PRACHANDA, PM TALKS

PRACHANDA, PM TALKS

Kathmandu, 2 Oct. Prime Minister Babura Bhattarai held discussions Saturday Maoist Chairman Prachanda at the latter’s residence.
They discussed differences in the party, fixing a date for the postponed central committee meet and issues of current interest, an aide said.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

‘A prime minister who can’t implement an announced
calendar [to complete the peace and constitution drafting in 45 days]
can’t continue in office.”

(UCPN (Maoist) General Secretary Baburam Bhattarai, Nagarik, 2 Oct.)


“Hardliners in the party have been rubbing shoulders with Gyanendra of late. They are trying to split the party with Shah’s support.”

(Maoist leader Gopal Kirati, The Hmalayan Times, 2 Oct.)
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THAPA FOR NEW REVOLUTIONARY PARTY
Kathmandu, 2 Oct.: Unified CPN-Maoist General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa stressed on the need to form a new party. “As our party is on the verge of dissolution, we cannot stay in the same party with the same status-quo’, said Thapa at the Mohan Baidhya faction’s Abadh State level semi-underground meeting in Butwal, The Himalayan Times reports from Butwal.

Addressing the meeting, Thapa said there was need of a new party unity or a new party that embraced revolutionary ideology and thoughts. Accusing the establishment of running the party and state in an old, outdated manner, Thapa claimed the obsolete modus operandi had taken the party to the point of dissolution.

“The intra-party row has climaxed. It has opened doors for both opportunity and challenges,” Thapa added, noting that the rift was deepening either to implement the party’s revolutionary thoughts or to desert them. Thapa remarked that torch rallies and chakkajam launched against the incumbent government were his party’s future course of action. “The party’s future course lies in dispute,” he clarified. He said his faction was being humiliated by the party establishment.

Coming down very harshly on the party establishment, Thapa maintained that people would punish Bhattarai and Dahal for leading the party on to the path of the NC and UML. Responding to the disciplinary action on him by the establishment, Thapa claimed that action had to be taken against Bhattarai and Dahal for violating the party’s revolutionary line. He accused them of working against national interest and betraying the party and the people.

“They are opportunistic anti-nationalists and Indian stooges”, Thapa said.

He claimed that new party would be based on revolutionary ideals and
thoughts.
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JOURNALISTS FIND GREETING CARDS FLUSH WITH CASH

Kathmandu, 2 Oct.: When they, responding to an invitation, reached Health Minister Rajendra Mahato’s residence in Pulchowk this morning to exchange Dashain greetings with the minister, many journalists, in all probability, had no inkling of the ‘real motive’ behind the invite, The Himalayan Times reports.

The motive came to light when they found money in the greeting cards that also contained words of praise. According to sources, over 60 journalists figured in the minister’s invitation list.

One of the journalists said on condition of anonymity, “I had no idea that the greeting card contained money. When I found that the minister had given the card containing some notes of Rs 1,000 denomination, I returned the money to his personal assistant and accepted the card only.”

Some cards contained Rs 5,000 each, while others had Rs 10,000 inside.

A number of journalists returned the money, though the minister’s personal assistants tried to convince them to accept the sum, saying senior journalists have also received ‘such cards’.

According to the journalist, Mahato’s aides maintained that the money is not meant to influence the recipients.

Talking to this daily over the phone, Minister Mahato denied distributing money and said, “I only distributed greeting cards. This is a rumour. I am surprised to know that rumour also becomes news.”

“This will put an end to the practice of handing out greeting cards during festivals,” Mahato remarked.

Sources said this is not the first time that Mahato has distributed money to journalists. He had given away money to journalists when he was Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies after 2006, they said.
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