As continuation of political consultation with various people, King Gyanendra on Wednesday granted separate audiences to chairman of Rajparisad Standing committee Parsuram Chaudhari and Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Thapa) and Home Minister Kamal Thapa.

Earlier, the King granted audience to former Prime Minister and leader of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Lokendra Bahadur Chand, former Prime Minister Marich Man Singh Shrestha RPP chairman Pashupati SJB Rana and leader of Nepal Sadbhawana Party and Minister for General Administration on Tuesday.

Likewise, the King granted audience to former Prime Ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Surya Bahadur Thapa on Monday. The King had given separate audiences to cabinet vice chairmen and the ambassadors of India, United States and China on Sunday.

King Gyanendra has called upon all political parties to join in a dialogue to bear the responsibility of activating the multiparty democratic polity and contribute towards the same in his message on the occasion of Nepali New year on Friday.

International communities have been pressurizing the King to initiate dialogue with the seven political parties to resolve the present problems of the country. But it is still not clear whether the monarch will call the seven agitating political parties for talks or not. nepalnews.com pb Apr 20 06