Nepal Maoists to launch movement against govt

Sat, Oct 31 06:08 AM

Nepal's government will deploy the army if the Maoist movement, beginning on November 1, turns violent or cripples the functioning of the state, Defence Minister Bidhya Bhandari said on Friday.

Bhandari's announcement comes as top Maoist leaders Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai plan a movement that they claim will paralyse the secretariat as well as in the districts and even lead to "stalling of all domestic and international flights".

Bhattarai said: "I'm appealing to all the international and domestic airlines... based in Nepal to cancel flights to avoid any problems to passengers."

When asked about the impact of the movement on the country's image and on tourism, Bhattarai said: "It will have no impact as it is going to be a one-time affair."

Bhattarai also said that the party was holding negotiations side by side and would call off the movement in case they reach and understanding with the government.

"For us to call off the movement, President Rambaran Yadav must express regret for reinstating Army Chief R Katawal in early May. Or Parliament should debate the decision of the President, which undermined the authority of an elected government."

He also said that the government of Madhav Kumar Nepal must be replaced by a "national unity government" headed by the Maoists. "But we will not accept change of government if the President does not correct his actions."

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