HLPM LEADERS AND CHAIRMAN REGMI MEETING TUESDAY TO DISCUSS ELECTIONS Kathmandu, 11 June: Leaders of the HLPM are briefing Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Regmi Tuesday to inform of the failure of three parties and Madesh Morcha to resolve their differences on election laws to conduct constituent assembly elections. The party leaders of the body thathas no legal mandate are asking the government to decide on electoral laws to hold the vote by announcing formal election date. UML’s Raghuji Pant said the parties Monday agreed to include a two to five percent threshold when the next constituent assembly. The issue was contentious—NC and UML favouring a threshold and UCPN Maoist and Madesh Morcha opposing it. Nnnn DEUBA HOLDING DISCUSSIONS WITH MANMOHAN SINGH TUESDAY Kathmandu, 11 June: On the third day of his India visit Tuesday, Sher bahadur Deuba is holding talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Deuba Monday evening held discussions with Sonia Gandhi who didn’t consult Maoist Chairman Prachanda—the first Nepali party leader invited by New Delhi for discussions during the current political stalemate and ahead of proposed constituent assembly elections. India chose to consult Deuba in NC bypassing President Sushil Koiralaa and Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel. Nnnn SONIA GANDHI EVINCES INTEREST IN ELECTIONS WITH DEUBA Kathmandu, 11 June: Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Sonia Gandhi has expressed concern over the possibility of an early poll in Nepal, Akanshya Shah writes in Republica from New Delhi.. Gandhi expressed her concern during a meeting with the visiting former prime minister and Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba on Monday. ´The UPA chairperson was concerned about the upcoming elections in Nepal,´ Bimalendra Nidhi, NC leader, who is accompanying Deuba, told Republica after the meeting. In the meeting, which lasted 30 minutes, Gandhi also raised the issue of federal restructuring over which the last CA was dissolved. ´UPA chairperson was keen to know the type of federalism that Nepal prefers,´ Deuba"s spouse Arzu Deuba said, quoting him. In response, Deuba told Gandhi that federalism is a new issue in Nepal and all political parties will move ahead with consensus. Federalism in Nepal has been an issue of keen interest in both India and China lately. Assuring all Indian assistance in Nepal"s polls, Gandhi reassured Deuba of continuing Indian support in the ongoing constitution writing process and the peace process. Gandhi has also assured economic assistance for Nepal"s development once a new government is elected through the poll. ´India will continue its assistance to Nepal and seek further areas of economic cooperation,´ Nidhi quoted Gandhi as saying. Deuba"s visit has been seen in New Delhi as an effort by India to re-establish relationship with its traditional ally, the Nepali Congress. Political analysts in Delhi say that Deuba"s meeting with Sonia holds special significance. In recent high-level visits from Nepal, Gandhi kept herself away from meeting with Nepali leadership. She did not hold talks with Pushpa Kamal Dahal when the latter paid a visit to New Delhi in May this year and did not meet with Maoist Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai either during his visit to India in his then capacity as prime minister. Sonia was flanked by senior Indian National Congress leader Karan Singh and India"s Commerce Minister Anand Sharma. Deuba also met with National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon on Monday. However, the duo did not discuss India"s security concerns in Nepal. ´Menon discussed early peace and stability in Nepal,´ Nidhi said, adding, ´He did not touch upon the security concerns.´ Deuba also held talks with India"s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Matthai and held separate talks with Karan Singh. In most of his meetings Monday, including with Foreign Minister of India, Salman Khurshid, Indian side expressed its desire that democratic forces should be established in Nepal. ´India is more than happy to help Nepal institutionalize democracy in the country,´ Arzu Deuba quoted the Indian leaders. Deuba expected India"s cooperation in Nepal to sail through the challenging times. He also stated that the Maoists in Nepal are yet to renounce the politics of violence and sought India"s help to bring them into peaceful politics. Deuba accompanied by his spouse and Nidhi attended a reception hosted by the Nepali embassy in New Delhi. He addressed a gathering of representatives of various Nepali organizations, student bodies and Nepali mediapersons based in Delhi. Nnnn UNIFICATION BETWEEN MAOIST FACTIONS RULED OUT Kathmandu, 11 June: The CPN-Maoist has ruled out unification with the UCPN (Maoist), arguing that two Maoist parties have opposite political linesm Republica writes.. Issuing a press statement Monday, the CPN-Maoist also accused UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai of engaging in anti-people and anti-country activities and being ´stooges´ of ´Indian expansionist´ and ´world imperialist´ forces. “Our party rejects all the propaganda of some media about unification between the two Maoist parties. There is no possibility of uniting with the ´renegade´ and ´stooge´ UCPN (Maoist),” reads the statement issued by CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya. According to the statement, news reports about the party unification are baseless and fictitious. The statement also claimed that the two Maoist parties are running in exactly opposite directions, with their own separate political lines. After the Hetauda general convention held in February, the UCPN (Maoist) formally converted itself into a parliamentary party, abandoning its former line of ´state capture by armed force.´ Similarly, after the Kathmandu general convention held in January, the CPN-Maoist has adopted ´people´s revolt on the foundation of people´s war´ as its line. After the party split, the leaders and cadres of the two parties have been crossing over from the one party to the other. UCPN (Maoist) leaders in particular have been saying that party unification will take place soon as the CPN-Maoist broke away only because it did not get posts within the party. “We want to make public the fact that we have never talked with the UCPN (Maoist) about party unity and we have not taken any decision regarding that,” reads the statement. Ajit Tiwari writes from Biratnagar: BIRATNAGAR, June 10: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that his party has not held any unification talks with the party´s breakaway faction CPN-Maoist, which is led by Mohan Baidya. Chairman Dahal also said there is no possibility of unification with the party anytime soon because Mohan Baidya has gone too far. Speaking at a press conference here, he claimed that the reports suggesting unification between the two parties were not true. “I spoke to Mohan Baidya last night but we didn´t discuss party unification,” Dahal said. Baidya has time and again accused Dahal of ignoring the demands and concerns of the former´s faction so he was forced to quit the party. Dahal said, “We are for party unification; people of Nepal also want the same, but party unification is not possible anytime soon”. On the ongoing dispute among the parties over the amending the election-related laws, Dahal said the parties are still at odds over the threshold issue. He said, “We (four political forces) could not finalize the threshold issues so we have asked the government to resolve it. We will agree to whatever solution the government comes up with,” Dahal said. He also said that the CA elections will certainly be held in November and Mohan Baidya´s party also should participate Nnnn :