Prachanda give more details of Maoist power grab plan

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 13 Feb: Chairman Prachanda Wednesday revealed further Maoist plans of a final plan to grab power even if the 10 April CA polls aren’t held on palace, Indian and American designs.
“Power will be grabbed in a new way in a final battle although the war has been won,” Prachanda on the 13th anniversary of the people’s war being celebrated by Maoists Wednesday despite and end of their insurgency with a system and regime change in April 2006.
Maoists are using the occasion to launch an election campaign in the capital.
“An interim government will formed and monarchy toppled in a direct fight and we will go for a constituent assembly, “ Prachanda said if the April vote isn’t held.
Prachanda said if a vote is held, ‘that CA is itself a movement” which will ‘ ‘remove vestiges of feudalistic elements’.
Maoist chief revealed Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have a secret understanding with the King that ended the movement in April 2006 and usher a ‘complete victory’ with the end of monarchy and its replacement by a republic.
Calling the agreement negotiated in a ‘wrong way, Prachanda said the secret document “could be a hurdle of CA elections”.
The King confirmed such an agreement during a recent interview and said he would reveal its ‘roadmap’ if needed.
“Many imperialists and foreign reactionaries, palace and reactionaries in parties’ are conspiring to foil elections, Prachanda charged.
MADESH
Prachanda also charged palace, India and USA for propping up a rebellion in terai.
‘They will be silenced in no time if palace, Washington and New Delhi desire.
“All this [propping up Madesh] is happening because Maoists can’t be dislodged from the hills,” the Maoist chief added.
Prachanda repeated the charge of foreign intervention to disrupt polls at a public rally at the Open Air Theatre in the capital Wednesday to mark the anniversary as the launch of their election campaign.
Prachanda said CPN (Maoist) was preparing for a final battle to topple monarchy and its replacement with a republic.
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American INGO begins rescuing diseased Nepali elephants

Kathmandu, 13 Feb: Elephant Care of USA has begun treating some elephants suffering TB at the Royal Chitwan National Park, Naya Patrika reports.
Dr Susan Nicora and her team have begun the treatment.
Treatment began with the immediate care of Bhola Prasad.
“We started with the treatment of the most serious elephant,” said Dr Chitra Bahadur Khadka.
Full treatment will continue for one year with the two-month cost estimate at Rs 72,000 per elephant.
Elephant Care came to the assistance when local financial resources weren’t available.
The elephants have been isolated from the rest of the herd for prevent disease spread.
Elephant Care came to the assistance in 2005 when three elephants died; 10 elephants were infected.
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Outrage at extradition of Indian doctor

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 13 Feb: Excerpts from two letters in the 13 February editions of The Kathmandu Post protesting government’s extradition of Indian kidney racketeer Dr Amit Kumar on request of Manmohan Singh to Nepali counterpart Girija Prasad Koirala.
“ The government’s hurried handing over Dr Horror of India is a matter of serious concern to all of us that believe in the independence of the judiciary. Are we a province of India?
“It is said that even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was left in the dark regarding this matter,” Sushil Sharma of Kathmandu wrote.
‘This case [Dr Amit’s] clearly indicated how we are being dominated by India. It is accepted that Amit is an Indian criminal ,but he has committed crimes in Nepal as well,’ Dwaipayan Regmi writes from Biratnagar.
‘Dr Amit should have been punished the way Charles Shovraj and others were punished.”
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Sonia Gandhi’s party leaders meeting Nepali leaders demanding self-determination

Kathmandu, 13 Feb: A delegation of Sonia’s Gandhi’s Congress (I) party met leaders of all major political parties as a three-party terai front launched an indefinite strike Wednesday demanding self-determination land provincial for the terai adjoining India across the open 1,700 km open border.
The four-member delegation is led by party general secretary Digbijaya Singh.
The delegation arrived Tuesday for a three-day visit.
The delegation came out against UN mediation in the terai demanded by some groups, especially the Goit and Jwala Singh of Janatantrik Mukti Morcha—an offshoot of Maoists, fighting for independence
The delegation met separately with Maoists, including Chairman Prachanda; Congress (I) said it wants to establish formal ties with CPN (Maoist).
The delegation returns home Thursday.
The strike—violent at some places in the central and the eastern region, called by the front Wednesday disrupted normal life.
Even before the threat to blockade the capital as part of their strike for self-determination and provincial rule, motorists queued up for hours at petrol pumps to fill their tanks with gasoline.
The three-party front in the terai said it will continue the strike until demands are met.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s request to the regional leaders to take up offers for talks have been rejected so far.
The outcome of Wednesday’s dinner diplomacy between the front leaders and visiting Congress (I) leaders is awaited.
The delegation is pushing the 10 April Assembly vote opposed by the front.
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