By Zhang Jianhua
KATHMANDU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Nepali government has
decided to sack Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal, a
governmental spokesperson said Sunday.
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Nepali Minister for Information and
Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara speaks with media after a cabinet
meeting in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal, May 3, 2009. The UCPN-maoist-led
Nepali government sacked Chief of the Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal on
Sunday, Nepal government spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said. (Xinhua
Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
Nepali Minister for Information and Communication
Krishna Bahadur Mahara, also the spokesperson of the Nepali government, made the
announcement to the media people at Prime Minister Prachanda's official
residence in Nepali capital Kathmandu after a cabinet meeting.
Earlier, other coalition parties, disagreeing with
the stance of the ruling party, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal
(Maoist)(UCPN-M), boycotted the decision and the cabinet meeting.
According to local news website THT Online, UCPN-M's
largest coalition partner in the government, the Communist Party of Nepal
(Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), the Communist Party of Nepal (United) and
Sadbhawana Party boycotted the cabinet meeting while Madhesi People's Rights
Forum wrote a note of dissent.
However, Mahara claimed that all ruling political
parties except the CPN-UML supported the government decision.
Minister Mahara is also a senior
leader of the UCPN-M.
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The file photo taken on Aug. 22, 2007
shows Chief of the Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal inspects the army parade
in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. The UCPN-maoist-led Nepali government
sacked Chief of the Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal on Sunday, Nepal
government spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said. (Xinhua/Bimal
Gautam)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
Mahara also declared that the government has
appointed second-in-command Kul Bahadur Khadka as the acting CoAS.
Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda met with Katawal and
Kul Bahadur Khadka separately first, then jointly, on Sunday morning before the
cabinet meeting.
Prime Minister Prachanda has gone to meet President
Ram Baran Yadav with the cabinet decision. The decision will come into effect
only after the approval of the President.
Local news website Nepalnews.com reported that
UCPN-M's largest coalition partner in the government, the Communist Party of
Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) and the main opposition Nepali
Congress, the second largest party in the CA have initiated exercise to make a
new coalition.
A standing committee meeting of the CPN-UML has begun
on Sunday in party headquarters in Kathmandu to discuss the party's strategy in
the latest political developments.
Nepali Congress has called an
all-party meeting on Sunday afternoon.
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The file photo taken on Feb. 23, 2009
shows Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda (R) receives salutes from Chief of
the Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal in Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. The
UCPN-maoist-led Nepali government sacked Chief of the Army Staff
Rookmangud Katawal on Sunday, Nepal government spokesman Krishna Bahadur
Mahara said.(Xinhua/Bimal Gautam)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
The Defense Ministry, led by another senior leader of
the UCPN-M Ram Bahadur Thapa, seeking clarifications from Chief of Army Staff
Rookmangud Katawal on April 20 -- accusing him of defying a series of government
orders -- has invited flaks from different quarters.
The UCPN-M emerged from the Constituent Assembly
elections in April 2008 as the single largest party and led the formation of the
first republic government in August 2008.
Ahead of that, the formerly Communist Party of Nepal
(Maoist) led by Prachanda signed the Comprehensive Peace Accord with the then
government in November, 2006, ending the decade civil war in
Nepal.
UCPN-M seeks support from small
parties on sacking of army chief
KATHMANDU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
(UCPN-M) has called on a meeting of small political parties at the parliamentary
party office to collect the support on sacking Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS)
Rookmangud Katawal on Sunday afternoon.
Nepali Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara,
also the spokesperson of the Nepali government, on Sunday made the announcement
to sack the CoAS. Full story
Nepal army calls emergency meeting
following gov't decision
KATHMANDU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Following the government's decision to sack
the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal, Nepal Army (NA) has
called on an emergency meeting of the army generals at the NA headquarters on
Sunday.
According to the local news website THT online, Katawal refused to accept
the government letter ousting him. Full story
Security on high alert in Nepali
capital
KATHMANDU, May 3 (Xinhua) -- An informal meeting of the army generals at
the Nepal Army (NA) Headquarters in capital Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon
decided to keep all of its divisions on high alert.
The decision came after the government decided to sack the Chief of the
Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal on Sunday. Full story
Nepali PM meets former PM on sacking
of army chief
KATHMANDU, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda Tuesday met
former Prime Minister and president of largest opposition party Nepali Congress
Girija Prasad Koirala, seeking support to sack the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS)
Rookmangud Katawal.
At the meeting held at Koirala's residence in the capital Kathmandu,
Prachanda urged Koirala to support the government to sack the army chief, local
media said. Full story
Nepali PM: Army chief will be
sacked
KATHMANDU, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister Prachanda on Monday
said the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal will be sacked to
maintain people's supremacy in the country, the Nepali national news agency RSS
reported.
Addressing a program organized here to hand over the Bardibas-Banepa
roadway in Sindhulimadhi, some 80 km east of Nepali capital Kathmandu, Prime
Minister Prachanda said, "The CoAS has to be sacked as he challenged people's
supremacy and snubbed government's directives again and again." Full story
