The Maoists, as part of their second phase anti-government protests, are due to encircle Singha Durbar from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m. [break]
- New prohibition zones withdrawn
- Government officials asked to enter Singha Durbar by 5 a.m.
- Confrontation likely if ministers prevented from reaching office
- Traffic in Valley to be badly affected
“We have been asked to enter Singha Durbar by 5 a.m. on Thursday and Friday,” a government secretary told myrepublica.com Wednesday.
He said that the circular has, however, not been issued to lower ranking officials. “It is not practical to call on the employees to enter Singha Durbar as early as 5 a.m.,” said another knowledgeable official.
The Maoists have been launching a series of protests against the present government led by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal since their own government stepped down on May 4 over the army chief row. They have not accepted the legitimacy to the 22-party coalition government. The ongoing protests aim at forcing the government to resign and pave the way for formation of what they say is a unity government led by themselves.
Meanwhile, the government and the Maoists said that they would try their best to avoid possible confrontation in course of the protests scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Keeping to its word on avoiding confrontation, the government withdrew an earlier decision extending the prohibited zones -where even peaceful rallies and gatherings are not allowed -- in view of the Maoist program to encircle Singha Durbar.
Kathmandu District Administration had on Tuesday extended the old permanent prohibited zones to Kalikasthan and to 100 meters beyond Padmodaya School at Putalisadak. The permanent prohibited zone remains in place on the outer periphery of Singha Durbar.
Earlier, Maoist Vice-Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai had warned Kathmandu Chief District Officer Bhola Prasad Shiwakoti to withdraw the decision to extend the prohibited zones.
Chief District Officer Shiwakoti told myrepublica.com that the decision to withdraw the new prohibited zones was taken as there were complaints from government employees that these would greatly affect their movement. “However, the old prohibited zones are intact.”
A senior Home Ministry official told myrepublica.com Wednesday evening that police to be deployed around the principal secretariat of the government have been ordered to show maximum possible restrain during the scheduled protests Thursday and Friday.
Maoist sources said they plan to show up in a strength of 300,000 to picket Singha Durbar. Party cadres have been ferried in from outside the capital, the source further claimed.
But Dr Bhattarai, who is coordinator of the protests, said the protests would be peaceful.
´We will not defy the old prohibited zones. The program will be an example of peaceful protest,” Dr Bhattarai further said. Earlier, he had said that his party would not recognize the new prohibited zones.
But the Home Ministry official said confrontation is likely if the Maoists do not allow ministers to enter Singha Durbar. “The ministers are coming to their respective ministries to show the people that the Maoists have failed to capture Singha Durbar,” said the source.
Meanwhile, Thursday and Friday are likely to see one of the worst traffic situations in the capital, due to the scheduled protests.
As the protests are to happen in and around Singha Durbar, traffic in the capital is likely to be affected badly.
kiran@myrepublica.com
post@myrepublica.com
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