HOME MINISTER PRESENTS GLOOMY PICTURE

HOME MINISTER PRESENTS A GLOOMY PICTURE
Kathmandu, 7 March: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Bijaya Kumar Gachadar has warned that the country's situation would become complex and devastating if the new constitution is not promulgated within May 27, RSS reports from Itahari.

He also said that the situation was becoming such that the peace process may not conclude and the new constitution may not be drafted due to the three major political parties.

Speaking at a program organised to announce the Madheli VDC of Sunsari 'free of open defecation' on Wednesday, Gachadar, who is also President of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Democratic, said the Madhesi front was exerting pressure on the three parties to practice politics of consensus.

The Deputy Prime Minister also said that the present government would lose its significance if the constitution was not promulgated as per schedule.
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AFTER ELECTION ROUT, SONIA GANDHI VOWS TO CORRECT
MISTAKES
Kathmandu, 7 March: Sonia Gandhi, president of India's ruling Congress party, vowed on Wednesday to "correct the mistakes" that led to a mid-term drubbing in local elections and defended embattled Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AFP reports from New Delhi.

"We will have to sit down and look at the situation and the results in every single state and then together work out a plan to correct the mistakes we have made," she told reporters in a rare news conference.

Congress, which runs the federal government, won in only one of five states and suffered a humiliating defeat in politically vital Uttar Pradesh (UP) where the future of the Gandhi political dynasty was put to the test.

Sonia's son Rahul, next in line in the top political family and widely tipped as a future prime minister, led campaigning in the giant northern region and had vowed to revitalise the party.

Congress slumped to fourth and increased its presence only marginally in the 403-seat assembly to 28 elected members.

"Every election is a lesson for us whether we win or lose, every election has a lesson for us," Italian-born Gandhi, wife of assassinated former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, told reporters.

The media-shy leader also stuck by under-fire Prime Minister Singh when asked if he would be replaced amid mounting questions about his leadership.

"There is no question (of replacing him)," she said.
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