PRISON RIOT CLAIMS A LIFF Kathmandu, 20 Jan.: A jailbird died in Birgunj jail on Saturday, RSS reports from Birgunj.. Hira BK, 40 of Pouraha VDC-2 in Rupendehi district, who was serving jailterm in a murder case, died while he was undergoing treatment of Hepatitis B, said Chief Jailer Dhiraj Marasini. According to Marasini, BK was shifted from Rupendehi to Birgunj jail in 2068 BS. He has been afflicted from Hepatitis B since long time. BK was accused of murdering his wife ad is serving 20-year jail-term for his crime. No relatives have come here to perform his last rites.Hid mortal nbody will be cremated after completing a legal process, said the chief jailer Marasini. In Jumla, six persons were injured in a brawl among jailbirdsi n Karnali Zonal Prison, Jumla. The clash ensuded on a trivial matter and some six inmates sustained injuries in the incident said Chief Jailer Deepak Mahat. The injured have been shifted to women jail ward. High alert has been in place to curb possible untoward incidents in the jail, said Assistant Chief District Officer, Bhupendra Thapa. nnnn ELECTIONS TO TEAR CONSTITUTION SAYS MAOIST CHIEF Kathmandu, 20 Jan 20: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has threatened to throw away all the agreements reached with other political parties if the current government is not allowed to hold elections by May-end, Santosh POkharel writes in Republica from Pokhara.. Chairman Dahal announced going against what he said were conspiracies being hatched against their desire to institutionalize the achievements of the historic Janaandolan II of April, 2006. “If we are not allowed to hold elections [by May-end] all the agreements reached in the past will be torn up, the Nepali people will tear them up. And ´such criminals´ will be punished,” he warned. Addressing the fifth Kaski district convention of the UCPN (Maoist) in Pokhara on Saturday, Dahal said their upcoming general convention will prepare the ground for assuming leadership against such conspiracies, through a new political line. Dahal asked other parties not to take as weakness on the part of the Maoists the latter´s attempts to institutionalize the achievements realised so far through peaceful means. “Do not think about pushing the Maoists into a corner. The Maoists showed themselves flexible. The party chose to integrate its army to conclude the peace process. Do not think that the Maoists do not have anything now,” he warned. “If all these moves are deemed as our weakness, we will move ahead with 30 million people. New forms of revolt will be organized," he said. "We will come up with this political line. People, therefore, need not worry.” Stating that his party was now encircled from all sides, Dahal came down heavily against the opposition parties for not extending cooperation for holding fresh elections. "Is it the Maoists that did not allow the holding of elections? Absolutely not. Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the president are to blame for this,” he said. Dahal alleged that ordinances related to fresh elections have been pending at the President´s Office for the past several months because of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. "Our party and the government are open on the alternative of holding fresh elections. We wish there could be consensus and elections at the earliest," he said while adding that there was still a possibility of holding the polls by May-end if there was consensus among the parties in the next two-three days. On the occasion, Chairman Dahal said that efforts were made to encircle the Maoists from various quarters, including through the arrest of NA Colonel Kumar Lama in the UK and through the case involving the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa in Dailekh. Also addressing the function, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai criticized the opposition parties for trying to raise the issue of human rights violations during the conflict period. "We have proposed to investigate crimes against humanity through a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But an ordinance related to the TRC is pending at the President´s Office since the past six months," the prime minister said. It may be recalled that the ordinance was stalled for lack of concensus among the political parties as the Maoists had unilaterally included an amnesty provision for henious crimes. Meanwhile, addressing a function in Kathmandu earlier on Saturday, Maoist Chairman Dahal accused opposition parties of not coming to a consensus for fear of going to fresh elections. "Opposition parties are not ready for consensus. Instead, they are hell-bent on foiling the achievements obtained through the people´s sacrifices and contributions. The country will not get an outlet until people discourage such practices," RSS reported Dahal as saying. Inaugurating the party´s Central Library and Information Center at the party headquarters at Parisdanda, Dahal said consensus among the parties remained elusive due to the opposition parties´ hunger for power and their fear of facing CA elections. Asking opposition parties to withdraw their protests, Dahal also said that only dialogue and talks could help end the ongoing deadlock. Nnnn FRINGE PARTIES IN FDRA UNHAPPY Kathmandu, 20 Jan. : Fringe parties in the Federal Democratic Republican Alliance (FDRA) have been left unhappy after being told that even they have to bear their shares of expenditure of organizing the alliance’s January 30 mass meet at Khulamanch in the capital, Prakash Timilsinha writes in Republica.. An FDRA secretariat meeting held Saturday estimated the cost of the event at Rs 2,000,000. During the meeting, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who also heads the alliance, largely dominated by ruling parties, proposed the idea of collectively bearing the cost. As per the proposal, each fringe party, not in the government, has to contribute Rs 50,000, while those holding at least one ministerial portfolio have to pay Rs 100,000 each. The proposal was later quashed following objections from the small parties. According to a participating leader, the meeting finally ended, deciding that UCPN (Maoist) will contribute Rs 1,000,000; the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), Rs 500,000; the three fringe parties represented in the government, Rs 50,000 each and other small parties without their representation in the government, Rs 25,000 each. However, the fringe parties not in the government still have reservation over the revised proposal, saying that they don’t have adequate sources for funding, and are due to meet and inform FDRA Co-ordinator Dahal that the decision is not acceptable to them, the leader added. nnnn