Jhalanath Khanal caretaker CPN-UML chief

Kathmandu, 13 May: Jhalanath Khanal is likely to be appointed chief of a preparatory committee to hold the CPN-UML 8th party general convention by a standing committee meeting that begins later Tuesday.
The position is equivalent to that of a general secretary.
Ailing KP Oli is Khanal’s chief rival.
Amrit Kumar Bohara is the acting party chief after Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned taking responsibility for party reverse in the 10 April VA election.
The party standing committee and central committee are being dissolved by the standing committee ahead of the convention.
Khanal came to national prominence in 1990 after a popular movement toppled the panchayat in 1990 when he spoke at the Khula Manch on behalf of the then underground CPN (ML) or the effective party boss the now CPN-UML before Madan Bhandari.
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KP Bhattarai warns against declaring republic

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 13 May: Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the only surviving founding member of Nepali Congress and RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa Monday warned of disastrous consequences if monarchy is abolished.
“At present, traditional system should not be abolished and monarchy should be made completely constitutional. This is the challenge and our responsibility.
Bhattarai said monarchy is still needed for country’s culture, civilization, territorial integrity, cultural and geographic diversity.
“It’s necessary all should understand slogan of extreme republic is making all these irrelevant,” Bhattarai alerted.
Bhattarai asked for the acceptance and adoption of the policy of national reconciliation pursued by BP Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh and hoped his ‘friend Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will take effective steps’.
Bhattarai hoped nothing will be done to lower the morale of security forces.
Bhattarai warned the country’s future will be threatened if the present crisis isn’t handled properly and called for a politics of consensus with a hung assembly.
Kamal Thapa warned not to abolish monarchy hastily until a complete constitution is drafted.
“ I still believe that people will oblige if the king issues a statement calling them to vote for him,” Thapa said an implicit criticism of the.
government that locked up the king in Narayanhiti after April 2006.
Thapa said the just concluded CA election ‘ was only a partial referendum on monarchy’.
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