Army, MMC to renew rivalry in Kakadbhitta Gold Cup final

Dec 1, 2017-Domestic giants Tribhuvan Army Club and Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC) will renew their rivalry on Friday when they meet in the final of the Kakadbhitta Gold Cup football tournament in Kakadbhitta, Jhapa.

It will be second time in a week that the two teams will be fighting for the title since Army beat MMC 2-1 in the Satashi Gold Cup final in Jhiljhile, Jhapa. While the departmental team will be aiming to continue its domination over their well known rivals, MMC will be eager to avenge the recent defeat.

En route to the final, the departmental team beat Far West XI 3-0 in tiebreaker in the quarter-finals before defeating Nepal Police Club 3-0 in the semifinals. Army team coach Nabin Neupane is upbeat that his side would keep the winning momentum. “We are confident of winning title. We will beat the opponents for second time in a row,” said the former MMC skipper Neupane.   

Army skipper Bharat Khawas, who has not been at his best so far in the tournament, said that they would like to correct the mistakes they made in their previous games. “I feel that I have not performed well and hope to come up with an improved showing in the final,” said Khawas who will spearhead Army attack with George Prince Karki. Santosh Tamang, Padam Tamang, Bivek Basnet and Dinesh Henjan will be deployed as midfielders. Jeetendra Karki, Bimal Pandey, Suman Aryal and Sudip Shrestha will hold the defence ahead of goal stopper Bikesh Kuthu.

Star Army forward Nawayug Shrestha is doubtful for the final after picking up injury in the Satashi Gold Cup title clash. Shrestha played the second half against Far West but was rested for NPC game. “Henjan is in line to replace him,” said Neupane adding his side will take advantage of absence of MMC winger Sujal Shrestha who was sent off in the semi-final match against Kakadbhitta Football Training Centre.

MMC coach Bijay Gole said that his side was high on confidence despite defeat in the Satashi Gold Cup final. “We are looking to avenging the Satashi Cup defeat,” said Gole. MMC captain Biraj Maharjan said that they will give their hearts out to beat Army. “We will improve on our scoring,” said Maharjan.


Published: 01-12-2017 09:46

EC urges parties to aid security

Dec 2, 2017-The Election Commission on Friday urged the parties to help security agencies control anti-election activities by providing them with information about the movements and events of the groups working to disrupt the polls.

“The political parties participating in the elections have their presence in all the wards. Their cadres may not know about the plans of the anti-poll elements but they can definitely trace their movements,” Election Commissioner Sudhir Shah told journalists on Friday.

Emerging from a meeting of the High Level Election Security Committee that he heads, Shah said the issue had been discussed.

Stating that the parties also have the responsibility to ensure that elections are held peacefully, Shah said they should not only complain that the security agencies have failed to maintain law and order.

Amid complaints about the government’s inaction in the face of growing number of violent activities, Shah defended the existing security measures.

Parties giving voters free ride home

Dec 2, 2017-Parties and their candidates are giving voters in the cities especially Kathmandu free ride to their home districts with an aim to secure votes.

Both the left and “democratic” alliances have their committees of supporters living in Kathmandu to connect with their home districts. Such contact forums, instead of the parties, are arranging for vehicles with an aim to send reluctant voters to the villages and towns.

NC office secretary Prakash Pangeni claimed that the party has not managed vehicles for ferrying voters from Kathmandu but the candidates were doing so on

their own.

However, party leader Dhanaraj Gurung said the NC’s Samparka Samitis (contact committees) were paying for the vehicles to ensure that their voters are not left back in Kathmandu.

“Ferrying voters from Kathmandu and all other major cities of the country has become a ritual during the polls,” Gurung said, adding that this election was not an exception. The left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN Maoist Centre has formed a joint Samparka Manch for almost all the districts, tasking them with giving voters free ride to their home districts.

UML leader Bishnu Rimal, who handles all the election-related issues for the party, said the Samparka Manches have been directed to manage vehicles as required.

Rishiram Kandel, coordinator of the Syangja-Kathmandu Samparka Manch of the two parties, said they would manage some 25 buses from Kathmandu to different parts of Syangja from Friday to Tuesday.

The cost of renting each bus for Syangja ranges from Rs20,000 and Rs35,000 depending on the distance and the number of seats.

NC leaders said this election had become so crucial after two major communist parties forged an alliance that the Congress could not afford to lose a single vote.

Nepali Congress Syangja-Kathmandu Samparka Samiti Chairperson Devi Aryal said they have managed more than 35 buses which started ferrying voters on Wednesday.

The Samiti has collected about Rs700,000 from well-wishers while the remaining cost would be borne by the poll candidates.

President of the Federation of Nepali National Transport Entrepreneurs Dolraj Khanal said many of their buses were hired by the parties to ferry voters from different cities during the first phase of the federal parliament and provincial assembly polls, adding that the number of vehicles would rise during the second-phase vote scheduled for next week.

EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal said taking people to their home districts with an aim to influence their vote was gross violation of the election code of conduct.

One killed, five dozen hurt in violence over two weeks

Dec 2, 2017-More than 100 cases of improvised explosive device detonation, aimed at hindering poll campaigns, have been reported in the past two weeks, killing one person and injuring 38 others in total.

