Kathmandu, April 6 (Inditop.com) As Nepal geared to observe April 24 as a remarkable day when two pro-democracy movements were launched against the absolute reigns of two different kings, the former Maoist guerrillas Tuesday staged a show of might nationwide and said they were starting a fresh movement for peace and democracy.
In the capital as well as remote districts, including Rolpa, the “red” region in the west that gave birth to the Maoist armed struggle in 1996, top Maoist leaders addressed huge rallies to pressure the multi-party government.
On April 24, 2006, the major parties supported by the Maoist guerrillas began a nationwide protest against King Gyanendra’s army-supported government, causing it to collapse and paved the way for the abolition of monarchy.
On this day in 1990, according to the Nepali calendar, the Nepali Congress party started a mass movement against King Birendra that succeeded in ending the repressive panchayat system when parties were banned.
Maoist MP and former deputy chief of their People’s Liberation Army Barshaman Pun Ananta, who arrived in Rolpa after 16 years, said the nationwide mass meetings by his party were intended to pressure the government into promulgating a new constitution by May 28 and taking the peace process forward.
With less than 60 days left for the May 28 deadline, it seems impossible the government of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal would be able to meet the deadline.
The Maoists are asking him to resign, saying they, as the largest party in parliament, should be allowed to enforce the new constitution.
Though Nepal has refused to quit till the new statute comes into effect, pressure is mounting on him with his own party men asking him to step down.
A junior partner in the coalition with two MPs, the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi) has said it had withdrawn support while its big brother, the Sadbhavana Party, has said it could follow suit.
Yet another Terai party, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum that was the fourth largest before a vertical split, has said it did not support the government.
Nepal also faces possible censure from a parliamentary committee Wednesday for flouting its advice and awarding a deal to issue new Nepali passports to an Indian company. The committee said the government had acted “illegally”.
