Supreme leader Maoist offer for Girja

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 May: Maoists have offered Prime Minister a position of supreme leader, Janaastha reports.
He revealed this in Sunday’s regular family meeting.
“They say they will make me supreme leader. That’s that?” Koirala asked
Koirala said he even said he was vague on the position and privileges of the position.
“Maoists aren’t clear of the offer,” Koirala said.
Koirala said he still couldn’t decide whether to continue to leave office.
He said foreign ambassadors told him not to quit and added the foreigners don’t know Nepal’s ground realities.
“But that’s not what Nepalis think,” he told relatives.
“Maoists will only use me. I don’t think they will offer it to me,” Koirala told his relatives of his preference to be a powerful prime minister.
Koirala admitted he is losing grip on the Congress.
The prime minister also said the army chief is developing ties with Prachanda.
“Looks like the relationship between Rukmangaud and Prachanda has improved,” Koirala said.
nnnn

Nepal embassy in Rangoon out of touch

Kathmandu, 7 May: Effort to establish contact with the Nepalese embassy in Rangoon has been futile.
Effort for telephone contact has failed, a foreign ministry official said.
Nnnn

UN seeks security from possible Maoist attacks

Kathmandu, 7 May: International Migration Organization (IMO) and the UNHCR have demanded security from local officials for protection to continue processing applications of Bhutanese refugees wishing to travel to US and other western countries.
Security was demanded after three Bhutanese refugees preparing for resettlement and the driver of a vehicle in which they were travelling were injured Tuesday in an attack by masked men in Jhapa.
The refugees were returning to their camps from Damak where they were interviewed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) mainly for resettlement in USA.
IOM and the UN which administers refugee camps withdrew their vehicles from the streets as a precautionary measure.
Bhutanese Maoists have been opposing third country resettlement and are pushing direct repatriation to Bhutan.
IOM is processing applications of nearly 60,000 of 108,000 refugees wishing to travel to the USA for resettlement on behalf of Washington.
IOM began work after security from local officials.
At least two refugees have been killed by Maoists in previous attacks.
UN condemned the attack.
Nnnn

Nepal’s Maoists invited by West Bengal to neutralize Naxalites

Kathmandu, 7 May: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharhay has invited Chairman Prachanda to accord him a massive welcome in Kolkata, Janaastha reports.
The invitation by the Indian Marxist government of West Bengal is an attempt to drive a wedge between Nepal’s Maoists and India’s radical Naxalites.
This was indicated by Indian Marxist leader Sitaram Yechuri who came visiting this week, according to sources.
Indian hopes Prachanda will ask Naxalites to abandon violence like the radical communists in Nepal.
India is attempting to use Prachanda.
Nnnn