Kathmandu, September 19, 2007

Top leaders of the sevenparty alliance and the CPN Maoist today met at the Prime Minister’s official residence and reinforced the need to “re-strengthen” the eight-party unity and understanding.

It also agreed to give “continuity” to dialogue to sort out the differences which had surfaced among them on the issues of a republic and the election system. The meeting was called to take stock of the situation that emerged after the Maoists announced their exit from the government yesterday. Emerging from the meeting, general secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal told reporters that the meeting stressed the need to keep intact the eightparty unity and sort out the differences through dialogue.

He said the meeting ended on a positive note. Vice-chairman of the Janamorcha Nepal Lilamani Pokharel said that PM GP Koirala asked all the constituencies of the eight parties to maintain the eight party-unity and face the challenges collectively. “The PM asked leaders of other parties to cooperate with him to get through the agenda of a republic by the Nepali Congress’s mahasamiti meeting scheduled for September 23-24,” Pokharel said. He said he found the PM’s facial gesture “good” as he had held talks with Prachanda and Nepal.

The PM also asked Prachanda to withdraw the joint resignation of the Maoist ministers. Prachanda told the PM that he would discuss the issue in his party meeting and get back to him.

Death toll in Kapilvastu violence reaches 23

Kapilvastu, September 19, 2007

The death toll in the Kapilvastu district violence after the murder of Democratic Madhesi Front executive president Moin Khan last Sunday has reached 23. Khan was slain by an unknown gang in Balapur.

The bodies of 17 persons killed in the violence that escalated after Khan’s murder were recovered today by the police from different places in the district.

Inspector Dharm Bahadur Sunar at the Chandrauta area police office said police recovered the bodies in course of their rounds in villages of Shivpur, Ganeshpur, Bisanpur, Manpur and Khururiya VDCs. Six bodies were recovered earlier.

Deputy superintendent of police Shashi Hajur Silwal said police handed over the bodies of 10 persons identified to their relatives. The bodies were found near Suraiyi River at Devipur. Chief district officer Narendra Dahal said seven bodies were found in rural areas of the district. Police expressed their inability to identify the majority of these bodies, he added.

Teams of the armed police force, civil police, human rights activists and media persons went around collecting information and spotting for dead and injured persons. A local Basudev Jamarkattel said there is no trace of Kali Bk, Aruna Bk, Kamala BK, Aarti Bk, and Khedu Lal Ranamagar of Bisanpur 3 and Devipur.

The five are missing since last Sunday.