Nepal parties press Maoist rebels to end blockade

KATHMANDU, Mar 18 (Reuters) Nepal's main political parties today piled fresh pressure on Maoist rebels to end an indefinite road blockade that has raised prices and crippled life across the Himalayan nation this week.

The blockade called by the anti-monarchy rebels, fighting to set up a communist state in the world's only Hindu nation, has left roads across Nepal nearly deserted since Tuesday.

Maoists also plan to follow it up with a general strike from April 3 to press King Gyanendra, who seized power last year, to end his rule.

But Nepal's seven main political parties, who have a loose alliance with the guerrillas against the king, have urged the Maoists to call off the blockade saying it was hurting ordinary people.

The parties also fear that the royalist government could use the blockade as an excuse to crack down on a peaceful anti-king rally they plan on April 8.

''That is why all seven parties have individually as well as collectively appealed to the Maoists to withdraw their protests,'' said Sushil Koirala, a top leader of the Nepali Congress party, the biggest of the seven groups.

''I am hopeful that the Maoists will respond to our appeal and call it off,'' he said.

The Maoists have mainly relied on fear to enforce the blockade.

But some media reports said they had also set up barriers in several places using rocks and logs to block roads, forcing vehicles to stay off and stranding thousands.

''The blockade has already disrupted movement of people and they are unable to attend our ongoing protests against the king in several places,'' Koirala said.

Newspaper reports said some party leaders were holding secret meetings with the Maoists, probably in India, to try to persuade the guerrillas to end the blockade or even announce another ceasefire.

The reports could not be independently confirmed.

Violence has surged since the Maoists ended a unilateral truce in January after the government refused to match it.

Nepal is in crisis since King Gyanendra seized full control of the embattled nation 13 months ago, saying he had to act to try and quell the insurgency which has killed more than 13,000 people since it began in 1996.

REUTERS CS SND1250