CINA

In a joint statement issued this evening, the seven mainstream opposition political parties said that a peaceful and intensified mass movement was the only reply to “absolute rulers who are unaccountable to the people.”

The parties have also urged the public to bear with any inconvenience brought about by the general strike and demonstrations, “which is a necessity for the establishment of sustainable peace in the country.”

Challenging a possible government crackdown on the demonstrations, the alliance called on academics, teachers, students, businessmen, farmers, lawyers and industrialists to take to the streets.

Meanwhile, a senior minister of the royal cabinet said today that the government is planning to dismiss, transfer or demote any government employee who supports the seven-party alliance.

According to our Sunsari correspondent Bedraj Poudel, speaking at a programme organized by the District Development Committee, Sunsari, Minister for Local Development, Tanka Dhakal made the threat targeting VDC secretaries, government employees and teachers who were attending the programme.

“The government will be compelled to take stern action against those employees who try to go against the will of the king,” said Minister Dhakal. He added that the government was ready to take action against any teachers involved in politics.

Speaking on the same occasion, Assistant Minister for Local Development, Roshan Karki said, “As the government has handed the responsibility to appoint VDC secretaries to the Civil Service Commission, if any secretary is found to be involved in politics, he/she may be dismissed from his/her job.”

The junior minister also said the government could transfer those employees to remote villages or demote them if they supported the seven political parties.

She also said that the government would leave no stone unturned to make King Gyanendra’s last year’s Feb.1 move a success.

Eastern Regional Administrator, Jagadish Khadka said that the seven political parties were “terrorists” like the Maoist rebels.

“The employees who support the terrorist parties will be dismissed from their jobs,” said Khadka.

Appealing to the general public not to attend the seven party alliance’s political gathering in Sunsari on Friday, the cabinet members and administrators said that security personnel could open fire at the demonstration as “it could be infiltrated by Maoists.”

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