NEAL DEFEATS UGANDA IN FINAL OF ICC WORLD ACRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION 3 Kathmandu, 6 May: Nepal overnight defeated Uganda by five wickets in the finals of ICC World Cricket League Division 3 after losing the toss against Sunday in Nermuda. National Sports Councildecided to award Rs.. 350,000 in prize money to each player. MORE LOBBYING AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF LOKMAN SINGH KARKI Kathmandu, 6 May : Members of ‘nagarik samah”, including former chief of Nepal Bar Association (NBA) Sambhu Thapa lobbied with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Sunday evening to stop the appointment of Lokman Singh Karki as CIAA chairman. Society members earlier failed to stop appointment by the constitutional council. The society submitted a memorandum to the president and will gherao the office of the head of state Monday to stop the appointment of Karki. UML is also submitting a memorandum to the president against the appointment of Karki by the constitutional council Sunday. Nnnn KEROSENE STOVE EXPLOSION KILLED THREE IN CAPITAL Kathmandu, 6 May: Two children and a woman were killed Sunday in a kerosene stove exlosion at Hanumandhoka. . The explosion ignited a fire. Nnnn PRESSURE FOR UNITY IN MADESHI PARTIES Kathmandu, 6 May:- As the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party makes efforts to form an alliance with other Madhes-based parties for the planned Constituent Assembly elections, Madhesi leaders say there is pressure from their constituencies to come up with a united front to take ahead the agendas of the Madhes, Pranab Kharel writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Leaders also say they need to have significant presence in the new CA to make a 'substantial' difference. "The people of the Madhes have told us that we need to be united as we have a common agenda of identity and federalism," TMLP Joint-General Secretary Jitendra Sonar told the Post. "The last CA experience showed that the Madhesi parties had not even one-third strength in the assembly," he said. Senior Vice-Chairman of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Rameshwor Ray Yadav said people in the Mashes want to see all Madhesi parties united so that the agendas concerning the region are not sidelined. "We are trying to build an environment as per the liking of the Madhesi people," said Yadav. He sasid talks are ongoing between his party and the TMLP. "We have assigned Chairman Bijaya Gachhadar to hold talks with other parties. He is in talks with TMLP Chairman Mahanta Thakur." Asked how they would go about joining hands with the TMLP, Yadav said there won't be a problem "as Thakur is a respected figure." "We are not for negating anyone," he said. Co-Chairman of the Sadhbhawana Party Laxman Lal Karna also said he favours a strong party in the Madhes, "as it is the public's wish." He, however, said that any talk would gather pace once the date for the CA elections is announced. Observers too believe that a "clear message" from the public that the Madhesi parties can only garner votes if they come up united has compelled the parties to go for unification. "In my recent visit to various districts in the Madhes, I found that the public is for a united Madhesi party," said analyst Deependra Jha. He, however, pointed out that the public mood seems to be in support of those that have not yet occupied public positions. The last CA elections had seen considerable presence of representatives from the Madhesi parties, whose rise is attributed to the 2007 uprising. However, constituencies are disillusioned with the leaders following splits in the parties. "This could be one of the reasons why the parties want to contest in a unified manner," Jha said. Nnnn