King grants audience to Ranabhat; ‘King is ready for dialogue with parties’

March 1, 2006
2 MIN READ
A
A+
A-

As part of his consultation with political personalities on the current political situation, His Majesty King Gyanendra on Wednesday granted audience to speaker Taranath Ranabhat at Ratna Mandir in Pokhara.

Reports from Pokhara said Ranabhat had an one-hour plus audience with the King from 10:00 a.m.

Talking to reporters after the audience, Ranabhat said the King expressed his readiness for dialogue with the opposition political parties. He said that during the audience, he ‘clearly stressed’ that the King should take initiative for dialogue with the parties.

“The beginning of dialogue between the parties and the King will open doors for activating the constitution and a new government necessary to address the current political stalemate,” reports quoted Ranabhat as saying.

He also revealed that he suggested for a new government comprising the parties for which reinstatement of the House of Representatives could be a positive step. The current government, according to him, has done nothing till date than to silently following the King’s agenda.

Prior to his consultation with Ranabhat, the monarch on Tuesday gave audience to vice-chairmen duo of the cabinet, Dr Tulsi Giri and Kirti Nidhi Bista, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Thapa) leader Ravindra Nath Sharma and head of the RPP (Nationalist) Rajeswhor Devkota.

The King is in Pokhara currently on a three-week long informal visit to the western region.