Roundup: Reactions Mixed to Nepali King's Active Role

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, October 06, 2002

Roundup: Reactions Mixed to Nepali King's Active Role

Nepal's political parties have mixed reactions to the step taken Friday night by King Gyanendra in sacking prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, dissolving the cabinet and assuming the executive powers.

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Nepal's political parties have mixed reactions to the step taken Friday night by King Gyanendra in sacking prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, dissolving the cabinet and assuming the executive powers.

The king stunned the impoverished country when he announced he has relieved Deuba and decided to postpone the parliamentary elections indefinitely by assuming direct power for the first time since absolute rule by the monarchy was abolished in 1990.

The country's political parties reacted differently to the king's move. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, a main political power, has taken the king's commitment in his national address to form a clean cabinet positively, saying it has tried to open up the doorsfor peace, order and stability in the long run.

Likewise, the Nepal Samata Party and some other smaller political parties also welcomed the king's step.

They and civil society organizations have organized some 2,000-people rally near the Royal Palace to support the king, who is considered by the Nepalese as an incarnation of Vishnu, the Hindu god of protection.

However, many of the country's mainstream political parties denounced the king's move.

The newly formed Nepali Congress (Democratic) party led by deposed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba held an emergency meeting of its central working committee Saturday, during which Deuba charged his sacking as being "unconstitutional and undemocratic" and said he would decide his next move by discussing with all political parties in the country.

Leaders of the Communist Party Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and Nepali Congress (Democratic) party met Saturday, after which CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said the king's move has hurted the sentiments of the constitution and multi-party system.

The Nepali Congress party led by Girija Prasad Koirala, from which Deuba's faction split in June, echoed that the king's move is against the spirit of constitution and weakens the constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.

Similarly, the United Left Front, which consists of five parties, said the king's step has set back the democratic process.

The Nepali Election Commission said that all the process of the parliamentary elections has been postponed after the king announced to postpone the elections indefinitely.

Meanwhile, China and India, Nepal's two giant neighbors, have both reacted to the developments in the Himalayan kingdom quickly.

"China believes Nepal can maintain domestic peace and stability," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, and "the changes were Nepal's internal affairs."

The Indian government urged Nepal to resolve the present crisis within the framework of the constitutional process, saying "India has always supported a multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy in Nepal."

Nevertheless analysts here believe that King Gyanendra's this active role in Nepal's politics may put an end to the 12-year-old political chaos and bring peace and prosperity to the country in the long run.

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