Nepal's Maoist government on Sunday fired the country's army chief for failing to comply with orders, raising fears of a showdown between the prime minister and the military. The sacking -- three years after the end of the Himalayan nation's civil war -- is the latest episode in a worsening power struggle between the leftist former rebels and their one-time enemies in the army. Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara told reporters that a cabinet meeting had removed General Rookmangud Katawal from his post "as his clarification for defying the government orders was not satisfactory." Last month, Prime Minister Prachanda had asked Katawal to explain why government orders to stop army recruitment and to fire of eight senior army generals had been ignored.