TWO OF FIVE-POINTS IN THRSDAY’S AGREEMENT NOT MET Kathmandu, 7 May: Four days after Thursday night’s five-point agreement between the Big Three Madesh parties to from a ‘national unity government’ and resolve differences within three days, two major achievements haven’t been met four days later. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai hasn’t assembled a ‘national consensus government that was to be formed in two days. Mohan Baidhaya faction in his own UCPN (Maoist) has refused to join the government until Bhattarai heads it, An influential section of the party led by Sher Bahadur Deuba has also refused to jolin the main opposition NC establishment in government. President Sushil Koirala nominated two representative only with the team headed by nominated general Secretary Krishna Prasad Suitaula. Deuba supporters say the parliamentary party should have chosen the government. Opposition UML has boycotted the government charging Bhattarai for violating ters of a five-point agreement and sidelining and ‘minimizing’ the party in selecting a government. Only Madeshbadi parties have joined the government in full strength. Two of five agreement’s haven’t been met. Meanwhile, people and even he constituent assembly members have been kept in the dark on a constitution whose draft is ready, according to some party leaders, People have been kept in the dark as leaders of the Big Three and a front of Madeshbadi parties discuss the basic behind closed doors. The method adoptef does not inspire confidence and it will be difficult to cllectpeople’s support for the document. Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party leader NarayanMan Bijukakchaya said Sunday the draft is ready with foreign help and will be put to vote for approval through simple majority division. Meanwhile, after failure to resolve differences within of issues to be included in a constitution in three days, a Prachanda sub-committee discussing differences on themes in a proposed constitution for two more days to complete work. The Big Three are represented in the sub-committee. nnnn . . STRIKES SHUT DOWN NATION Kathmandu, 7 May: Strikes nation-wide continue against government and parties that are dividing up a unitary state into provinces Activists of Mithila rajya Monday closed down Janakpur for the eighth consecutive day Monday protesting the killing of five persons in a bombing last Monday. More than 30 others were injured in the bombing by a Terai group. The strike in the far-West opposing Maoist plans to divide nine provinces continued for the 11th day Monday. A strike has paralyzed the eastern region where activists are also demanding a province. Nnnn SETI FLASHFLOOD TOLL REACHES 17 Kathmandu, 7 May: Four more bodies of the victims of the Saturday´s flashflood in Seti River have been recovered Sunday, taking the death toll to 17, while at least 47 persons are said to be still missing, Manoj Adhikari reports in Republica from Kharapani.. Kaski Police said four more bodies were recovered and that at least 47 persons were still missing. Locals, however, maintain that the number of missing could be as high as 100. A total of 536 security personnel including 138 NA soldiers, 158 from Nepal Police and 214 from Armed Police Force (APF) have been mobilized for the rescue efforts. The rescue teams have been staying near the river in temporary shelters since Saturday night. The flashflood occurred after the blockade created by landslides a few days ago along the river´s normal course burst at an altitude of around at 4,600 meters in the Annapurna mountain region of Machhapuchchhre Village Development Committee (VDC) Saturday morning, according to Nepal Army (NA). The flashflood swept away entire Kharapani Bazar, situated north of Pokhara, taking away locals, revelers, tourists visiting Tatopani springs and labors collecting stones from the river banks. Police said the flood carried with it 20 houses, two temples, three suspension bridges, seven tractors, three mini trucks and one motorcycle. Only 12 of the 17 bodies found so far have been identified with eight of them men and four women. The dead who have been identified are Gopal Tamrakar, 70, of Kharapani, Archana Shrestha, 19, a resident of Bagale Tole, Pokhara-8 and student at La-Grandi College, Purna Shobha Gurung, 28, of Shardikhola, Min Bahadur Bhujel, 65, of Shardikhola-7, Anil BK, 14, of Sardikhola-1, Junga Bahadur Magar, 74, Tirtha Kumar Chhantyal, 27, Dal Bahadur Pun, and Hari Kala Chhantyal, 62, of Lekhnath-13, Prem Ghale Gurung of Gorkha currently staying at Sardikhola, Anil Gurung of Sardikhola-1 and Kunja Tamang of Pokhara-1, Simpana. The security persons are still searching for the missing persons including three Ukrainian tourists. PM disappointed with the rescue work Prime Minister Babu Ram Bhattarai on Sunday expressed his deep displeasure over the pace of relief and rescue efforts along Seti River in Kaski district which was hit by flash floods on Sunday, killing at least 15 people with dozens more believed missing The government meanwhile, announced Rs. 100,000 aid to those who lost their family members or their homes. The families will be given Rs. 25,000 immediately to conduct funeral rites and additional Rs. 25,000 would be made available to those who have lost their homes in the flood. "Immediately after the incident, I directed concerned authorities to start rescue and relief efforts at full swing, but today I see very little has been done," Bhattarai said after an aerial and land survey of Kharapani, one of the worst hit areas. Bhattarai asked Kaski´s Chief District Officer (CDO) Chet Nath Bhattarai to mobilize all resources in the district and ask help from the centre if the local resources were insufficient. He also directed officials to put into operation 18 to 20 excavators to search for the missing. A day after the incident, the exact number of missing is yet to be ascertained. Flood victims in Sardikhola and Machhapuchhre VDC have not received aid and transportation remains disrupted as the flood swept away roads and bridges. Nnnn CONTINUOUS FAR-WEST STRIKE CREATES SHORTAGES Kathmandu, 7 May: As the general shutdown continued in the farwestern region for the 10th day on Sunday, the Seti Zonal Hospital has run out of oxygen and saline, Dil Bahadur Chhatyal writes in Repubica from Dhangadi. The shortage of oxygen has affected surgeries at the hospital while unavailability of saline-water and other essential medicines have affected treatments especially diarrhea-related cases. "All oxygen cylinders are empty," said Radha Krishna Chaudhari, an assistant health worker (AHW) at the hospital. "Every day at least 10 patients requiring oxygen arrive at the hospital. Their lives are at risk." Similarly, around 50 patients suffering from diarrhea come to the hospital every day; but the hospital has no saline-water to treat them. "My eight-month-old niece is suffering from diarrhea for four days," said Ram Bahadur Chaudhari, a resident of Gadariya VDC-9. "I took to him to the zonal hospital. But I could not get saline water even there." nnnn ________________________________________ ________________________________________