Nepal was plunged into political turmoiltoday after the second-largest party in the Maoist-led government pulled out of the ruling coalition in protest over the sacking of the country's army chief.
Gen Rookmangud Katawal, 61, was dismissed following a long confrontation with the prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and his Communist party of Nepal-Maoist, a former guerrilla group that was elected to power at the head of a five-party coalition last year. Despite opposition from his four coalition partners, the prime minister sacked his army chief.
The Maoists, who abolished the monarchy and turned the nation into a republic, now face the biggest political challenge of their short reign. Demonstrations in support and against the army chief's sacking erupted in Kathmandu shortly after the government announced its decision, and top army commanders met at an emergency meeting.
"It's certain that Gen Katawal will challenge his dismissal in the supreme court by arguing that the prime minister has no authority to sack the army chief, since the president is the commander-in-chief," said Prakash Rimal of the Kathmandu Post.
Katawal is a capable yet controversial officer with strong support within the army, unlike his number two who has been named as the new army chief by the government. Even though he was adopted by the royal family and grew up in the palace, he did not oppose the move to abolish the monarchy. He became army chief despite doubts about his alleged role in a particularly brutal phase of the 10-year civil war between the Nepal army and the Maoist People's Liberation Army.
But the main cause of his tussle with Dahal is his resistance to inducting into the army more than 19,000 former Maoist guerillas who are housed in camps run by the United Nations. As a result, the prime minister faced a virtual rebellion from militant sections in his party led by the defence minister. If he did not act against his army chief he risked losing control of his party.
There was never any doubt though that the Maoist coalition partners as well as the opposition Nepali Congress would not tolerate the army chief's dismissal.
After Dahal's government lost its majority yesterday, the Maoists were said to be talking to smaller parties in search of new allies in the national assembly, while opposition groups were exploring the possibility of an alternative government. Recent rumours of an impending army coup also gained momentum.