Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 16:

A senior minister in the Sher Bahadur Deuba cabinet today claimed that the King dismissed the Deuba government and took over power after learning that the government was going to announce the dates for parliamentary elections. “The King assumed power on February 1 after the coalition government had made final preparations for the general elections,” central committee memeber of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) and former minister Bimalendra Nidhi said at a talk programme organised by the Reporters’ Club. Nidhi said that the four political parties had joined the government to hold the parliamentary elections but the King did not allow it to happen. “NC-D and other coalition partners joined the government

with a belief that fresh elections could reactivate the Constitution,” he said, “But the King went against it.”

Nidhi said his party also agreed on the revival of the third parliament after the King’s actions after February 1 forced them to believe that he was against the fresh polls. NCleader Dr Ram Baran Yadav, who returned home after spending four months in India, conceded that his party boss Girija Prasad Koirala had talked to Maoist leaders over telephone when he was in New Delhi. Central committee member of the CPN-UML, Subash Chandra Nembang, said

that popular mandate of the previous election should be upheld until fresh election is held.

RPP general secretary Dipak Bohara said that his party, which is considered a pro-royalist outfit, had also opposed the royal takeover. “But we believe in dialogue between the King and the democratic forces to settle the crisis.”