PROTESTS RESUME AT PATAN HOSPITAL Kathmandu, 16 Nov.: Agitating doctors and officials of the Patan Hospital have intensified their agitation from Friday, demanding resignation of the Vice Chancellor and Rector, RSS reports. They padlocked the offices of Vice-Chancellor and Rector besides obstructing the regular services except emergency today. According to Chairman of the All Nepal Health Workers' Association, Chatur Narayan Chaudhary, treatment will be provided to those patients, who had bought tickets for the OPD services, even if all treatment services except for emergency are closed. He said they will issue a notice today and inform about the closure of all services except for emergency from Sunday. Nnnn BHUTANESE REFUGEE KILLED Kathmandu, 16 Nov.: An unidentified group murdered a Bhutanese refugee at a camp situated at Beldangi-2 in Jhapa district on Thursday night, RSS reports from Bhadrapur.. The deceased has been identified as Nar Bahadur Subba, 40, of the Hut No. 59 in sector E-3, according to the Area Police Office, Damak. The group attacked Subba with a sharp weapon while he was walking in the camp. Police suspected that Subba, who sustained injury on his head, died on the spot though he was taken to Damak-based Amda Hospital after the incident. Police have taken under control wife of the deceased, Sukmaya Subba, and investigation into the case is underway. Nnnn ELECTIONS WILL BE DECLARED WITHIN NOV. SAYS GACHHADAR Kathmandu, 16 Nov.: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, said the date for fresh elections will be declared within November end by forging political consensus among the parties, RSS reports from Biratnagar. Speaking at a press meet here on Friday, he said the political parties have reached consensus on other issues but they are still debating on who should lead the national consensus government. Deputy Prime Minister Gachhadar, who is also the chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic, said the budget is the backbone of the nation, and the parties should not politicise the issue and urged one and all to be united for the economic development of the nation. The MJF-D chairman said the government would bring a full budget within November 21. He said the leadership for the government would only be changed if the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are ready for the political consensus in a package and declare the candidate of prime minister. He also said that the United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) would play a mediator's role to forge political consensus and would not lag behind in taking the leadership of the government if the three major political parties accept it with big heart. Deputy Prime Minister Gachchhadar stressed the need of political consensus for political stability and economic development of the nation and Morcha would play a mediator's role to end the political stand-off. Nnnn LOYALTY PLEDGED TO NEW CHINESE LEADER Kathmandu, 16 Nov.: China's massive military pledged its loyalty to new Communist Party leader Xi Jinping on Friday, while reiterating its mission to follow the party's "absolute leadership" despite scattered calls for it to come under government control, AP reports from Beijing.. The men and women of the 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army also thanked President Hu Jintao and other outgoing leaders for their guidance over the past decade. That was a reflection of the military's happiness with Hu's decision to hand the chairmanship of the party commission that oversees the military to Xi, rather than holding on to it for two years as his predecessor, Jiang Zemin, did. The "military will absolutely take orders from the party center, the military commission, and commission chairman Xi Jinping," said an editorial in the official People's Liberation Army Daily. "At any time and under any circumstances, we will take our orders from the party center, the military commission, and commission chairman Xi Jinping, and be absolutely loyal and reliable," it said. Xi became chairman of the party military commission on Thursday, the same day he took over as party leader from Hu, who will retain the title of state president until next spring, when he will hand it over to Xi. Xi, who currently holds the title of vice president, paid tribute to Hu and other outgoing leaders himself on Thursday, thanking them for "leading all the people of the nation in unity and achieving glorious achievements acclaimed by all the world." Hu's decision to step down from the military commission surprised many, and won plaudits from the military, which had in the past expressed concerns about divided leadership. Hu's relinquishing of the post completes only the second smooth transfer of power in party history, underscoring the party's hopes of institutionalizing its often obscure and secretive workings and spurring reforms to allow greater participation in decision making by rank-and-file members. "I think this has a huge significance," said Zhao Chu, a Shanghai-based scholar who specializes in military issues. "It breaks away from the tradition. It will allow better coordination between the party and the military." The handover of power comes as the military is rapidly modernizing with the help of double-digit annual percentage increases in the defense budget and major technical advances, including the development of two prototype stealth fighters and the launch of the country's first aircraft carrier. China claims those are purely for defense, although they are seen by its neighbors as adding bite to its territorial claims off its east coast and in the South China Sea. Reform-minded intellectuals and some outspoken officers have urged the People's Liberation Army to transfer its ultimate loyalty to the state, rather than the party, saying that would help professionalize the armed forces. In response, party leaders and state-controlled media have repeatedly derided the notion as mistaken and dangerous and reiterated the axiom that "the party controls the gun." nnnn