PRACHANDA, MOHAN BAIDHAYA MEET Kathmandu, 8 July: UCPN Maoist Prachanda and Chairman of CPN Maoist Mohan Baidhaya met for the first time Suday at the former’s residence following a party split. They discussed open clashes between supporters of the twoparties andsharing of party assets, including offices. MORE FORMER JALESHWOR MAYOR COMMITS SUICIDE Kathmandu, 8 July: Former mayor of Jaleshwor Municipality, Balkrishna Dhakal, committed suicide by consuming poison last night, confirmed the District Police Office, Mahottari., RSS reports from Mohottari. pjpy Dhakal, who was said to have consumed poison following a family dispute, breathed his last while undergoing treatment at Zonal Hospital Janakpur. Necessary investigation into the incident is on, said police sources. Late Dhakal was elected as Mayor of Jaleswor Municipality from the CPN-UML in the local elections held in 2054-55 BS. nnnn 4 SUSPENSION BRIDGES WASHED AWAY IN MYAGDI Kathmandu, 8 July: Flood triggered by flash fall of snow has swept away four bridges along the Dhaulagiri trekking route in Myagdi, RSS reports from Myagdi. The flood which occured on Saturday took away the suspension bridges from Bagar village of Mudi VDC to trekking route of Dhaulagiri base camp. The flash flood triggered by snow fall took away four suspension bridges from Bhainsikharka to the Sallaghari Lake, said Bam Bahadur Pun, a local. nnnn SHARE PRICES STABLE LAST WEEK Kathmandu, 8 July: Share prices were stable last week and Nepse closed at 377.39 points Thursday at the end of five-day weekly trading after opening at 377.48 points Sunday. Commercial banks, hotels, others, hydropower companies, insurance companies and finance companies gained 3.06, 0.60, 5.87, 9.45, 4.38 and 1.19 points, respectively. Development banks’ sub-index lost 1.320 points. Insurance companies gained 6,45 points. Trade volume increased the past week. Shares worth Rs 305.13 million were traded, — an increase of 76.24 percent compared to previous week’s Rs 173.13 million total. Bank of Kathmandu turnover was Rs 72.77 million as the bank’s 248,311 shares were traded. .Altogether 22 million shares of eight financial institutions were listed between 1 to 5 July. Janata Bank 20million shares have been listed. Nnnn LEKHI FOR FEDERALISM BASED ON IDENTITY Kathmandu, 8 July: Chairman of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), Rajkumar Lekhi, said the NEFIN was for federalism on the basis of identity instead of the single identity- based federalism, RSS reports from Itahari. Speaking at an interaction on 'Federalism and Identity' in Itahari on Saturday, he accused the media of imparting wrong message without understanding the objective of their national conference. He claimed that they held extensive discussions on the issues to make uniformity in their voice and chart out future strategy during the national conference. Lekhi refuted that the NEFIN never talked about federalism based on single- ethnic identity but has been stressing for providing rights to all ethnic groups, languages and cultures on he basis of history and geography. He questioned as to why the former lawmakers representing Indigenous Nationalities (Caucus) have raised the voice for single identity-based federalism and said they should themselves justify the move. Chairman Lekhi said the Constituent Assembly failed to write constitution and go for federalism due to the status quoist tendency of the major political parties. nnnn