Kathmandu:
In an attempt to attack Nepali Congress vice-president Ramchandra Poudel, a group of unidentified persons have thrown a petrol bomb at the residence, where he was sleeping.
The group attacked the house of Govinda Ghimire at Ruptar, Ramjakot VDC-2 in the south of the district, where Poudel was sleeping.
The explosion of the bomb at around 1 AM has damaged the windscreen of the car (Ba 6 Xha 7555).
Poudel, NC contestant for the CA polls from Tanahun-2, said that he was unharmed due to the vigilance of the police deployed for his security. He informed that the petrol bombed devised in bottle of beer was hurled at the residence to attack him. Police has said that it has launched a big manhunt to nab the assailants. The police has also recovered 4 bombs detonated at the scene.
Earlier on the day, Poudel had met with voters in different VDCs in the area as part of his door-to-door election campaign in the district.

Chitwan: Nepali Congress (NC) president Sushil Koirala has claimed that the UCPN (Maoist) could not stand in competition with NC. “Unlike during the previous Constituent Assembly polls, there is no gear and terror this time around so NC victory is guaranteed,” Koirala argued. He added that the UCPN (Maoist) had won the election to the first Constituent Assembly (CA) terrorizing people.

He further said that people are disappointed with the communists.

The victory of NC was necessary for the promulgation of a democratic constitution, he said addressing an election assembly organised today at Anandapur Chowk at Bharatpur Chitwan.

He claimed that NC would promulgate new constitution within one year after bagging majority votes in the upcoming CA election.

Kathmandu: Poll opposing CPN-Maoist is likely to reconsider the 10-day long nationwide bandha (strike) that it has called from November 11 in a bid to foil the Constituent Assembly polls scheduled to be held on November 19.

Mohan Baidya-led Maoist was compelled to reconsider its decision to enforce the bandha following a massive pressure from various walks of life.

Baidya has come under immense pressure to reconsider the bandha decision after the civil society leaders, human rights activists, industrialists and businessmen have urged him to withdraw bandha arguing that such protest programme would only make a public life difficult and push the economy into the doldrums.

Following the requests from various quarters of society to roll back the decision of bandha, CPN-Maoist chairperson Baidya is now holding internal meetings with party rank and file towards that end. Informing nepalireporter.com that he has got requests from different quarters to reconsider the bandha, Baidya said they were holding internal discussions whether to call off the bandha or go with the planned programme.

Earlier yesterday, prominent civil society leader Daman Nath Dhungana has met Baidhya and requested him to cancel the bandha.

KATHMANDU: Visiting Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid’s efforts to persuade madhesh-based parties for facing the proposed Constituent Assembly (CA) polls were confronted by senior Madheshi leaders.

A meeting between Khurshid and top guns of the Madhesh based parties on Tuesday that lasted nearly for one and half hour trailed out in fiasco after the leaders denied to give up their stances on issues related to CA polls.

In response to Khurshid’s query on whether they will forging unity for CA elections, most of the parties aligned with the existing Joint Democratic Madeshi Front (JDMF) stressed on the need to unite and contend in CA elections even if the dissenting parties lead by the CPN Maoist don’t participate in elections.

However, Rajendra Mahato, whose party is also part of the JDMF, confronted Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and Mahant Thakur’s claim and denied the possibility of joint CA election campaign between maddish based parties.

On the other hand, Upendra Yadav stressed on the need to hold CA elections only by bringing all dissenting political parties into confidence. He also warned that the nation would go into confrontation if the CA elections were held in the existing status quo.

Similarly J P Gupta, Sharad Singh Bhandari and Anil Jha also ruled out possibility of cooperation and unity between maddish based parties citing the need to address the demands put forward by ethnicity-based parties.

The trio also expressed reservations against the recommendation put forward by the electoral sector commission.

In response, Khurshid expressed surprise on the persistence of differences between maddish based parties and said that he was not aware of these situations.

Gupta said that Khursid has pledge for another visit in the near future to hold discussions on these issues.

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Gopal Man Shrestha has said that the NC was ready to be flexible from its stance of one percent threshold if the CPN-Maoist and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal would take part in the upcoming CA election.

“Our first priority is CA election. NC is ready to turnback from its stance of threshold if Baidhya and Upendra Yadav are not taking part just because of the threshold,” Shrestha said at an interaction organized by the Reporters Club today.

The program was chaired by Club’s Chairman Rishi Dhamala.

He also said that all should be even ready to expand the cabinet and high level political committee to bring the CPN-Maoist and MJF-Nepal on board the election.

He also condemned the government decision to upgrade the capacity of Trisuli 3 ‘A’ saying that this government was centered on other things except the election.

Also speaking at the program, CPN (UML) Vice chairperson Bidhya Devi Bhandari said threshold was needed to strengthen the democracy.

“Threshold was not introduced for nothing. Political parties had agreed on this provision. CPN (UML) will not turnback from this.”

Similarly, UCPN (Maoist) leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi said that the best way was to entrust the government to take decision on threshold.

“The four parties are not authorities to take all decisions. It is not necessary to be everything as they decided,” he said.

