Nepali Maoists' supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has warned that his party may declare a "parallel government" in the Himalayan nation if the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal fails to address the key dispute over "civilian supremacy," which has forced them to take to the streets.
At a press conference in the southern Birgunj city, the chief of Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas said though the Maoists had withdrawn their plan to announce "autonomous states," the party may declare a "parallel government" if it was forced to move into the next phase of its protest to dislodge the alliance.
Prachanda, who headed Nepal's first post-royal government which fell after 8 months in May, triggering protests by his party that have since then paralyzed parliament and the new coalition government, predicted that the political crisis gripping the country for more than five months would end within a week with the formation of a new all-party government headed by his party.
He said Prime Minister Nepal would have to make way for a new government and new premier.
Prachanda also warned the government that they would be compelled to take up arms if force was used to quell their protest in the wake of stepped up security and threats to mobilize the army to maintain law and order.
The call came even as more than two parties called for the imposition of President's Rule and the dissolution of the constituent assembly that also serves as Nepal's parliament. The 601-member assembly was formed after a historic election last year following a 10-year civil war by the Maoists.
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