King sure elections will be held on time

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: King Gyanendra has expressed confidence that the general election will be held as scheduled and called on all quarters to help hold the election on time. The King, talking to the chairman and general manager of RastriyaSamachar Samiti (RSS)Purushottam Dahal Tuesday, on the first anniversaryof his ascension to the throne, said that he had fulfilled his duty as a constitutional monarch when declaring the elections on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. “The prime minister must have recommended the dissolution of the House of Representatives because elections would be held on the specified date,” he said. “We believe that elections will be held on the dates pecified.” The king also called on all to be active in holding the election on the stipulated date. “Let all the political parties, civil servants and common people be active towards holding the elections on the date specified,” he said. Asked if there might be a role for the king in resolving the crisis that may arise in case the election is not held, he said: “this happens to be hypothetical and one should not think about it now.” He noted that disenchantment and distrust in the people will grow if the basic needs are not satisfied and leaders show indifference to the people’s aspirations. “We do not think there will be any problem in guiding the nation along a correct path and out of the present situation if an environment is created so that all the constitutional bodies can fulfil their responsibilities unhindered and if the people’s representatives are active in fulfilling the aspirations of the people and making them feel that there is good governance.”

Revoke action, PM tells party

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday asked the party leadership to drop the disicplinary action against him. Former chief whip of

the Nepali Congress (NC)

parliamentary party Tek Bahadur Chokhyal, on behalf of the prime

minister registered the appeal Tuesday afternoon at the party headquarters in Teku. Sources at the party office said that Deuba’s letter was “rather rude”. “The party’s action, seeking an explanation from the PM and creating obstructions for the government to extend the state of emergency, was against the interest of people, parties and democracy,” Deuba said in his letter.

“The disciplinary action against me and other party men has to be withdrawn unconditionally.” Deuba called the action against him ‘prejudiced’ and taken ‘without analysing the current political situation and developments’. “It should be revoked in order to avert a split in the party,” he said in the letter, appealing to the party disciplinary committee to “immediately rectify the mistakes”. Deuba’s move follows pressure by the centrist group in the ruling NC.