Monday, April 27, 2009

Prachanda has urged chairman of the CPN (UML) Jhala Nath Khanal to support the government’s plan to sack Chief of Army Staff Rookmangad Katawal



Picture Jhala Nath Khanal

Prime Minister Prachanda has urged chairman of the CPN (UML) Jhala Nath Khanal to support the government’s plan to sack Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangad Katawal.

Khanal had gone to the PM’s residence, Baluwatar Monday morning to propose an option acceptable to both the Maoists and the main opposition Nepali Congress.

PM Prachanda asked Khanal to make a decision through standing committee to support the government’s decision to sack the army chief. Defense minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ was also present at the meeting between Khanal and PM Dahal.

The UML’s standing committee meeting on Sunday had decided the government should not take action against the army chief without a political consensus.

UML has proposed making the third-in-line of the army Chhatra Man Singh Gurung the new army chief and have defense minister Ram Bahadur Thapa resign from his post., it is learnt.

NC is expected to support this plan and coax the incumbent CoAS Katawal to resign if it works out.


Khanal will meet with NC president Girija Prasad Koirala later today with the same agenda.

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