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Daytime curfew imposed in Nepalese capital on Sunday+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)KATHMANDU, April 23_(Kyodo) _ Authorities imposed an 11-hour curfew in the capital Kathmandu on Sunday amid no sign of an abatement in protests against King Gyanendra. The curfew, which started at 9 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m., is the fourth in as many days. Protests, currently directed against the king's proclamation on Friday, swelled Saturday after an alliance of seven political parties rejected the king's offer to hand over the reigns of government as inadequate. On Friday, the king vowed to return executive power to the people, but said it would be exercised under Article 35 of the Constitution, which vests executive power both in the king and council of ministers. Technically speaking, the king would still retain some powers, which the political parties are not prepared to vest in him. Nepalese political observers said that from the position of an absolute monarch the king has descended to the status of a constitutional monarch. "But for the wrongs he did in the past, the people don't want to give him even the status of constitutional monarch. So, they are calling for a republican setup," said Krishna Khanal, professor of political science at the Tribhuvan University. In his proclamation on Friday, the king called on the political parties to name a new prime minister. "The parties have rejected this proposition too because according to the Constitution it is the parliament which nominates the prime minister," said Sriram Poudel, a political scientist. "But presently Nepal has no parliament and so the question becomes tricky." When he appointed a new prime minister after sacking an elected prime minister four years ago, King Gyanendra invoked Article 127 of the Constitution, essentially meant to "remove difficulties." Political parties said the king could not appoint a prime minister that way and accused him of abusing the constitutional provision. In February last year, the king sacked the government and seized full powers, vowing to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt. |