UCPN MAOIST CENTRAL COMMITTEE MET RESUMES SATURDAY Kathmandu, 29 Jne: CPN Maoist central committee meet resumes Saturday The committee is discussing responsibilities for leaders, organization and other iossues. Serious discussions started Friday. The committee met only briefly for 10 minutes Thursday following differences on sharing responsibilities. nnnn. CPN MAOIST CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS IN POKHARA Kathmandu, 29 June: A central committee of rival CPN Maoist chaired by Mohan Baidhaya begins in Pokhara Saturday. The committee meets after differences couldn’t be resolved at the politburo in the capital. There are difference in the party on participation in the 19 November second constituent assembly elections or not. Elections are other issues will be discussed on the resort town. The meeting is expected to last for three days. Following internal differences, the party hasn’t been able to fix protest programmes although it is out on the street opposing the vote. nnnn EX-PLA FIGHTERS SEEK PARTY POSITIONS AT CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEET Kathmandu, 29 June: The ongoing central committee meeting of Unified CPN-Maoist remained tense after the leaders opposed the proposal on the party leaders’ portfolios. Following the fracas, today’s meeting could not finalise the proposed names and was adjourned till Saturday morning, Tika R.Pradhab writes in The Himalayan Times.. The former commanders of the People’s Liberation Army wrote a note of discontent against the proposal, claiming it had belittled their contribution to the people’s war by not promoting them though they contributing the most in the war. They demanded that all the former division commanders be promoted to politburo members and all the former division vice-commanders be promoted to central committee members. They handed over the note of discontent to Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Talking to THT, Division Commander Suk Bahadur Roka ‘Sharad’ claimed that they have warned Chairman Dahal that they will resign en masse if the portfolio proposal was not changed. “Dahal later urged us to calm down, claiming the list presented was only a proposal and not a decision,” Roka said. Four division commanders — Kali Bahadur Kham ‘Bibidh’, Mahendra Shahi, Dhan Bahadur Maski and Tej Bahadur Oli — and five division vice-commanders — Jivan, Mahan, Abinash, Prashanta and Prakanda — have written the note of discontent. Earlier, during the seventh extended meeting of the party, former division commanders were compelled to quit as central committee members following vehement criticism from the combatants, who accused them of rampant corruption in the cantonments. However, they were promoted to the central committee during the seventh national congress of the party held at Hetauda without completing the investigation against them. Sources claim that former deputy commanders of the PLA have incited them to bargain for better portfolios to mute the protest against their misdeeds. Former combatants are still furious with the commanders, claiming that they had added misery to their lives. Mahara absent Senior party leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who was expecting party leadership to propose his name for party general secretary, had left the meeting on Thursday as soon as he realised that he had a fat chance of getting the post. He didn’t attend Friday’s meeting in protest. Chairman Dahal had proposed to the central committee to elevate Mahara to senior secretary instead of general secretary. nnnn DALITS STILL PREVENTED FROM WORSHIP IN RATUAHAT Kathmandu, 29 June: Three weeks after a months-long row over the Chamar community’s right to enter a temple in Pipariya Dostiya, Bhimdabar, ended peacefully, a fresh dispute ensued over a Dalit community’s right to enter the Brahmasthan temple in Simara Bhawanipur VDC-5 last night. Seven people — Mahendra Sah, Yogender Sah, Mangali Ram, Bhadiyadevi Ram and Birendra, Dinesh Chaudhary and Hemant Chaudhary — sustained injuries in the clash that broke out after some members of the Chaudhary community prevented Dalit women from performing puja at the temple, The Himalayan Times reports from Rautahat.. The clash reportedly occurred between the Chaudharys and members of other communities, who reached the temple to settle the dispute that ensued after the Chaudharys denied entry to Dalit women wishing to perform puja at the temple. The injured have returned home after treatment. “The women had gone there to perform puja at the temple. As the Chaudharys did not allow them entry, we went to the site to sort out the issue. There, some Chaudhary youth fell on us with lathis,” accused Laxmi Narayan Sah, a local. Meanwhile, police said they have initiated an investigation into yesterday’s clash. “We have held Birendra Chaudahry and Sohan Chaudhary for their involvement,” said Dhrubraj Raut, DSP at the Chandranighaapur Area Police Office. Three weeks ago, non-Dalits had assaulted the Chamar people of Pipariya and denied them entry into a temple. The local administration and police had settled the dispute three days ago by organising a joint feast and letting members of the two communities enter the temple together. nnnn