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Journalism of Courage
King Gyanendra made his way on foot on Wednesday through the streets of Lalitpur, sister city of the capital, triggering speculation that he is in no mood to reconcile with the country’s political parties.
At the end of the day, encouraged by a turn-out far greater than most political parties have managed in the recent past, the King made one of his harshest comments yet about his opponents, charging them with receiving money from foreigners who were out to “pollute the political atmosphere in Nepal”.
The confrontationist line, say analysts, indicates that the King has little intention of conceding to international pressure to restore democracy.
The success of the seven hour-long royal promenade clearly owed much to the involvement of state machinery with over two thousand plain clothes police and intelligence personnel deployed.
Pro-democracy activists have called the ‘political jatra’ a crowd management exercise to legitimise a move they fear Gyanendra is planning—an amendment of the Constitution to usurp full power ‘in the name of the people’. They are especially wary of such a move after royal deputy Tulsi Giri’s recent remarks saying that the Constitution risked its relevance after major political parties decided to go against the constitutional monarchy.
Many fear that Dr Giri was speaking more of the King’s mind than his own. “It’s time for the King to clarify whether he stands by this Constitution or not. If not, it spells disaster for democracy and for the monarchy,” said Surya Bahadur Thapa, former prime minister and president of the Rashtriya Janashakti Party.
Nepal tells UN it will hold polls in two years
UNITED NATIONS: Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey has said the country will hold ‘‘open and free’’ municipal elections in April next year and national parliamentary elections within two years.‘‘The King (Gyanendra) is determined to re-energise multiparty democratic institutions by restoring sustainable peace and making democracy meaningful, cultured and refined,’’ Pandey said, asserting that the King’s commitment to multiparty democracy was ‘‘unflinching and total’’. PTI
