PARAS SHAH STILL UNCONSCIOUS Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Former Crown Prince Paras Shah, 42, is still unconscious and is under medical treatment and observation at a Bangkok hospital, reports from the Thai capital said Friday morning. Shah suffered a heart Tuesday night—his second in six years. nnnn GIRL KILLED IN WALL COLLAPSE Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: A girl was killed in a wall collapse in Bardiya Thursday. The girl killed in Gilariya was seven years old. nnnn CHIEF JUSTICE RELUCTANT TO LEAD ELECTION GOVT SAYS SUSHIL KOIRALA Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala Thursday said sitting chief justice Khil Raj Regmi was showing a rigid posture to take the leadership of the election government, The Rising Nepal reports.. Inaugurating the newly constructed building of Nepal Teachers' Association here, Koirala said Regmi was undecided on the matter till now. He said Regmi remained silent as he had doubts that he might fail to accomplish the task if he did not get the full cooperation from the political parties. The NC chief stated that his party would not compromise with democratic norms and values. He said democracy was in threat and his party had the responsibility to save it. Koirala criticized UCPN-Maoist of playing a game to stopping him from leading the government to hold the election. Meanwhile, a dozen of central working committee members of NC pressed the party leadership to not compromise on the principles of democracy and separation of powers in appointing the chief justice as the head of the election government. Sujata Koirala, Gynendra Bahadur Karki, Shanker Bhandari, NP Saud and others met party president Koirala and senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba in the residences of the top leaders to convey their message. In separate meetings, they urged the party leaders to not go out of line with the party's CWC decision. They also called for a CWC meeting to take further decisions in this regard. The leaders suggested appointing the chief justice as prime minister only after his resignation from as the chief of the judiciary as per the norms of one person one post. During the meeting, president Koirala said he would not compromise with the democratic values and the principle of separation of powers. “The party chief assured us he will not agree with other parties by going against the party's decision,” leader Sujata Koirala said after the meeting. Nnnn NO OBSTACLE TO CHIEF JUSTICE-LED ELECTION GOVT. SAY TOP 22 LAWYERS Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: More than two dozen senior advocates and law experts Thursday viewed that the sitting chief justice can lead the election government, The Rising Nepal reports.. They suggested the top leaders of the major political parties that the Interim Constitution would not obstruct to form the new government under the chief Justice to hold fresh CA elections. During the meeting with the top leaders held at Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, they suggested that sitting chief justice Khilaraj Regmi could lead the proposed election government. They viewed that the major parties should forge broader consensus among all the parties representing the dissolve CA before forming the non-partisan government headed by the incumbent chief justice. Talking to journalists after the meeting, UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said that the parties would dwell on the suggestions of the legal experts and come up with a package deal on holding CA election by May-end. Prachanda said that Friday’s meeting would reach agreement on the ways to debar the obstruction of the Interim Constitution and open the doors to form the new government. He said that the formation of the new government under the CJ was not a critical issue. CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam said, the advocates suggested that an election government should be formed under the leadership of the chief justice to hold the CA election. He said that the advocates stressed to form new government for fresh election and constitution was not against the fresh election. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar said that the meeting was fruitful and the advocates suggested forming new government under the Chief Justice. Nepali Congress Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel said that advocates were positive to form new government under the Chief Justice. Nepal Bar Association former Chairman Bishwokanta Mainali said that the President should open the door through amendment the constitution to form the new government under the Chief Justice. He said that the country was in big trouble and added that the constitution had guided to form any government for fresh mandate through poll. Former Attorney General Yubaraj Sangurala said that article 106 has given authority to form new government under the Chief Justice to hold the CA election. Attorney General Mukti Pradhan said that the parties have constitutional authority to form new government under the Chief Justice. Senior Advocate Ramnath Adhikari said that article 106, 38, 40, 158 and 188 of the constitution had guided the parties to form new government under the CJ leadership. Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, UML leader Gautam, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Chiarman Mahatha Thakur and other leaders from the major four political forces were present in the meeting. However, the Nepal Bar Association, the umbrella organization of the lawyers in Nepal, has already opposed the proposal of forming the interim election government led by the chief justice by submitting a memorandum to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav to prevent such a move. nnnn