nations Malaysia and the Ivory Coast, but the move was later rejected by France 's lower house.

"I know how important it is to Malaysia given the number of people who rely on palm oil production for a living, in particular small producers," Ayrault told a press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak after they held talks.

Ayrault said his government did not support the tax hike, but warned that under forthcoming European legislation it would soon be mandatory to list all the oils in products.

"But palm oil will not be treated any differently from other vegetable oils. There will therefore be no discrimination against it," said Ayrault, who is on a one-day visit to Malaysia.

The tax hike known as the "Nutella amendment", so-called because palm oil is a key ingredient in the chocolate-flavoured spread, was proposed by a French senator on grounds that palm oil harms the environment and fuels obesity due to its high saturated fat content.

Palm oil is found in many other snacks such as cookies, cakes and chips.

Palm oil producers have come under renewed criticism recently after an upsurge in smog blanketing Singapore and Malaysia.

The smog is blamed on slash-and-burn farming on palm oil and other plantations on neighbouring Indonesia's Sumatra island.

TOKYO , JUL 29 -
Japan ese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki will visit China on Monday and Tuesday for talks with senior officials, the latest in a series of efforts by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to improve relations soured by a bitter territorial row.

The hawkish Abe, who cemented his grip on power in an upper house election last week, has since then been signaling a desire for dialogue - even though Japan has raised its assessment of the risk of China 's military buildup and maritime assertiveness.

On Friday, Abe called for an unconditional meeting between Japan ese and Chinese leaders - a proposal he repeated on Monday, according to Kyodo news agency. It said Abe had instructed diplomats to work towards that goal.

On Sunday, Isao Iijima, an adviser to the premier, told reporters that Abe could soon hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said no schedule had been set.

"As Prime Minister Abe has repeatedly said, he wants a mutually beneficial, strategic relationship and the door is always open for dialogue.

"However, there is no immediate schedule for a leadership summit," Suga told a news conference on Monday.

Often fragile Sino- Japan ese ties have been seriously strained since September, when a territorial row over tiny islands in the East China Sea flared following Japan 's nationalization of the uninhabited isles.

Concern that Abe, who came to power in December, wants to recast Japan 's wartime history with a less apologetic tone has added to the tension.

"Vice Minister Saiki will visit China on July 29-30 and exchange views with Chinese officials," a Japan ese foreign ministry spokesman said. He did not give further details.

China 's Foreign Ministry responded to Abe's overture on Friday by saying its door was always open for talks but that the problem lay in Japan 's attitude.

Japan should "stop using empty slogans about so-called dialogue to gloss over disagreements", the ministry said in a statement faxed to Reuters.

REPEAT SUCCESS?

Abe, 58, may be hoping to repeat one of the few successes of his troubled 2006-2007 term in office, when he thawed ties with China that had frayed during the five-year stint of his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi. One opportunity for the Japan ese leader to meet his Chinese counterpart could be a Sept 5-6 Group of 20 leaders' summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.

"It's not a breakthrough yet, but we are hopefully making some progress," said Kunihiko Miyake, a former diplomat close to Abe who is now research director at the Canon Institute for Global Studies in Tokyo. "It is not unilateral solicitation (by Japan ). It is a mutual sort of approach without losing face. That's why it takes time."

Experts say the key sticking point to a Sino- Japan ese summit is whether the two sides can find a way to set aside the row to calm the situation and focus on other aspects of relations between the world's second- and third-biggest economies.

China wants Japan to first acknowledge that a formal dispute exists, a step that Tokyo has rejected for fear it would undermine its claim to sovereignty of the isles, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China , the experts said.

Tensions rose last year after Japan nationalized the islands and Chinese and Japan ese ships and aircraft have been playing a cat-and-mouse game nearby, raising worries about an accidental clash that could escalate. On Monday, Japan 's coast guard said four Chinese vessels were sighted in nearby waters, although not in an area Japan considers its territory.

The United States has affirmed that the islands are included in its commitment under a U.S.- Japan security treaty, but has repeatedly made clear it would like to see tensions abate.

