CALL TO KATHMANDU AIRPORT HOAX, FLIGHTS DELAYED FIVE HOURS Kathmandu, 6 Oct.: A hoax call delayed the departure of five international airlines mainly to the Gulf Friday night. The call was received by an official at Kathmandu International Airport at 8.30 in the evening. Aircraft were allowed to takeoff only after a massive three-hour search nnnn. MAOIST CHIEF READY TO TAKEOVER LEADERSHIP OF GOVT. Kathmandu, 6 Oct.: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is ready to lead a unity government if major parties, mainly the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, ‘request’ him to do so, leaders say, Kamal Dev Bhattarai writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Leaders close to him say Dahal will not present himself as a prime ministerial candidate, but will be ready for that if consensus eludes parties while choosing a successor to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai. The UCPN (Maoist) is firm on its stance that it will not accept an NC-led government that will hold the next elections, while the Congress is hell-bent on forming a unity government under its leadership. A top Maoist leader said his party must either agree on an NC-led government or convince other parties on Dahal as the consensual candidate. As the opposition parties say they will not accept elections under the Bhattarai government, Maoist leaders seem confident that they will finally agree on a Dahal-led government. “Our party will not accept an NC-led government as the President also belongs to the same party and it is clear that the opposition parties will not accept a Bhattarai-led government holding the polls. In this scenario, Dahal is a consensual candidate,” said a leader close to Dahal. Some leaders in the NC and the UML are also positive on this option as a compromising point as it would ensure Bhattarai’s exit, a major demand of the opposition parties. Some leaders in the opposition parties believe that “hostilities” between Dahal and Bhattarai will increase once they support Dahal’s candidacy, thereby weakening the Maoist party and providing a “favourable ground” for the opposition parties. “Our Chairman is the only towering leader who signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. He could become an alternative if other parties request him to take the helm,” said Maoist Politburo member Haribol Gajurel. Dahal and Koirala on Friday agreed to form a national unity government by mid-October, a prerequisite for holding fresh CA elections. “We will form a national unity government within mid-October by resolving all outstanding issues,” Dahal said after a meeting with Koirala. According to a source, the two leaders also discussed the possibility of the disbanded CA being briefly revived to amend the constitution and laws. nnnn EC SEEKS RS. 1.64 BILLION FOR EVMs Kathmandu, 6 Oct.: The Election Commission has urged the government to allocate Rs 1.64 billion to purchase electronic voting machines (EVMs), The Kathmandu Post writes.. After successfully experimenting with EVMs in Kathmandu Constituency No 1 in the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections, the EC is preparing to go digital in the next election. A team led by acting Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety on Friday discussed with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattaari ways to finance the purchase of EVMs. The EC has already requested the Ministry of Finance to manage funds for the purpose. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been requested to write a letter to the Indian government for the procurement of EVMs, which are produced by Indian firms only after the Indian government asks them to. "EVM procurement is a lengthy process so we want to do the tasks on our part on time," said EC Spokesman Sharada Prasad Trital. Trital said the EC requires 150,000 electronic ballot units and 55,000 control units. Electronic voting is cost-effective, efficient and prevents duplication. The EC has registered around 11 million voters in the digital voter registration system. At the talks, PM Bhattarai assured financial resources for the machines. He asked the EC to be prepared for holding any kind of election by May. Finance Minster Barsha Man Pun, Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel and senior government official attended the meeting. nnnn