UML

NEPAL PLAYS BHUTAN IN SECOND SAFF U-16 CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

Kathmandu, 20 July: Nepal plays Bhutan in the opening match Saturday of The Second SAFF U-16 Championship in the Nepali capital. Nepal, us in Group A along with Pakistan, Bhutan and Afghanistan, Pakistan is the defending champion Pakistan and Maldives the other other SAARC member state  in not in the competition. Pakistan and Afghanistan met in another match Saturday’ matches are being conducted at to venues. India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are in group A. Nnnn

SATURDAY MORNIONG IN CAPITAL 19 DEGREES CELSIUS

Kathmandu, 20 July: Saturday morning temperature in the capital was 19 degrees Celsius.

Mercury is expected to rise to 26 degrees Celsius in the afternoon.

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UCPN MAOIST STUCK IN HIERARCHY ROW

Kathmandu, 20July: After failure to settle an internal row over hierarchy in the party leadership following the abrupt decision of Baburam Bhattarai to step down as vice-chairman, UCPN(Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has proposed going for a centralized leadership, Republica reports..

During the first extended meeting of the party that began Friday at Khanna Garment in Laliptur, Chairman Dahal proposed demoting all office-bearers elected by the party´s general convention in Hetauda, except the chairman, to party central members in order to settle the hierarchy row.

"The chairman has presented a proposal to go for centralized leadership for the time being and election-centric division of work among party leaders," party central member Devendra Poudel told Republica.

"The chairman has proposed holding a special organizational convention after the Constituent Assembly election."
According to Poudel, deliberations on the proposal will start Saturday afternoon after 16 various groups comprising members of state committees and other similar committees of the party hold internal discussions in the morning.

Should the extended meeting endorse Dahal´s proposal, Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati, who were duly elected by the general convention, would be automatically demoted to party central members. Likewise, the party´s organizational structures such as standing committees and politburo committees will also cease to exist once the proposal is endorsed.

In the wake of Vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai unexpectedly announcing the ´sacrifice´ of his post, Dahal has called the extended meeting barely six month after the party held its general convention in Hetauda. Bhattarai has maintained that all office bearers except Chairman Dahal should step down from their posts till the CA election is held.

The former rebel party adopted collective leadership three years after it decided to join the mainstream competitive multi-party democratic system, renouncing the ´people´s war´ that was launched in 1996 to overthrow the establishment and set up a communist republic in Nepal. But amid growing differences over hierarchy among the leadership of the party´s sister organizations, the Maoists are now all set to go back to a centralized leadership system.

Though another vice-chairman, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, and Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati initially stood against Bhattarai´s demand, they have eventually given up their stance. Party insiders say Dahal brought the proposal on demoting all office bearers except the chairman to central members, as per a gentleman´s understanding with Bhattarai.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha had initially protested the proposal, questioning the proposed downgrading of office-bearers who were propely elected by the general convention. The proposal has come up now as Shrestha has also accepted it," said another CC member, Ram Kumar Sharma.
Sources said Dahal made the proposal at the party´s extended meeting after reaching an understanding with party office bearers, former standing committee members and the party´s bureau and state committee coordinators.

With Dahal´s proposal, the UCPN (Maoist) will have a total 113 members including 98 elected directly by the party´s general convention and the remaining from among those joining the Maoists from various other political parties. In the proposal, Dahal has also asked the extended meeting to reject the decision by Bhattarai to ´sacrifice´ his post of vice-chairman.

CPN-Maoist can´t ´run away´ from polls: Dahal

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Dahal has said that the CPN-Maoist, which has remained opposed to CA elections, can´t ´run away´ from the polls scheduled for November 19.

Addressing the inaugural session of the party´s extended meeting at Khanna Garment, Dahal said since thousands of combatants lost their lives during the insurgency in the cause of the CA, no one including the Baidya-led Maoists can escape elections.

He also expressed confidence that Baidya would eventually join the fresh CA poll process.

Dahal´s remarks came shortly after he held a meeting in his capacity as coordinator of the High Level Political Committee (HLPC) with CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya earlier in the morning to woo his party into elections.

Addressing the function, Dahal also said that the relevance of the 12-point peace accord, which paved the way for the Maoist party to come into mainstream politics, had not ended yet. "There is need for a new understanding from a new level among those who were parties to the 12-point pact," said Dahal.

Party senior leaders including Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha also addressed the inaugural session of the extended meeting being participated by over 500 leaders from across the country.

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UML TO WORK WITH DEMOCRATIC AND SMALL LEFT

PARTIES SAYS CHAIRMAN KHANAL

Kathmandu, 20  July : CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal has said that the party will forge election alliance with small left political parties and other democratic forces to secure two-thirds majority in the coming Constituent Assembly (CA) electionsm Thira Lal Bhsal writes in Republica.. Khanal in his political paper presented at the party´s central committee meeting on Friday said that UML will face the election with its own independent plan, strength and agenda. “But the party will also keep its doors open for an alliance, coordination and cooperation with small left parties and other democratic forces based on local needs and situations," read Khanal´s document. Stating that the recently-concluded intra-party survey showed the party´s improving relations with the grassroots across the country, Khanal has claimed that the UML will emerge as the largest party in the coming election. "The report based on the figures collected by central representatives from across the country shows a clear and encouraging picture that the situation is in our party´s favor,” said Khanal. He said over 30,000 members from various other rival parties have joined UML in the last six months alone. Khanal also claimed that the position of the UCPN (Maoist) was weakening and the party may obstruct polls on one or the other pretext. "As the UCPN (Maoist) does not look at election as a democratic process but rather as a race that must be won, and due to the fact that the party is plagued by intra-party feuds, UCPN (Maoist) may create hindrance in elections under any pretext,” said Khanal. He has urged the party rank and file to remain alert against any kind of situation that might be created by the UCPN (Maoist) leaders. Khanal has reiterated that the party´s previous evaluation of UCPN (Maoist) as an “opportunist force” was still relevant. He claimed that the UCPN (Maoist)´s “opportunistic, extremist and undemocratic thoughts are still major challenges in writing the new constitution." He said the demands made by the UCPN (Maoist) leaders in the course of formulating election laws have raised suspicion about their intentions. While claiming that Nepali Congress can´t be the leader of change in the country, Khanal, however, said that the party´s role can be supportive in completing the tasks of constitution writing. No postponement of Nov poll date While emphasizing the need for bringing CPN-Maoist and other dissident political parties on board the election process, Khanal has said that the demand for postponement for November polls can´t be acceptable. “The party´s [CPN-Maoist] readiness for talks should be given a benefit of doubt. UML should take a responsible initiative to include them in the election process and to hold open talks on all issues, while making it a point to conduct the polls on the scheduled date," he said. According to him, some of the armed outfits in the Tarai region are forging alliances with a plan to hinder the election process. He has urged the concerned agencies to remain alert against such activities. Khanal´s document also claims that the Madhes-based parties are weakening due to infightings and defections. He believed that the role political parties in trouble might be unfavorable for polls.

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