UPDATE NO AGREEMENT OF ELECTION ISSUES IN TASK FORCE Kathmandu, 2 June; A meeting of the task forcee under the high-level political committee (HLPC) of The Big Three and Madesh Morcha was inconclusive Sunday. The eight-member body was charged with responsibility to resolve differences and report to the HLPC Monday. Maoist Chairman Prachanda had said a date of for second constituent assembly elections would be announced with resolution of differences on contents of election ordinance suggested by election c0mmission by Monday. The announcement is unlikely now. He changed his stance and told a FM radio station Sunday the date was ‘a technical matter’ and it would be announced ‘soon’ RSS adds: The taskforce formed by the high-level political committee has recommended the committee to forge consensus on the electoral laws as per the letter and spirit of last March 14 agreement. The meeting of the taskforce held at Committee's office at New Baneswor has recommended the committee to formulate electoral laws bracing up the letter and spirit of 11-point political consensus and 25-point difficulty removing order agreed among the parties on March 14, said general secretary of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Democratic) Jitendra Dev. 'As announcement of Constituent Assembly (CA) election was a prime agenda of today's meeting, the parties including UCPN-Maoist and Unified Democratic Madhesi Front stressed that new matters should not be put forward', he added. An understanding was reached that the issue of proportional seats numbers should be sorted out to avoid possible dispute later. The provision of threshold should be removed, he said, stressing that the CA election should be held based on the electoral law formulated in 2064 BS (2007), he further said. Nnnn BUT NC’S SITAULA SAYS POLL DATE ANNOUNCEMENT MONDAY BIRATNAGAR: Nepali Congress General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula has claimed an ordinance on election act would be promulgated by tomorrow after a consensus among the major four political powers, RSS reports from Biratnagar.. At a news conference organized by the Nepal Press Union, Morang chapter, on Sunday, Sitaula said the ordinance would be promulgated within the bound of the 11-point political agreement and 25-point order. Election date would be fixed for third week of November after the promulgation of the ordinance, Sitaula argued. He also urged the civil society leaders, students and intellectuals to help create favorable environment for election. nnnn. UML CHIEF CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTION Kathmandu, 2 June: Chairman of CPN (UML) Jhalanath Khanal has stressed the need of holding the Constituent Assembly (CA) election as quickly as possible so as to draft a new constitution on time, RSS reports from Mangalbare. He said that a meeting of High- Level Political Committee scheduled to be held tomorrow would formally urge the government to announce the election date. Inaugurating the 10th village convention of CPN (UML) Chisapani village committee in Ilam Sunday, he said the party has intensified public campaign for guaranteeing a new constitution. "A taskforce has already been formed among the four political forces to make necessary amendments to the election-related acts", the former Prime Minister said and claimed the election would be held within November. Nnnn THRE ARRESTED FOR MISUSING COOPERATIVE FUNDS Kathmandu, 2 June: Police have arrested three proprietors of the Lalitpur-based Standard Multipurpose Cooperative for their alleged involvement in misusing the depositors' money, RSS reports from Lalotpur.. The Metropolitan Police Range, Jawalakhel, made public Raju Shrestha, Khem Raj Niraula and Raju Karki at a press meet on Sunday. Deputy Superintendent of Police Ram Dutta Joshi said the alleged would be presented before the court within two days after further investigations. Joshi said the three have been charged of amassing Rs 46 million of cooperative's depositors. nnnn