Mobile phone connections in the capital have gone down since Saturday afternoon.
No reason was given.
The mobile phones went down as tens of thousands of people took to the Kathmandu streets on Saturday defying curfew orders and denouncing Friday’s royal proclamation.
The authorities have been disconnecting mobile telephones in the past to thwart opposition rallies.
The state-run Nepal Telecom and the private sector Spice Cell are major cellular phone operators in the country.
nepalnews.com by Apr 22 06
More than 200 pro-democracy activists protesting against Friday’s royal address and defying the curfew orders were wounded when security forces opened fire at them and charged batons at different places in Kathmandu while protest rallies continued in almost all cities and towns across the country Saturday.
At least 50 demonstrators were injured when security forces fired rubber bullets – some said live ammunitions were also fired – when a huge crowd of protesters reached Bhotahiti area, central Kathmandu, in the afternoon. The protesters managed to take some of the injured to the nearby Bir Hospital but some of them were taken away by the police who even barred ambulances from picking up the injured persons, reports said.
The protesters marched past various places starting from Ring Road and reached the Bhotahiti area.
Similarly, more than three dozen protesters were injured in firing by the security force at Tripureshwor when a crowd of an estimated 50 thousand people tried to move towards Ratna Park. The security personnel also fired several rounds of teargas shells and charged batons to disperse the demonstrators. Crowds gathered from the Chabhil, Koteshwor and Shankamul and marched past New Baneshwor and Maitighar, chanting slogans against the royal address and warning the seven-party alliance (SPA) against compromising with the King.
Likewise, nearly two dozen people were injured when police fired rubber bullets and changed batons on the protesters at Soltimode. Tens of thousands of people assembled at Kalanki Chowk and moved towards the city centre but were stopped by the security forces at Soltimode.
More than 100 persons were injured in clashes with security forces elsewhere around Kathmandu Valley, according to reports. The CPN (UML) in a statement said more than 300 pro-democracy activists were injured in government clampdown in protests in Kathmandu.
Sources at Kathmandu Model Hospital at Bag Bazaar said 35 injured persons were being treated there.
Demonstrations were staged in Kirtipur, different parts of Bhaktapur, Gongabu and several other places. Sporadic protests continued till evening despite curfew and heavy security presence.
Meanwhile, there were reports of demonstrations against the royal address in different parts of the country.
In Pokhara, nearly 100 thousand people joined in the seven-party demonstration while rallies were organised in other western district headquarters like Baglung Bazaar, Beni, Kusma, Damauli and Gorkha.
As in previous days, huge demonstrations were organised in Narayangadh in Chitwan district, against the royal address today, reports said. Professional organisations, human rights groups and businessmen also joined the rally. Protests were organised in Butwal, Bhairahawa, Rajbiraj and several other Terai districts. However, there were no reports of violence during these protests.
Protesters vandalised the statues of former Kings in Butwal and Kusma Bazaar, reports said.
Districts surrounding Kathmandu Valley like Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot and Rasuwa also saw demonstrations from early morning.
In eastern Nepal, angry protests were organised in major towns like Biratnagar in Morang, Dhankuta, Damak of Jhapa, Ilam Bazaar, Phidim of Paanchthar. Protests were also organised in Bardiya, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Dailekh and Nepalgunj of Banke.
In one of the biggest rally of recent times, nearly 100 thousand people took the streets in Birgatnagar to protest against the royal address. The protesters also vandalised the district office of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Thapa) in the town. nepalnews.com mk Apr 22 06
The king made a strategic blunder by not directly addressing the ongoing movement
By Anga R. Timilsina
Although incomplete and ambiguous, the Friday’s royal proclamation clearly shows that King Gynendra, known by many as embattled yet uncompromising, finally bowed under the pressure of Nepal’s popular uprising and proclaimed that the executive power of the kingdom of Nepal, which he said was in his “safekeeping”, returned to the people.
