Nepal's king vows to return power to people Concession comes amid pro-democracy protests, international pressure
Nepali riot policemen push back pro-democracy activists during demonstrations in the Chabahil district of Nepal's capital Kathmandu April 20, 2006. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
The Associated Press
April 21, 2006, 10:22 AM EDT
KATMANDU, Nepal -- Nepal's king vowed today to return power to the people of this Himalayan kingdom after weeks of massive protests and mounting international pressure.
King Gyanendra said his dynasty had "unflinching commitment toward constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy" and he called on the seven main political parties to name a prime minister as soon as possible.
"Executive power ... shall, from this day, be returned to the people," he said in the announcement that was broadcast on state television and radio.
While the king appeared to be giving up most -- and perhaps all -- of his power, it remained unclear if his announcement would mollify his political opponents who launched a general strike on April 6 and drew tens of thousands to the streets daily.
Political leaders were in meetings after his announcement and could not be reached for comment.
Just hours earlier, more than 100,000 pro-democracy protesters defied a government curfew despite shoot-on-sight orders and filled the streets on the outskirts of Katmandu, Nepal's capital.
As the tension grew, so did the international pressure on Gyanendra, who seized power in February 2005, saying he needed to crush the Maoist insurgency that has killed nearly 13,000 people in a decade.
The U.S. ambassador warned the king's regime could be nearing collapse.
"His time is running out," U.S. Ambassador James Moriarty told reporters earlier today. "Ultimately the king will have to leave if he doesn't compromise. And by 'ultimately' I mean sooner rather than later."
Nepal's crisis has escalated steadily since the opposition launched a general strike and protesters began hitting the streets daily, leaving the Himalayan country paralyzed.
Despite the talk of possible compromise, the crackdown continued. Two senior opposition leaders involved in negotiations with communist rebels were arrested today as they tried to return to Katmandu, said Amrit Bohara of the Community Part of Nepal.
The two men, Jhala Nath Khanal and Bamdev Gautam, both leaders of the party, have been important conduits in negotiations between Nepal's seven main opposition parties and the Maoist insurgents who control much of the countryside.
The Maoists remain the biggest unknown in the crisis. Though they have recently tied themselves to the political parties, their history of violence and political extremism worries even their allies.
Shortly before his arrest, Khanal said he only hesitantly trusted the guerrillas.
"They talk about democracy now, but violence is a part of their philosophy," he said at an interview in New Delhi.
Three separate groups of marchers -- each numbering in the thousands -- converged on the western edge of Katmandu in an area called Kalanki, where police shot three demonstrators dead on Thursday and wounded dozens more. The security forces ringing the city today were told to shoot any demonstrators trying to enter the curfew zone.
Government notices issued early today said the 9 a.m.-8 p.m. curfew must be observed in Katmandu, its suburbs of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, and in the resort town of Pokhara, 125 miles west of the capital. The notices warned people to stay indoors or risk being shot.
The government said the curfew was imposed "to protect the people, property and peace." Katmandu residents rushed to buy food and supplies before it began.
An Associated Press reporter at the scene estimated the crowd at more than 100,000; independent Kantipur television said it counted some 150,000.
Earlier, an Indian envoy who met with Gyanendra on Thursday said he expected a "major announcement" that could defuse the situation -- apparently referring to the king's statement.
"We are hoping that there will be some major step toward reinstating democracy," Karan Singh told reporters in New Delhi after returning from Nepal.
There was minor unrest at today's demonstrations, but no immediate reports of shootings.
A group of protesters destroyed a tin shack covered with barbed wire that was serving as a temporary police checkpoint. Another group vandalized a government office, throwing out portraits of King Gyanendra before setting the building on fire.
At Kalanki, protesters claimed an area on the street with a message scrawled in large red and white letters that read, "Martyrs' square, long live the martyrs."
They waved the flags of opposition political parties and chanted, "Long live democracy! The blood of the martyrs will not go to waste!"
A protester who was wounded during Thursday's clashes died in the hospital today, becoming the 14th person killed by security forces since opposition parties launched the strike. He was among 26 people shot during a protest in Gulariya, 300 miles southwest of Katmandu.
A Defense Ministry statement said security forces had to fire on the crowds because the protests were getting out of control. The statement said 13 policemen were wounded in clashes with protesters who vandalized government offices and tried but failed to set them on fire.
At the Model Hospital, where many of the wounded protesters were taken, doctors wore black bands to protest the shootings.
"It was terrible," said Dr. Sarita Pandey. He said 66 wounded people, eight in critical condition, were brought in Thursday. The injured included a 10-year-old boy with a gunshot wound and 5-year-old beaten by police, he said.
Nepal's Hindu royal dynasty was once revered as godlike, and the recent chants of "Hang the King" are a major departure from past protests, like the 1990 uprising that led the king's older brother to introduce democracy.
Gyanendra ended that experiment last year, arguing the move was needed to restore political order and to crush the communist insurgency.
While many of Nepal's 27 million people -- frustrated by squabbling politicians -- at first welcomed the king's power grab, the worsening insurgency and faltering economy have fueled discontent.
Associated Press writer Matthew Rosenberg contributed to this report.
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