UML TO FORM PARTY COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND WAYS TO AVERT DESERTIONS OVER ETHNIC PROVINCES UPDATE Kathmandu, 2 June: A UML politburo meeting Saturday decided to form an internal commission to suggest ways to resolve an impending desertion of the party ny indigenous and Madeshis in a dispute over formation of ethnic provinces demanded by groups bt opposed by the party leadership. The commission will repot recommendations to the central committee. nnnn NC CHARGES MAOISTS FOR ATTEMPTED POWER GRAB Kathmandu, 2 June: The Nepali Congress has termed the government's unilateral announcement of going for another Constituent Assembly (CA) election as an apparent move to capture state power and called for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the formation of a national consensus government to give an outlet to the Problems. RSS reports. The Congress has accused the Unified CPN (Maoist)-led government of announcing fresh elections to the CA after its earlier attempt to seize state power failed, stating the CA was merely the strategy of the CPN (Maoist) rather than their true agenda. The party has also called one and all to join in the peaceful struggle to defend democracy, give outlet to the constitutional crisis for the promulgation of new constitution and bring back the national polity to the consensual direction by preventing imminent autocracy and seizure of state power. The Maoists and Madhesi Morcha are solely responsible for the dissolution of CA and non-promulgation of constitution with federalism, the NC said in a press conference organized at the party central office on Saturday. Strongly refuting the remarks by Maoists and Morcha that the Congress did not wish to adopt federalism in the country, NC accused the Maoists and Morcha of being reluctant to deliver the constitution from the very beginning referring to their stance that carving out 10 provincial units would truly be the federalism suitable for the country and not the eight provinces at any expense. 'The announcement of elections was made by dissolving the CA without consensus and with an ill motive to impose totalitarian regime. We will fight against the move in a political and constitutional manner', said NC President Sushil Koirala. He reiterated his view that the current political crisis could be averted only on the basis of national consensus coupled by collaboration, unity and reconciliation. But, the first and foremost condition is the resignation of the Prime minister, he added. 'Though the NC adopted maximum flexibility on the signing and implementation of 12-point understanding and the Comprehensive Peace Accord, the compliance on part of the Maoists was always fledgling which resulted in current political and constitutional crisis, the Koirala further said. The election declaration has ended the polity of consensus as specified by the constitution and also the spirit of recent five-point deal, the NC accused. The propaganda that the NC was anti-federalism party was a lie and misleading, Koirala said adding that such remarks are meant against democracy and Congress. Congress claimed that the Legislature-Parliament could be saved on May 27, the deadline for the CA, if the Maoists were positive to that effect. 'The slogan of CA was only the strategic move of the Maoists. It was not their conviction. Maoists never accorded importance to the agenda of drafting new constitution from the very beginning', stated in a press release. Though the members on the Dispute Resolution Sub Committee from the Congress had requested Sub Committee coordinator and Maoist Chairman Pusha Kamal Dahal for broad-based discussions on the contentious issues time and again, Dahal never gave a time for the discussions, added the statement accusing Dahal of showing no concerns to discuss on the federalism issues. Speaking at a press meet, party Vice Chairman Ram Chandra Poudel said the Congress has announced the programmes of protest with the cooperation of other parties against the government move. "Away out to the present political and constitutional crisis in the country was possible only if the national consensus was forged", he said stressing that the prime minister should resign from his post to pave the way for the formation of the government of national consensus. He claimed that the Congress was committed to creating atmosphere of national consensus among the parties. The two important agreements made just after the completion of the CA elections- Nepal shall be a federal democratic republic and the peace process shall be completed within the next six months- could not be implemented due to the obstructions from the Maoists, said the statement. Claiming that the party has never adopted a policy of lingering regarding the federalism issues, the Congress has blamed the Maoists for coming with different views on the federalism issues. Through the statement, the Congress has claimed that the party's views on federalism were always supportive to accelerate the constitution drafting process. RSS nnnn