Kathmandu, May 9, 2009

The central committee meeting of the CPN-UML today formally decided that the party was ready to lead a broadbased national government. A four-point resolution passed by the meeting also called upon all the parties, including the UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, to join hands to form the national government led by the UML.

The meeting, held at party headquarters in Balkhu, also decided to constitute a ninemember panel headed by party president Jhala Nath Khanal to hold talks with other parties for the formation of the government. Other members of the panel include senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, KP Oli, Ashok Rai, Bidhya Bhandari, Ishwor Pokharel, Shankar Pokharel, Bharat Mohan Adhikari and Surendra Pandey. Bhanubhakta Dhakal, a central committee member, said the panel would start talks with other parties for the preparation of a common minimum programme, code of conduct for the ministers and working procedures for running the national government.

The meeting concluded that the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s unilateral decision to sack army chief Rookmangad Katawal was unconstitutional and that the party would give preference to form a national government to bring the ongoing peace process to a logical conclusion and to draft a new constitution on time.Dhakal said most of the central committee members backed Madhav Nepal to lead the next government.

Maoists carry out thrash threat

Nepalgunj, May 9, 2009

Activists of the Unified CPNMaoist have made good their threat to thrash the cadres of CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress activists who did not leave their villages in Bardiya district. They have started thrashing party cadres stating that the two parties had backed the decision of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to reinstate CoAS Rookmangud Katawal.

The Maoists last night attacked NC’s Basanta Raj Bhatt, former VDC chairman and UML cadre Gopal Silwal, NC district member Krishna Paudel and an NC-affiliated teacher Keshav Paudel in Bardiya.

They vandalised the house of Anantaram Tharu at Beluwa, saying it housed an NC village unit office. They also thrashed Tharu, Bidhya Khanal, NC district secretary, said. Injured Bhatt has gone to Nepalgunj for security and treatment.

“Some 60 khukuri wielding Maoist cadres attacked me at 11:30 pm at my residence. They would have killed me but my folks came to my rescue. They took Rs 27,000 from me,” Bhatt alleged.

He said the YCL cadres also distributed pamphlets stating that they would continue their action in Banke and Bardiya districts. Bardiya CDO Bed Bahadur Karki said masked persons beat up UML and NC cadres and ordered them to leave the village.