What is interesting is that the beleaguered monarch was visibly uncomfortable, nervous and tense while he was staring to the camera and reading his speech from a teleprompter on Friday. The king’s body language clearly indicated that he was yielding to those parties whom he had regarded as his political rivals since he seized power last year.
The royal proclamation is certainly a victory for the seven parties alliance (SPA) and hundreds of thousands of demonstrators because of two things. First, the king clearly mentioned that sovereignty rests with the people of Nepal. Second, he said that he returned the executive power to the people. Third, by asking the SPA to recommend a name for the post of prime minister, the king indirectly recognized that the SPA represents the majority of Nepalese people.
However, as one protestor reacted, “We have won the battle, but we still must win the war,” the Friday’s royal proclamation is not likely to calm the ongoing protests that have lost at least 14 lives and witnessed bullet injuries in thousands. Analysts argue that the king made a strategic blunder by not admitting his mistake and not directly addressing the ongoing movement. Instead of admitting that he made mistake when he assumed direct power by sacking the political parties’ government on February 1, 2005, the king in his Friday’s proclamation defended his take over of power as a necessary step to set in motion a meaningful exercise in multiparty democracy by activating all elected bodies, ensuring peace and security and a corruption-free good governance.
From the perspective of seven agitating parties, the proclamation doesn’t go far enough in terms of addressing the SPA’s demand. Observers argue that the king failed to take into account the aspirations of thousands of demonstrators, whom the restoration of status quo or the return to pre-February 1-like situation is going to be completely unacceptable. The majority of the demonstrators want a constituent assembly to decide on the fate of the monarchy. There are little signs that King Gyanendra’s promises could mollify the political opposition. Narayan Man Bijukchhe, the chairman of Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party and one of the leaders of the SPA, said, “We did not conduct this movement [just] to recommend the name of the prime minister to the king.”
The Seven Party Alliance \ should welcome the king’s proclamation of handing over power to the people but at the same time, the SPA also have to clearly put forward its demands and ask the king that the agitating parties are ready to talk to the king if the king is ready to have a forward-looking discussion on the seven parties’ roadmap.
In coming days, the international community is likely to put more pressure on the SPA to form a government in response to King Gyanendra’s vow to restore political power to the people.
Although the initial response of the king’s proclamation on the home front is negative, the international community, including the United States and India, has welcomed the king’s move as a positive step. Although it urged to the king that he would live up to his word, the United States was pleased by Nepal king’s message that cleared that sovereignty resides with the people. The US has also urged all sides to refrain from violence to allow the restoration of democracy to take place swiftly and peacefully. Likewise, India’s Special Envoy Dr. Karan Singh has welcomed the king’s offer to the SPA as a bold step. He further said, “Now the political parties have to shoulder the responsibility and take the process forward. The sooner that can happen the better it will be.”
It is believed that the Indian proposal which Dr. Singh delivered to the King on Thursday, (April 20) had three main components: an interim government with sufficient executive powers to hold instant elections, a constituent assembly to craft a new constitution, and King Gyanendra to be a ceremonial head. That said, the Indian prescription had both short-term and medium-term solutions. In the short-term, Indians wanted the king to hand over power to the main political parties to allow the parties to form an interim government and hold early elections to a new parliament. The Indian recommendation might include Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to head the interim government. In the medium-term, India wanted the Maoists to be included in the solution but with a pre-condition that the king’s position should be preserved as a ceremonial head. The interim government and the elected government formed after the instant elections would talk to the Maoists and conduct the elections for a constituent assembly. Special envoy Dr. Singh’s magic, although partially, seems to have worked.
In coming days, the international community is likely to put more pressure on the SPA to form a government in response to King Gyanendra’s vow to restore political power to the people. The United States and India, two major players that can heavily influence Nepal’s political game, seem to be stuck on to their old mantra: “the reconciliation between Nepal’s monarch and the SPA as a remedy of the ongoing crisis.”
