Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 17:

The leaders of the seven-party alliance today accused the King of seeking international support at various fora to suppress the democratic process in the country. They also pointed out the need for a new constitution which would address the problems confronting the nation for the past 250 years. Addressing a mass meeting at Ason, Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader and former lawmaker, Narayan Prasad Saud, said that the King’s February 1 move was a “black day” for the country’s democratic movement. He accused the King of being the head of the government, thus violating the 1990 constitution. “The King is hell-bent on denigrating the political parties at international fora which is unbecoming of a monarch,” he said. A rally went around the major parts of the core city before converging at Ason. The CPN-UML’s Kathmandu district committee secretary, Rameshwor Phuyal, said that the

King was seeking military and financial assistance from friendly countries to prolong his “autocratic rule”, which would be short-lived.

He accused the King’s henchmen of being solely responsible for defrauding the state-owned banks of millions of rupees. Meanwhile, dozens of party cadres were injured when security personnel used force at the joint rallies organised in Dailekh, Dang and Baglung districts, according to press statements issued by the CPN-UML and the NC-D. The statements said that the UML’s central committee member, Prakash Jwala, zonal committee secretary, Chhabilal Oli along with Rewati Raman Sharma and NC-D’s district president were injured in a lathi-charge. Oli, along with the district chairman of All Nepal National Free Students’ Union, Bibek Shrestha, Janamorcha Nepal’s, Kashinath Pokharel, and district president of Nepal Students’ Union, MB KC, were also arrested. The UML’s Dhaulagiri zonal committee member, Mohan Lal Sharma, along with Shiv Prasad Sharma, Indra Lal Sapkota, Krishna Pathak and Janak Poudel were arrested from a joint rally in Baglung. Thirty-three alliance cadres were rounded up in Dailekh when police intervened during a rally. The condition of two persons is reported to be critical, according to a press release. The alliance announced to hold a meeting

of the elected representatives of the defunct local bodies in Dhulikhel, the district headquarters of Kavre, on June 29.