We will hold CA elections at any cost, say SPA leaders

Senior leaders of ruling Seven Party Alliance (SPA) have expressed their commitment to hold Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in April 10 at any cost.

They said if the CA elections would not be held in the fixed date at a time when the elections had been deferred for two times, political parties would loose credibility from people and international communities.

Addressing the first joint mass meeting they ever held in the context of holding CA elections, the leaders of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist, People's Front, Nepal Worker's Peasant Party, Nepal Sadvawana Paery- Anandidevi and Joint People's Front assured people that they were ready to face any sort of challenge to hold the elections.

Addressing the mass meting, CPN-UML Secretary General Madhav Kumar Nepal opined that seven political parties were responsible for deferring the CA elections for two times. Stating that parties must realize this mistake, he said such mistake should not be repeated.

'If any party trembles its leg to go in the elections and tries to disrupt the elections, people should make them necked'- he said.

Stressing on the need of unity among the people of Himal, Pahad and Terai, UML-Stalwart Nepal said people should retaliate to those who exercise CA elections as bargaining.

Senior leader of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba appealed people not to create any suspicion over Congress as it has already decided to opt federal republican structure in the country.

Addressing the meeting, Maoist Chairman Prachanda termed the joint mass meeting as resolution of building new Nepal and declaration of new structure of state.

Prachanda said CA elections was now challenge for royal palace, feudal aristocrats and international reactionary forces. During the address, Chairman Prachanda also spent time in slamming Army Chief Rukmangud Katuwal's remark on the integration of Nepal Army and Maoist Combatants. He charged Katuwal of doing politics in the name of boycotting politics in security body.

Vice chairperson of Nepal Sadvawana Party-Anandidevi, Shyam Sundar Gupta, People's Front Chairman Amik Sherchan, Joint Front's leader CP Mainali and Nepal Worker's Peasant Party leader Prem Suwal had also addressed the mass meeting. The meeting was chaired by NC leader Prakash Man Singh.

New US envoy Powell arrives

The newly appointed US ambassador to Nepal, Nancy J Powell arrived in Kathmandu on Monday afternoon.

Powell is replacing former ambassador James F Moriaty who left Nepal in July after serving three years in Nepal.

According to reports, Powell is scheduled to present her credentials to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Thursday.

Powell has been ambassador to Pakistan, Ghana and Uganda. Before her appointment as envoy to Nepal, Powell worked as National Intelligence Officer for South Asia at the National Intelligence Council.

Nancy J Powell, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, was confirmed by the US Senate on June 28, 2007 to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Nepal.

Powell, born in Cedar Falls, Iowa, had joined the Foreign Service in 1977. She has also studied French, Nepali, and Urdu.

Govt - NEFIN sign 20-points agreement

After the 10th round of talks, the government and the agitating Nepal Federation of National Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) on Tuesday have signed a 20-point agreement.

The talks held at the Park Village Resort at Godavari of Lalitpur reached to the conclusion after the government and NEFIN representatives agreed on constitutional guarantee of at least one seat to each indigenous group in the constituent assembly.

“The government has agreed to give at least one seat to a person from each indigenous nationality group,” said Dr Om Gurung, Coordinator of the NEFIN talks team.

Dr. Gurung said that the talks also agreed to state‘s restructuring bases on ethnicity, religion and geography.

The government side has also agreed to seriously take up the NEFIN’s key demand for federation based on ethnicity, languages and regions during the upcoming meetings of the ruling eight-party alliance.

After the agreement, the NEFIN has called off all strikes it had been coordinating in the past.

PM Koirala observes "Bhoto Jatra"

Breaking the 238-year-old tradition of shah dynasty, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala observed the final day of the traditional Rato Machhindranath Jatra (Bhoto Jatra) in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, on Sunday evening.

PM Koirala, as the acting head of state, participated in the jatra. Earlier, the king used to be the chief guest at the concluding ceremonies of the jatra. A squad of Nepal Army (NA) presented guard of honour to the PM Koirala when he arrived at Jawalakhel to observe Bhoto Jatra.

Speaker Subash Nemwang, Chief Justice Dilip Poudel, Home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula and some ministers were also present there.The Jatra also marked the end of even the “cultural right” of the king who has been stripped off all powers by the Interim Constitution.

Meanwhile, thousands of devotees had gathered in Jawlakhel to witness the historical event and to offer their prayers to the god Rato Machhindranath, the god is also known as a rain god.

This Jatra, the longest one in the country—concludes Sunday.

According to a myth, Nag Raja Karkotak of Taudaha had presented a jewel-studded bhoto to a local curer for treating his queen’s eyes. The curer lost the bhoto while working in his fields. Later, when he went to see the Machhindranath jatra he spotted a ghost wearing it and a scuffle ensued between the two over the bhoto.

The matter reached to the king Guna Kama Dev, even he could not reach a decision regarding its ownership due to lack of ample evidence and ordered the bhoto to be kept in the chariot of Machindranath until someone came up with evidence. Since then, the bhoto is displayed every year by the king with the hope that someone might prove his ownership of the bhoto.