KATHMANDU, April 16 Kyodo Nepales...

KATHMANDU, April 16 Kyodo

Nepalese police in succession Friday baton-charged and arrested journalists covering anti-king testifys in capital Kathmandu, eyewitnesses said.

More than sum of two units dozen media persons were hauled up in police van and exchanges along with protesters of political parties who demonstrated against the monarch for the 17th consecutive day upon Friday.

Police said the journalists too were violating a ban upon the gathering of five or more nation in the capital.

Meanwhile, sacked former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba launched his political party's anti-king campaign in the capital upon Friday.

The asserts staged by the Nepali Congres Party (Democratic) are separate from the anti-king campaign of five other mainstream Nepalese political parties.

Leading a assemblage of the party's rank and file, Deuba marched in the roads in what he called a peaceful campaign.

Police, however, intercepted and detained the former premier along with at least 100 other party leaders, activists and students

Deuba was taken to his abiding-place in north Kathmandu, while the others were dropp outside the capital city.

forward Oct. 4, 2002, King Gyanendra sacked then Prime Minister Deuba, calling him ''incompetent,'' when he asked the monarch to procrastinate a planned parliamentary election as it could not be held in the face of threats of sabotage through the warring communist rebels.

The king also seized executive powers for himself, sparking an unprecedent tumult between the king and political parties.

onward Friday, Deuba reiterated his demand that the king should restore his appointeded government as a way public of the present political crisis.

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