Nepal Maoists demand national unity government in a month

The ultra-leftists won elections last year, after they ended their deadly "People's War" which claimed 16,000 lives, but quit the government in May over a row with the country's first president about the sacking of the army chief.

"If our demands for a national government and restoration of civilian supremacy are not fulfilled by the deadline (of January 24), we will go for an indefinite general strike the next day," said Maoist leader Prachanda.

Prachanda, who goes by a nom de guerre meaning "fierce one" although his real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has previously spoken of a need for a national unity administration but has never set a deadline.

"We are giving a month's time to the government and political parties to consider our demands," Prachanda told cheering supporters in the capital.

Police estimated that the crowd, whose members held aloft hammer-and-sickle flags, numbered 10,000.

"Nobody will be able to stop us when we launch our next phase of protest and it will be a decisive one," Prachanda said.