Kathmandu, January 14, 2008

Leaders of the seven-party alliance today vowed that they would hold the constituent assembly election on April 10 and urged the people to be vigilant against any conspiracy disrupting the election. Six other joint rallies would also be held in different parts of the country to create conducive environment for the polls. “The election will be held on the scheduled date, as the seven-parties have come together,” senior Nepali Congress leader and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said, addressing a joint rally of the alliance managed by the party in the capital’s Shahid Manch. Admitting the fact that the seven-party alliance was responsible for deferring the polls twice, general secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal vowed that the April 10 election would not be postponed on any pretext. “But the assembly election will not be free of obstacles as the reactionary elements are still conspiring against it,” he added. “During my recent visit to Tarai districts I found that people are eager to take part in the polls. Some of the groups have raised political demands and they must be addressed and the criminals and secessionist forces should be isolated to create environment for the polls,” he said. Without referring to Nepali Congress leader and Minister without portfolio Sujata Koirala, Nepal said the party concerned had to take action against those airing views against the party line.

Eight hurt in explosion

Kathmandu, January 14, 2008

Eight persons were injured when an explosive was hurled on the micro-bus carrying participants of mass meeting at Bhotahiti chowk this afternoon, police said. The micro-bus reserved by Maoists cadres for mass meeting was heading towards Budhatnilkantha after the joint mass meeting at Khulamanch was over. The injured include: Toran Bahadur Gurung, 40, and Dipesh Nepali, 15, from Sankhusawa; Bir Bahadur Tamang, 35, of Kathmandu; Shiva Khadka, 46, and Saraswoti Lama, 39, of Narayanthan; Ramsundar Adhikari, 37, and Raju Shrestha of Hathigaunda; and Bharat Lama, 37, of Golphutar. Micro-bus helper Dipesh is undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital, whereas others were discharged after first aid. Pratima Gurung, wife of Toran, who was also in the micro-bus, said the ‘bomb’ thrown from unknown direction smashed the window-panes of the micro-bus and the scattered pieces of glasses wounded some of the passengers. The police took the bus driver into custody and impounded the micro-bus as the driver didn’t stop the bus after the passengers got off. Kabindra Aryal, a student and participant of the mass meeting, said, “The sound of explosion was not big.” SP Sarbendra Khanal at the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, said the explosion also damaged a taxi. “It seems that the explosive was hurled from the roof of a nearby house,” he told this daily.