Nepali PM welcomes Maoist strike end

Nepal is returning to normal on Saturday after the Maoist opposition called off their general strike. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal welcomed the move and promised to work for an end to the country’s political crisis.

Reuters

Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as Prachanda, said the stoppage has ended because of the problems it created for ordinary people. On Friday an anti-strike protest in Kathmandu mobilised about 35,000 people. 

 "We have decided to end the strike keeping in mind the difficulties the general people have had to face in these past days," Dahal said.

But, he said, his UCPN-Maoist party will continue its efforts to topple the government and influence a constitution which is currently being revised. The campaign will continue until 28 May, the deadline for the constitutional redraft.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Saturday thanked his opponents for calling off the strike and pledged dialogue to resolve the crisis.

“The prime responsibility of the hour is restoration of peace and constitution-writing and the government is effortful in fulfilling the same,” he said. “All the political parties are seeking an outlet through dialogue, and it will give a way out soon.”

But Maoist vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai on Saturday called on the government to resign on moral grounds

"The government should resign immediately if it has morality and accountable to the people," he told journalists at his party’s headquarters.

The Maoists, who have the largest number of seats in parliament, are calling for the prime minister’s resignation and the formation of a national unity government which they expect to lead. They also want changes to the constitution that are acceptable to their party.

Business leaders who organised Friday's anti-strike rally claim the country was losing 2.25 billion rupees (20 million euros) a day because of the stoppage.