Kathmandu, May 03: Supporters of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) began an indefinite political strike across the country on Sunday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Nepal and a takeover of the government by Party Chairman Prachanda. Most industries and business establishments remained closed as Maoist cadres rallied across the country.
Maoist supporters disrupted the Class 12 Board Exams at several centres. Angry examinees took matters into their own hands in western Nepal’s Salayn and Central Nepal’s Chitwan district by attacking some Maoists.
Although 22 out of 25 political parties represented in Parliament extended their support to the government asking the Prime Minister not to quit, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) that leads the coalition government showed signs of fissure with a senior leader Bamdev Gautam asking Nepal to resign.
However, Gautam was asked by party leaders including K P Oli to keep silent or face disciplinary action. Gautam who submitted a memorandum along with 60 other signatories found himself cornered when at least 20 signatories alleged that they had not signed the memorandum.
“The Prime Minister is not going to resign and boost the morale of extremists and anarchists,” Oli said. Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari, who had previously supported the deployment of troops if the situation worsened, said,”Maoists are in a campaign to subvert the state.”
Ministers entered office in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Singhadurbar which houses the Prime Minister’s office and that of many ministries was fortified.
Senior Maoist leaders addressed their supporters — most of whom assembled at the Capital for the May day rally — telling them “we have already won the war”. The UCPN-M Chairman Prachanda, however, spent most of his time at home.
A high-level meeting of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Maoists, which began late Saturday, failed to ease the situation as both the government and the Maoists refused to budge.
—-Agencies