Maoists vow more attacks ahead of Nepali polls

A group of pro-leftist students shout anti-king slogans and call for a boycott of the forthcoming local elections in a rally in Kathmandu yesterday. The voting is scheduled for February 8 in 53 municipalities and five cities, with 1.9 million of Nepal's 13 million voters on the electoral roll. PHOTO: AFP

The government tightened security in the Kathmandu Valley following the killings and announced a curfew covering more than a million people.

"We urge all to be prepared for our military actions and storm of agitation," said Ananta, a Maoist commander, in an emailed statement.

He said an alliance with seven opposition parties who also oppose the February 8 local polls remains in place, despite the death of 45 people since the Maoists ended their unilateral ceasefire two weeks ago.

A late-night curfew has been imposed in Kathmandu and the adjoining city of Patan, authorities said Monday evening.

"A curfew has been imposed inside the ring road from 11 pm to 4 am due to security reasons," said Sushil Ghimiri, chief district officer of Kathmandu.

The curfew will be enforced by armed police and the army and they are authorised to shoot people breaking it.

The area where the curfew has been imposed has around 1.4 million residents.

As part of tighter security, troops and police have been mobilized in the valley to undertake strict stop and search operations, state-run Radio Nepal quoted a home ministry statement as saying.

The opposition parties had asked the rebels to shun violence but the Maoist commander said the attacks would continue.

"We reiterate our party's commitment to work in unity with the seven parliamentary parties, civil society and all democratic and leftist forces to end feudal monarchy and establish a democratic republic," said Ananta.

"We have given a big slap to the regime of the king, who is trying to gain legitimacy by holding farcical municipal polls. We have begun our mission to strike the enemy's head (urban centers)," the rebel commander said.

Government officials and election organizers have said the polls would go ahead despite the threats and boycott.

The king sacked the government in February 2005, saying it had failed to stem the decade-long insurgency, and assumed absolute power.

In the face of international calls to restore democracy, he has outlined his own 'road map to peace' under which the municipal elections will be followed by national elections some time before April 2007.

Since the Maoists began their "people's war" in 1996 at least 12,000 people have been killed and 100,000 have been displaced.