Rayamajhi also said that the NC and UML leaders are attempting to derail the upcoming election by raising many things after seeing nationwide wave in favor of the UCPN (Maoist).

NUWAKOT: Nepali Congress (NC) leader Arjun Narsingh KC has said that KC the current political vacuum should be ended through the election.

Talking to media here today, KC said the Maoists were to blame for delayed in announcement of the CA election date.

He said the UCPN (Maoist) has spoiled the environment of consensus by creating unnecessary disputes regarding the threshold of vote though the parties had already decided over the issue.

KC went on to say that the government can take decision on its own by accepting the spirit of the 11-point agreement.
He also smell rat in the upgradation of the Trishuli 3 ‘A’ Hydropower Project.

KATHMANDU: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has said that seeking alternative to the Regmi-led government would be an attempt to invite another political accident in the country.

“Time has not come to seek an alternative to Khil Raj Regmi-led government,” Prachanda said this after receiving a memorandum submitted by Reporters Club Nepal’s President Rishi Dhamala.

The UCPN (Maoist) Chairman opined that seeking alternative to the current government by the parties that agreed on the 11-point agreement and 25-point order was unfortunate.

Prachanda also revealed that date of the CA polls would be announced on Wednesday to hold the upcoming CA polls by third week of December.

“Agreement to this end has been made with Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi  this morning,” the UCPN (Maoist) supremo added.

He further said that the government was serious to announce the CA polls and the polls date would be announced on the Republic Day after forging consensus in the High-Level Political Committee in thorny issues relating to some legal issues for holding polls.

Prachanda also lauded the role of Reporter Club and its Chairman Dhamala for political consensus and urged to continue the Club’s campaign.

On the occasion, submitting the memo, Dhamala said the Club would pile pressure on political parties for forging consensus as consensus was a must to hold the CA in time in an amicable environment.

Earlier, the Club has also submitted memorandums to Chairman of the Interim Election Council Regmi, top leaders of different political parties including Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidhya and others.

Similarly, Dhamala urged Dahal to incorporate the voices of all dissenting political parties as their participation was also required for holding the polls.

Dhamala urged Dahal and top politicians to expedite process to ensure CA elections by December. He said that the Club would continue this initiative while handing over a memorandum to Dahal.

KATHMANDU: UCPN (Maoist) leader Lila Mani Pokhrel has accused the major political political parties, except the UCPN (Maoist), the President and the Election Commission (EC) of not being ready to hold the CA polls.

At an interaction at the Reporters Club on Monday, Pokhrel also claimed that the UML is on the verge of collapse.

“The UML is on the verge of collapse. All the UML leaders are joining the Maoist soon. So, the UML is not in favor of elections,” he claimed.

He was of the view that the Nepali Congress was also assessing its position in the elections. The NC too does not want the CA polls until the Maoists are likely to suffer a defeat, he claimed.

The current government is in the strategy to elongate its stay in power and the EC is also forwarding proposal to defer the elections, he argued.

Likewise, the President is fearing collapse of his post as the new President would be elected once the CA was formed.
Club’s Chairman Rishi Dhamala presided over the program.

At a time when the major political parties are sticking to scrap the major decisions of the erstwhile Baburam Bhattarai-led government, Pokhrel said the appointments and decisions would not be scrapped at any cost.

Also speaking at the program, NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said attempt to dislodge the provision of threshold in the CA was a conspiracy to defame the multiparty democracy. The NC would remain stick to its stance on threshold, he added.

Similarly, UML leader Pradip Gyawali said the CA elections should be conducted at any cost even by fulfilling all demands, except the government change, of the dissenting parties.

He said, “Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi should be ready to resign from the Chief Justice and the four-party political mechanism should be dissolved provided that the polls were guaranteed.”

He also stood firm on provision of threshold in the CA.

KATHMANDU: Chairman of the Interim Election Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi and top leaders of the CPN-UML held discussions regarding the preparations of the upcoming elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA).

During the meeting, the UML leaders have focused on two points—downsize of the CA size to 491 and provision of one percent threshold for the parties’ representation in the CA.

However, a large number of ethnic communities are against both the ideas while political parties including the UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi Morcha are open to maintain the previous size of 601 members of the CA claiming that that would ensure representation of all communities.

“We are against the 601-member size of the CA. Previously too the CA size was vehemently criticized,” UML leader Agmi Kharel who was present at the meeting told reporters.

BIRGUNJ: Home Secretary Navin Kumar Ghimire has said the government is making extensive preparations for the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.

At a discussion with local administration and security chiefs of Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts on security strategy to be adopted for election and law and order situation of the district in view of the upcoming election of the CA, he said the first priority of the government was CA election.

Secretary Ghimire called on all the local administration and security chiefs to be prepared with sensitiveness to hold the election in free and fair, and fear-free environment.

The participants said discussion was held on the law and order situation for CA election, problems and challenges that arise in voters list updating and citizenship distribution and their security strategy.

Secretary Ghimire was here on Monday for a discussion programme on the situation of industrial security to be held here from today.