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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said no compromises would be made in corruption control efforts as the government is tough on this matter. Addressing a program organized at the CPN (Maoist Centre) party office in Parisdanda today on the occasion of the fourth death anniversary of former minister and party leader Dhaniram (DR) Poudel, Prime Minister and Party Chairman Dahal reiterated that the government is moving ahead in a steadfast way to maintain good governance. "I see some people casting doubt whether the government will give in or compromise (in its move against stemming corruption). But I say it clearly that the government is not paramount for me. For me, good governance and service to the people is paramount," he added. Giving assurances that the government will move ahead steadfastly to wipe out corruption, the Prime Minister pledged not to compromise and bow out on this. The Maoist Centre Chair said that they are actively moving ahead of the communist movement as per the new situation and were focusing on the process of forming a socialist front to conclude the socialist revolution. Stating that the party suffered an irreparable loss with the sudden demise of DR Poudel, party chairperson Dahal recalled the late leader as the one who always fulfilled his duties and responsibilities given him by the party. "I had given him the responsibility of the Education Minister so that he would establish himself among the people. He also carried out his responsibilities well," PM Dahal said. On a different note, the PM said that the achievements of the movement have come under attack in recent times and those forces considered democratic have turned out to be involved in undemocratic and lowly conducts. "The responsibility of defending the achievements of the movement by struggling against the attacks has fallen on our shoulders. We have to prove that only the communists are honest and capable. Therefore, the government front has to be maximally used in favor of social justice, good governance and prosperity," he asserted. Party's senior Vice-Chair and Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha said that it is the responsibility of all to make the government successful under any circumstances. Stressing the need of expediting the journey towards prosperity, he insisted that the present government should be successful in fulfilling the public aspirations. "The political change happened on the backing of the People's Movement waged under the Maoist leadership. However, the economic and social transformation has still become a far-cry. Although some achievements have been made, the kind of social and economic transformation as directed by the historic political change and as expected by the people has not been experienced yet. The incumbent government will materialize this," he reiterated. Vice-Chair duo Pampha Bhusal and Agni Prasad Sapkota, general secretary Dev Prasad Gurung, deputy general-secretary Haribol Gajurel and Girirajmani Pokhrel, among other leaders paid tribute to Dhaniram Poudel on the occasion.  

Nepali Congress designated Vice-President Purna Bahadur Khadka as the acting president of the party in the absence of President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Khadka is also the Chief of Central Policy, Research and Training Academy of the party. Khadka has been assigned as the party acting president on the recommendation of President Deuba, party office chief secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel said. NC President and former Prime Minister Deuba has left for Singapore for routine health follow-up. Khadka would take charge of the party as acting president until the return of Party President Deuba.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has been discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after routine checkups and treatment. President Paudel was discharged from the Bansbari-based Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre this morning after a health examination followed by observation for 24 hours, Hospital's Executive Director Dr Chandramani Adhikari said. According to Dr Adhiakri, President Paudel’s health condition is normal now. He was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday after he complained of chest pain.

The Supreme Court has issued separate show cause notices to the then Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and his second-in-command Baburam Bhattarai in response to a petition against the forced conscription of child soldiers during the Maoist insurgency that began on 13 Feb 1996 and ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord on 21 Nov 2006. A single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, conducting a preliminary hearing on the writ from nine child soldiers, including Lenin Bista, demanded written clarifications from the defendants, putting the case on priority. It has given Dahal, the current prime minister and chair of the CPN (Maoist Center), and former Maoist leader and prime minister Bhattarai 15 days to furnish written clarifications on the charges leveled against them in the petition. The two leaders can furnish their clarifications before the court in person or send in their legal representatives through the power of attorney. On medical grounds, they can get a further 15 days for furnishing clarifications. Bista and others had moved the apex court accusing the former rebels of committing war crimes by forcing minors to join military activities in contravention of national as well as international human rights laws. Constitutional law expert Ananta Raj Luitel says the court can initiate legal action against the defendants if they fail to come clean on the charges. On May 30, the apex court administration had refused to entertain the former child soldiers’ petition, pointing out that transitional justice mechanisms overseeing war-era cases are supposed to look into this case also. But a single bench of Justice Anand Mohan Bhattarai had ordered the court staff to register the petition against Dahal and Bhattarai. The verification of former PLA combatants, which the United Nations Mission in Nepal had conducted in 2007 for integrating former rebel soldiers into the Nepali Army, had disqualified thousands of Maoist combatants, including Bista, for being minors. Of the 4,008 disqualified combatants, 2,973 turned out to be minors while the remaining 1,035 were found to have joined the Maoist ‘People’s Liberation Army’ after the first ceasefire of 26 May 2006—six months before the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) in 2006. The government had provided Rs 500,000-Rs 800,000 each to combatants opting for voluntary retirement, whereas the child soldiers had received token assistance from the United Nations.