http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5AC3AADB-3CEC-4070-8CD0-23D57A0A5C73.htm
Maoists reject Nepal king's offer
Tuesday 25 April 2006, 16:08 Makka Time, 13:08 GMT
Nepal's Maoist rebels have rejected an offer by the king to reinstate
parliament, saying that it was a conspiracy to hold on to power and calling for
protests against his rule to continue.
The communist group's announcement came as Nepal's political leaders said on
Tuesday that they were ending 19 days of pro-democracy demonstrations and a
general strike against the king's direct rule.
A massive protest planned for Tuesday will instead go ahead as a "victory
rally" said Prasad Situala, a spokesman for the Nepali Congress, a member of
the seven-party alliance.
The seven parties, speaking as thousands of people cheered and danced on the
streets, named Girija Prasad Koirala, a former prime minister, as the new head
of government.
Situala said the prime minister's first job would be to bring Maoist insurgents
- whose campaign against the government has left 13,000 dead - into the
political mainstream.
"Now we have to create an environment for an interim government that will have
Maoist participation," said Minendra Rijal, an alliance leader.
Conspiracy
Situala said the work on an assembly to write a new constitution would begin
immediately - a key demand of the rebels.
However, the Maoists' leader - known as Prachanda - said the parties had
committed "another historic mistake."
"The proclamation is a sham and a conspiracy against the Nepali people,"
Prachanda said in a statement in the Nepali language. "Our party firmly rejects
this."
The Maoist leader also called for a blockade of Kathmandu and other Nepali
towns.
Celebrations
Overnight protesters had cheered, danced and hugged each other on the streets
of the capital, Kathmandu and other towns.
"This victory is the people's victory, long live democracy," many chanted.
In Kathmandu, celebrations
continued through the night
"The ball is now in the court of the seven political parties," Kumar Thapa, a
25-year-old milk vendor told the Associated Press.
In the capital itself, life slowly began to return to normal after days of
curfew, protests and closures.
Many buses and taxis ran for the first time since April 6, and mobile phone
connections, cut at the height of the protests on Saturday, were restored.
State of emergency
Nepal's parliament has been dissolved since 2002, and a multi-party government
was suspended in February last year when King Gyanendra declared a state of
emergency and assumed absolute power himself.
In an announcement on national television late on Monday, the king said he was
calling back the assembly.
Gyanendra had offered last week to hand over power to a prime minister
nominated by the seven parties, but they said this was not enough.
Monday's address went much further in content and in tone and left many
protesters surprised at the scale of the king's climb-down.
Victory
Arjun Narsingh K.C., a senior leader of Nepali Congress, the country's largest
party, said the king's announcement represented "the victory of the people's
movement."
The United States welcomed the move but said Washington was looking for more
concessions from the king.
"We believe that he should now hand power over to the parties and assume a
ceremonial role in his country's governance," said Adam Ereli, spokesman for
the State Department.
Since beginning their campaign almost 10 years ago, the Maoists have taken
effective control of large swathes of the countryside in a rebellion that has
left at least 13,000 people dead
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