Opposition rejects king’s democracy promise

NEPALESE King Gyanendra’s vow to return multiparty democracy to his Himalayan nation after weeks of bloody protests was immediately rejected by the opposition yesterday.

Gyanandra’s proposal fell short of a key opposition demand - the creation of a special assembly to write a new constitution - and one of the main opposition parties rejected the pledge as “incomplete”.

The king’s announcement, broadcast nationwide, came hours after more than 100,000 pro-democracy protesters defied a government curfew to rally on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

Smaller demonstrations broke out in the capital shortly after the speech, with some marchers chanting: “Hail democracy! Gyanendra leave the country!”

Maoist rebels, whose reaction would also be key as they have allied themselves with the opposition, had no immediate comment.

The king said his dynasty had an “unflinching commitment toward constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy” and called on the seven political parties to quickly name a prime minister.

Gyanendra looked particularly uncomfortable during the speech, staring directly into the camera, and apparently reading from a teleprompter.

Opposition leaders indicated the statement would not resolve the crisis, which began when the king seized power in February 2005, saying he needed to crush the Maoist insurgency that has killed nearly 13,000 people in a decade.

Most of the opposition want a constitution that would reduce the king to a figurehead, or eliminate the monarchy entirely.

“This is incomplete,” said Minendra Risal of Nepali Congress Democratic party, one of the seven main opposition parties that have joined with Maoist insurgents to protest the king’s power grab.

“The constitutional assembly is the aspiration of the people.”

Most demonstrators said they were encouraged with the king’s announcement but unsure if he could be trusted.

Meanwhile, the death toll from two weeks of demonstrations rose to 14 yesterday, after the death of a protester shot by police on Thursday.

Nepal’s crisis has escalated steadily since a general strike began on April 6 and protesters have filled the streets daily, leaving the country paralysed.

Earlier, three groups of marchers converged on an area on the edge of Kathmandu called Kalanki, where police shot three demonstrators dead on Thursday and wounded dozens more.

It is thought between 100,000 and 150,000 attended. They faced security forces that have ringed the city issued with shoot-on-sight orders against anyone who tried to enter the curfew zone.

But despite the talk of compromise, the crackdown continued. Two opposition leaders were arrested yesterday as they tried to return to Kathmandu, said Amrit Bohara of the Communist Party of Nepal.

Jhala Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, both leaders of the party, have been important conduits in negotiations between the opposition parties and the Maoist insurgents who control much of the countryside.

The Maoists remain the most important unknown in the crisis. Though they have recently allied themselves with the political parties, their history of violence worries even their allies.

Shortly before his arrest, Mr Khanal said he only hesitantly trusted the guerrillas.

“They talk about democracy now, but violence is a part of their philosophy,” he said in an interview in New Delhi, India.

One group of protesters yesterday destroyed a police checkpoint - a tin shack covered with barbed wire - tossing the furniture into the street. They then vandalised a government office, throwing out portraits of Gyanendra before setting the building on fire.

Gyanendra claimed direct control over the government last year, arguing he had to bring order to a corrupt political scene and end the communist insurgency.

While many initially welcomed the king’s moves, hoping he would bring stability, his popularity waned as the insurgency worsened and the economy faltered.

In Kathmandu, the general strike has led to shortages of fresh food and cooking fuel.