Manang Marsyangdi Club (MMC) lost to Sri Lankan team Ratnam Sports Club (RSC) 2-0 in the AFC President’s Cup at Kuching, Malaysia.
In the match that was delayed by one hour, MMC played extremely well in the first half but could not score missing four golden opportunities. The Lankans failed to threaten the Manang defense and goalie Sangeet Razak even a single time in the first half. T
The second half was a different story with RSC looking a changed side. RSC almost scored early in the second minute had it not been for a brilliant stop by the goalie denying Jayasuriya. But Jayasuriya was not to be denied and he scored some time later to put his team up 1-0.
With the whole team pressing hard to find an equalizer towards the end of regulation, Ratnam stamped their authority utilizing a poor clearance from Tashi Tshering as Mohammad Rawme scored one minute from time.
Senior leaders of the CPN-Maoists have said that they will not sit for talks unless their demands are fulfilled.
Speaking at an interaction at the Reporters Club on Friday, Maoist politburo member Matrika Yadav said that the government should release all the political detainees and publicize the whereabouts of the people who went missing in the hands of the State.
Yadav charged the coalition government of seven political parties for failing to move ahead as per the aspiration of the people and mandate of the popular movement.
He alleged that as most of the political detainees were detained and people disappeared during the period of the so-called democratic government, they feared to release them and publicize their whereabouts.
Notwithstanding the view of the seven political parties, Yadav further said that mediation of some reliable international agency is a must during the talks between the government and the Maoists. “As the political parties are not honest, international mediation is a must to make the talks results oriented,” Yadav stated.
The seven political parties have ruled out any mediation during the talks between the government and the Maoists.
On the issue of extortion, Yadav said they are not extorting money from people but are taking donations voluntarily given by the people.
“Some elements of the palace are extorting people to defame us but we are not forcing any people to give donations,” Yadav said while answering journalists.
Meanwhile, Yadav informed that Maoist supreme Prachanda will lead the team to hold talks with the government and the Maoists.
“Mahara might come to create conducive environment for talks but our chairman Prachanda will led the team for talks this time,” Yadav said, adding, “The talk will be held between Prachanda and Girija for it to succeed.”
He informed that the Maoists will shortly announce the talk team headed by Prachanda.
He said that the news about the formation of the three-member talk team headed by Mahara is just a rumour.
When asked how they could verify the quantity of weapons they have while keeping it under the supervision of the UN or any other reliable international agencies during the election of the constituent assembly, as per the 12-point understanding with the seven political parties, he said that the matter will be resolved through mutual understanding.
Yadav, who was released from Nakhu jail on Thursday after 26 month long detention also added that they agreed to leave the jail without the release of all other political detainees after Maoist supremo Prachanda assured them of immediate release of all political detainees.
Speaking at the same programme, another central committee member of Maoist, Suresh Ale Magar said that the government is hesitating to release Maoist detainees.
“The government, which was formed following the reinstatement of the House of Representatives (HoR) without any constitutional provision is hesitating to release Maoist detainees citing the same constitution, which is a conspiracy hatched against people,” Magar added.
He also reiterated that Maoists will not hold talks with the government before releasing all the political detainees and publicizing the whereabouts of the disappeared people.
He also said that Maoists will join the interim government to ensure free and fair election of the constituent assembly. He however pointed out the need of dissolution of the parliament and present constitution to go for the interim constitution.
He also defended the violence they had committed during the decade long insurgency, saying they were compelled to after the then government neglected their 40-point demand.
He urged the government to move ahead as per people’s aspiration and mandate of the people’s movement regardless of the comment from different quarters.
Speaking at the same programme, rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar urged the Maoists and the government to make the talks result oriented.
“Previous talks failed as the Maoist talk team concentrated in the speeches and addressing mass meetings while the government talks team headed by the ministers concentrated on their ministries, so this time both the sides have to form talk teams that will concentrate only in talks,” he added.
He also urged the government and the Maoists to sign human rights accord before sitting for talks.
Leader of civil society, Dr Sundar Mani Dixit urged Maoists to sit for talks only after bringing Army under the parliament, release of all political detainees and after publicizing the whereabouts of the disappeared people.
Krishna Rai, coordinator of the Society of the Families of the Disappeared Citizens by the State, urged the Maoist leadership to pressurize the government to publicize the whereabouts of the people, who went missing by the state.
She said that the government formed after the popular movement and due to the people’s power should publicize the whereabouts of the disappeared people and allow family members to meet them.
Election is likely to take place for the post of speaker of the reinstated House of Representatives (HoR) on Saturday.
Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Dilendra Prasad Badu has tabled a resolution at the HoR on Friday asking the house to go for the election for the vacant post of the Speaker.
The post of Speaker of the HoR remained vacant after Speaker Tara Nath Ranabhat resigned from his post last month.Sources said major parties of the seven party alliance (SPA) NC and CPN-UML decided to go for election of the post of Speaker after the SPA meet failed to choose a consensus candidate.
CPN-UML lawmaker Subash Nemwang has been projected for the post of Speaker, but one of the constituents of the SPA, NC (Democratic) has been lobbying to select its member and Deputy Speaker of the HoR Chitra Lekha Yadav for the post of Speaker.
