Opposition Maoists carrying sticks and chanting revolutionary slogans shut down much of Nepal for a second day today, piling pressure on the strained peace process in the Himalayan nation.
All shops, schools and offices were closed and vehicles were kept off the streets in the capital Kathmandu and elsewhere across the country as thousands of protestors staged mass rallies and enforced a nationwide strike.
Residents have been warned to stay in their homes except for two hours in the evening to go shopping.
The protests have so far been peaceful despite fears of clashes between the opposition's aggressive youth wing and the security forces.
The Maoist party, which has the largest number of seats in parliament, is demanding that the one-year-old ruling coalition be replaced by a Maoist-led national administration.
Lawmakers have until 28 May to complete a new constitution that analysts say is crucial to ensuring lasting peace between the former rebel Maoists and the state - but few expect the deadline to be met.
Maoist guerrillas fought a bloody civil war against the Nepalese state for 10 years before a peace agreement was signed in 2006, and the left-wing rebels then won elections in 2008 and held power for eight months.
More than 100,000 Maoist demonstrators rallied in Kathmandu on Saturday to protest against the current government, a disjointed coalition of about 20 parties which is struggling to keep the peace process on track.
Today Narayan Kaji Shrestha, the Maoist party's vice chairman, told a cheering crowd of 5,000 supporters outside the national assembly building that the strike would continue until the government stepped down.
‘This movement will not end until we achieve our goal,’ he said. ‘This is the last warning and the last opportunity.’
He said talks were being held with the ruling coalition, but that the strike would not be halted unless Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned.
In a televised address at the weekend, the moderate left-wing prime minister refused to bow to the Maoists and said that ‘shutting down the nation is not the way to find a solution to this impasse’.
