New Delhi, May 15, 2009
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Manmohan Singh likely to resign on Monday
New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
is likely to resign from his office on May 18, two days after the election results
are out. Earlier it was reported that the Prime Minister will resign on Sunday,
but according to sources, Singh will have a meeting with his council of Ministers
at 10 am on Monday, and then, he will proceed to Rashtrapati Bhavan to submit
his resignation. He is expected to continue as caretaker PM till the next government
is formed. The process of forming the new government will start on May 17 with
the announcement of the final results of the parliamentary elections. The new
government is required to be sworn in before June 1, 2009.
Security beefed up ahead of vote counting
day Top
New
Delhi/Chennai: The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements
ahead of vote counting day on Saturday. Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla
said 1,080 counting centres have been set up throughout the country. He said 60,000
employees have been pressed into service for the purpose. The counting of votes
for 543 Lok Sabha seats will start from 8.00 a.m. The Commission has also made
arrangements for the media to acquire details of every round of counting to them
through its websites www.eciresults.nic.in. Two boards will also be set up at
the Commission office for displaying results. Security has also been beefed up
in Chennai. The policemen are keeping a strict vigil on vote counting centres.
The three counting centres in the city wore the look of a fortress on Friday with
a large number of security personnel guarding them. "Elaborate security arrangements
have been made even though we don't have much issues or any threat on these counting
centres. We have done lighting arrangements. We have been continuously watching
the area in continuous vigil. The counting will start at 8:00 a.m. We will continue
till the whole counting process is over," said Rajesh Lakhoni, Commissioner, Chennai
Corporation. Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 68 per cent in the final round
of elections, which according to officials is quite high, considering the low
voter turnout recorded from other states.
Prachanda
says Maoists won't block govt formation Top
Kathmandu:
Nepal caretaker Prime Minister and Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that his
party would not pose obstructions in the new government formation and wanted the
new government to take shape at the earliest. Speaking at a book launch her on
Thursday, Prachanda said the Maoists were in favour of a government with civilian
supremacy that could stand up to foreign intervention. Prachanda, who had resigned
from his post slamming foreign intervention, said, "remote controlled government
cannot safeguard democracy." He further announced all the political parties to
forge a broader political understanding in order to accomplish the tasks of writing
new a Constitution and peace process. "Let's sit together, review the situations
and let's conclude the issues of Constitution drafting and peace process," Kantipur
quoted him as, saying. Saying that conspiracies are being hatched to drag the
country towards autocracy, Prachanda warned that the country could plunge into
a disaster due to civil war. Meanwhile, the Madhesi Janadhikar Fourm (MJF) leaders
have finally projected itself as the party to lead the new government. In a statement
issued by Co-chairman Jay Prakash Prasad Gupta, the party said it would take initiatives
to gather support and solidarity from other parties for formation of a new government
under its leadership. The statement further said that it would support the party
of coalition agreeing in written to implement eight-point -demand signed with
the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on Madhes issues incase the party fails
to garner much support for formation of the government under its own leadership.
Meanwhile, other two alliance of UDMF including the Tarai Madhesh Lokltantrik
Party and the Sadbhawana Party (SP) have already agreed to support CPN-UML in
heading the new government The Central Committee (CC) meeting of MJF had laid
out options such as either all the Madhes-based parties would participate in the
UML-led government, or form the new government in the leadership of Madhesi parties,
or to support the government from outside the government.
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