CPN (UML) threatens to quit Nepal govt. if Maoists sack CoAS

September 17th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Unified CPN (Maoist) cadres waved black flags and pelted stones at Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal as he attended the 34th convocation ceremony of the Tribhuvan University on Wednesday. The Maoist cadres threw stones and black flags at the stage when the convocation ceremony was in progress.

September 13th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal police faced a tough time in providing security to the country's Finance Minister, Surendra Pandey as Maoist protestors pelted stones at his vehicle on Saturday. Pandey, who was in Chipledhunga-Pokhara, about 200 kilometres from Kathmandu, to inaugurate Golden News Daily, had to return without attending the function.

September 13th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said here on Saturday, that peace cannot be established as long as the Maoist rebels do not surrender all their weapons. Addressing students Madhav Kumar accused the Maoists, led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ' Prachanda', of playing divisive politics.

September 10th, 2009 KATHMANDU - General Chhatra Man Singh Gurung has formally assumed the post of new Nepal Chief of Army Staff (CoAS). President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, as the Supreme Commander of Nepal Army, offered Gurung the insignia and administered oath of office and secrecy at a special function at Shital Niwas here on Wednesday.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON/KATHMANDU - The Chairman of the Unified CPN (Maoist), Prachanda, has said that Asian countries should develop a unified security strategy to combat US influence in South Asia. Speaking at the Embassy of Nepal in London on Tuesday, Prachanda said India, China and Nepal should work together to counter American.

June 22nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - CPN (UML) leader KP Sharma Oli has said that the Maoists would join the government within two months.peaking to journalists at Tribhuvan International Airport here on Sunday on his arrival after completing his ten-day visit to India, Oli said the peace process would not succeed without the participation of Maoists. "Peace process will not reach a logical conclusion just by a consensus among Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and UML chairman Jhala Nath Khanal," he added.

May 27th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The Unified CPN (Maoist) has refused Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal's call to join the government. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma said there is no possibility of them joining the government or working together until 'civil supremacy' is maintained.

May 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's Finance Minister and senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday claimed that the army had accepted the "new leadership" that was taking over command following the government decision. "The army command has already accepted the new leadership and everything is moving ahead normally," Bhattarai was quoted by Nepal News as telling to media persons after a brief meeting with five fringe parties on Sunday afternoon.

May 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal plunged into a deep political crisis on Sunday evening with Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), the second largest coalition partner deciding to pull out of the Maoist-led government, in opposition to the latter's unilateral decision to sack Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal. The decision to call back its ministers from the government and withdraw its support to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was reached at an emergency meet of the party's standing committee held after the cabinet decision to sack the army chief on Sunday afternoon, a Nepal News report stated.

May 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Facing widespread criticism from various political parties over sacking of Army Chief, the ruling Maoist-led government suffered a further setback when one of its five-coalition partners, Sadbhawana Party, also decided to pull out of the Maoist-led government The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) had already decided to pull out of the Maoist-led government earlier in the day in opposition to the latter's unilateral decision to sack Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal, a Nepal News report stated. In the evening, Ministers representing the UML resigned from their positions following the party decision.

April 29th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The meeting of the major political parties at Singh Durbar on Wednesday morning failed to reach a consensus over the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Rookmangud Katawal row. However, the three parties - the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist (CPN-M), the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) - decided to meet again for another round of discussion.

April 28th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal met Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala on Tuesday morning and urged him to support the government to sack Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Rookmangad Katawal. The meeting took place at Koirala's residence in Maharajgunj where Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and party leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha were also present.

April 27th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has urged CPN (UML) chairman Jhala Nath Khanal to support the government's decision to sack Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Rookmangad Katawal. The move came after Khanal met Dahal at his residence on Monday morning to propose an option acceptable to both the Maoists and the Nepali Congress (NC).

April 23rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has started talks with the diplomatic mission chiefs here over the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Rookmangad Katawal row. Envoys from eight countries including the United States, United Kingdom, India, China and Japan are attending the meeting at the PM's residence in Baluwatar today.

April 22nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal met President Dr Ram Baran Yadav at his residence early this morning and briefed him about the row involving his government and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Rookmangud Katawal. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Dahal said President Yadav had directed him to seek a political consensus on the issue.