Kathmandu, May 18, 2007 Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today assured a delegation from the European Union that the constituent assembly election would be rescheduled within a week. A delegation from the European Union (EU) in Kathmandu led by German ambassador to Nepal, Franz Erwin Ring, had been to Baluwatar this morning seeking information on the existing “uncertainty” on election dates and the “deteriorating” security situation. The ambassadors of EU members states asked the Prime Minister what the government was doing, and when it would announce the fresh dates for constituent assembly election. Referring to Maoist Chairman Prachanda’s request to give him 15 days to think on an election date, Koirala told them: “Now that the 15 days asked by Prachanda is over, the eight parties would decide the month to hold the elections within a week.” He told the EU delegation that the government would follow the eight party decisions to fix the dates for the elections. On concerns raised by the ambassadors on the weakening law and order situation in villages and its implications to hold free and fair elections, Koirala said he had the responsibility to hold “internationally recognised” polls. “Soon, the law and order situation would be improved in order to create a favourable environment for free and fair polls,” Dr Suresh Chalise quoted the Prime Minister as saying. Smuggling of red sandalwood on Officials from the District Forest Office (DFO), Kathmandu, with assistance from the Young Communist League (YCL), early this morning seized about eight tonnes of red sandalwood from a house at Kapan, Kathmandu. “We got the tip-off from our intelligence network in the night and informed the DFO. According to District Forest Officer Bajra Kishore Yadav, the team raided and seized the red sandalwood from a house at Satatale, Kapan. “The red sandalwood was stored in the house owned by TG Lama,” he said. Lama, however, has not been arrested. Yadav also said that the illegal sandalwood was brought to Kathmandu from India to smuggle it to China. The DFO office said the total quanity of the red sandalwood seized in the recent seizure spree has reached over 80 tonnes in the Valley. Police seized some quantity of the sandalwood, whereas some were seized with assistance from the YCL, he added. Meanwhile, a report from Chitwan said a Revenue Mobile Team (RMT) of the Revenue Department today seized 6,180 kg of red sandalwood, which was being transported from Chitwan to Kathmandu in a truck. The department’s western regional coordinator Govinda Subedi said: “The sandalwood was seized in a raid at Ramnagar on the Narayangarh-Muglin road section. The wood was supposed to be taken to Kathmandu.”