www.newsfront.com.np Kathmandu l 14-20 Apr, 2008 l # 62 l Price Rs. 25 Pampha Bhusal (Maoist) was the first to be declared winner from the party in the capital valley. She defeated Raghuji Pant (UML) from Lalitpur-3. Photo feature on page 6 & 7. Bhaswor Ojha Victorious Mandate for peace ä nf correspondent continue in the post. “We will be working together with other parties and not fail the The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists people who have reposed their faith on us,” (CPN-M) secured the much needed support of Prachanda said while addressing swelling the people for its legitimacy as a democratic crowds of his supporters after his victory in party, and as the key agent of the promised Kathmandu’s constituency no 10. transformation of Nepal into a peaceful, It was not only the US and India, but also the democratic and prosperous country. business community in the country also who fear As early results indicated, Maoists had ‘capital flight’ as Maoists have the image of being already bagged more than 55 seats, with leads anti-economic reforms. “It is a mandate for in as many constituencies, out of 175, where the peace and I hope Maoists understand it,” an counting was in progress from Sunday ambassador said. afternoon. Results from nearly 230 constituen- Prachanda was quick to address these fears as cies under the first past the post system are he said he would be working in close cooperation expected by Tuesday morning. with the international community as well as the A re-poll has been ordered in nine of the 239 security agencies. Besides, the Maoist supporters FPTP constituencies following instances of demonstrated more restraint in celebrating their rigging and poll violence. The UML and NC victory as their slogans were not at all provocative were racing for the second and third position as compared to the language they used against with 16 and 15 victory respectively by Sunday the King, UML and the Nepali Congress leaders noon. The Madheshi Janadhikar forum (MJF) during the election campaign. ä was emerging as the main party in Terai with a lead in about 21 seats, far ahead of the Terai New outlet in Lainchour also Madesh Loktantrik party. The final picture of the constituent assembly would be known in the next two weeks as by then the results for the remaining 335 seats under the proportional system will also be known as per the information given by the election commission. King Gyanendra promptly welcomed the poll outcome as well as Maoists’ march to victory. However, the unexpected Maoists victory visibly makes United States of America as well as India a bit uncomfortable. Maoists are still under the terrorist list of the US government while India was apparently was not yet ready to welcome Maoists heading the government. But Maoists are all set to head the future government with Prachanda replacing GP Ph:- Shop 5011685, Factory: 5555459 Koirala who is under moral obligations not to 2 14-20 Apr, 2008 News A rout Madhav Nepal resigns as Gen Secy ä nf correspondent Bharat Mohan Adhikary, Asta saving grace that gave hope that Lakshmi Shakya, Raghu Panta and despite the poor number, UML The Communist Party of Nepal- Pradeep Nepal, and the latest trends members will be making some United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) show that KP Oli is also trailing quality ‘contribution’ to the CA turned out to be the biggest losers behind. The party’s over confidence making process. The UML, like the as the final results and decisive about its results are now being seen Congress and the Maoists, is still trends of the first past the post votes partly as its arrogance, and partly as waiting for the final results of the began to emerge. lack of touch with the political realities proportional votes. The party has lost its heavy at the ground level. In fact, soon after the talks for left weights from both sides of the But the debacle has led to a alliance failed, Maoists went debate - favouring and opposing any quick introspection on the part of aggressively against electoral alliance with the Maoists, its leadership. Madhav Nepal the UML. Beginning with printing who seem to have gained the most resigned as the General Secretary photographs in the party’s propa- at the cost of the UML. In most of the party and announced that ganda organs, of Madhav Nepal places except in Kathmandu districts, party ministers would be with- offering coin at the feet of King UML candidates have lost to the drawn from the government. Gyanendra soon after he ascended Maoists. Nepal’s resignation has however, the throne, the Maoists also began Not only that the party that hoped not come into effect until the party physically targeting the UML to be leading the future government reviews the entire results of the candidates like Devshanker Poudel was humbled by the voters, almost election including that under the in Ramechhap, Rajendra Pandey in all its stalwarts with some notable PR system. Dhading and KP Oli in Jhapa, exceptions were trounced in the However, the victory of Jhalnath besides physically intimidating the electoral battle. The losers include Khanal, Pradeep Gyawali and active campaigners of many Madhav Nepal Madhav Nepal, Bam Dev Gautam, Subhash Nembwang came as a candidates elsewhere. Key ‘peace Indian perspective The southern calculation seems to have gone wrong… actors’ rejected The United States of America has government of India’s channels suggested reasons to feel uncomfortable with the gain that the Maoists’ tally in the constituent that the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists assembly in the first past the post system will (CPN-M) has made in the election for the be 20 at the most, and that the Communist constituent assembly, as the party is still on Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leninist the US government’s terrorist list. But Delhi (CPN-UML) will be the single largest party, seems to be no less perturbed having to most likely in a hung-scenario. With the see Maoists in the leadership position of Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN- the government in its immediate north. M) emerging as the largest party, with or Delhi, that brought Maoists together with without majority, when all the results come, the seven pro-democracy parties in Delhi’s calculation has failed. The possibility November 2005, seemed to have little of China getting closer to the Maoists inkling that the mandate in their favour appears to further upset the south. during the constituent assembly polls would The southern calculation also seems to be so huge. Understandably, Delhi till the have gone wrong on Madhesh politics in last minute was calculating that it might have more than one way. It pursued a quiet policy to welcome Madhav Nepal, if its first choice, of insulating the borders from the Maoists. GP Koirala could not make it to the top. But they got more seats in the area than the It is too early to gauge how the US Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP), the government will respond to the emerging party that India supported. Moreover, the Sitaula Sekhar political situation in Nepal, but Jimmy Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), a party Carter, a former President has made an led by Upendra Yadav, emerged as the appeal that Maoists must be taken off the largest Terai party despite India’s clear lack of Home Minister KP Sitaula made no efforts at Palchok and Ramechhap. ‘terrorist list’ now that they have got the trust in its leadership. While TMLP leadership concealing his frustration and disappointment with It is believed that the PM had been told that mandate of the people through a demo- consists of the upper caste leadership mainly, the poll trends that leaves him trailing as a lesser the Maoists will win in all the places where it had cratic process. the MJF has its leadership mostly from the known Maoist candidate. “What did I not do for intimidated the rival party candidates and their Reports from Delhi indicate that the intermediary and Dalit castes. the peace process and for the Maoists? I did not active campaigners, beginning with Ramechhap. deserve the outcome,” Sitaula told his disap- “But once the PM consulted Sitaula, he refused pointed party supporters as the counting of ballots to go by the army’s reports,” sources told indicates that his luck might be running out. newsfront. The Home Minister, sources said, According to the information, both Prime insisted that there was no reason not to trust the Minister GP Koirala and the Home Minister, three security departments’ assessment as he depended largely on the reports they got from had also traveled in most places and sensed the chiefs of the Armed Police Force (APF), Civil mood of the people, “which was clearly in favour Police and the Intelligence Department that the of Nepali Congress.” Nepali Congress will emerge as the single Sitaula as the Home Minister was being largest party with the Communist Party of the criticised within his own Nepali Congress as Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) as someone who served the interests of the Maoists close second and Maoists as the distant third. than of his own party. He was also projected as A senior official in the Ministry of Defense said the key architect of the peace deal, with Shekhar that the reports that the Nepal Army submitted Koirala and Amaresh Singh toeing the line. to the PM about the poll prospects turned out to By Sunday noon, when Shekhar Koirala’s be much closer to the outcome.