Maoist quits government, announces protest programmes

The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist has quit the Interim government after the talks held at Prime Minister's residence at Baluwatar on Tuesday failed to convince the Maoists to continue remaining in the government. 

Addressing a grand mass meeting organized at the open air theatre(Khulla Munch) in the capital Tuesday to formally declare the party’s withdrawal from the government and to announce the agitation, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, senior Maoist leader also publicized three-week long protest programmes.

The protest programmes included grand mass meeting and burning effigies of the monarchy today, door-to-door publicity campaigns on September 19-21, people’s demonstrations on September 22, exposure of those implicated by the Rayamajhi commission report from September 29 to October 3, picketing the District Administration Offices on September 30,  and political strike from October 4 -6.

Dr Bhattarai said that the elections without declaring the country a republic will be a drama.

Dr Bhattarai also said that they have decided to go ahead with their peaceful street agitation and protest programmes for the declaration of republic from the street. He said that CA election code of conduct, which came into effect from today, and the election schedule issued by Election Commission were not acceptable to the Maoist.

Dr Bhattarai said that the Maoist agitation will be peaceful, and that they will not breach the peace accord reached with the earlier seven-party government. “If the government tries to quell the peaceful protests, then we will be compelled to raise arms again,” he added.

Earlier today, the four ministers representing the Maoists in the government handed over their resignation to the PM Girija Prasad Koirala.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Hisila Yami, Dev Bahadur Gurung and Khadka Bahadur Biswakarma were in the government from Maoists as Minister for Information and Communication, Minister for Physical Planning and Works, minister for Local Development and Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare respectively.