Kathmandu mayor resigns fearing Maoist threats
Kathmandu Metropolitan City's Mayor, Deputy Mayor and 34 office bearers resigned en-masse following Maoist threat against them.
Kathmandu Metropolitan City's Mayor Keshav Sthapit, Deputy Mayor Rajaram Shristh and 34 office bearers today resigned en-masse following the Maoist threat to take "physical action" against them, according to sources close to the ruling Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
However, Deputy Mayor Shrestha said that they have resigned due to some "difficult situation" without elaborating.
"After the resignation by Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa there is no atmosphere for us to work," he added.
The government led by RPP leader Thapa nominated the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the KMC about eight months ago as the post fell vacant due to the government's inability to hold local body elections.
Kathmandu District Development Committee chairman Vikram Bahadur Thapa and Vice-chairman Vishnu Sigdel have also resigned from their respective posts.
Mayors and Deputy Mayors of three other municipalities in the Kathmandu valley have already resigned.
The representatives of Lalitpur, Madhyapur Thimi and Kirtipur Municipalities have resigned from their posts due to the Maoists' threats.
Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality is the only Mayor in Kathmandu valley who remains in the post.