Leaders of Nepalese Parties Discuss Ways to Resolve the Country's Political Crisis - 2002-10-06

Leaders of political parties in Nepal are discussing ways to resolve the ongoing political crisis in the country during their meeting today. The crisis began when King Gyanendra dissolved the cabinet led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba two days ago. The king temporarily assumed power, stating that the prime minister had failed to prepare for next month's parliamentary elections and had lost his suitability for the position. King Gyanendra has asked political party leaders to submit their proposals to him within five days. A new election date has not yet been announced by the king. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, has witnessed thousands of people marching in support of the king's actions for the second consecutive day. The ousted prime minister and his supporters have strongly criticized the king's actions. Sher Bahadur Deuba, the ousted prime minister of Nepal, deemed his sudden removal as undemocratic and unconstitutional. The king labeled him as 'incompetent' for failing to conduct the elections on time. Mr. Deuba stated that all major parties in the country agree that, given the increasing threat from Maoist insurgents, it was impossible to conduct the elections.