MAOISTS FINALLY OPT TO JOIN GOVT.

MAOISTS DECIDE TO SEND 11-MEMBER TEAM TO GOVT.

By Bhola B. Rana

Kathmandu, 2 March: Maoist will send a 11-member team to government led by Krishna Bahadur Mahara, standing committee member and chief of the party foreign department following a decision of the standing committee Wednesday.
Chairman Prachanda immediately met Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal to convey the decision.
Eight ministries had earlier been set aside for UML chaired by Khanal.
Khanal and Prachanda held discussions on inducting other parties in government which will be dominated by communists,
Maoists and UML have a majority in the 598-member parliament and can pass any legislation.
Maoist standing committee will meet again Thursday to nominate other members of its government team, Spokesman Dinanath Sharma said.
He added the party abandoned its previous stance to lend outside support to the government whose expansion has been delayed by Maoist refusal to join government even after voting for Khanal 3 February.
Differences surfaced on control of the home ministry portfolio.
The Maoist agreement has paved the way for the expansion of the government delayed by one month.
‘We haven’t given up our claim to the home ministry,” Sharma said bravely after the standing committee meet and before the Prachanda/Khanal dialogue.
UML said it can’t award the security-related ministry to Maoists who have been offered the post of deputy prime ministry ranked above another deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari of UML.
Government Spokesman Gagngalal Tuladhar asked NC and Madeshbadi parties Wednesday to join government—an offer which will be rejected as NC has decided to stay in theopposition.
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KRISHNA PASAD BHATTARAI PUT IN VENTILATOR

Kathmandu, 2 March: Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, 87,has been put in a ventilator after his health condition worsened Wednesday, Radio Nepal said in a late night report.
He’s unconscious.
Oxygen and blood flow to the brain has fallen, Dr. Bharat Rawat said.
The only surviving founding member of NC is being fed by tube though the nose.
Bhattarai quit the party after it adopted a republican agenda abandoning support for constitutional monarchy under Girija Pasad Koirala.
Bhattarai had been kept at the ICU in Norvic Hospital since 16 February.
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A POLICEMAN OF ARMED POLICE FORCE MURDERS WIFE AND DAUGHTER

Kathmandu, 2 March; A policeman of Armed Police Force (AFP), Umesh Paudel, is suspected of murdering his first wife and a three-year-old daughter.
Umesh Paudel is suspected of murdering by drowning them in a canal at Madish in Sunsari.
His second wife Shantu Rai is also suspected of involvement; they have been arrested for questioning.
Paudel married Rai 10 days ago.
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PM, PRESIDENT, FORMER KING OFFER WORSHIP

Kathmandu, 2 March: An estimated 600,000 Hindu devotees offered worship and prayers at Pashupatinath temple Wednesday on Mahashivaratri Wednesday.
Prime Minister Jhalanatah Khanal and President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav offered worship.
Former King Gyanendra also offered puja at the holiest Hindu shrine of Nepal.
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INDIAN EXCESS INSIDE NEPAL

Kathmandu, 2 March: Personnel of Indian Seema Surakshya Bal (SSB) entered Nepal and abducted three policemen of Armed Police Force (APF) base camp at Auriya in Rautahat and battered them across the border.
They were released after two hours.
APF personnel were overpowered in Nepal by SSB as they intervened to stop Indian security personnel from misbehaving with a person who crossed the open border with a sugar consignment.
The border was tense for sometime following the excess Wednesday.
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