Whether China 's Xi, who faces huge challenges in dealing with corruption and slower-than-expected growth, has the bandwidth to improve ties with Tokyo is as yet unclear, especially given the negative view of Japan among many Chinese.

Beijing may also be waiting to see how Abe handles the touchy topic of wartime history, given the still bitter memories in China of Japan 's past aggression.

Japan 's Mainichi newspaper said last week Abe was unlikely to visit Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, the emotive anniversary of Japan 's defeat in World War Two. The shrine is seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo's past militarism because leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals are honored there along with war dead.

JUL 29 -
The Constituency Delimitation Commission, led by former Supreme Court Justice Tahir Ali Ansari, was formed on June 19 to redraw constituencies for the second Constituent Assembly (CA), scheduled for November 19. Alongside the commission, a taskforce consisting of eight members, two each from the four major political forces in the High-Level Political Committee (HLPC), was also formed to assist the commission. Jeetendra Dev, General Secretary of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik, is part of the taskforce and acts as an interlocutor between the commission and the HLPC. The Post’s Pranab Kharel and Pranaya SJB Rana spoke to Dev about issues in constituency delimitation, current political contentions and the possibility of elections in November.

What are the challenges to constituency delimitation?


There are three main provisions for delimitation—one, 205 constituencies cannot be changed; two, seats need to be increased according to the increase in population in the Madhes and Pahad; and three, seats need to be increased in the Madhes in line with the percentage increase in population. However, the commission is of the view that these provisions cannot be satisfied by retaining the existing number of 240 total constituencies. There are constitutional contradictions in Article 63. So they have asked for a political solution. I want to quote Chairman Ansari, “According to the existing provisions in Article 63 (A), we cannot do justice to the percentage nor can we do justice to the increase.” In other words, seats cannot be increased in the Madhes and Pahad according to the increase in population and seats cannot be increased in the Madhes according to percentage increase in population. So the only way out is a political decision from the HLPC in the form of a presidential order to remove constitutional hurdles.

How can this be done?


There are two ways. First, is to make provisions so that all 240 constituencies can be changed, not just the 35 that is mandated now. All constituencies can then be changed according to the population increase and the percentage increase. But if this is to be done, at least one and a half months will be required. This will be a tight squeeze. We need to hold elections in November, make new provisions effective and address dissenting demands through political means. Taking these three issues into account, it might be better to adopt another constitutional, democratic way that takes less time. And this is to increase the total number of seats.

And what could be the basis for increasing the seats?


The last time I spoke to the commission regarding this increase in seats, the chairman gave me three figures—nine, 14 and 15. A minimum of nine and a maximum of 15 seats. A new idea that has been put forward is to take the 11 seats that are up for nomination by the government and add them to the first-past-the-post (FPTP) category. Then, we will have 251 seats and we could divide this number according to 51 percent in the Madhes and 49 percent in the Pahad and Himal. This will be tight but could be considered a way out. I have proposed another solution. The number of FPTP seats can be increased by 15, bringing the total to 255. Currently, the Tarai has a population of 50.27 percent and has 116 seats. We can add 12 seats there from the 15 and the remaining three seats to some districts in the Pahad, which is currently at 124. This will bring us to 128 seats in the Madhes and 127 in the Pahad, which is in the ratio of 51:49. The total number of seats will then be 510, which is an increase of 19 seats from the current 491 but a substantial decrease from 601. This will address the claims of the NC and UML that 601 was too large a number and also provide a solution to the current problem.

But this will still not address existing protests against the PR ratio.

Upendra Yadav and Ashok Rai have demanded that the old ratio of 58 percent PR and 42 percent FPTP be continued with. We have no problems with this, only the NC and UML need to come on board. But if this cannot be done, how about a compromise of 55 and 45? This will address the concern of the NC-UML, which, however, is not a genuine concern; it is a negative concern. If we take 55 percent from my earlier proposal of 255 seats in FPTP, we will arrive at 567 total seats, which is still a reduction of 34 seats from 601. This will address some outstanding concerns.

