Kathmandu: Amid hectic parleys among Nepal's political parties to stitch up a coalition government ahead of the Saturday deadline, the Maoists stepped up pressure on the President to take back his decision to reinstate the army chief, whose dismissal by the former rebels had sparked a constitutional crisis in the country.
Even as there was no signs that the political crisis in Nepal was moving towards early solution, caretaker Prime Minister Prachanda on Thursday met Nepali Congress chief Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter's residence in an effort to solve the deadlock over government formation.
The two leaders discussed the formation of a new government, the stalled peace process and the decision of President Ram Baran Yadav to reinstate Gen Rukmangad Katawal, after he was sacked by Prachanda, the Himalayan Times quoted sources as saying.
Meanwhile, the UCPN-Maoist cadres organised rallies in the Kathmandu Valley on Thursday against the President's move to reinstate the army chief.
"The rallies were organised by the people against the President's move to reinstate army chief Katawal," Chandra Bahadur Thapa 'Sagar', Youth Communist League in-charge of the Kathmandu Valley, was quoted as saying by the Nepali daily.
"Thousands of people participated in the protest rallies," he said.
The politburo of the Maoist party stressed that the organisation should intensify protests to step up pressure on the President to rectify his "unconstitutional" move to reinstate the Army chief.