Another person killed in Surkhet; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 9 April: Police shot dead one demonstrator Surkhet Wednesday after a CPN-UML candidate was shot dead in clashes with Congress the previous day.
The Election Commission to rescheduled elections in Surkhet-1.
Maoists have now put casualties in adjoining Dang district to seven killed and one dozen injured in firings by security guards of Congress candidate Khum Bahadur Khadka.
Curfews were lifted in Surkhet and Dang to permit the cremations amidst protests; the restrictions would have defied anyway.
Fifteen truckloads of Maoists were heading for Lamahi from Ghorai to participate in the funeral procession and protests.
Maoists said Thursday’s elections will go ahead although the situation is the district in tense with people keeping indoors.
Chairman Prachanda brought the firings to the notice of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and demanded immediate action.
CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal also met Koirala and brought the firings to the notice of the government chief.
High profile Congress candidate Purna Bahadur Khadha is contesting elections from Surkhet.
Koirala immediately discussed three security chiefs, including Chief of the Army Staff Gen Rukmanguad Katawal; Nepal Army has been kept on high alert to intervene in elections after first keeping them at bay.
Violence continued in other areas including Dhading Wednesday where half a dozen Congressmen were injured in clashes.
CARTER
The impartiality of Carter Center to monitor Thursday’s election has come under scrutiny and questioning after its chief Jimmy Carter came out in favour of a republic.
The vote is to choose candidates to draft a constitution either for or against monarchy. The Carter statement indicates the former US president already cast his vote for a republic which is a decision of voters.
The statement 24 hours in favour of a republic will influence the vote in favour of Maoists.
“We are very excited about the prospects of this country finding peace and also finding democracy based on republic,” Carter told The Kathmandu Post.
Carter also spoke out in favour of Maoists and against his own government.
“When the Maoists laid down their arms within cantonments and joined the government, in my opinion, our government, should have recognized them as legitimate political party and dealt with them as other nations did,” Carter said.
Carter said this even as Maoists are armed outside cantonments with UN failure to disarm them for elections or even keep them effectively inside cantonments.
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