GOVT.ALONE CAN’T ALONE ENSURE ELECTIONS SAYS GOVT, CHIEF Kathmandu, 8 April: Chairman of the Interim Election Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi has said the government alone cannot guarantee fresh elections to the Constituent Assembly, RSS reports.. Addressing the national award distribution ceremony-2012 organised by the Madan Bhandari Foundation in the Capital on Monday, Chairman Regmi said although the incumbent government was making maximum efforts with full dedication to hold the election, the election would not be guaranteed with only the government wishing for it. “The responsibility of concluding the fresh CA elections in appropriate time is upon the shoulder of the government,” he said. Stating that election without preparations was not possible, the Election Government Chairman said that date for the upcoming election would be announced after the completion of necessary preparations and processes. The political parties should be effortful to ensure the massive participation of people in the election, taking lessons from the past experiences, he said, underlining the need of active and honest support of all the political parties to guarantee election. He also urged the political parties to intensify mutual talks and dialogues to create atmosphere conducive for election. Regmi said election was the sole priority and objective of the government and urged one and all not to doubt over the election programmes and focus on the successful completion of the election. (Note: Regmi’s comments come as NC leaders told activists at meeting of its Mahasimiti in Nawalparasi Monday to be prepared for a vote for which there was no alternative. Leaders asked activists to go to village united for elections. Regmi made the comments after Chairman Pachanda’s remark a vote may not be held in Nov./ Dec. as well even as the Big Four agreed election in mid-December as an alternat8ive. A vote won;t take place in June,) Nnnn REGMI CALLS FOUR PARTY LEADERS NEW KINGS Kathmandu, 8 April:: Chairman of the CPN-Maoist, Mohan Baidya, has accused the four leaders of the big four political parties of becoming 'new kings' thereby creating problems in the national politics, RSS reports.. Speaking at a programme organised to mark the sixth anniversary of the Radio Mirmire in the capital on Monday, Chairman Baidya said the big leaders were ridden with the mentality of new king as they began concentrating self and ignored people. Similarly, he said the four major parties had no legitimate stand so his party would not talk to them. However, separate meetings could be held with the individual party, he added. "Four parties' call is unacceptable; our struggle is on, so there is no meaning on holding talks to them," he reiterated. On the occasion, general secretary of the Federation Socialist Party Rajendra Shrestha said the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress were status quoist. He further said it was blunder on the part of the UCPN-Maoist to dissolve its army which fought for change. The restoration of the constituent assembly or the roundtable conference could frustrate the four-party monopoly, he argued. nnnn MARGARET THATCHER DEAD Kathmandu, 8 April: Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" who dominated British politics for two decades, died on Monday following a stroke, a spokesman for her family said. She was 87, Reuters reports from London. Britain's only woman prime minister, the tough, outspoken Thatcher, led the Conservatives to three election victories, governing from 1979 to 1990, the longest continuous period in office by a British prime minister since the early 19th century. "It was with great sadness that I learned of Lady Thatcher's death," Prime Minister David Cameron said. "We've lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister and a great Briton." Thatcher died peacefully on Monday morning, said Lord Tim Bell, a spokesman for the Thatcher family. "It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning," Bell said. A grocer's daughter with a steely resolve, she became loved and loathed in equal measure as she crushed the unions and privatised vast swathes of British industry. Queen Elizabeth said she was sad to hear the news of Thatcher's death and sent a message of sympathy to her family. nnnn