FORMER PM BHATTARAI SAYS ELECTION POSSIBLE IN JUNE END. Kathmandu, 14 March: Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has said that the fresh election to Constituent Assembly (CA) is possible to take place in the third week of June, RSS reports.. Talking to journalists at his private residence in Sanepa on Thursday, Dr Bhattarai said that the election is likely as the main political parties are prepared to go for elections and the country has moved towards election process. 'The election should be held in the third week of coming June by all means and the role of major parties and other political forces will be crucial', said the former Prime Minister. The government-announced polls did not take place because of the prevalence of unique type of democracy in Nepal; however the international practice is it that the government announcing the polls should hold the elections. Everyone has the right to express own opinion in multi-party system, he said, terming the protest by 22 political parties including the CPN-Maoist is a symbolic one. Recalling that crucial works concerning the peace process were completed during his tenure, he further said the remaining task of rank harmonization of former combatants was also accomplished yesterday on consensus of major political parties. Claiming that the constitution-making process did not take a stride for no confidence-building environment among the parties, he clarified that there is no point to blame the government for this. 'The government's role in peace process is just a facilitator and it was carefully handled by the government. The crisis of trust among the parties costs much for no promulgation of constitution but the coming election will complete the task', said leader Bhattarai. Likewise, former Prime Minister Bhattarai also made public a book showcasing the major accomplishments and achievements made during the tenure of the coalition government former under his leadership. The book has included various topics such as peace, constitution, good governance, prosperity, international relations and relief. Nnnn APPOINTMENT OF REGMI AS GOVT. CHIEF A BLACK SPOT IN JUDICIAL HISTORY SAYS NBA Kathmandu, 14 March: The Nepal Bar Association (NBA) has said that a sheer attack on independent judiciary by Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi by heading an election government has left a black spot in Nepal's six decade-long judicial history. An emergency meeting of the umbrella organization of the country's legal practitioners today termed Regmi's appointment to the head of the Interim Election Council as the black day adding that the final hearing on CJ elevating the head of the executive was fixed against the political parties' plan to form the CJ-led election government. The NBA also expressed displeasure to the negligence of the President as a patron of the Interim Constitution of Nepal saying that the President did not take any steps to prevent the unconstitutional move of the political parties and the Chief Justice. Article 158 of the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2063 B.S has been used arbitrarily for so-called amendment of dozens of Articles of the constitution in the name of removing difficulties and that has challenged the constitutionalism, principle of power separations, independent judiciary and multiparty system, the NBA said. The NBA has also urged the legal practitioners and other professional organizations to condemn such antidemocratic move. Likewise, the Supreme Court Bar Association has also condemned the appointment of the Chief Justice to the post of the prime minister. Nnnn BRITISH REACTION Kathmandu, 14 March: British Minister for South Asia, Hugo Swire Thursday welcomed the formation of an interim election council to hold constituent assembly elections. “It is good to see real progress on the road to an enduring democracy in Nepal and I strongly welcome the creation of an interim election council to oversee Nepal’s elections” British embassy said quoting Swire. Minister Swire also urged that free, fair, safe and credible elections are needed to complete the peace process, according to the embassy. nnnn