HIDDEN MINE EXPLODES; NO CASUALTIES IN MAKWANPUR Kathmandu, 3 Aug.: Nobody was injured in a landmine explosion Thursday along a road at Nanatar VDC in Makwanpur. The device was probably planted during the 10-year Maoist People’s War and wasn’t declared or detected Explosions of such devices still kill or main people Nnnn CONVICTED MURDERED IN MAOIST GENERAL CONVENTION PANEL Kathmandu, 3 Aug.: The UCPN (Maoist) appointed its former lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel, a murder convict, as a member of a 251-strong National General Convention Organising Committee formed on Thursday, PhanindraDahal writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Dhungel was convicted by the Supreme Court in January 2010 of involvement in murdering Ujjan Kumar Shrestha of Okhaldhunga in 1998. The meeting of the convention organising committee chaired by party chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to elevate Dhungel to the jumbo body. Dhungel is in charge of the party’s Okhaldhunga District Committee and loyal to the faction led by UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai. Spokesman Dinanath Sharma defended Dhungel’s promotion arguing that the party “does not recognise any charges against him”. “The Comprehensive Peace Agreement commits to withdrawing cases of political nature. The verdict on a conflict-era case against Dhungelji is biased. Our party has always rejected it,” said Sharma. “We see no logic against his appointment just because he faces charges.” Sources claimed that rewarding Dhungel was the result of the “quota allocated to Bhattarai”. Last year, Prime Minister Bhattarai recommended that President Dr Ram Baran Yadav pardon Dhungel, who was ordered life imprisonment with confiscation of property by the apex court. The bid to provide clemency was blocked by the Supreme Court through an interim order on November 23 last year. The former Constituent Assembly member is walking free with protection from the Maoist-led government. There are 31 women, 13 Madhesis and nine Dalits in the expanded general convention organising committee. Chairman Dahal, in Wednesday’s meeting, proposed the formation of a 175-member panel for holding the general convention in mid-February. Both Bhattarai and another Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha had piled pressure on Dahal for picking leaders close to them while Madhesi leaders expressed reservations about their inadequate representation. Spokesman Sharma said that the party has picked only 231 members while the remaining 20 seats would be nominated later from women and Dalits, among others. The central committee of the Maoist party had 149 members ahead of its split in June. The new faces in the committee, which replaces the 104-member central committee, include top leaders of the party’s student, labour and intellectual wings. All the seven division commanders of the Maoist PLA are represented in the body after Suk Bahadur Rokka of the Second Division, Mahendra Shahi of the Sixth Division and Yam Bahadur Adhikari of the First Division were elevated on Thursday. Other members include Salikram Jamarkattel, Khimlal Devkota, Himal Sharma, Padam Bishwokarma, Dilli Khanal, Hari Rokka, Om Sharma and Govinda Acharya. Dharmashila Chapagain, Kalpana Dhamala, Satya Pahadi, Devi Khadka, Sushma Sharma and Renu Chand are among the new female faces. The committee has asked the newly inducted members to be in the Capital by Friday. The 231-member body will start on Saturday discussions on allocation of responsibilities to leaders and preparations for the party’s biggest meet. nnnn