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Nepal: Protesters battle police and Maoists call general strike

PROTESTERS fought police and cars and motorbikes were burned in the streets of Kathmandu yesterday as the country’s Maoist-led opposition called a general strike.

An alliance of 30 opposition parties led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the third-largest party in the country after the Nepali Congress and the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist), called the strikes in protest at plans to approve a constitution by parliamentary vote.

The Maoists, who played a major role in militarily defeating Nepal’s monarchy and establishing a republic in 2008, say the constitution should be approved by “national consensus” of all parties, rather than approved by a simple majority.

But their opponents say Nepal has been without a constitution for too long and all attempts to negotiate one acceptable to everyone have foundered.

Police arrested several Maoist leaders, accusing them of having incited the violence.

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