Kathmandu: The agitation of the five party alliances against what they call “regression” has entered its tenth phase beginning Tuesday.

The first day of the tenth phase of the agitation saw massive demonstrations in central Kathmandu wherein the agitators demanded the King to yield to their demands or else threatened the monarch that they could go to any extent in order to press the King to yield.

The first day of the agitation that began Tuesday also coincided with the arrival of the US dignitary Ms. Christina Rocca, the Assistant Secretary of State in Kathmandu. Undeniably, the visiting US authority must have seen herself the crowd sponsored by the agitators against the King’s October 4 moves or been briefed by her colleagues at the embassy about the very raison d’être of the tenth phase of the agitation. She is scheduled to meet the leaders of the political parties now in agitation.

The tenth phase of the agitation has begun at a time when the agitators have been told in bold terms by the incumbent prime minister that he would not resign at any circumstances.

The agitators demand Thapa’s resignation so that an all-party government to be headed by one among the leaders now engaged in the agitation could be formed.

Prime Minister Thapa says he will not resign come what may.

Thapa’s blunt statement has further irritated the agitating parties who now see Thapa as a hurdle in their agenda for the formation of an all party government. The ultimate pressure is on the King. The parties hint that it should be the King who himself take the initiative and sack Thapa in the larger interest of the nation.

Thapa is already on a foreign tour.

Thapa’s no to resignation and King’s silence to their political overtures, the agitating parties appear now determined to go ahead with their demonstrations ad infinitum.

The commander of the five party alliance, President Koirala, has hinted that he will henceforth not tame his cadres even if they criticised the monarchy and favored republicanism.

Koirala’s new stance does hint that he is all prepared to face the consequences even if his cadres went against the institution of the monarchy. This means that to a greater extent Koirala’s line of thinking find some similarity in the demands of the Maoists who champion the cause for a republican state in Nepal. Should this mean that at some point of time Koirala could join the hands of the Maoists and vice versa in order to press the King?

Madhav Nepal has kept away from Koirala’s newly acquired line. He still believes in consensus and has in the process been initiating dialogues with the Maoists, the constitution abiding forces and the King. He has, however, failed yet to pay a courtesy call on King Gyanendra.

The Maoists’ have yet to spell their mind as to how they take Koirala’s new line of political thinking.

The King definitely is hard pressed. That national and international pressure on him is increasing becomes clear from the suggestions arriving here from various democratic countries for the restoration of the derailed democratic order and the constitution.

To recall, Germany, France, the EU and very recently Australia have suggested the Nepali establishment to go in for a sort of representative government in the country.

Add to this, Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday told that the nation’s present political stalemate would come down to half the moment the King accommodates himself in the limits of the 1990 constitution.

Deuba, however, appeals the King and the political parties to come together and sort out the problems confronting the nation of late.

The King must act fast, suggest independent political analysts here.