Nepal's Maoist leader calls for massive public protest
NEPAL: The leader of Nepal's opposition Maoists on Monday urged the
public to support a nationwide street protest aimed at toppling the
current government.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the protest planned for May 1 would be a
massive but peaceful show of popular will demanding the ruling
administration step down.
"We have no alternative but to exert pressure on the current
government who has no intention of moving the peace process forward or
writing the constitution," Dahal told reporters in Kathmandu.
"We will lead a peaceful rally and we will not resort to any
violence."
The Maoist party, which has the largest number of seats in
parliament, is demanding that the coalition government resigns and be
replaced by a new, Maoist-led national government.
Dahal's comments come amid mounting concern about the state of the
peace process that began when a decade-long civil war between the
Maoists and the state ended in 2006.
Nepal's lawmakers have until May 28 to complete a new constitution
that analysts say is key to ensuring lasting peace after the conflict in
which more than 16,000 people died.
They must also reach agreement on the integration of nearly 20,000
former Maoist fighters still languishing in cantonments around the
country.
The Maoist-led government fell in March 2009 after the president
overruled its decision to sack the head of the army.
Since then the party has held regular protests, calling for an
apology and a parliamentary debate over the extent of the president's
powers. Kathmandu, AFP
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