Maoists obstruct House

(Updated with details)



KATHMANDU, Aug 7: Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on Friday obstructed proceedings of Legislature-Parliament alleging that the government failed to ensure ´civilian supremacy´ as committed in the four-point agreement reached with the Maoist last month. [break]



The Maoists have warned of obstructing House business until the ´unconstitutional´ move of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to reinstate army Chief Rookmangud Katawal is made a subject of discussion in the parliament.







“There is no meaning to let the House run unless it becomes the platform for discussion on issues of national importance,” Maoist deputy parliamentary party leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha said while addressing the House.



Shrestha said they will allow the House run its business with pride once political parties agree to discuss the President´s move in the parliament.



The Maoist obstruction comes as a part of their struggle programs both in the House and on the streets as announced earlier.



Shrestha warned that the fresh struggle program may take shape of another people´s movement and accomplish the tasks unfulfilled by Janaandolan II if the ruling parties don´t take the Maoist demands seriously.



Shrestha claimed that they were forced to take to the streets after the ruling parties did not take their demands seriously.



Shrestha, however, said his party will always remain open for dialogues. Arguing that the ruling parties were trying to push the country to fresh war, he said the struggle program will yield mass support in favor of peace and constitution drafting. Shrestha also asked the ruling parties not to take their struggle as just an empty threat.



Referring to the remarks of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal that the issue of president´s move was irrelevant, Shrestha said the PM was not committed to address the Maoist concerns.



The meeting of the parliament was put off till Monday evening after the Maoist lawmakers picketed the rostrum and shouted slogans in the parliament.

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