Reports have quoted Yadav as warning that she will resign from her post if she was not chosen as Speaker.
The meeting of the HoR scheduled for 2 p.m. today is yet to commence due to the controversy.
Four people were killed on the spot and 27 others injured when a passenger bus met with an accident at Haripur-9 of Sunsari near the Koshi barrage Friday morning.
The ill-fated bus of Hong Kong Travels, heading for Gaighat from Dharan, met with an accident when it tried to avoid a bicycle. Reports quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the bus hit an electricity pole and then overturned.
The deceased have been identified as Narul Ansari Mehabub Ansari of Dharan and Raphi Alam, while one person is yet to be identified.
Among the injured, the condition of six persons is reported to be serious.
The injured are undergoing treatment at BP Koirala Institute for Health Sciences.
The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government on Friday has taken into custody former Home Minister Kamal Thapa.
Official sources said Thapa is being kept at the Police Training Academy at Maharajgunj in the capital.
There has been no official word regarding Thapa’s arrest. But reports said Thapa has been given 90 day detention order.
The SPA was under tremendous pressure from the members of parliament and pro-democracy activists to take strong action against people said to be responsible for suppressing people’s movement 2006.
Nearly two dozen people were killed and thousands of others were injured when security personnel resorted to lathi charge and fired tear gas shells and bullets to suppress the pro-democracy demonstrations.
The government has already formed a high-level judicial commission led by former Justice at the Supreme Court, Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, to probe into atrocities committed to suppress the ‘jana andolan.’
After the meeting of breakaway faction of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, former Home Minister Kamal Thapa had said if summoned, he was ready to record his statement before the commission.
Reports say an emergency meeting of the council of ministers on Friday decided to arrest former Home Minister Thapa as per the Commission’s recommendation to take action against chiefs of security agencies and interior ministry on the basis of prima facie evidence.
Latest reports say the government has taken into custody former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey and former minister of state for information and communications, Shrish Shumsher Rana, on Friday.
Kathmandu Valley Police Office has confirmed the report.
President of Nepali Congress Democratic Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged the Maoist leadership to immediately move towards sustainable peace through the dialogue process as the entire country has accepted the agenda of the constituent assembly elections.
Speaking at a program organized Friday to release a book titled ‘One year of the Royal Regime’ written by parliamentarian Ramesh Lekhak and published by Ganeshman Singh Studies Foundation, Deuba also urged the Maoists to stop extortions.
UML leader Pradip Gyawali said the parliament and the government has failed to work as per the people’s aspiration expressed through the popular movement and urged the leaders of seven-party alliance to correct their mistakes.
Leader of Nepali Congress Mahesh Acharya said there should not be disagreement within the parliament and the government.
Speaking at the same program, writer of the book Ramesh Lekhak and Chairman of the Foundation Nabindra Raj Joshi urged all to ensure that the history of February 1, 2005 would not be repeated.
In what has come as a major development, the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government on Friday has arrested five members of the erstwhile royal regime including former Home Minister Kamal Thapa.
Those arrested include former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey, former minister of state for Information and Communications, Shrish Shumsher Rana, former minister for Local Development Tanka Dhakal and former Assistant Minister for Health Nikshya Shumsher Rana.
Reports say all five former ministers are being kept at the Police Training Academy at Maharajgunj, Kathmandu. They have been issued orders for 90-day detention by the local authorities.
The state-run Radio Nepal reported Friday that the high-level judicial commission has recommended the government to suspend chiefs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Intelligence Department.
It did not provide details.
The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government had formed the judicial commission under the chairmanship of former Justice at the Supreme Court, Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, to probe into cases of atrocities committed against pro-democracy activists during the ‘jana andolan’ 2006.
The council of ministers on Friday discussed the Rayamajhi Commission’s report, sources said.
A member of the Commission told Nepalnews that they had recommended at policy level that the government suspend chiefs of government agencies to avoid loss or damage to evidence that could hamper the investigation.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports say the council of ministers has already decided to suspend chief of Nepal Police Shyam Bhakta Thapa, chief of Armed Police Force Sahabir Thapa and chief of National Investigation Department Devi Ram Sharma.
The authorities are yet to make formal announcement in this regard.
Sources said Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula was holding emergency meeting with second-in-command of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Intelligence Department at the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar this evening. Details are still awaited.
The United States (US) State Department has permitted all non-emergency U.S. Mission personnel and families to return to Nepal from Friday.
A press statement issued by the US Embassy in Kathmandu said the decision, made at the recommendation of the Embassy, is effective from Friday.
The Department on April 24 had ordered all non-emergency Mission personnel and families to leave Nepal, citing ongoing violence, curfews and widespread insecurity in Nepal.
“The Consular Section, which resumed certain services May 1, will also return to full operations on Monday, May 15, with non-immigrant visa interviews scheduled to start then,” the statement further said.
The U.S. Mission includes the Embassy, the Consular Section and American Center at the Yak & Yeti complex (west wing), and USAID.