NA DEFUSES BOMB IN BIRATNAGAR Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: A squad from the Nepal Army (NA) has defused a cooker bomb planted at Biratnagar this [Tuesday] morning, RSS reports from Biratnagar.. A bomb disposal squad from NA, Eastern Division, Itahari detonated a stray bomb planted at Pachali Mode along the Biratnagar-Jogbani road section at around 6.30 am, said the Morang District Police Office. Also found in the site was a three-page statement circulated by the CPN-maoist (Revolutionary), said police. Investigation into the incident is on, police said. In yet another incident, a pressure cooker bomb has been detected in Bankatuwa VDC-7, Rangeela Chowk of Banke district at 5.00 this morning. A pamphlet undersigned by CPN-Maoist (Revolutionary) Chairperson Janapad was found nearby the site, said the Area Police Office, Kohalpur. A squad from NA has reached the site to defuse the bomb. Nnnn SIRAHA FIRE CAUSES EXTENSIVE DAMAGE Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Fire that took place at Pokharbhinda VDC-6 in Siraha this morning has gutted property worth Rs 2 million, RSS reports from Siraha.. The fire spread from cow shed engulfed six houses and other valuables in Pokharbhinda-6, Parsa. According to Police Inspector at District Police Office Raj Kumar Shahi, the fire broke out from the house of Laxman Safi destroyed the houses, jewelries, cash and food stuffs. The fire that spread at 1.00 AM was taken under control after an hour with the help of locals, fire-engine and security personnel. Nnnn CJ JOINS SIKKIM’S LENDUP DORHE SAYS MOHAN BAIDYA OF CPN MAOIST Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: Various opposition parties including CPN-Maoist and Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Nepal have objected to the decision of the four major parties to form a government led by sitting Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi for holding fresh elections, Republica reports.. The objection of the opposition parties came in the wake of the chief justice expressing his readiness to head an election government and the four major parties reaching an agreement on Monday to form the CJ-led government for holding fresh pols. Expressing serious objection to the statement of the chief justice (CJ) that he is ready to head an election government, the Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist said the CJ is going to join the anti-people and traitors´ club. Accusing the major political parties -UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front - of planning to convert Nepal into another Sikkim, they said that the CJ-led government is a design of foreign forces and will invite totalitarianism and autocracy. "The CJ is also going to participate in the club of Lendup Dorje [under whom Sikkim was merged in India], while the so-called major political paries are playing Dorje´s role," said Pampha Bhusal, spokesperson of CPN-Maoist, adding that her party was going to organise protest programs. She termed the CJ-led government formation process a ´foreign design´ and the leaders of the major political parties -UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Federal Democratic Madhesi Front -as ´stooges.´ "The only solution for the current deadlock is to form a national government of the political parties. It is also necessary to hold protests against anti-national and traitor forces." She said that the CJ played a negative role in making the SC deviate from its existing judicial role. Similarly, expressing disagreement with the formation of an election government under a sitting chief kustice (CJ), the Nepal Federal People´s Republican Front led by the CPN-Maoist is going to hold mass demonstrations and mass gatherings on Thursday in the major towns and cities of the country, including the capital. Terming a CJ-led election government as unconstitutional and unnatural, they have demanded the formation of a national consensus government under the leadership of the political parties. "We appeal to leftist, nationalist, republican and federalist forces to express solidarity, to participate and to make a grand success of the mass demonstration across the country," reads the statement. The statement was issued by CPN-Maoist, CPN (United), CPN (Maoist), Revolutionary Communist Party and Federal Democratic Forum. The parties in the alliance and other fringe parties have been saying that they would not accept the proposal of the major political parties. The front has demanded that the Baburam Bhattarai-led government step down, terming it as anti-people and anti-national. They also called for saving national sovereignty and stopping foreign interference. Similarly, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Nepal has objected to the decision of the major political parties to form an election government under a sitting chief justice. "We do not have reservations over which person becomes prime minister. The only concern we have is that the head of the judiciary should not be made to head the executive branch at a time when there is no legislature in place. This is against democratic norms and values," said MPRF-N Chairman Upendra Yadav. Yadav also said that they will wait and see what kind of government the parties will agree to form, and take a decision accordingly. "If the chief justice becomes prime minister, he should step down from the post of chief justice. If the CJ guarantees holding of fresh polls after quitting his current position we will have no reservations over him," Yadav further said. Nnnn NBA CALLS EMERGENCY SESSION TO DISCUSS REGMI-LED GOVT. Kathmandu, 26 Feb.: : Breaking his long silence over the proposal of the major political parties to form an election government under his leadership, Chief Justice (CJ) Khil Raj Regmi has said that he is ready to head such a government, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.. The Supreme Court (SC), issuing a press statement on Monday, said the chief justice has a positive view regarding the proposal to head a government in order to end the ongoing political and constitutional crisis, and not out of any personal ambition. The apex court stated that the process ahead would be in accordance with consensus among the political parties, resolution of the constitutional and legal complexities and respect for the decision of the judiciary. "The Supreme Court believes that discussions have taken place on the formation of a government under the chief justice because of his belief in the rule of law, respect for human rights, commitment to an independent judiciary, contributions in the field of justice for the past 40 years and faith in the judiciary," reads the press statement signed by SC Assistant Spokesperson Hemanta Rawal. The SC´s statement comes at a time when the silence of the chief justice over the proposal of the major political parties is being criticized by constitutional and legal experts. Rawal said the SC issued the press statement following instructions from the chief justice. Asked how the chief justice could lead a government as the issue is already sub-judice at the apex court, Rawal said that he (Regmi) would move ahead in accordance with the court´s ruling on the issue. The SC on Sunday had sought written clarifications regarding the issue from the president´s office, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and his office and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal by March 5. Following hearings on a writ petition filed by Advocate Bharat Mani Jangam at the apex court, a single bench of Justice Sushila Karki had decided to forward the case to a special bench, stating that it was necessary to interpret several laws before issuing a final verdict. The next hearing on the petition will be held on March 7. Earlier, at a meeting with the chief justice Monday morning, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) had urged him to head an election government. Responding to a question last week about his silence, Regmi had said that he would make his views public at an appropriate time. Meanwhile, expressing grave concern over the statement issued by the SC, Nepal Bar Association (NBA), the umbrella organization of lawyers across the country, has called an emergency meeting to discuss the issue. According to NBA Vice-president Tika Ram Bhattarai, former NBA presidents, general secretaries and Kathmandu Valley unit presidents are also invited to the meeting. “The NBA is sticking to its stance against the formation of a government under the leadership of a sitting or former justice of the SC, thereby undermining judicial norms. Constitutional and legal expert Bhimarjun Acharya termed the SC´s statement ´a tragic event´. “The SC issued a political statement on the CJ´s wish in contravention of judicial decorum,” he maintained, adding, “The meeting of the CJ with the respondents of a sub-judice case is also against the code of conduct for judges.” Acharya further maintained that the SC´s statement touches on a sub-judice issue. “It hints that the sub-judice case will not be overseen impartially,” he added. Political party leaders have also taken strong exception to the statement of the SC on a sub-judice case. “The way the apex court has issued a statement over a case which is sub-judice is objectionable,” said NC CWC member Arjun Narsingh KC, adding, “This goes against the fundamental legal principle regarding comments on a sub-judice cases.” Nnnn