QUOTE UNQUOTE(Spotlight Weekly)

"Retaining this jumbo-size cabinet is my compulsion."

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, hinting at his inability to trim the size of his cabinet for fear of inviting instability, speaking at a public program.

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"Anybody trying to destabilize the Deuba government will have to deal with me first."

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, former prime minister and senior leader of Nepali Congress, defending the government, at a public program in Biratnagar.

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"His (Girija Prasad Koirala) proposal of forging broad national unity is meaningless and unfortunate."

Mahesh Acharya, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives and a known close aide to Koirala, criticizing his mentorís recent statements, while speaking at a party program in Siraha.

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"The prime minister is only experiencing his own state of emergency, not that of the nation."

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, acting general secretary of Unified Marxist-Leninist, in Kantipur.

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"There is no need to make plans for changing the leadership of parliamentary party."

Sushil Koirala, general secretary of ruling Nepali Congress, in Himalaya Times.

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"The route I have chosen to taken is a bit difficult, whereas returning to UML is an easy path."

Chandra Prakash Mainali, leader of Marxist-Leninist, who has refused to toe the line of his own party by shying away from re-uniting with the UML, in Jana Bhawana.

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"Let them prove the charge first."

Bal Bahadur KC, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, rejecting charges of corruption leveled against him by the Congress partyís monitoring committee, in Spacetime daily.

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"Such talents are rare in indigenous tribes."

Nathuni Singh Danuwar, former MP, mourning the death of Superintendent of Police Ram Binay Singh — the first person from the backward Danuwar tribe to reach such high post — who was killed by Maoists in an ambush, in Kantipur.

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