Quote Unquote (Spotlight Weekly)

"If the Maoists come to power, the human rights activists and the journalists will be the first to be imprisoned. I have understood them better than any one else because I have been betrayed by them in the past."

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, addressing a public program in Jhapa.

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"I have no desire to stand for the president again if the three leaders (Ram Chandra Poudel, Shailaja Acharya and Sushil Koirala) reach understanding among themselves."

Girija Prasad Koirala, former prime minister and president of Nepali Congress, talking to party cadres in Biratnagar signaling his intention regarding the forthcoming party convention.

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"The Prime Minister has not been able to accomplish anything, but we should give him a chance to change himself for good."

Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist, at a press conference in Pokhara.

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"The government will contemplate everything possible to mitigate the effect of blockade. There is even a provision for implementing state of emergency"

Dr. Mohamad Mohasin, Minister for Information and Communication and the spokesperson of the government.

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"There is no question of imposing state of emergency at this juncture. We have joined the government to correct the regression completely and, therefore, we will not strengthen the regression by implementing emergency."

Deputy Prime minister Bharat Mohan Adhikary, in response to minister Dr. Mohasin's remarks.

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"Maoists have tried to play the internal conflicts within every party to their advantage. They did it to the Congress before it became divided and now they are playing the same game on UML and probably the People's Front"

Nabaraj Subedi, central leader of the People's Front Nepal.

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"The relation between the Congress and the Nepal Students Union (Congress's Student Wing) should be redefined."

Gagan Thapa, former general secretary of Nepal Student's Union, in Deshantar.

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"The only power of the country is the King. A party-less government should be formed now."

Radha Krishna Mainali, former leader of the Unified Marxist Leninist, in Jana Astha

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"The Maoists have called for the road blockade to draw everybody's attention towards their agenda of the constitutional assembly."

Himalaya Shumsher JB Rana, President of the Civil Society, in Jana Bhawana.

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