Prachanda meets envoys, foreign donors

August 12th, 2009 LONDON/KATHMANDU - The Chairman of the Unified CPN (Maoist), Prachanda, has said that Asian countries should develop a unified security strategy to combat US influence in South Asia. Speaking at the Embassy of Nepal in London on Tuesday, Prachanda said India, China and Nepal should work together to counter American.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - Nepal's former prime minister Pushpa Kumar Dahal Prachanda claims India thought he was closer to Communist China than to India, but says it was wrong to think so. Prachanda, who resigned as prime minister in May after less nine than months in office, said he wanted good relations with both of Nepal's giant neighbours - India and China.

July 2nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Former Nepal Prime Minister and Unified CPN (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda has claimed that a new government under the leadership of his party would be formed within next one-and-half months. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Prachanda said he was now concentrating on forming a "national government with civilian supremacy", which would come into existence in one month and half.

June 29th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Unified CPN (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda has started furnishing answers to the questions raised by the politburo members of the party on Monday. During the meeting, that resumed this morning here, Prachanda is furnishing answers to the questions regarding his political document.

May 13th, 2009 KATHMANDU - CPN-UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal toady met caretaker Prime Minister Prachanda and urged him to assist them in the formation of new government. At the meeting held at Maoists senior leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai's residence in Pulchowk, Nepal said: "I have urged Prachanda to participate in the to-be-formed new government for taking the peace process to the logical conclusion." However, Prachanda said they would not involve and assist in the government formation unless President Ram Baran Yadav corrects his move to reinstate Army Chief, General Rookmangud Katawal.

May 11th, 2009 KATHMANDU/NEW DELHI - India is blaming the growing gap between the Maoists' words and action, saying it caused the former guerrillas' own allies and major political parties to distrust them, and which precipitated the fall of the Prachanda government in Nepal last week. Stung by Nepal's Maoist caretaker Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's allegation that India bumbled in its Nepal policy by failing to rush a high-level envoy to defuse the row over the army chief, knowledgeable sources Monday said 'India cannot be blamed for everything that happens in Nepal'.

May 11th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Maoist protesters and riot police clashed in front of Nepal's presidential palace on Monday. The demonstrators were seeking information on the country's missing people and why President Ram Baran Yadav had no sacked the country's army chief, General Rookmangud Katawal.

May 8th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal caretaker Prime Minister and Maoist party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda met Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala to discuss the political scenario in the aftermath of his resignation. According to Nepali Congress vice president Ram Chandra Poudel who was present during hour-long meeting, Koirala asked Prachanda to cooperate in forming a government of national consensus.

May 7th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Some Maoist combatants have been taken in custody as per the directives of the party headquarters after a controversial video of outgoing Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' addressing a training session in Shaktikhor became public. According to Nepalnews, the party has detained members of the video unit and some suspected combatants dubbing the entry of 'enemies' in its army.

May 4th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Monday announced his resignation following a flaming row over the sacking of the army chief. Prachanda, Nepal's first Maoist prime minister, announced his resignation in a televised address to the nation.

April 23rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - New Delhi has called back its ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood for an emergency briefing Thursday after the drama over the potential sacking of Nepal's army chief by the Maoist-led government spilled over onto the streets with the former guerrillas making public threats of capturing the army headquarters. Sood cancelled his appointment with the Nepali Minister for Water Resources Bishnu Poudel, whom he was to have handed over Indian assistance worth over Rs.100 million, at the last minute Thursday to catch an afternoon flight to New Delhi.

March 25th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda today said that the uneasy relationship among the coalition partners has created doubt on the Constitution drafting process. Speaking at the Constitutional Committee of the Constituent Assembly here, Prachanda said that there are doubts among the general public on Constitution drafting due to differences among the parties.

March 16th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA) commanders have urged Prime Minister Prachanda to expedite the process of rehabilitating disqualified cadres staying in the cantonments. At the meeting of the PLA general staff here on Sunday, the commanders asked Prachanda, who is also the coordinator of Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) to shift disqualified cadres from the cantonments and make suitable arrangement for their rehabilitation.

January 20th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Almost two months after deciding to recall its ambassador to India, Nepal's biggest trade partner, the Himalayan republic is yet to decide on a new appointee. In November, the new Maoist-led government that came to power in Nepal decided to recall the envoys to key countries on the ground that they had been appointed by the earlier Girija Prasad Koirala government.

January 14th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Under growing fire from journalists' organisations in Nepal and the international community for the brutal murder of a woman reporter in the turbulent southern plains, Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Thursday called off his controversial foreign junket scheduled this week. A group of journalists who met Prachanda Thursday to submit a memorandum seeking justice for 24-year-old Uma Singh who was hacked to death in Janakpur town Sunday, was told the PM had cancelled his European tour in order to stay at home and address the crisis.