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Political parties meet to form new coalition government in Nepal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, May 5, IRNA -- Nepal's political parties meet on Tuesday in a bid to form a new coalition after Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda resigned over a crisis sparked by the army chief's sacking.

Bimalendra Nidhi, a senior leader of the opposition Nepali Congress party told reporters on Tuesday in Kathmandu that an all-party meeting is scheduled on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of forming a coalition government with the consensus of all parties, All India Radio (AIR) reported.

Former guerrilla leader Prachanda resigned after his decision to sack Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal was not backed by other government allies and the president, triggering a political deadlock.

The Maoists accuse the army, on opposite sides of a civil war that ended three years ago, of undermining the authority of the civilian government.

Meanwhile, Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav, one of the key figures in the triangular drama that led to the fall of the Maoist-led government and triggered a constitutional crisis, Tuesday set a Saturday deadline for the formation of a new consensus government, a directive strongly rejected by the former guerrillas.

Sheetal Niwas, the presidential office, asked Nepal's 25 parliamentary parties to form a new consensus government by Saturday to fill the vacuum left by Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's resignation Monday after a protracted row over the dismissal of the army chief.

Meanwhile, at least 50 people of a civil society group close to the Maoists were arrested for staging a protest against the president's decision to reinstate Army chief.

Shyam Shrestha, Krishna Pahadi and Devendra Raj Pandey were among the civil society leaders who were arrested from the Sheetal Niwas area, which is declared as a prohibited zone.

The leaders were opposing the president's decision to reinstate Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal. They claimed that the president's move was unconstitutional and he should withdraw the move.

Meanwhile, Maoists have decided to block the Parliament session soon after quitting the government.

The Maoists' secretariat meeting held today decided to obstruct the Parliament session until the president withdraws his decision to reinstate the Army chief.