President advises prime minister not to sack army chief (BREAKING NEWS)

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 3 May: Amid an escalating political crisis, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav advised Prime Minister Prachanda through letter and telephone not to implement a unilateral Moist decision to sack Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal prematurely.
The president he was ‘saddened’ by a decision ‘ without due process”.
The prime minister didn’t personally brief the president of the unilateral decision opposed by coalition partners of the Maoist-led government.
CPN-UML immediately withdrew from government amid a cabinet boycott by other parties as well.
Other parties in the Maoist-led government have also threatened to quit government..
A new coalition government could emerge led by either CPN-UML or Nepali Congress,
Katawal didn’t accept his sacking order that officials from defence ministry attempted to deliver.
Main opposition Nepali Congress earlier advised the president not to implement the Maoist decision asking him to advise the government to rectify its decision.
A politics of brinkmanship has emerged with foreign powers involved.
Scheduled parliament proceedings were again disrupted Sunday.
Maoists claimed they took a decision to sack Katawal through a majority decision challenged by other parties,
“Other parties in government were not involved,” said Sarbindranath Sukla of TMLP after asking the president not to implement the Maoist decision.
Activists of Maoists and Nepali Congress clashed nation-wide for and against the Maoist decision.
All parties were involved in inter and intra-party discussions throughout the day after the Maoist decision.
Maoist leader and Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai claimed,” The army is fully behind the government.”
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