October 5, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 27, 1423

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KATHMANDU, Oct 4: Nepal’s King Gyanendra on Friday sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, abolished his council of ministers and indefinitely put off national elections that were set for November.

The king, in a nationally-televised address, said he was assuming executive powers “for the time being”. He called on political parties to suggest people to form a new interim government to run the Himalayan country until elections were eventually held.

“We have released Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has been incapable to conduct elections as scheduled earlier, from his post,” Gyanendra said in the local Nepalese language. “The council of ministers has been abolished. The elections set for November 13 have been put off.”

The king’s move followed a recommendation by Deuba’s cabinet on Thursday to delay national elections scheduled for November by a year due to mounting Maoist violence that has killed more than 5,000 people.—Reuters