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UPDATE ON GOVT., OPPOSITION ELECTION TALKS

Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: The government and the CPN-Maoist and the associated Front, which have been protesting the election process, have agreed to take forward the talks process, RSS reports.. At a meeting held in Lalitpur on Tuesday, both the sides agreed to move ahead the talks and dialogue process to resolve problems on the key issues to make the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) a success, saying there was no alternative to it. Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, Spokesperson of the government, Madhav Prasad Poudel, said both the sides agreed to hold the next discussion in a special way. Poudel said that today´s meeting was of preliminary phase, so they only learned about the views of the CPN-Maoist and the Front. He said they urged them to come to next round of talks by forming a small size committee and added that the CPN-Maoist and the Front also took it in a positive way. The CPN-Maoist and the Front submitted the 18-point demands today in course of talks, Poudel added. Stating that the main responsibility of the incumbent government was to conduct the CA election since it was formed for that very purpose, Minister for Information and Communications, Poudel, said it should be taken as positive gesture as process of talks was underway focusing the issues. The first round of talks was held to find the possible ways to be adopted from the government´s side to succeed the CA election declared for November 19 The CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung said today´s talks was focused on putting forth and hearing each others´ demands. He said, "We tabled our 18-point demands and put forth the overall view on behalf the 33-parties. The government urged to form a small talks team and attend the next meeting. So, we will do the same as per the government´s appeal and take part in the talks process, next time." The 18-point demands includes scrapping of four-party mechanism, 11-point agreement signed between major political parties, 25-point ordinance that was issued saying to remove the obstacle, dissolving the government led in the Chief-Justice, and forming election government in political leadership, among others. Gurung said they were not the anti-election forces but were for moving ahead forging national political consensus. The next meeting will be first held with the High Level Political Mechanism (HLPC) on Wednesday and again with to the government on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Minister for Home and Affairs, Madhav Ghimire, Minister for Information and Communications Paudel, and leaders of 33-political parties led by CPN-Maoist Secretary, Gurung.

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NEW UN COORDINATOR ASSUMES OFFICE

Kathmandu, 13 Aug,:New Coordinator  of the United Nations System’s

operational activities for development in Nepal and the

Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Jamie McGoldrick assumed office Tuesday.

He presented documents to Chairman of the Council of Interim Election Council

Khil Raj Regmi.

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