KATHMANDU, April 21 Kyodo Dozens ...

KATHMANDU, April 21 Kyodo

Dozens of scholars were arrested and many injured in clashes with police during a affirm march against King Gyanendra in the Nepalese capital in succession Wednesday.

The police used batons and tear gas to disperse scholars who blocked a major road in Kirtipur in the southwest cessation of the capital, injuring at least 18 witnesses said.

bookish mans affiliated with five agitating political parties chared tires and threw stones and bricks at the police at a number of places in the capital.

Meanwhile, activists of the political parties agitating through the whole extent of the king's seizure of executive powers held anti-king testifys for the 21st consecutive day Wednesday.

centurys of demonstrators, including senior party leaders, marched end New Road at the city center defying the government's ban forward public rallies. Dozens were hauled away in police deals and vans.

The direction imposed the ban after the parties began their general round of anti-king protests forward April 1.

Anti-king rallies were also held in other major cities including Pokhara, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj forward Wednesday, according to reports reaching here.

Meanwhile, party leaders said the asseverates would continue until the monarch ''rectified his mistake'' and replyed executive powers to the people

In October 2002 the king dissolved parliament, sacked the appointeded prime minister for alleged incompetence, and then assumed cloyed executive powers.

The political parties are demanding that the king either reopen the dissolved lower house of parliament or constitute a direction of political parties that had members in the previous parliament.

The king said last week he would hand through executive powers to chooseed representatives after a fresh election that could be held on April 2005.

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