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Nepal Maoist leader calls strike at anti-govt protest
AFP - Sunday, May 2
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Nepal Maoist leader calls strike at anti-govt protest
KATHMANDU (AFP) - – The leader of Nepal's Maoists on Saturday called a nationwide general strike, stepping up pressure on the government to quit as tens of thousands of his supporters demonstrated in Kathmandu.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal announced an "indefinite" strike from Sunday to try to oust the government of the impoverished Himalayan nation, which is still recovering from a civil war.
"We're compelled to call for an indefinite strike from tomorrow because of the government's lack of concern about taking the peace and constitution-making processes forward," he said as demonstrators cheered and whistled in approval.
Security was on high alert amid fears the latest turmoil would imperil the peacemaking process in Nepal, which is sandwiched between Asian giants India and China.
Government ministers say "street protests can't change the course of politics but history has proved otherwise," said Dahal, who also goes by his nom-de-guerre Prachanda, meaning the "fierce one."
Police reported the demonstration was peaceful but added they believed the crowd totalled around 150,000 demonstrators -- much lower than Maoist estimates of 600,000.
Dahal promised that the countrywide shutdown would "peaceful" and that "the door for dialogue will be open."
He was the commander of the Maoists during the decade-long insurgency against the now-defunct monarchy, in which 16,000 people died.
In a live television address, the country's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said bringing the nation to a halt would do nothing to strengthen democracy and appealed to the Maoists to call off their strike.
"Shutting down the nation is not the way to find a solution to this impasse," he said.
"I appeal to the Maoists to end their strike call," he said, adding finding an "all-party consensus is the only alternative that will pave the way forward."
As demonstrators held the rally, the Maoists met representatives of other major parties to try to break the deadlock. At mid-afternoon, the Maoists reported some progress but no immediate solution.
Riot police were posted at all major city intersections and thousands of security personnel were deployed to avert violence.
Parts of the city were a sea of bright red flags waved by demonstrators wearing red headbands who chanted: "Dissolve this puppet government and set up a national government."
The Maoist party, which has the largest number of seats in parliament, is demanding the ruling coalition be replaced by a Maoist-led administration.
The Nepal tabloid daily newspaper, Janadisha, said the demonstration heralded a "people's revolution."
"We will continue our protests until the government resigns and Prachanda is declared the new prime minister," said one demonstrator who identified himself as Dhurba.
A previous Maoist government fell in March 2009 after the president overruled its decision to sack the head of the army. Since then, Maoists have staged regular protests.
Shops and businesses were closed and residents were stockpiling food in fear that supplies might run short as a result of the strike.
"I'm very worried by the present situation," businessman Basant Karki said.
Reports of Maoists taking part in military-style training and carrying weapons in the run-up to the rally stoked tensions in the capital.
Nepal's lawmakers have until May 28 to complete a new constitution that analysts say is key to ensuring lasting peace between the Maoists and the state after the end of the civil war in 2006.
They must also reach agreement on the integration of nearly 20,000 former Maoist fighters languishing in cantonments around the country.
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