PARTIES CLOSE TO ELECTION Kathmandu, 2 Nov.: The Big Three and five-party Madesh Morcha aligned with UCPN Maoist leading the government agreed to opt for constituent assembly elections following a meeting with President D. Ram Baran Yadav Friday. “We have more or less agreed to go for elections by Baiskah, [April 2013],” Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar said. “The president wants an agreement,” Maoist Chairman Prachanda said after a meeting with the head of state. Parties have to agree on related issues like formation of a national government to conduct polls. “Everything should end in an agreement,” NC President Sushi Koirala said. UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said there should be an agreement on a national government, number of members to be elected for a national assembly. MORE GOVT.PLAN TO PURCHASE AIRCRAFT Kathmandu, 2 Nov.: The government has decided to forward the necessary process immediately to purchase eight aircrafts for Nepal Air Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, RSS reports. The bodies concerned have forwarded the process in an expedited manner after the government decided to remove the officials, who would not ensure the process of purchasing the aircrafts within a month, as per the immediate action plan of governance and financial reform issued by the government recently. According to the action plan, the government would purchase two aircrafts for international flights and six others for domestic ones within the next six months. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Posta Bahadur Bogati, has been working actively for the task as the government has handed over the main responsibility to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Minister Bogati told RSS correspondent that the ministry has been taking initiative to hold talks with the representative of the aircraft companies as it was necessary before forwarding the process for the purchase of aircrafts. He further said that the immediate talks were necessary as calling an international tender was not possible until the agreement signed between them in 2009 between the Airbus Company and NAC was made to be reconsidered. He as a minister was committed to implementing the action plan declared by the government saying as per this, the Airbus representatives are called few days before and expected to arrive in Kathmandu for the talks within mid-November. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the NAC has formed a committee to hold talks with the Airbus representatives. Nnnn ________________________________________