Republican Front sans NC will be formed, says Gautam

An influential leader of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) has said that a republican front will be formed even without the inclusion of Nepali Congress (NC).

Standing committee member of UML Bamdev Gautam has said that such a front including the Maoists will be formed whether NC accepts it or rejects it.

"The front will be against monarchy. And if the NC supports monarchy, then it will also be against NC," said Gautam.

Gautam's remarks came in the wake of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's assertions that his party will not be a part of any republican front. PM Koirala has warned that no one should try to 'impose' thoughts on a democratic party.

Meanwhile, Hridayesh Tripathy, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, has said that PM Koirala's remarks about the republican front are his personal opinion. "His views would not affect the environment for talks," said Tripathy who had met with Koirala at his residence in Biratnagar on Thursday.

Home Minister Krishna Sitaula added that in a democracy there were bound to be diversity of opinions. "PM's comments will not hamper talks," he said. Likewise, Maoist leader Dev Gurung – who is also a member of Maoist talks team – said that PM Koirala's remarks alone will not derail the talks. Gurung expected that the next summit meeting would take place within "four to five days.

Fog, rain and pilot error blamed in Nepal crash

A PRELIMINARY Nepalese investigation has blamed bad weather and pilot error for a helicopter crash in which a cabinet minister and 23 others, including an Australian, were killed.
Among the dead was Australian Jill Bowling, 49, a director of conservation group WWF-UK.
Civil Aviation Minister Pradeep Gyawali said the report maintained the pilot was flying too low in mountains despite bad conditions that should have prompted him to fly higher where it would have been safer.
Mr Gyawali said the pilot was trying to manoeuvre between mountains in poor visibility due to fog and rain.
The Russian-built MI-17 helicopter chartered by WWF crashed about 400 kilometres east of Kathmandu on September 23.
Those who died included Nepalese Forest Minister Gopal Rai, Finnish embassy charge d'affaires Pauli Mustonen and USAID deputy director in Nepal Margaret Alexander.
WWF said seven of its employees were among the victims — Ms Bowling, a Canadian, an American and four Nepalese. The victims also included Nepalese journalists, government officials and four crew members — two Russians and two Nepalese.
Ms Bowling lived in Switzerland with husband Rodolphe Schlaepfer and worked in Britain.
A full report on the investigation into the crash is expected in a few weeks.
The wreckage was found two days after the crash in barely accessible terrain that made recovery operations difficult.
The downed helicopter left Ghunsa village, where the passengers had visited a WWF project, but failed to arrive at Suketar village, its intended destination, a 20-minute flight away.

Maoist, NC responsible for delay in peace talks: UML general secy.

As the blame game is on for the delay to find consensus in some issues during the summit level talks between the ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal came down heavily on both the Nepali Congress and the Maoists for stalling the peace process.
Speaking at a function in Bhaktapur organized by the party on the occasion of Tihar festival on Saturday, the UML general secretary alleged that both the parties are prolonging the ongoing peace talks by not softening down on their respective stances.
While NC has been insisting on giving the monarch a role, Maoists have been declining to give up arms before joining the interim government, Nepal said, adding, "Maoist's love for weapons and NC's love for monarchy hampered the peace talks."
Nepal also said that both the parties were going in opposite directions by insisting on what they are currently doing and added that both the Maoists and NC were being guided by "wrong ideology".
He, however, reassured that elections to a constituent assembly would be held by mid June 2007.
“Constituent Assembly elections will happen by mid June 2007. No one can even think of stalling it,” Nepal said.
During the second summit level meeting between the ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists, they had agreed to hold the elections of the constituent assembly by mid June 2007.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the recently adjourned indecisive summit talks, he said that it could invite a serious catastrophe in the country if the eight parties moved towards the constituent assembly without resolving other crucial issues.
The four round of summit level meeting between the ruling seven party alliance and Maoists stalled after they failed to find consensus in the issues of fate of monarchy and Maoist's arms management.
The UML stalwart also said the king might have to abdicate the throne if the eight parties come to a consensus on going for a republican order.
“The king might have to abdicate the throne if there is consensus among the eight parties on going for a republic,” Nepal added.