KATHMANDU: Fears of a prolonged political crisis in Nepal deepened yesterday after a regional party joined the Maoists in alleging poll-rigging in post-war elections held this week. Maoist rebel-turned-politician Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, threw the country into turmoil Thursday when he denounced the vote, which is seen as key to completing a peace process after a 10-year civil war. Ratneshwar Lal Kayastha, spokesman for the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Nepal), a regional party representing the marginalised Madhesi community, described the polls as “suspicious and conspiratorial”. Kayastha, whose party has won just one out of 97 directly elected seats declared so far, said “preliminary results have both surprised and angered us”. “There were cases where more votes were cast than the number of registered voters,” he said. Millions of Nepalese voted in Tuesday’s elections, hoping to install a constituent assembly that would write a constitution and end years of political instability.
China slammed for HK remarks
HONG KONG: Campaigners accused Beijing of stifling democracy in Hong Kong yesterday after a senior mainland official said any future leader of the city must not challenge China.
Tension is high over the perceived threat to political reforms in Hong Kong and lack of government transparency, as the public and opposition demand universal suffrage.
“Hong Kong is a local administrative region of China... the Chief Executive must be someone who loves the country and loves Hong Kong,” said Li Fei, deputy secretary-general of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress -- China’s parliament -- who is in Hong Kong on a three-day visit. “In other words, those who confront the central government cannot be chief executive,” he said during a speech to 100 local businessmen and lawmakers.
Agencies
