The 601-member assembly met at the Birendra International Convention Centre on Wednesday evening where a motion was passed to declare the country the world's newest republic. After a series of meetings, the Seven Party Alliance agreed to table the motion of republic in the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly, dominated by Maoists.
Ending a political deadlock, Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Saturday invited the Maoists to form a government, more than a month after they emerged as the biggest party in the Constituent Assembly polls.
After leading his party to a surprise victory in the landmark Nepal polls, Maoist supremo Prachanda is now tackling a busy schedule, unable even to spare time to celebrate his victory or interact with the media. Prachanda had a meeting with Indian Ambassador Shiv Shanker Mukherjee, who went to congratulate him at his residence. The Maoist chairman also met human rights activists and went to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Baluwatar residence to thank him.
Out of the 73 results declared so far, CPN-Maoists bagged 43 seats, CPN-UML - 12, Nepali Congress of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala - 10, Madhesi People's Rights Forum - 5, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party - 2 and Terai Madhesh Democratic Party - 1. Determined to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy, Maoists in Nepal on Sunday emerged as the surprise single biggest gainers in the early results for the key Constituent Assembly polls,while several political heavyweights lost
The elections, which are set to usher in democracy ending the 40-year monarchy, saw the first seat going to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress party, whose candidate Prkash Man Singh won one of the constituencies in Kathmandu. Maoist chairman Prachanda, Maoist war time strategist Ram Bahadur Thpa (Badal), its spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara and two female Maoist leaders Pampha Bhushal and Hisila Yami are leading in their respective constituencies.
Polling started at 0700 hours (0645 IST) and will end at 1700 hours (1645 IST), election officials said. Some 6,000 candidates are contesting the election under proportionate voting system while 4,021 candidates are in the fray under direct voting system. The country has witnessed a violence-marred campaign for the crucial elections to elect a body that will rewrite the Constitution and decide the fate of the 239-year-old monarchy.
In an interactive programme at Rajbiraj, an eastern Nepal town, Prachanda claimed that his party Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist would get 150 seats out of a total of 300 seats in the direct election, and that he will become the first president of the Himalayan nation after the polls. He also sounded a note of apprehension over elections taking place on the scheduled date. "I am not confident that the CA elections will be held on the stipulated date," he said.
The Coummunist Party of Nepal - Maoist unveiled its election manifesto for the April 10 polls on Friday. They promised to abrogate the 'unequal' 1950 Indo-Nepal peace treaty, divide the country into 11 regions based on ethnicity and raise the per capita income ten-fold.The manifesto unveiled by Maoist chairman Prachanda in Kathmandu, ahead of the Constituent Assembly elections, describe India as an expansionist force.
A Nepalese minister indicated that it may take weeks or months for the tainted doctor to be sent to India.
Nepalese police on Friday decided to slap charges of illegal kidney transplants and foreign currency violations against alleged kingpin Amit Kumar as India wanted him to be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation at the earliest.
The agreement provides a 58-42 allocation for proportional and direct election systems for the 601-seat constituent assembly
Also known as 'Serpent' for his skills of deception and evasion, 63-year-old Sobhraj had filed an appeal in the apex court against the life sentence given to him by the Kathmandu District Court, for the murder of American backpacker Connie Bronzich. He is suspected to have killed at least 12 travellers in India, Thailand and Nepal in the 1970s.
The Indian official is arriving in Kathmandu on a two-day visit on Wednesday afternoon to take stock of the political situation that has developed after a lack of consensus over Maoist demands for declaring the country a republic led to the postponement of November election.
Police raided dozens of houses, lodges, hotels and other places after the near-simultaneous blasts rocked Kathmandu on Sunday.
The weekend attack was condemned by the United Nations and major political parties, including the Maoists who termed it as an attempt to disrupt the Constituent Assembly polls to be held in November and derail the peace process.
The blasts occurred at a time when the home ministry is holding consultation with various security agencies to prepare for the crucial Constituent Assembly polls slated for November.
The occasion passed unnoticed by many as there were no grand celebrations, with the prime minister receiving gifts from party workers and well-wishers at his Baluwatar home and not venturing out, sources close to his family said.
However, the exact date for the polls will be fixed by the cabinet
Chanting slogans against the Indian government, the refugees attempted to burn the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh near the embassy but were stopped by some three dozen riot policemen deployed in the area.
The Loktantra Day celebrations will continue till April 25.
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