Tensions in Nepal as prime minister fires army chief

NEPAL’S prime minister fired the army chief yesterday after accusing him of defying government orders, prompting a key party to quit the coalition government and plunging the Himalayan country into a political crisis that could endanger its peace process.

Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of the capital to demonstrate both for and against the decision by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a former Maoist rebel leader.

Tensions have risen for months as Dahal’s ruling Maoists have struggled with the army over its refusal to integrate former rebel units into its ranks as required by a UN-brokered peace agreement. The dismissal of army chief Rookmangud Katawal yesterday is likely further to inflame those tensions and could unravel the coalition government.