Now the question is: what is next? The good news is that the king seems to be finally cornered but the bad news is that returning to the “status quo” (a pre-February 1-like situation) doesn’t solve Nepal’s ongoing crisis. It is very clear that any political framework that falls short of addressing the Maoist insurgency may not produce a durable solution.
Nevertheless, the king kicked the ball back to the SPA’s court. On the one hand, the SPA has an upper hand because the agitating political parties are enjoying a popular support of tens of thousands of demonstrators and the defeated mentality of the king. On the other hand, the king seems to be all set for a final confrontation in case the SPA pushes him to the “dead-end” of constitutional monarchy. It means that Nepal may have to bear a lot of human and economic cost if the agitating parties stick on the “fight-to-finish Nepal’s Monarchy.”
To conclude, time is clearly on the SPA’s side but they also need to shoulder the burden of giving a safe path to the ongoing movement so that the unintended sacrifices could be minimized. In order to do so, the agitating parties have to carefully design their strategy. The SPA should welcome the king’s proclamation of handing over power to the people but at the same time, the SPA also have to clearly put forward its demands and ask the king that the agitating parties are ready to talk to the king if the king is ready to have a forward-looking discussion on the seven parties’ roadmap that consists of the restoration of dissolved parliament as an entry point and the elections of constituent assembly as an exit point.
(The author is associated with a think tank based in California, United States. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected])
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])
Rajesh B. Shrestha
Author
The Seven Party Alliance has a careful balancing act. Reconciliation is the key to save the country from anarchy
By Rajesh B. Shrestha
The proclamation of the King on the evening of April 21st is a welcome move. By publicly relinquishing the sovereignty of the nation to the people, the King has bowed to People Power and opened the door for dialogue with the Seven Party Alliance (SPA).
However, the proclamation does fall short of people’s expectations and the demands of the alliance. The SPA insisted on the complete restoration of democracy, not just a new government with everything else status quo. The restoration of the Parliament is the common starting point of the SPA’s vision for peace that includes the Maoists. Without the Parliament, the King retains the powers he claimed using Article 127 of the Constitution which predicates that the Orders of the King shall be laid before the Parliament but makes no mention of the Council of Ministers.
It must be noted that the King exercised Article 127 of the Constitution over the years in the absence of the Parliament. The (reinstated) Parliament would provide the minimum safeguard against any future constitutional adventurism of the King. Additionally, Parliament would impart further accountability of the new SPA government and proffer space for much of the street motions back on the House floor.
With the sovereignty vested in the people, the SPA can negotiate from a position of strength. The SPA needs to immediately form a team to initiate dialogue with the King even before finding the new Prime Minister which can take weeks. The Constitution does not provide for the Prime Minister to re-instate the Parliament, so it has to be done as a political act. Re-activating the Parliament would be seen as a clear manifestation of the sovereignty of the people. For the King, it will be an opportunity to prove the sovereignty of the people in action, not just in words.
a) The (reinstated) Parliament would provide the minimum safeguard against any future constitutional adventurism of the King. Additionally, Parliament would impart further accountability of the new SPA government and proffer space for much of the street motions back on the House floor.
Additionally, the SPA and the King together must take the following steps during the transition phase:
1. Call an end to the curfews to guarantee people’s democratic right of peaceful assembly
2. Call off the general strike so as to provide relief to the people running their day-to-day lives
3. Release all political prisoners including suspected Maoists as a sign of goodwill
b) The SPA and the King together must take the following steps during the transition phase:
1. Call an end to the curfews to guarantee people’s democratic right of peaceful assembly.
2. Call off the general strike so as to provide relief to the people running their day-to-day lives.
3. Release all political prisoners including suspected Maoists as a sign of goodwill.
The SPA has a careful balancing act. To accept the King’s words as-is could be considered betrayal by some people. To reject it in its entirety would be irresponsible. Reconciliation is the key to save the country from anarchy. Reconciliation calls for magnanimity and open minds among all players, including the SPA and the Maoists. Rather than trying to boil the ocean, the SPA must act a step at a time with people’s aspirations for peace in mind. The challenge is to keep the Maoists engaged and call on them to announce a permanent ceasefire as an incentive to participate in the all-party government and chart the course leading to the constituent assembly, if necessary.