What are the political contentions behind these issues?


These two issues-constituency delimitation and the PR-are not technical issues; they are vital political, constitutional and inclusive issues. The PR was introduced to make the executive, legislative and judiciary more inclusive. It was a major product of the second Janaandolan  and the Madhes Andolan. How can the PR, hard-earned through revolutions, be taken away so easily? Many are questioning how the four members of the HLPC can simply reduce the ratio to 50:50 without broader consultation. It is also a constitutional issue as this provision has been enshrined in the constitution. The contention is that constitutional decisions were taken in a one-sided manner.

The constitution also says that the next elections will need to take into account the results of the new 2011 census. There is a message being disseminated in the media by some forces that Madhesi forces only want delimitation on the basis of population while disregarding geography. But look at six districts from Manang to Mugu, where the population is around 55,500, which is less than the threshold of 97,000. We agreed to give them one seat each. But in the end, it is not the soil or the geography that is going to come to Parliament, it is the people from that area. Wherever the population is dense, more representatives will come to Parliament; where the population is sparse, less people will come.

In recent times, some Madhesi forces have been saying that there will be another revolution if the PR and constituency delimitation issues remain unsolved. Do you see any possibility of this happening?

There is a definite possibility of a revolution. If the HLPC does not resolve these issues properly, there will be a revolution. And if there is a revolution, the NC and UML will  need to bow down. I have consistently raised this issue in the HLPC. Sometime ago, I told senior leaders that if we look at history, it was always because of their myopia and their failure to understand the root causes of revolutions that in the end, they were forced to give much more than they needed to at the beginning. I told them that PR was going to become a major issue and that this 50:50 provision will not stand. There will be a revolution but there will also be elections.

Given all these outstanding issues, what are the possibilities of elections in November?


Elections will definitely happen in November if the two outstanding issues of PR and constituencies are resolved. The forces raising these issues are democratic and want to come to elections. They are not violent. Therefore, Ashok Rai and Upendra Yadav need to be brought on board the election process. However, there are other factors, like the recent hobnobbing between the far-left forces led by Mohan Baidya and the far-right forces led by Kamal Thapa. It seems that the Baidya party is increasingly discarding the idea of writing a constitution through a CA. They believe that the agenda of a CA has fallen into the hands of agents. That’s why they want a roundtable and want to write a constitution through the roundtable. The increasing affinity with the ultra-right means that they want to sabotage the election process. We democratic forces need to face up to them but all of Baidya’s demands cannot be addressed. This government cannot be dissolved. To accept that would be to stop the elections from happening. They need to give us an assurance in writing that once an all-party meeting is held to resolve outstanding issues, then they will agree to take part in elections under this government. Even then, we can only entertain the idea of postponing elections by a month or so.

There is talk that the HLPC has reached a decision to go to elections by bringing Ashok Rai and Upendra Yadav on board, bypassing Baidya.

The HLPC has not reached this decision yet but it is heading in that direction. Baidya’s recent activities are only furthering our suspicions that they will not go to elections in any way. We hope that if we go to elections by bringing election-friendly parties on board, there will be more pressure on the Baidya party. They could then be forced to go to elections and even if they don’t, a large section within that party will bifurcate and come into the election process. But in order to do this, we need to head stridently towards elections. We cannot be afraid.

On a final note,POossibility of a Madhesi electoral alliance?


The major possibilities for an alliance are party unification, frontal alliance or an electoral alliance. If we look at the parties in our Morcha and at Upendra Yadav, there are no basic differences between us. There should definitely be unification. But the only problem is that one cannot accept the other as the dominant leader. Instead of differences in ideology or politics, there is difference when it comes to leadership. I don’t see an immediate solution to this unless leaders discard their feudal mentality. There is possibility of unification for seats, between us and Mahanta Thakur and Upendra Yadav. There are also possibilities of a seat alliance with the NC, UML and the UCPN (Maoist). It looks like we share the most in common with the Prachanda Maoists. We can have an alliance with anyone who supports identity-based federalism, from Ashok Rai to Prachanda.