MAOISTS ATTACK NC MEET BEING ADDRESSED BY GAGAN THAPA Kathmandu, 27 May: UCPN Maoist attacked a NC public being addressed by youth leader Gagan Thapaa in Rukum Sunday. Thapa escaped unhurt. Former Maoist fighters were joining the NC at the programme. nnnn MAOIST DEFECTORS REGISTERING PARTY MONDAY Kathmandu, 27 May:- The Federal Socialist Party Nepal (FSPN) has finally decided to register the party itself with the Election Commission (EC) on Monday. The Ashok Rai-led party has already laid the groundwork for the party's registration, according to FSPN leaders, The Kathmandu Post reports.. Such a move has been seen as FSPN's formal decision to participate in the next Constituent Assembly elections. The party has been staging a nationwide protest against the four parties' “political syndicate” and the Khil Raj Regmi-led election government over the past few months. "We are not against the elections but the government should address our demands," said Ajambar Rai Kangmang, FSPN's assistant general secretary. The party has put forth six-point charter of demands. It includes annulment of the 11-point and 25-point agreements reached among the four parties, a national political conference of all parties, voting opportunities to the Nepali diaspora, redrawing electoral constituencies and the same number of proportional representation seats in a new CA like in the past. The government has already expressed commitment to address FSPN demands. During the party registration process, FSPN leaders will submit signatures of their cadres collected from across the country to the EC. According to the Party Registration Act (2007), a new party must collect mandatory signatures of 10,000 individuals to register with the EC while the parties represented in the dissolved CA should furnish recommendation from the CA Secretariat along with applications for registration. FSPN leaders said the party has been carrying out both the party expansion work and publicity campaign together. Constituted primarily by defectors from the CPN-UML, the party has reportedly expanded its network in 45 districts setting up sister wings of students, women, youth, intellectuals and the Nepali diaspora. "The Standing Committee has already prepared the draft of election manifesto. We will accelerate the election campaign after the Central Committee endorses it," said Kangmang. nnnn