Two people were killed and at least 14 wounded when an explosion ripped through a Roman Catholic church near the Nepali capital yesterday, police said, hours before the country’s parliament was set to elect a new prime minister.
The blast hit the Dhobighat suburb in Lalitpur, an adjoining town 4km south of Kathmandu.
“The wounded people have been rushed to a local hospital and we are investigating,” superintendent of police Kedarman Singh Bhandari said. Police cordoned off the area, which was strewn with shattered window panes.
PHOTO: AP
There was no claim of responsibility, but a little-known Hindu group, the Nepal Defense Army, threw pamphlets around the site demanding Nepal be declared a Hindu state. Nepal became a secular state three years ago after a decade-long civil war ended.
The Nepali parliament was scheduled to choose a new prime minister later yesterday after Maoist leader Prachanda resigned amid a row over his plan to fire his army chief.
Former Maoist rebel leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who still uses his nom de guerre Prachanda, meaning “fierce,” resigned on May 4 after Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav stopped him from firing General Rookmangud Katawal.
Prachanda accused Katawal of undermining the civilian government.
A loose alliance of 23 political parties is backing moderate communist Madhav Kumar Nepal for the job. Party officials said his election was a mere formality because the coalition controlled nearly 360 members in the 601-seat parliament.
He is from the moderate Communist UML party, second-biggest group in the alliance, and is known for his ability to negotiate with rivals.
“He may be elected unopposed. And even if there is a vote he is certain to win,” senior UML leader Shankar Pokharel said.
Madhav was the only person to file nomination papers and would be elected unopposed, parliament spokesman Mukunda Sharma said.
Business executives said political turmoil could hit industrial output and tourism, a key source of income that was beginning to rebound on peace hopes.
Landlocked Nepal has had 18 prime ministers in the past 19 years. Analysts said the new leader faced a crucial test of his abilities to keep together allies who harbor deep mutual mistrust and old enmities.
The US yesterday cautioned Americans about travel to Nepal, warning of a rise in both political violence and street crime.
The US State Department “warns US citizens of the risks of traveling to Nepal and urges caution when traveling in the country,” a warning said.
It advised Americans who decide to visit Nepal to be ready to change their travel plans at short notice depending on developments.
The State Department warned that potentially violent clashes could erupt with little notice amid the political chaos.
The US also said that violent crime and harassment of women were on the rise, including in popular tourist areas of Kathmandu.
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