CABINET DISCUSSING ANNUAL BUDGET 2069/70 Kathmandu, 5 June: The cabinet in holding preliminary discussions on the annual 2069/70 to be presented either through understanding or ordinance in the absence of parliament. The government is discussing programmes presented by ministries for incorporating in the budget. The government is also discussing preparations for the 22 November election for a constituent assembly and obstacles for conducting it. budget. nnnn. 300 INVITED FOR INTERACTION WITH LEADERS OF SOCIETY TO EXLAIN GOVT. POSITION UPDATE Kathmandu, 5 June; Government has invited nearly 300 leaders of society at a hotel in Durbar Marg to explain its official position on 3events leading to the announcement of elections for a constituent assembly (CA) 22 November. The move comes after a hardening of positions between the government and the opposition on the election announcement and automatic dissolution of CA without promulgating a constitution. Prime Minister .Baburam Bhattarai has refused to bow down to opposition pressures to make way for a national government of consensus; Bhattarai’s government has been described as a ’caretaker’ administration which should be replaced by a national government, The incumbent premier says he’ll lead such a government amid charges against opposition for ‘inciting’ the head of state against the government. The ceremonial president has so far stayed aloof from the government/opposition dispute. Nnnn UML TRIES TO PLACATE JANATATIS Kathmandu, 5 June:At a time when Janajati leaders were threatening to quit party, the CPN-UML expedited discussions to settle the issues of the Janajati Leaders, The Rising Nepal reports. The party has given special focus to its discussion with Janajati leaders including vice chairman Ashok Rai, Prithvi Subba Gurung, Bijaya Subba, Rajendra Shrestha and Ramchandra Jha. The party’s leadership including chairman Jhalanath Khanal had expedited dialogues with Janajati leaders to make clear about party’s stand on the issues of the Janajatis and federalism. The Janajati leaders of CPN-UML have been blaming the party’s chairman including other senior leaders for not being sincere to the issue of Janajatis while taking decision about federalism. The party leaders have, however, their understanding that the UCPN-Maoist was trying to accuse the CPN-UML and Nepali Congress of being anti-federalist parties by instigating their Janajati leaders. As a part of regular central committee meeting of the party, CPN-UML also held another meeting at the party office, Balkhu Monday. Speaking at the meeting, Pradeep Gyawali, politburo member, said the election announcement had only created further misunderstanding, inter-party rift and feeling of hatred. New election would be possible only after making amendment in nine provisions of the Interim Constitution, Gywali claimed. National consensus among the parties was must to amend the interim constitution, he added. Gyawali charged that UCPN-Maoist was trying to defame the party with an ill intention by instigating the Janajati leaders against CPN-UML. "UCPN-Maoist has dissolved the Constituent Assembly to realize its ill design to capture the state power," Gyawali said. Krishna Gopal Shrestha, central committee member, said the UCPN-Maoist was working to realize its mission of capturing the state power. He said that that the intra-party rift in his party would provide a space only to Maoist to play inside CPN-UML. Nnnn NC, UML AND SUPORTERS PREPARE FOR 8 JUNE ANTI-GOVT. RALLY Kathmandu, 5 June: A meeting of 22 parties including Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML Monday decided to make their Kathmandu-based demonstration of June 8 more powerful and effective, The Rising Nepal reports from Lalitpur. In a meeting of the parties held at NC central office in Sanepa, the leaders also decided to inform the public about the objectives of the movement in the mass meeting of June 8. They also decided to mobilize the full-strength of all parties to make the mass rally a grand success. They also decided to continue their joint movement until Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai tendered his resignation. The parties also said that the Prime Minister had no constitutional and political rights to continue in the office and stressed that the consensus politics would be started after the resignation of the Prime Minister. They also said that the Maoists were trying to capture the state power by creating constitutional vacuum. The parties also urged the people to participate in the movement to be launched against the government to safeguard democracy and end the constitutional vacuums. After the meeting, NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC said that the parties were preparing to organize a big mass meeting on June 8 at Tudikhel and added that the preparations were at the last stage. He said that the meeting was centered on the June 8 mass rally and meeting. He informed that the meeting objected to the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly and announcement of the new elections terming them as a drama. He said that the parties demanded resignation of the Prime Minister to start the consensus politics. He said that the parties would strongly protest if efforts were made to impose dictatorship in the name of ethnicity and regionalism. Top leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML, CPN-ML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Rastriya Janasakti Party (RJP), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum- Democratic, Chure Bhavar and other fringe parties were present in the meeting. Nnnn