Maoists quit govt

Baluwatar talks fail; Maoists quit govt
(www.ekantipur.com)
KATHMANDU, Sept 18 - The CPN-Maoist has quit the eight-party government as talks among the major parties at the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar Tuesday morning ended inconclusively.
All four Maoist ministers—Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dev Gurung, Hisila Yami and Khadga Biswokarma—tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as a crucial meeting of the top leaders of the four major political parties held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar this morning failed to convince the former rebels not to quit the government.
The Maoist ministers also left the vehicles provided to them by the government at the PM’s residence and headed towards the open air theatre to address the protest assembly called by the party in their own vehicles. The Maoist leaders are due to formally announce their decision to launch an agitation at the assembly, which is scheduled to start at 2:00 pm.
The Maoists had joined the coalition government in April.
But, the relations between the seven parties and the Maoists started to sour after the latter party set 22 “pre-requisites” such as declaration of a republic through the interim parliament and a fully proportional electoral system to “ensure” Constituent Assembly elections on November 22.
The meeting of the four parties was convened this morning as part of the last ditch effort to stop the Maoists from quitting the government.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, Maoist chairman Prachanda and NC-Democratic President Sher Bahadur Deuba had attending the meeting.
General Secretary of CPN Unity-Center Mashal, Prakash, who has been taking the initiative to defuse the political deadlock over the last two days, was also present there.
PM Koirala had held a one-on-one with Maoist Chairman Prachanda ahead of the four-party meeting. However, the eight parties have not given up their hope to end the prevailing political stand-off even as the Maoist ultimatum to quit the government expired Monday evening.
Though Prime Minister Koirala has declined Maoist leadership demand for declare the country a republic through the Interim Legislature-Parliament and formally endorse the declaration through the Constituent Assembly to be elected on November 22, both the sides are still in a mood to look for alternatives to defuse the deadlock.Hundreds of Maoist cadres and sympathizers gathered at major intersections before the midday have started to proceed towards the assembly venue. Many buses carrying the demonstrators were also seen heading towards the open air theatre.
They are chanting slogans such as “Declare a republic to ensure Constituent Assembly elections” and “Hail to republican Nepal”.Traffic in large parts of the capital has been crippled.