June 1, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1424

KATHMANDU, May 31: Dozens of Nepalis were injured in protests across the country on Saturday as opposition parties kept up their pressure on the king for a new government of national unity, a day after the caretaker prime minister quit.

Organizers said thousands joined the nationwide protests and dozens were hurt when police used batons to break up rallies in at least three towns. There were no serious injuries.

“We don’t want an arbitrary king,” said pamphlets handed out by chanting protesters, some waving red flags, as they marched peacefully through the narrow, ancient streets of Kathmandu.

After eight months of increasing protests, Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand — the 12th prime minister since 1990 — resigned on Friday to help ease pressure from opposition parties on King Gyanendra.

Gyanendra appointed Chand, widely seen as the king’s man, after assuming executive powers and sacking Chand’s predecessor in October in a row over the timing of national elections.

Chand’s resignation brought fresh uncertainty to the troubled Himalayan nation and cast a shadow over peace talks with Maoist rebels.

Gyanendra has asked the five parties plus two others, including Chand’s, to propose a candidate for prime minister.

But the main opposition parties want to form a new interim administration themselves, or for Gyanendra to reinstate the parliament he dissolved in May last year.

The five parties have agreed to press for Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party, as next prime minister, Arjun Narsingh K.C., spokesman for one of the other four parties, Nepali Congress, told Reuters.

Nepal, a former deputy prime minister is regarded as a skilful politician, but the remaining two parties have not yet supported his candidacy.

The latest crisis comes two years after the crown prince massacred nine members of the royal family and then killed himself, bringing Gyanendra to the throne.

The second anniversary of the massacre is on Monday, according to the Nepali calendar, when the opposition groups plan their biggest rallies yet.

Last week, as the world media spotlight focused on Nepal for celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the scaling of Mount Everest, at least 20 people, including ousted lawmakers, were injured when police broke up a rally in Kathmandu.—Reuters