Kathmandu: Political parties continue to accuse the monarch to have exceeded his constitutional limits and been pressing Him to correct the constitutional blunders he has made since October 4 last year.
The King remains undeterred.
The political parties continue to threaten the King that they would wage a sort of agitation against the King’s what they call “unconstitutional” moves should he not heeded to their demands.
In the process, the Girija led congress pushes its agenda for restoring the parliament and the UML prefers the formation of an all-party government. Both the major political parties consider their agenda to have remedy for the present crisis that have gripped the nation.
The King listens to their agenda but appears not to heed to their demands and that too under pressure.
Very recently, both the congress and the UML in collaboration with the other two parties led respectively by Narayan Man Bijukche and Amik Sherchan agreed to offer a new alternative to the King: either restore the now dissolved parliament or form an all-party government.
The King again listened to this proposal but did not offer his comment.
What is in King’s mind no body knows. What, however, presumably every body know is that the King remains solidly committed for the strengthening and the consolidation of the system now in force which becomes evident from his assurances that he is giving to political leaders of various shades and colors as and when they are granted audience on a one-to-one basis at the Royal Palace.
The political leaders, albeit the disgruntled ones, claim that the monarch talks in favor of the system and democracy but his actions more often than not go against His ( the monarch’s) avowals.
The international community appears to have taken the King’s assurances at its face value and they appear confident that King Gyanendra will keep his commitments at all costs.
The King thus is in a very comfortable position.
For the Nepali leaders, he is meeting them all at regular intervals. He is listening to their proposals and assures them all that what they consider to be the best for the country he would go in for that. In doing so, he is also sending signals to friendly countries that he is a benevolent monarch who listens to even dissenting voices. The message reaches across the border, read neighboring India, whose leaders wish that the King doesn’t undermine the role of the major political parties. In meeting the leaders of the political parties the monarch wishes to hint India that he is in total consultation with the dissenting political parties as wished by her.
In the process, US Assistant Secretary of State, Donald Camp makes statement that not only strengthens the position of the monarch but also confirms that the government installed by the King was an “interim” government and not as that claimed by Koirala and Madhav Nepal.
Deliberate or otherwise, the United Kingdom sends its special emissary Sir Jefferey to Kathmandu who hails the ceasefire announcement as a welcome move much to the displeasure of the Nepal’s major political parties who see “designs” in the said announcement. This perhaps speaks of the developed West’s belief in the words of King Gyanendra.
The authorities in government too talk about the sincerity of the King towards the multi-party order and for the constitution and assure the people not to suspect the monarch’s moves.
Back home, the Maoists eagerness for talks too contributes to the monarch’s prestige and popularity. The overall impression among the majority of the population is that it was the monarch’s direct intervention that brought the Maoists to talks and that they have agreed for a ceasefire. Whether the King acted as per the general belief or not is very difficult to ascertain. But if the political parties on the one hand think that the King has remained himself active in the whole affair that has led to the ceasefire, the King on the other has reiterated in front of political leaders that he has not met any Maoists leaders privately and that whatever has happened in the recent months were solely accomplished by the government in place.
Summing up it all, the nation’s politics will continue as it is until the King is back from his India trip.
How the King takes up Koirala-Madhav combine proposals(s) upon his return from India will speak so many things, directly and indirectly both.
The India visit of the Nepali monarch is thus very important.