In Nepal, former Maoist guerrillas launched a general strike on Sunday, paralyzing the country after talks with the ruling coalition failed and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal refused to quit. Transportation, schools and markets across Nepal are now closed. The Maoists headed a coalition in 2008 after a surprise win in the election for a constituent assembly, but they walked out after the president refused to endorse their dismissal of Nepal’s army chief. Senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai spoke at a large rally on May Day.

Baburam Bhattarai: “If Prime Minister Madhav Nepal is serious about to resolve this issue, then he should resign. Then it’s up to the Nepalese people and the political party to choose who will lead the next government. It’s not he, Madhav Nepal, who is going to appoint his successor. It’s not a monarchy; it’s a democracy. So he should resign first, then leave it to political party to decide who should lead the next government.”