The Maoists too cannot refute the power of the people demonstrated against autocracy. The Maoists must now realize that the pursuit of political ends through peaceful means is possible and ultimately more powerful. After the restoration of the new government and the subsequent international recognition, both development and military aid is sure to follow.
Arguably, the King has not opened the door to democracy ajar, but there is room to pry it fully open. The sacrifice of the martyrs and the untold hardships long suffered by the people demands courage and open minds at this crucial juncture to prevent the country from dipping into further chaos.
(Currently based in the UK, Shrestha is one of the organisers of London Chhalphal (www.london-chhalphal.org). Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected].)
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])
Police have taken into custody two senior CPN (UML) leaders, Jhal Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, as they returned to Kathmandu from Indian capital, New Delhi, Friday afternoon, reports say.
According to reports, Khanal returned to Kathmandu directly from New Delhi while Gautam arrived at bordering town of Bhairahawa and then flew to Kathmandu. Both of them were taken into custody as soon as they arrived in Kathmandu.
The UML has protested the detention of their senior leaders.
Khanal and Gautam were in the Indian capital for over last two months reportedly negotiating with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) leadership. They are said to have played an important role in working out the second memorandum of understanding between the seven party alliance and the Maoists in March this year.
The first understanding was signed in New Delhi in November last year in which Maoists agreed to join the political mainstream and give up violence provided their main demand for holding elections to draft a new constitution were fulfilled.
The seven party alliance, in its turn, incorporated the key Maoist demand in its agitation and said they would hold talks with the rebels to bring them into mainstream if they returned to power. nepalnews.com by Apr 21 06
The stae-run Radio Nepal has said His Majesty King Gyanendra is to address the nation at 7:00 p. m. NST on Friday.
Details were not immediately available.
The announcement comes after two-week-long nationwide general strike and prolonged curfew in Kathmandu. nepalnews.com by Apr 21 06
More than 200 thousand pro-democracy protesters poured into Kalanki, defied curfew and chanted slogan against King’s rule Friday afternoon.
Demonstrators assembled in Kalanki from Naikap, Sitapaila, Balaju, Balkhu and surrounding areas. This was the biggest demonstrations organised during the nationwide general strike called by the seven-party alliance on April 6.
There was no sign of curfew in Kalanki and surrounding areas. Despite heavy security presence, no clash occurred between the protesters and the security forces. Military helicopters made several rounds in the sky over Ring Road as the protests went on.
Two slogans – one against the King’s and another in favour of ‘Loktantra’ (people’s democracy) – rent the air throughout the day.
The protesters declared Kalanki as ‘Loktantra Chowk’. A huge graffiti on the road, at the main traffic intersection, read ‘Loktantra Chowk. Three protesters were shot dead by the security forces in Kalanki during Thursday’s protests.
Meanwhile, the demonstrators set fire to the Land Revenue Office in Kalanki and brought down a police beat this evening. They also torched three motorbikes of the traffic police.
Three fire brigade vehicles later extinguished the fire at the Land Revenue Office but all the documents, furniture and the shops on the ground floor of the building were completely destroyed.
The pro-democracy activists were still demonstrating in the area until 6 in the evening. nepalnews.com mk Apr 21 06
King Gyanendra today announced to hand over the executive power to the people.
His Majesty King Gyanendra addressing the Nation on state run NTV, Friday evening, Apr 21 06. nepalnews.com/rh
In a televised address to the nation, the King stated that what he set out to achieve through his February 1, 2005, move could not be materialized and that he had returned the executive power to the people as per the Article 35 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal.
