Dang, May 9, 2007

Fifty persons — 40 activists of different Maoist sister organisations and 10 policemen — were injured in a clash between the police and the Maoists in Ghorahi, the headquarters of Dang, this afternoon.

The clash occurred when the Maoists torched the District Land Revenue Office and pelted stones at the Nepal Electricity Authority Office while they were returning after submitting a memorandum to the Dang District Administration Office (DAO).

After the clash, police arrested 32 persons, including central member of the All Nepal National Women’s Union-Revolutionary Bimala KC, Maoist Dang member Bishwo Raj Acharya, central member of the Tharuwan National Mukti Morcha (TNMM) Ram Bahadur Dahit, journalist of Radio Janaganatantra Puran Sharma, journalists Sachin Chaudhari and Pandhav Sharma.

Some of those arrested were injured in the clash. “After investigation, the arrested persons will be charged under the Public Offence Act,” said Dang SP Rajendra Shrestha. Earlier, activists of Maoistaligned sister organisations took out a rally that later reached the DAO and submitted a memorandum to CDO Rudra Prasad Poudel.

After submitting the memorandum to the CDO, the rallyists torched the District Land Reform Office.

“Most of the documents have been damaged in the fire,” said office chief Keshav Acharya. Some Maoists took under control the workers of the office and torched the office after spraying kerosene.

Spread word on NC good work, Koirala tells partymen

Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala today reassured the district unit chiefs of the party that he was in favour of announcing elections to the constituent assembly very soon. “I have already said the constituent assembly polls will be held.

The date will be fixed in due course,” Koirala told party delegates from the eastern region at his official residence today. Koirala also told the delegates to make the villagers aware of NC achievements rather than harping on the agenda concerning republic.

“Rather than going to villages with the slogan of setting up republic, I wish you could go back with what the NC has achieved,” Koirala said. Reacting to demands from party rank and file that the Maoists return the property they seized to the rightful owners, Koirala said he would take up the matter with Maoist supremo Prachanda since all-party meeting was due tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Koirala today told a group of lawyers that the government would declare the date of the elections to the Constituent Assembly soon after holding consultations with the eight political parties. The PM also told the lawyers that he wants to see the CA elections during his premiership.