Sher Bahadur Deuba lays claim to party , govt. leadership

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 17 March: Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday laid claim to the government and the Nepali Congress party while campaigning in his home district Kanchanpur in the far-West.
Deuba said he will lead both the government and the party after the 10 April assembly election one day after saying he Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s natural successor.
Many doubt ambitious and ailing Koirala, 84, will make way for others after his election despite his public announcement to after the vote because of age and ill-health.
“I have now become a Buddha; my only aim is now to hold elections,” Koirala said while announcing his proposed retirement.
Following a reunification of the party late 2007, Girija continued to head the government and Sushil Koirala took on responsibilities of acting party president on behalf of ailing Girija who has been mostly confined to his official residence Baluwatar.
There was an informal understanding Deuba was the second ranking leader in the party after Girija paving the way for unification.
But the prime minister, in between, has pushed daughter, Sutaja, in limelight making her the virtual de facto prime minister while managing the defence ministry and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Sushil Koirala also considers himself an heir to the Koirala dynasty.
For the first time Girija isn’t contesting direct elections after 1990; he heads a closed list of party candidates for indirect elections; 335 assembly members are being indirectly elected.
Although health has restricted his activities, he is still campaigning in some asreas easily accessible by air.
VIOLENCE
Meanwhile, election violence continues with Maoists responsible for most of it; election is just 24 days away.
Maoists and CPN-UML clashed in Chitwan, central Nepal; CPN-UML demanded government charging Maoist violence had escalated to dangerous levels.






Tibetan refugees, police clash again

Kathmandu, 17 March: Tibetan refugees Monday continued their anti-Chinese protests demanding end to violence in Tibet staged a sit-in at the UN office. In the capital and UNMIN office in Pokhara.
Police fired teargas shells in the capital to disperse Tibetan demonstrators.
The refugees again clashed with police who arrested nearly five dozen protestors.
Eight policemen and two Tibetans were injured, police said.
CPN-UML condemned what it called anti-China activities of the refugees against a friendly neighbour asking government not to tolerate such activities.
Meanwhile, both Chinese and Nepal have reinforced along the Nepal-Tibet border following violence in Tibet.
Chinese immigration officials are checking identification of Nepalese nationals entering Tibet along the border.
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