Prachanda meets envoys, foreign donors

Kathmandu, May 11 (ANI): Ambassadors from 16 countries, multinational donors and chief of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) Karen Landgren have jointly called on acting Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda here today amid uncertainties over formation of new government and postponement of the Nepal Development Forum (NDF) meet.

Envoys from United States, Germany, France, UK, Norway, China and India and representatives from World Bank, Asian Development Bank were among those that met Prachanda.

The discussion has concentrated on postponement of NDF meeting and delay in formation of the new government due to continued obstruction of parliament proceedings by the Maoists.

They also inquired about the statement given by Prachanda in the recently leaked video- tape in which he has revealed the real strength of their combatants.

Prachanda was asked to find solution of the political stalemate at the earliest.

Earlier, Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers have demanded re-verification of the Maoist combatants, raising serious concern over the video footage.

At the NC Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting on Sunday, speakers criticised the role and efficiency of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in the course of verification of Maoist combatants and demanded re-verification.

NC leader Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat said, "Since Prachanda himself has admitted that the real strength of combatants was around 7,000 to 8,000 and the number of eligible combatants would be about 4,000, the Special Committee formed to work out their supervision, rehabilitation and integration should take this real number of combatants into account while deciding on their integration."

The lawmakers also sought probe into the distribution of billions of rupees from national exchequer among the Maoist cadres and expressed serious concern about the Maoists' strategy of buying weaponry by using state coffer in their mission to capture the state, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)