Curfew imposed in Nepal capital to prevent march

Kathmandu, Apr 23: Authorities clamped a further curfew in the capital Kathmandu today to prevent a planned march by anti-monarchy protesters to the palace of King Gyanendra.

Over 100,000 people broke the curfew to enter the capital from the outskirts yesterday and police opened fire in at least two places to beat them back. Just a kilometre (half a mile) from the palace, they repeatedly fired teargas to push back protesters.

At least 150 people were wounded in the police action and a stampede that broke out when the marchers were dispersed, witnesses and politial activists said.

Today's curfew, the latest in a string of restrictions to try to halt protests, would begin at 9 a.m.(0845 hrs IST) and last until 8 p.m. (1945 hrs IST), local officials said.

On Friday, King Gyanendra offered to hand over executive power to a seven-party alliance that has led more than two weeks of protests, but the parties rejected the overture.

The king appeared to rule out any change of the constitution to curb his powers. Political parties have demanded elections for an assembly that would draft a new constitution.

The king sacked the government and took full powers in February 2005, vowing to crush a decade-long Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people have died.

The seven-party alliance has been agitating since April 6 to force Gyanendra to restore multi-party democracy. At least 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in police action against protesters since then.

The impoverished kingdom has been virtually at a standstill with the movement of goods and people blocked by a general strike and crippling street protests across the nation.

REUTERS

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