By IANS,
Kathmandu : Alarmed at the crisis in Nepal triggered by the ruling Maoist party’s bid to sack the chief of the army, the fresh violence on the streets and the danger of the peace process becoming unstuck, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked the warring parties to bury the hatchet.
“The secretary general is seriously concerned about the current political crisis in Nepal centred on the relationship between the government and the chief of army staff and the possible risks posed to the peace process,” a statement issued by the UN chief’s office in New York said.
“The secretary general calls on all concerned to resolve the crisis through dialogue and consensus, with full respect for the provisions of the constitution.”
The Maoists unleashed a new crisis Sunday when they fired the army chief, Gen Rookmangud Katawal, for alleged disobedience, and faced flak from the opposition as well as its own allies.
Two of its alliance partners, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist and Sadbhavana Party, have withdrawn support to the government of Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, reducing it to minority.
The opposition Nepali Congress party is now calling for Prachanda’s resignation and seeking to bring a no-trust vote against him in the interim parliament.