Nepal's president asks Army chief to continue in post
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, May 4, IRNA -- Nepal's President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has sent a letter to the Army Chief General Gen Rookmangud Katawal asking him to continue in office.
The president took the decision after receiving official request from 18 political parties at his office on Sunday evening including main opposition Nepali Congress to protect constitution and block action against the Army chief.
Nepal's president has also asked Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda to evolve consensus among various political parties over the issue of sacking of Army chief, All India Radio (AIR) reported.
In a letter, the Nepalese president asked Prime Minister Prachanda to act in accordance with the Constitution and in the spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement over the issue.
Earlier yesterday, Nepal plunged into turmoil with the Maoist-led government and the military locked in a major confrontation after Prime Minister Prachanda sacked Katawal for allegedly defying government orders but the general refused to step down.
"The Army chief was removed because he failed to give satisfactory explanation on why the government orders were ignored," Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara told reporters shortly after the decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting chaired by Prachanda and boycotted by four key constituents of the coalition government.
Meanwhile, two key coalition partners -- CPN (UML) and Sadbhawana Party have decided to withdraw their support to the Maoist-led government.
The CPN(UML) has 108 members in the 601-member Constituent Assembly and its action has raised doubts over the survival of the multi-party coalition.
Maoists have 229 members and it was not immediately clear whether the government was still in a majority.
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