Govt decides to sack CoAS Katawal; Khadka acting chief; Four coalition
partners oppose decision
The government has sacked Rookmangad Katawal from the post of Chief of
Army Staff and appointed second-in-command Kul Bahadur Khadka as the
acting CoAS.
An emergency cabinet meeting Sunday morning took the decision. Minister
for Information and Communication and government spokesperson Krishna
Bahadur Mahara informed journalists about the decision after the meeting.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is now going to meet President Dr Ram
Baran Yadav with the cabinet decision. The decision will come into effect
only after the approval of the President.
Ministers from CPN (UML), CPN (Samyukta) and Sadbhawana Party boycotted
the cabinet meeting after Prime Minister Dahal tabled a proposal to sack
Katawal and replace him by Kul Bahadur Khadka, according our correspondent
Ram Humagain.
Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, which had been divided over the army chief
issue, wrote note of dissent, , opposing the procedure with which the
cabinet took the decision.
Emerging out of the meeting hall, local development minister Ram Chandra
Jha told journalists that UML ministers boycotted the meeting as the PM
brought a proposal to sack the army chief without a consensus.
Earlier, a meeting of the five-ruling parties took place in Baluwatar
Sunday morning in what is taken as a last attempt to find consensus
between the ruling parties to sack Katawal.
The Unified CPN (Maoist) is firm on its stance on sacking the army chief,
while the other parties in the coalition government are against the idea
of sacking him without a consensus.
Prime Minister Dahal also met CoAS Katawal and Lt. General Khadka
separately first before meeting them jointly.
The second largest coalition partner CPN (UML) and the main opposition
Nepali Congress have initiated exercise to make a new coalition, sources
said.
A standing committee meeting of the CPN (UML) has begun at the party
headquarters, Balkhu to discuss the party's strategy regarding the latest
political developments. nepalnews.com ta May 03 09
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