Hundreds protest Nepal king's birthday party plans

KATHMANDU, July 6 (Reuters) About 300 Nepali youth and student activists protested in Kathmandu today against beleaguered King Gyanendra's weekend plans for public celebrations of his 61st birthday.

The monarch, who was forced to give up power last year and is facing an uncertain future, plans to celebrate his birthday in a public ceremony tomorrow and host a reception on Sunday.

But some political parties, including the Maoists who joined the government in April, say the celebrations are aimed at influencing the November elections for a constituent assembly which will decide the future of the monarchy.

''Immediately stop political activities which will disrupt the constituent assembly elections,'' read a banner carried by supporters of the Communist Party of Nepal-UML, a leading member of the ruling alliance.

The multi-party government has already stripped the monarch of almost all powers including his control over the army.

Young Communist League (YCL), the youth wing of the Maoist former rebels, said it would organise protests tomorrow to try and disrupt the celebrations.

''The government must make its position clear on the king's plans and stop the celebrations,'' YCL president Ganesh Man Pun told Reuters.

Some foreign ambassadors have said they would not attend the king's party.

The Maoists signed a peace deal with the government last November, ending their decade-long civil war which killed more than 13,000 people.

The constituent assembly elections are seen as the culmination of that peace deal.

REUTERS GT BD1729