He asked the agitating seven-party alliance to recommend a name for the Prime Minister, stressing the need for political understanding to bring ‘those outside the constitutional framework’ (meaning Maoists) to the democratic mainstream and enhance representative system. He, however, didn’t give a deadline for recommending the name for the Prime Minister’s post.
The existing government will remain functional until the parties come up with a name for the Prime Minister’s post, the King said.
Expressing commitment to constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy, the King said he tried to bring the political parties into the ‘dialogue process’ to end the prevailing crisis but this could not materialize during the past 14 months.
The announcement came on the 16th day of the nationwide general strike called by the seven parties.
Meanwhile, the government has extended the curfew in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur until by until 12:00 tonight. Earlier, the local authorities in three districts had clamped a 9:00 a.m.-8 p.m. curfew. nepalnews.com mk Apr 21 06
As opposition leaders were skeptical and engaged in consultation among themselves over the latest royal proclamation, preliminary reports say there have been protests against the royal address in which His Majesty King Gyanendra announced that he had given up executive powers which he had assumed more than a year ago.
Reports from around the country say pro-democracy demonstrators have protested the royal call to handover power terming it “Too little, too late.” There are reports of demonstration in eastern town of Biratnagar, Janakpur, Chitwan, Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj and Pokhara. In Butwal, demonstrators defied night -time curfew imposed by the local administration and chanted slogans terming the royal proclamation as a “ploy.”
In Kirtipur, Lalitpur and different parts of Kathmandu, opposition party activists took out torch-lit rallies denouncing the royal proclamation.
In his preliminary reaction, vice president of Nepali Congress—one of the major constituents of the seven party alliance, Sushil Koirala told BBC that the royal proclamation had not addressed even the minimum agenda of the on-going movement. “It has come rather as a conspiracy to divide the SPA,” he said. Koirala said the agitation will be taken to new heights.
Senior CPN (UML) leader, Amrit Bohara, said his party would comment on the proclamation only after a formal meeting.
In an interview with the BBC Nepali Service, spokesman of the CPN (Maoist), Krishna Bahadur Mahara, said the royal proclamation did not address the main objective of the on-going movement. He alleged that the royal proclamation was a conspiracy to continue to hold power by the king. “This agitation should not be stopped. The problem would not be resolved unless the demand for elections to the constituent assembly is addressed,” he added.
Meanwhile, India is the first foreign country to comment on the latest political developments in the neighbouring country. A foreign ministry spokesman in New Delhi said India welcomes the intention of the king to transfer all executive powers to the people and inviting the opposition alliance to form a government.
Talking to Nepalnews, advocate Tikaram Bhattarai said though the royal proclamation had not directly addressed the demands being raised by the SPA, it was likely to create an environment for dialogue. “By referring to article 35 of the constitution, the king has agreed to work as per the decision of the council of ministers which is a positive development,” he added.
Nepal crisis is likely to prolong for the next few days as the opposition parties have said their indefinite general strike will continue until further notice. Life across the country remains crippled for the last fortnight owing to the opposition strike. nepalnews.com by Apr 21 06
The European Union has condemned Nepali authorities for opening fire on demonstrators to suppress pro-democracy protests, saying it marked a watershed in the country’s political crisis.
The statement was issued shortly before Nepal’s King Gyanendra announced he was handing over power to political parties and asking them to name a new prime minister.
At least 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in Nepal’s pro-democracy campaign launched on April 6. On Thursday, police fired on demonstrators trying to march into Kathmandu and at least three people were killed and up to 100 injured.
“The use of live ammunition against demonstrators marks a watershed in the crisis,” the Austrian Presidency of the EU said in a statement. “The Presidency of the EU roundly condemns the use of these and other excessive measures by government forces to curb pro-democracy protests,” it said, adding that a long curfew had aggravated the already difficult lives of ordinary people.
Human rights groups and UN agencies have also condemned what they called “use of excessive force” by the security forces against the pro-democracy demonstrators in Nepal over the last fortnight. nepalnews.com by Apr 21 06