CAPITAL’S WEDNESDAY MORNING TEMPERATURE 12 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu, 24 April: Capital’s morning temperature Wednesday was 12 degrees Celsius. Mercury is expected to rise to 28 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. Rainfall is also likely during the day. Nnnn BUSINESSMAN’S LAND ROVER VANDALIZED Kathmandu, 24 April: A parked vehicle of FNCCI Vice-president Pashupati Muraraka was vandalized by persons on two motorcycles Tuesday at Thapathali. Murarka was just getting into his Land Rover was stoned and hammered. by the motorcyclists The driver was injured. Nnnn NC AGAINST POLL ALLIANCE Kathmandu, 24 April: Nepali Congress youth leaders today suggested the party leadership not to enter into an electoral alliance with major parties in the upcoming Constituent Assembly polls as it could reduce the party’s votes under proportional representation system, The Himalayan Times reports.. Addressing a seminar organised to commemorate the 43rd Establishment Day of the party’s youth wing Nepal Student Union former NSU chairmen including NP Saud, Kishor Singh Rathoor, Bishwa Prakash Sharma said that the party could certainly achieve success without making electoral alliance with other parties. They said that the most important challenge before the party was maintaining unity and field right candidates who can garner popular votes. In response, NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba said that the party’s victory was certain this time. The new constitution could not be promulgated due to the NC’s defeat in the 2008 Constituent Assembly polls, he said. “There are no democratic parties in Nepal other than the Congress. People have already realised the zero performance of the communist prime ministers during the Constituent Assembly’s four-year tenure. So, our party’s victory is inevitable to ensure the democratic constitution, peace and progress,” he added. Recalling how Maoist leaders began the politics of bloodshed 19 years ago when he was the prime minister, Deuba said, “Baburam Bhattarai handed over 40-point demand to me on Magh 20. I promised him to deal the issues on Falgun 5 after I return from my scheduled visit to India. But, the Maoists unleashed violent activities from Falgun 1 without giving me the minimum time to deal with their agenda.” He asked, “Did Dahal and Bhattarai address either of their 40-point demands during their two-and-a-half year in power? No. If so, why did they kill 15,000 people. They should explain their action to the people of the country?” Deuba went on to say that people voted Maoists to power in the 2008 poll due to widespread terror. However, this time they would make the Congress victory. Stating that the upcoming FSU elections are like mini referendum, he said that the party’s student wing must get victorious as it could be meaningful for the Constituent Assembly elections. CWC members Ananda Dhungana, Bal Bahadur KC, Prakash Sharan Mahat and Nabindra Raj Joshi, former NSU chairmen Govinda Bhattarai and Bipin Koirala underlined the need of internal unity to win the elections. “We don’t need to make electoral alliance if we stand with unity. The party should fight the elections on its own strength, although we can move ahead together with other parties on many issues of peace and democratic constitution,” said Saud. Kishor Singh Rathoor said that the party should distribute candidacy to those able candidates who are popular and can win polls. CWC member Nabindra Raj Joshi suggested the NSU leadership to take action against those who go against the official decision in the FSU polls. Bishwa Prakash Sharma made three suggestions — intellectually dealing with the rifts within the NSU and the mother party NC, making people aware about how four communist governments’ atrocities during the four-year period and conveying the general people about how the majority of communist forces blocked the democratic constitution – to the NSU members. Nnnn MAJORITY FAIL NEW DRIVING LICENCE TEST Kathmandu, 24 April: Many novice drivers failed the new practical driving licence tests that came into force from today [Tuesday], The Himalayan Times reports.. The Department of Transport Management and Metropolitan Traffic Police Division said they had introduced much tougher and more scientific practical skill assessment test with the aim of reducing driving hazards on the roads. MTPD in-charge DIG Upendra Kant Aryal and Director General of DoTM Sharad Chandra Poudel jointly inaugurated the new trial system today. Of the 65 persons who had passed the written examination for scooter, only 23 persons passed the trial, and four persons were absent on the first day of the new trial test, MTPD said. According to data, only 35.38 per cent passed the new trial test against the past record in which an average of 60 per cent would pass the trial for obtaining driving licence for scooter and motorcycle. Until the enforcement of the new trial system, four-wheelers were required to make a ‘T’ and two-wheelers were required to pass through poles kept apart a few feet from each other in zigzag motion without touching them. As per the new skill test provision, a person appearing in the exam is required to go through the prescribed zone shaped like the Arabic number ‘8’ accompanied by slopes, ‘U’ turn, rough roads and narrow trails in compliance with traffic signals and side lights within five minutes for two-wheelers, and a little under 10 minutes for four-wheelers. Trial spots have been constructed on the premises of the Trolley Bus Station in Min Bhawan. Unlike in the past, drivers are not allowed to take their personal two-wheelers and four-wheelers with them to the trial ground. Officials said they have acquired adequate number of brand new vehicles through a contractor and examinees should pay a prescribed fee for the same. “The fees prescribed for scooters and motorcycles are Rs 46 and Rs 45 respectively. Likewise, an examinee has to pay Rs 93, Rs 123, Rs 122 and Rs 163 for car, jeep, van and tempo, respectively. The new trial system is expected to produce skilled drivers to curb road accidents in future, traffic officials said. Though the new provision is currently only applicable to Bagmati Zone. Authorities are preparing to introduce it across the country to maintain uniformity in standard. nnnn