Nepal's political parties defy ban for second consecutive day

Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepalese mainstream political parties defied a government ban on protest rallies in the heart of the capital Kathmandau for the second consecutive day Monday as dozens of protesters were injured in clashes with police, witnesses said.

Witnesses said the police fired several rounds of tear gas to disperse the protestors at New Road, in the centre of the city and also its business and commercial hub.

Organizers said ''hundreds'' of protesters were arrested. They were expected to be released later Monday.

Seven political parties led by the Nepali Congress, its breakaway faction Nepali Congress Democratic and the largest communist party in Nepal, the United Marxist Leninists, are protesting King Gyanendra's February 1 takeover of power.

The protestors are demanding that power be restored to parliament. Meanwhile, India said Monday that it was concerned over the recent political developments in Nepal, including the decisions taken by the Nepali Congress and the communists to remove the constitutional monarchy from their statutes.

India also expressed the hope that the ceasefire announced by the Maoists on Saturday would contribute towards creating an environment in which a peace process can begin.

Nepali Rajdhani daily reported Monday that the Maoists announced their unilateral ceasefire Saturday at the behest of India.

Nepalese political parties however claim that the Maoist ceasefire came because of their joint efforts.

The Maoist insurgency to set up a communist state in the remote Himalayan kingdom began in February 1996 and has claimed over 12,000 lives. dpa sb wjh