Kakadvitta, Aug 10:  CPN-UML senior leader K.P. Oli claimed on Tuesday that UCPN (Maoist) has spent Rs. 50 million to buy the votes from Constituent Assembly (CA) members.
“Maoists have spent Rs. 50m to split C.P. Mainali’s party,” Oli accused, “They are purchasing CA members of the capitalists parties.”
Speaking at a meeting with the UML cadres in Jhapa, Oli underscored that a government under the leadership of the Maoist is not acceptable unless it detach itself from combatants, arms, and violence, implement the agreements of the past and transforms into a civilian party.
Identifying the party as a ‘masked’ party, Oli challenged the Moaists to recruit new soldiers into the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The UML’s Central Committee (CC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday will make concrete decisions regarding the prime ministerial elections, Oli added. The decision might favour the Nepali Congress (NC), he signaled.
www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/10/top-story/maoists-buying-votes-oli/320174/

2. CC may chart out future course: The Kathmandu Post
Kathmandu, Aug 10: The UCPN (Maoist) has called its Central Committee (CC) meeting to dig out the intra-party rift and chart out its future course.
Maoist leaders say the CC meeting beginning from Wednesday is likely to arrive at conclusion on talking the “new line”. However, the meaning of the “new line” mean is yet to come to light. Leaders say the party will continue its struggle for national independence and peace.
“There are widespread complains inside that the party is becoming reformist like the CPN-UML and the party’s charm among people is diminishing because we are engaged in the dirty game in the parliament like the Nepali Congress, the UML and other parties do,” said a Maoist leader on condition of anonymity.
Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel said the previous decisions will be reviewed and re-evaluated to bring out a fresh decision about a new working plan. However, the Maoist party taking the final decision to this end is unlikely before the fifth round of prime ministerial election scheduled for Aug. 18.
The CC is expected to decide whether to continue efforts for the formation of a consensus government or stay in the opposition.
“Since we have vowed to struggle from the streets, the parliament and the government, now we have realised that this strategy needs revision,” said Gajurel at a function in the Captial on Wednesday. “We would go for the next phase of struggle.”
As of now two lines are seen inside the Maoists party about its future course. First, continuation of the ongoing path of peace and constitution and second back to another insurgency. Vice Chairman Babu Ram Bhattarai is in favour of sticking to the ongoing peace process, while Chairman Dahal and other some hardliners are voicing for another insurgency or a revolt.
The second position is growing stronger of late as the party failed to form a government, a front struggle, despite repeated attempts since one and half years.
Maoist leaders maintain that the issue of national independence is another prominent agenda after “foreign forces created hurdles in forming a new government”. www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/10/top-story/largest-party-to-bury-differences-in-backyard/320149/

3. MRP deal gets fresh Sujata kick
Kathmandu, Aug 10: The Machine Readable Passport (MRP) purchase deal, which finally looked to be sealed this week, has hit yet another roadblock.
Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala on Monday flatly refused to take the MRP deal to the Cabinet for its endorsement, claiming that government officials working on the MRP project had put her in the dark all along through various negotiations despite her repeated requests.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was all set to sign the MRP deal with the French-based company, Oberthur, by Tuesday before Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai’s departure for Manila to attend an ADB programme. Bhattarai, however, is still hopeful that he will be able to get the deal done within the current timeline.
The MRP design contains 16 national insignias on each alternative page.
Efforts by Secretary Bhattarai and Chief of Protocol Mukti Nath Bhatta to convince the foreign minister to approve the design on Monday went in vain.
“I was kept in the dark ever since the tender was unveiled and all negotiations were done through the secretary Bhattarai’s signature. Why need me now?” Koirala asked her ministry officials on Monday.
Koirala first signed the documents of the design herself but later asked the Chief of Protocol to bring it back to her “for a final look.” She then invalidated her own signature and refused to put her signature when that was duly followed,” sources added. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/08/10/top-story/mrp-deal-gets-fresh-sujata-kick/320144/