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Nepal's Maoists block roads to government offices
Associated Press - May 6, 2010
Binaj Gurubacharya, Katmandu (Nepal) – Nepal's Maoist opposition blocked streets leading to key government offices Wednesday on the fourth day of their crippling general strike to demand the prime minister's resignation, while the government vowed not to bow to protesters' pressure.
Protesters hoped to disrupt the government by blocking streets leading to the Singhadurbar complex which houses key offices and ministries, but many government ministers already had entered the complex under police protection before sunrise.
The Maoists, known to use violence to back their strike calls, have demanded that residents halt all travel and keep businesses and schools closed since Sunday in their campaign to get Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to resign and hand power to a Maoist-led government.
The strike has shut down most businesses, schools and transport, with daily activity grinding to a standstill.
The standoff has raised fears of renewed violence in Nepal, where the Maoists ended their decade-old insurgency and joined a peace process in 2006. They won elections in 2008 and briefly led a coalition government, but a dispute over the army chief's firing split the coalition, leading to the formation of the current administration they are trying to topple.
The strike also comes as Nepal's Constituent Assembly, elected to draw up a new constitution, struggles to draft the charter before its term expires May 28.
Leaders of the Maoists and the two main ruling parties were meeting again on Wednesday to try resolve the crisis through talks – the latest round of talks in the past three days that have so far failed to break the deadlock.
Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal and his deputy Baburam Bhattarai met the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) Jhalnath Khanal and the president of the Nepali Congress party, Sushil Koirala, at a downtown hotel.
Home Minister Bhim Rawal told reporters Wednesday that the prime minister was not going to bow to the pressure from the protesters and does not plan to resign.
Rawal said the government was working to bring life back to normal, including deploying police to protect banks which have been shuttered by the strike.
Home Ministry spokesman Jayamukunda Khanal said banks had not taken up the government's offer of protection and remained closed.
Home Ministry officials said police would escort additional convoys of trucks carrying essential goods into the city, after escorting a few trucks with fuel and food early Tuesday.
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