Nepal PM Prachanda resigns

4 May 2009
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamla Dahal Prachanda has resigned following a major row over the sacking of the army chief on Sunday. Prachanda, Nepal's PM Prachanda announces his resignation during a nationwide broadcast in Kathmandu.
Nepal's first Maoist prime minister, announced his resignation in a televised address to the nation, blaming Nepal's political parties and foreign powers for hindering his government.

On Sunday, Prachanda had sacked army chief General Katawal accusing him of defying the government's orders by reinstating eight Generals retired by the Maoist administration, the president told the army chief to remain in the post.

The crisis follows months of tussle between the prime minister and the army chief over the induction of former Maoist rebels into the army.

A nearly two-month battle between the Maoists and army chief Gen Rookmangud Katawal had come to a head Sunday with the ruling party announcing the dismissal of Katawal.

But the announcement triggered widespread protests with two of the government's own partners, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Sadbhavana Party deciding to quit.

A second blow came from President Ram Baran Yadav who in a late Sunday night order to the beleaguered army chief asked him to continue with his job.

Yadav, who is the constitutional head of the government as well as the supreme commander of the Nepal Army, called the dismissal order "unconstitutional, illegal and without consensus".