Nepal plunged into a political crisis on Tuesday with the Maoists pulling out of the coalition government dealing a blow to the fragile peace process after their demand for immediate abolition of monarchy was rejected.

The Himalayan kingdom’s former rebels quickly announced a three-week long protest programmes at a public meeting ahead of the November elections but said they have no plans to renew their armed revolt.
The rebels said they are still part of the ruling alliance and did not say they will boycott the polls.

The withdrawal of the four Maoist ministers from the eight-party coalition government after Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala rejected their demand for declaring Nepal a republic before the constituent assembly polls was confirmed by senior minister Ram Chandra Poudel, who is from the Nepali Congress.

Failed government
“The Maoist ministers gave their resignation and left. In the notice, they have alleged that the coalition government has failed to function in the spirit of the agreements reached earlier and have not been able to prepare for upcoming election,” according to Poudel.

Leaders of the top four parties in the government including the Maoists’ Prachanda met at Koirala’s residence on Tuesday in a last-ditch attempt to avert a political crisis.

The ministers who resigned were Krishna Bahadur Mahara (Information), Dev Gurung (Local Development) Hisila Yami (Physical Planning) and Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma (Women and Social Welfare).
Maoist chairman Prachanda and senior leader Baburam Bhattarai walked out of the four-party meeting convened by Koirala after it failed to reach a consensus, said Nepal Congress leader Arjun Narsingh.

Talks going on
“Talks are still going on among the seven-party alliance leaders to resolve the stalemate. We are  trying to find out a consensus even  after the Maoists walked out of the government,” he said.

The Maoists were pressing their government partners to immediately dethrone King Gyanendra and declare Nepal a republic. Maoist coalition partners, however, said it  should be left for a special assembly — to be elected in November — to decide on Nepal’s future political system while it rewrites the constitution.

Thousands of Maoist supporters blocked roads as they converged on an open-air theatre for the public meeting in central Kathmandu.  Chanting “Declare Nepal a republic,” and “Down with King Gyanendra,” the pro-Maoist crowds banged drums and waved red flags as they headed to the public meeting.

The former rebels have also used hundreds of school buses and public buses to ferry their cadres from different places to the meeting venue.

Prachanda absent
Meanwhile, Prachanda’s absence during the announcement of the Maoists’ agitation programme was regarded here as mysterious by political observers.

It was surprising to note that Prachanda, who attended the crucial meeting, at Koirala’s residence could not attend the much-publicised mass meeting citing health reason.

Maoists’ second-in-command leader Baburam Bhattarai announcing the agitation said they will launch the programme peacefully and they will also not leave the eight-party alliance.

“We will violate the election code of conduct by organising various programmes even after the Election Commission implements its code of conduct,” he said, adding “the November election was a drama so we are organising protests to pressurize for holding a true election”.