gaddam@remus.rutgers.edu (Surekha Reddy Gaddam) (05/17/91)
In Nepal, Mr.G.P.Koyirala is likely to be the new prime minister. The acting president of the Nepalese Congress and the PM Mr.K.P.Bhattaraya said that another Nepalese Cong(I) leader Mr.Ganesh Maan Singh has also agreed that Mr.Koyirala will be the Nepalese Congress legislative party leader in the house of representatives. With 18 more results still to come in the 205 member house of representatives, the Nepalese Cong with 98 seats to its credit needs five more seats to secure an absolutely majority. The Nepalese communist party secured 65 seats so far. In Panjab, the leader of the CPI(M) leader Mr.Balwant Singh and seven members of his family were killed in his house in Amritsar on Wednesday. Three security guards of the CPI leader were also killed when armed gunmen entered the house and started firing indiscriminately. There have been two other incidents else where in the state. In Taran Taran dist, four members of a family were killed. In another incident militants gunned down three members of family in Gurdaspur dist. In India, political activity is at it's peak with two more days left for campaigning before the first phase of polling on Monday for the lower house and several state assemblies. In Delhi, arrangements have been finalized for the seven parliamentary seats to conduct polls in free and fair manner. In B.desh, over 5000 army and navy personnel have mounted relief operations for the cyclone victims. Hundreds of volunteer organizations are supplementing the relief operations. Two more Indian helicopters carrying relief supplies arrived in Dhaka today. An official spokesman said that foreign govts and other international organizations have pledged more than 340 million dollars to B.desh. Reports say waterborne diseases continue to play havoc in the cyclone effected areas. Meanwhile fresh floods and monsoon rains submerged several areas in the north east of Bangladesh. In other developments in Bangladesh, the former PM, Mr.Zafar Ahmed has been arrested in Dhaka today. He was hiding since the fall of Gen Ershad. He was arrested under the special powers act and later taken to the Dhaka central jail. With Mr.Ahmed's arrest, all top ranking leaders of Gen Ershad's party have been detained. Narotham Reddy