MUGU LINKED BY ROAD Kathmandu, 16 Dec : Mugu, a district in the distant and difficult Karnali zone, has been connected with roadway on Sunday, RSS reports from Mugu. The mountainous district often reeled under exorbitant price hike, and a source of regular news story for difficulty in transportation, and woes the local people undergo finally got the roadway under the Karnali Highway. Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday inaugurated the roadway of the Nagma-Gamgadhi section under the Karnali Highway. With the district connected with road, the people here have hoped betterment of lives and livelihood selling fruits, herbs and other cash crops. Addressing a function organized here, the PM made commitment that he would take initiative to extend and upgrade the roadway to Humla and Bajura. Accusing the Nepali Congress and the UCPN-UML of obstructing political development, PM Bhattarai reiterated that he was ready to make any sort of sacrifice if elections to the constituent assembly was ensured for April/May. Former education minister Hasta Bahadur Malla demanded that the government upgrade the Karnali highway and extend the road link from Mugu to Nakche Lagna of the Tiben region. The Mugu district needs to be connected with the North-South road network, he added. Similarly, former district development committee chairman Mohan Baniya urged the PM to develop Mugu as a trade and business hub for the Chinese and Indian people. The foundation stone to the road was laid on March 15, 2008. The 94-km long road stretches from Nagma Gath of Kalikot district to Gamgadhi, district headquarters of Mugu. The total cost of the construction was Rs 1.58 billion. It was constructed by the Nepal Army. The Nepal Army was honoured at the programme which also saw the presence of Chief of Army Staff Gaurav Shumser Rana, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dipenda Bahadur Chhetri and other high-level government officials. Elated over arrival of vehicles for the first time in their district, the Mugu people heartily welcomed the guests and garlanded the vehicles too. Nnnn BAIDYA VAKSTS BIG THREE BAIDYA BLASTS BIG THREE Kathmandu, 16 Dec : CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya has said that the major three political parties were focusing only on a single agenda of government formation, and ignoring issues of national integrity and problems facing the people, RSS reports from Pokhara. Inaugurating the first convention of the party´s Tamuwan State Committee on Sunday, Chairman Baidya said that top leaders of major parties were wrangling only for power. Baidya also accused UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ´Prachanda´ of stressing for form of governance by quitting the agenda of federalism. Saying that the CPN-Maoist has nothing to do with winning and losing the elections, Baidya claimed that his party would work for the emancipation of the people and for those who disappeared during the insurgency. Party´s Tamuwan State Committee In-charge Yeshodha Gurung presided over the programme. A total of 350 representatives from the State Committee are taking part in the three-day programme. Nnnn SURYA BAHADUR SAYS PROSPETS OF CONSENSUS BRIGHTER Kathmandu, 16 Dec : President of Rastriya Janashakti Party Surya Bahadur Thapa has said that there was possibility of forming a national government within the final deadline given by the President for a consensus government. RSS reports from Attriya.. Speaking at a press conference organized by the party here on Sunday, President Thapa said the UCPN (Maoist) was becoming flexible in the final deadline and thereby leading to likelihood of a national government. Stating that the Nepali Congress should get the leadership of the consensus government, the former Prime Minister said the leadership should not be a matter of dispute anymore. Only a consensus government can lead to CA elections in May and so all parties need to become serious towards that end, he added. Likewise, President of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shumsher JB Rana said the formation of a national government was being delayed due to the UCPN (Maoist). Nnnn CONSERVATIIVES WON VOTE IN JAPAN kAc 16: Japan´s conservative Liberal Democratic Party look to have secured a convincing majority in Sunday´s general election, broadcasters said, AFP reports from Tokyo. NHK, citing forecasts based on its own exit polls, said hawkish Shinzo Abe´s LDP was likely to win 275 to 310 seats in the 480-seat lower house against 55 to 77 seats to be secured by Yoshihiko Noda´s Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). New Komeito, LDP´s coalition partner, is likely to win 27 to 35 seats, NHK said. That could give the pair a more than two-thirds majority in the powerful lower house, enough to override the upper house, in which no party has overall control. "The LDP sweeps to victory; Abe administration to start," the online edition of the Nikkei newspaper said in a banner headline. All main broadcasters were in agreement that the LDP would return to power, three years after it was booted out by voters fed up with their more than half-century of almost unbroken rule. Nationalist former Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, whose bid to buy disputed islands provoked a fierce diplomatic showdown with China, was also headed to parliament, NHK said. Ishihara, who heads the populist Japan Restoration Party, appeared to have secured one of 180 seats up for grabs in the proportional representation section. Parliament will be called to session as early as December 26th to name Abe as the new prime minister, the Nikkei newspaper said. "Mr Abe is expected to form his cabinet on the same day," the Nikkei said. "He will issue his plan to draft an extra budget by the year-end as well as a broad direction for the next fiscal year´s budget before closing the extraordinary Diet session on December 28," the Nikkei said In an evening that looked set to be a fairly miserable one for Noda, TV Asahi reported at least two of his ministers would lose their seats. Internal Affairs Minister Shinji Tarutoko and Education Minister Makiko Tanaka appeared to have lost their constituency seats. It is possible that they may win through on the proportional representation part of the ballot. Noda´s own fate as leader of the much-diminished DPJ also looked in doubt, reports said, despite his apparently having retained his seat. Kohei Otsuka, a senior party official told NHK: "In general, (Noda) can´t help but take responsibility for (the defeat). But he will consider how to take his responsibility." nnnn