ARMY PLAYS MADHYAPUR IN FOOTBALL LEAGUE MONDAY Kathmandu, 10 Dec.: Tribhuvan Club of Nepal Army plays Madhayapur in Martyrs Memorial A Division Football League Championship at Dasrath Rangashala Monday. NTR plays Manang Marshyangdhi Club (MMC)in the second match. Nnnn MANISHA KOIRALA TO UNDERGO SURGERY FOR ACANCER MONDAY Kathmandu, 10 Dec.: Actress Manisha Koirala is to undergo operation for ovarian cancer in its third state at a New York Hospital,; Nagarik reports. She was first scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday. Manisha shot to fame Bollyhood after her first film Saudhagah was an instant hin in 1999. She said on Facebook and Twutter she was at the right place for treatment and asked well-wishers t pray for her. Nnnn CAPITAL’S MONDAY MORNING TEMPERATURE 4 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu, 10 Dec.: Capital’s Monday morning’s temperature was 4 degrees Celsius. Mercury is expected to rise to 19 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. nnnn NO COMPROMISE ON CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES SAYS NC Kathmandu, 10 Dec>;: The Nepali Congress (NC) has said that it would not accept any preconditions, especially relating to the contentious issues of new statute, to secure the prime ministerial berth, Republica reports. The party took such a decision arguing that a compromise on constitutional issues would undermine the rights of the “sovereign” people to take a decision on the issues themselves. “As we have already decided to go for Constituent Assembly (CA) polls, we cannot accept any preconditions set by the ruling parties. This is the institutional stance of NC,” said Central Working Committee (CWC) member Arjun Narsingh KC. A CWC meeting held at the party´s headquarters in Sanepa on Sunday afternoon took this decision. The party has taken this stance at a time when the ruling parties have demanded a package deal, including agreement on the contentious issues, in exchange for the prime ministerial berth to NC. At the outset, NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula had briefed the meeting about the progress made in the talks with UCPN (Maoist), CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front. Commenting on the political situation, party´s CWC members had argued that the party should devise a new strategy to ensure fresh election by mid-May. “NC has to focus on its roadmap. We must forge consensus so that fresh polls can be held at the earliest,” said CWC member Mahesh Acharya. He said the party should take proactive steps for consensus. "NC should not only focus on the prime ministerial berth, but also on implementing the party´s immediate roadmap," he said. Altogether nine CWC members, including Acharya and KC, had put forth their views at the meeting originally held to discuss statutes of various sister organizations. Most CWC members speaking at the meeting said the condition set by UCPN (Maoist) was yet another ploy aimed at prolonging their stay in power and possibly deferring the polls for November next year. Some CWC members had also expressed dissatisfaction over the party´s decision to pick the prime ministerial candidate when it was clear that the ruling parties were not in any mood to cede power. While CWC members Shankar Bhandari and NP Saud criticized the party leadership for announcing the party´s prime ministerial candidate in haste, another CWC member Dhan Raj Gurung defended the decision. Gurung said the party´s announcement of the prime ministerial candidate should not be taken in a bad light. “The party´s decision has given a positive message that NC stands united,” he said. “But the party should be open to alternative leadership to ensure free and fair election by mid-May.” Talking to media persons after the meeting, NC Spokesperson Dilendra Prasad Badu said the CWC meeting held discussions on the statutes of the party´s sister organizations -- Nepal Students Union, Nepal Women´s Association, Nepal Tarun Dal and Aadibasi Janajati Association. CWC members had pointed out mistakes and shortcomings in the statutes. Badu said two different steering committees formed earlier under party general secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula have been asked to submit the statutes of sister organizations after incorporating suggestions from the CWC members within the next six days. Nnnn PM's SISTER-IN-LAW CHAIRPERSON OF of KUKL, EMPLOYEES PROTEST Kathmandu, 10 Dec.: Timila Yami, sister-in-law of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, has been appointed the chairman of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) replacing the incumbent Prayag Lal Joshi. Joshi, an expert in drinking water management, who was selected to lead the KUKL 20 months ago through a free competition, defeating Timila and other contenders to the post, Arjun Poudel writes in Republica.. Employees at KUKL accused that Timila was appointed to the post just because she is a close relative of Prime Minister Bhattarai. Sources at KUKL said the decision was taken under the pressure from Hisila Yami, Timila´s sister, who overlooks the Ministry of Urban Development held by the prime minister. Timila´s firm has been selling software to the KUKL for a long time. She was disappointed after the company decided to replace the existing software with an advance one. According to Milan Shakya, company secretary at KUKL, the meeting of shareholders held last Wednesday concluded that selection of Joshi, the previous chairman, was done without following due process. "The meeting decided to appoint Mrs Timila as chairman until the shareholders select another candidate," Shakya said. The government, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Lalitpur Sub Metropolis, Nepal Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry and employees of KUKL are the shareholders of the company. Sources say HisilaYami had been pressuring KMC and Lalitpur Sub Metropolis officials to replace the representatives who had supported Joshi in the free competition. The KMC and Lalitpur Sub Metropolis have recently replaced some representatives following the pressure from Hisila. Sanjaya Upadhya has replaced Mahesh Kafley, KMC´s previous representative, and Rudra Gautam replaced Baburaja Maharjan as Lalitpur Sub Metropolis´ representative. Former chair of KUKL Joshi said he would challenge the decision of shareholders in Supreme Court. "I have become a victim of politics. I will seek justice from the court," Joshi said. As per the company´s act, no one can sack its chairman before the end of his/her four-year tenure. Joshi said that Timila had reservations about the change in KUKL´s existing billing software. "I don´t understand why Timila Ji objects to the new computer billing system which was preferred even by the Asian Development Bank," he said. Joshi said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was satisfied with his performance. Nnnn