KATHMANDU: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi held parleys today regarding the nitty-gritty of the CA poll including the date announcement.

On Thursday also, Prachanda had met NC Chief Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and other influential leaders regarding the same issue.

After meeting with Regmi, Prachanda said the major political parties would forge consensus at the meeting of the high-level political committee this morning as the time was running fast.

As Maoist Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai is frequently trading charges against the western community and institutions funded by them for poll derailment in Nepal, the US Ambassador Peter W Bodde also met with Prachanda this morning.

The US envoy reached  Prachanda’s residence in Lazimpat.

During the meeting, Ambassador Bodde expressed dissatisfaction to the statements of Dr Baburam Bhattarai clarifying that they were in favor of election in Nepal and have no intention to destabilize poll environment.

KATHMANDU: UCPN (Maoist) spokesperson has said that the issue of representation would matter even in the current interim election council. “The cabinet will be inclusive based on geography and ethnic lines,” he said at a regular meet the press program organized at the party headquarters on Saturday.

The UCPN (Maoist) leader also said that the current CJ-headed government would work only in the suggestions of the top leaders of the major political parties. “There will be only four leaders (signatories of the 11-point agreement) in the high-level political mechanism,” Sapkota, a trusted lieutenant of Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda”, revealed.

New minisers would be appointed based on political parties’ suggestions and recommendations, he added.

KATHMANDU: The discussions between top leaders of major political parties and would be new Prime Minister Khilaraj Regmi ended inconclusively.

During the meeting held this evening at Prime Minister’s official residence, Baluwatar, the top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Madhesi Morcha formally proposed the CJ to lead the election government. However, the Chief Justice snubbed the ‘conditional prime ministerial’ post, it is said.

But, the meeting ended inconclusively after the CJ did not accept the proposal floated by the major parties, it is learnt. The CJ, instead, is learnt to have proposed the bigwigs of the parties to cooperate with him to hold the free and fair elections and express commitment for participation of all parties in the CA polls.

After the meeting with the CJ, leaders said that they are yet to resolve some political and constitutional issues pertaining to power separation and CJ’s position as the chief of both the judiciary and executive.

Former Prime Minister and UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, some cabinet ministers and a majority of the NC central leaders have opposed the CJ-led government. They have said that the CJ should tender his resignation before he takes the charge of the Prime Minister.

HETAUDA: The seventh general convention of the UCPN (Maoist) kicked off at Hupra Chaur in Hetauda today, some 4 hours late than the slated time.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Puspha Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ inaugurated the general convention amid a grand function.

Leaders of civil society, different political parties and representatives of communist parties from the neighboring countries are delivering their speech for the success of the Maoists’ general convention.

Civil society leader Daman Nath Dhungana was invited to deliver speech at first while leaders of different ruling parties were invited to deliver their speeches.

UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha also addressed the inaugural ceremony.

Politburo member of Socialist Party of India Ajit Bhattacharya and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hang Houlan on behalf of communist Party of China, and others expressed their best wishes.

The party said that as high as 300,000 people have been attending the inaugural ceremony of the Maoists’ general convention.

Earlier, different rallies were taken out from various parts of the city before converging into the Hupra Chaur.

KATHMANDU: For being criticized by a section of media for his extravagancy and making many expenses in helicopter charters, Nepal’s Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has challenged such allegations saying that his party—the richest political party in the country—would pay all the cost incurred in his trips.

Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai who is also the vice-chairman of the UCPN (Maoist) said, “I am ready to exhibit all the bills that I spent in helicopters charters while visiting the party’s programs in the district. My party will pay all my expenses.”

Talking over phone to the commoners in a monthly program of state-owned Radio Nepal, the prime minister also criticized some media for being prejudiced and monolithic.

The Prime Minister who spent much of his time for making clarifications on his poor performances said his government failed to meet the people’s expectations due to lack of new budget and oppositions’ obstructions.

On a separate context, the Prime Minister said Commissioner of Kathmandu Valley Town Development Authority Keshav Sthapit was sacked for his ‘worst’ performance, not because he failed to ‘pay’ cash to Hisila, Prime Minister’s wife.

Sthapit has been saying he was sacked after he refused to pay a handsome amount to Hisila and her team.

“My government sacked him after he failed to work as per the government directives. He just ran after I/NGOs. He was sacked by the suggestions from the top level bureaucrats and all stakeholders,” he argued.