UPDATE MAOIST CHIEF LEAVES FOR CHINA Kathmandu, 14 April:: Chairman of the Unified CPN (Maoist), Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has claimed that his China visit would mark a beginning of a new history. Talking to journalists before he departed for China visit at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), he said he had started his visit to China in order to take benefit from the economic progress and prosperity of its neighbours as per the national interest. UCPN-Maoist Chairman Dahal said, "We should take initiative to benefit from their economic development by forgetting and ending all the existing tendencies of using one country against another. My visit to China, and the visit to India that would follow right after returning from China would be guided by the same motivation." Dahal claimed that he would focus his visit on the stability and development of the country. He said that the government and the Government of China had given his visit official status and that it had made him more responsible. Stating that he was leaving for China as a Coordinator of the High-level Political Committee, Dahal said he would appeal Nepal´s neighbours to support for a free and fair election that was going to be held soon. He said that during his visit, he would meet Chinese President, Prime Minister, as well as senior leaders of the Communist Party of China. Informing that he was going for an India visit right after China, UCPN-Maoist Chairman Dahal stressed the need of keeping both the neighbors in equidistance and work for the paramount interests of the nation. Dahal said that a tripartite relation should be developed for a prosperous Nepal and that he would center his visit for the same. Dahal expressed his hope that the date for the Constituent Assembly elections would be declared soon, and urged one and all to center their activities for an environment of elections. Dahal´s wife Sita Dahal, Chundamadi Khadka of his Secretariat, Santu Darai, Dan Bahadur Malla of Nepal Police are accompanying Dahal in the visit. Nnnn PATYLESSNESS NO CHOICE FOR MAOISTS SAYS BHATTARAI BANEPA, April 14: Vice-Chairman of the UCPN-Maoist, Baburam Bhattarai, has said that there was no possibility of partylessness in the country. Speaking at a news conference organised by the Revolutionary Journalists´ Association, Kavre, in Budol, on Sunday, Bhattarai said that the incumbent government, formed through consensus of political parties, would declare the date of election soon. Stating that consensus was forged among political parties to hold election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) by June 21 removing obstacles on consensus, Bhattarai, also the former Prime Minister, expressed the view that risk and instability would rise if situation comes for escaping from election in different pretexts. He said now the CA election would not be held by June practically, and he suggested for holding it by mid-November. Nnnn ELECTION MATTE OF SURVIVAL FOR NC SAYS DEUBA Kathmandu, 14 April: Senior leader of the Nepali Congress (NC), Sher Bahadur Deuba, has said the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) elections have been the matter of life and death for NC, RSS reports from Banepa. Speaking at a greetings exchange programme and tea-party organized by NC Banepa Municipal Committee here today, he said the party encouraged internal election system keeping the upcoming CA elections in the center. Indicating the Unified CPN (Maoist) activities, former Prime Minister Deuba said there is a situation that the people have to fear with political parties instead of the parties to fear from the people. The general public have still the fears with the UCPN-Maoist, the former rebels, he said. The second CA election was a must to ensure people with their rights, he said, adding that the tool of separation of powers was the assembly elected by the people. Deuba stressed on the internal unity in the party, as for the NC could get majority only when the leaders were united, and said the nation needs a democratic constitution for political stability. nnnn