A report compiled by the National Human Rights Commission shows 107 cases of IED blast across the country since November 15.

The report shows that the highest number of incidents—30—was reported on November 26, the first-phase polling day.

According to the report, 25 incidents of clash between the cadres and supporters of different parties took place in the period, injuring 25 people. “A total of 63 people have been injured in the blasts and clashes,” the report says.

Despite security assurances from the government, poll-related violence has become common. The report, compiling data from 55 districts, shows incidents of IED detonation in 30 districts.

Binod Chaudhary, a temporary police recruit, was killed after an explosive device went off at a rally in Tulsipur, Dang, on Tuesday. He succumbed to his injuries in course of treatment the next day.

Around a dozen blasts took place targeting the candidates from different parties. IEDs were detonated targeting CPN (Maoist Centre) candidates Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Barsha Man Pun, among others. Nepali Congress leaders Ram Chandra Poudel, Ram Sharan Mahat and Naya Shakti Party Coordinator Baburam Bhattarai also escaped blasts.

The rights watchdog said the incidents are against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the existing legal provisions which ensure the right of a citizen to vote freely and without fear.

The NHRC has also requested all the stakeholders to respect others’ rights while campaigning and assembling. At a press meet, the NHRC last week said the challenges had grown in the absence of a designated home minister. Currently, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba holds six ministries after he stripped Maoist ministers of their responsibilities.

Udaypur CDO recalled

UDAYAPUR: Udayapur Chief District Officer Chandra Man Shrestha was recalled to the Home Ministry on Friday, citing his failure to maintain law and order in the district in the run-up to the second phase of federal parliamentary and provincial assembly elections.

The Home Ministry has sent Pradip Raj Kandel in place of Shrestha, who was transferred to the district some six months ago. Shrestha has been criticised for his failure to stop a series of explosions.

Seven people, including Nepali Congress federal parliament candidate for Udaypur-2 Narayan Bahadur Karki, were injured when an improvised explosive device went off at Danuwarbeshi of the district on November 29. The injured have been undergoing treatment in the Capital.

On November 28, NC leader Narayan Khadka survived an explosion at Triyuga Municipality-10 on his way to Beldobhan to attend a poll rally. (PR)


Published: 02-12-2017 08:19

Bomb goes off in Lalitpur

Dec 2, 2017-An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in Tahakhel in Lalitpur district on Friday. The bomb was detonated one kilometer south of Chapagaun.

The explosion was targeted at the election assembly of Nepali Congress being organised near bus park in Tahakhel.

Metropolitan Police Range, Jawalakhel, spokesperson DSP Narendra Chand said a police team has been dispatched towards the incident site.

“The details of the blast are yet to arrive,” he said, “We will find more after investigation.”

The explosion sound has left the locals panic-stricken.

Nobody has yet claimed the responsibility for the blast. 


Published: 02-12-2017 16:04

Bombings won't stop election: Oli

Dec 2, 2017-CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli has said the second phase of the elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies scheduled for December 7 would not be halted despite attempts to terrorise the election atmosphere by bomb blasts in some parts of the country.

Addressing a joint election assembly organised by the leftist alliance at Gaighat-based Tharuhat Stadium Saturday, he said the people involved in the explosions in different parts of the country were not doing these all at their will, instead were acting to gesture of an invisible force.

UML has forged an electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Centre) to end a longstanding political transition in the country through the formation of a stable government, according to Oli, who further claimed that a leftist government would give good governance and stability to the nation.

The former Prime Minister accused the Nepali Congress of failing to lead the country towards stability despite heading the majority government at frequent times, he pledged to widen the East-West Highway to six lanes, operate the east-west railway service, establish new industries and create employment opportunities for youths and ultimately give a U-turn to the nation in terms of development provided that voters send the leftist alliance to power through their ballots.

As stated by leader Oli on the occasion, unification between the two parties will take place shortly after the election.

Likewise, addressing a joint election assembly of the leftist alliance at Urlabari, Morang today itself, the UML chair insisted on the need of the victory of the alliance for the 'development' of the country. RSS


Published: 02-12-2017 19:32

Help NC win in Seti and Mahakali, I will be PM again: Deuba

Dec 2, 2017-Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president, Sher Bahadur Deuba has claimed that he would become the Prime Minister once again if the Nepali Congress won the House of Representatives and State Assembly elections in Seti and Mahakali zones.

Addressing separate election assemblies in Belauri, Jhalari and Bhimduttanagar on Saturday, he vowed to complete the Pancheshwar multi-purpose project and the West Seti Hydropower Project in the province if he again became the prime minister.

"The construction of the Pancheshwar project is at the stage of being started while the contract for the West Seti project has already been signed. If these two big projects are completed then Province-7 would be the richest province in the country," he said.

Stating that the Mahakali Zonal Hospital would be upgraded and the Majhagaon airport brought into operation, PM Deuba expressed his determination to complete the construction of a four-lane bridge over the Mahakali River which is currently under construction.

He stated that he was always committed to the development of the Far-west region and declared to implement more big projects in the future for the province's development. RSS


Published: 02-12-2017 19:53