TMCnet News
LEAD: Nepal's king orders reinstatement of parliament+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)KATHMANDU, April 24_(Kyodo) _ (EDS: ADDING INFO) Embattled Nepalese King Gyanendra on Monday reinstated an old parliament in a bid to take the steam out of ongoing anti-king protests in the Himalayan nation. Reinstatement of the lower house of parliament meets one of the key demands of the agitating political parties that have called the protests. In a proclamation, his second in four days, the 58-year-old monarch said he has restored the parliament and called its session to open on Friday. Last Friday, the king had in a similar speech handed over to the people the executive powers he seized 14 months ago. He also asked the leaders of the political parties to nominate a person for the new prime minister. The political parties, however, rejected the king's offer, saying his gesture was not enough to send back home the several thousands of protesters from Nepalese streets. The protesters say they will not stop till election for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution for Nepal is announced. The new constitution would strip the Nepalese king of all powers. Many protesters have clearly called for abolition of monarchy in Nepal. Besides restoration of the parliament, the political parties are also demanding an all-party interim government and election for a constituent assembly to write a new constitution for Nepal. The parliament, or the House of Representatives, reinstated on Monday came into being following a general election in Nepal in May 1999. It was dissolved three years later on recommendation of then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. The election to create a new parliament was planned for November that year, but could not be held, disallowed essentially by warring Maoist rebels who threatened the vote with sabotage. The election remains deferred to date. In February 2005, the king fired a multiparty government and seized executive powers in what he said as a move to restore peace in the country by taming a raging communist insurgency. Political parties cried foul and said the king should return power to the people. Early this month, the parties intensified their anti-king agitation, calling protests and indefinite strike across the country. |