Nepal Maoists kick off street protests

NEPAL: Thousands of supporters of Nepal's Maoists took to the streets of Kathmandu Sunday, kicking off a campaign aimed at forcing radical reforms, including the abolition of the monarchy.

The Maoists, who signed a peace deal with mainstream parties last November, stormed out of the government nearly two weeks ago over complaints they were not being treated as equal partners in an interim cabinet.

The ex-rebels also argue that the unpopular King Gyanendra and his supporters in the army are plotting a coup aimed at preventing the apparently inevitable abolition of the monarchy.

The question of the monarchy is supposed to be decided after an election on November 22, but the leftists want the institution to be immediately dismantled. They also want sweeping electoral reforms.

"The two main demands, to declare Nepal a republic before the polls and hold an election in a proportionate system, are still being discussed at the table," said Ganeshman Pun, the head of the Maoists' Young Communist League. But he said that while the Maoists were negotiating with their peace process partners, "we want to put pressure from the streets."

"If the demands are not met, this protest programme will show that people are ready to declare Nepal a republic from the streets," Pun said.

Meanwhile four men including a police officer have been arrested in connection with serial blasts that killed three people and injured around two dozen in Nepal's capital earlier this month.

Kathmandu, Monday, AFP