India,US interfering in Nepals internal matter

Nepals ruling Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists CPN-M said the international community,especially India and the United States....

Nepals ruling Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists CPN-M said the international community,especially India and the United States,was interfering in the internal matters of the country,as the Cabinet on Wednesday failed to arrive at a decision regarding Army Chief Rukmangad Katawal.

Most political parties warned Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda,who had earlier threatened to sack the General,against taking a hasty decision in the matter.

The cabinet meeting held on Wednesday morning,which was boycotted by the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum MJF,ended with no decision being taken on the issue.

We have circulated the response that Gen Katawal had sent for study and the ministers will come back after making informed decisions, Information Minister K B Mahara said.

The CPN-M,which had earlier asked the Prime Minister to remove Katawal from the post of Army Chief,now seems to be relenting.

The Government must consider the views of other parties, the CPN-M central secretariat said on Wednesday.

The party also said that tremendous pressure from international forces,mainly India and the US,was preventing them from sacking Gen Katawal. India and the US were interfering in Nepals internal matters and were coming to the rescue of the Army Chief,the CPN-M secretariat said. India had on Tuesday conveyed to Nepal that disturbing or provoking the Nepal Army may destabilise the peace process.

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CPN-Ms Central Committee member and convener of the partys Foreign Affairs cell C P Gajurel also said that President Rambaran Yadav was trying to go beyond the Constitution by using more powers than those granted to him.

The President has told Prachanda not to sack the Army Chief or else he would have to step in.

According to highly placed sources,Prachanda told the President that by sacking Gen Katwal,he was trying to establish civilian supremacy and that he would appoint the second-in-command as the new Army Chief without disturbing the existing hierarchy.

Prachanda reiterated this point at the all-party meeting which he summoned on Wednesday evening.

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The main opposition Nepali Congress accused Prachanda of attempting to demoralise the Nepal Army in order to capture power systematically. The absence of consensus in the meeting means the decision now lies with the Prime Minister.

Analysts say Prachandas position within the party will be weakened if he does not sack Gen Katawal. According to Maoist sources,Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal,a longtime associate of the Prime Minister,had told him that he would not be able to continue in the Government on moral grounds if the Army Chief was not removed.