the End of Nepal's Dynasty ?
(Bloomberg) by Jay Shankar
-- Nepal, the world's last remaining Hindu monarchy, votes this week in an election that may bring an end to almost 240 years of rule by the family of King Gyanendra.
The three top parties contesting the April 10 ballot are campaigning to scrap the monarchy or allow it only a ceremonial role. Forty-nine percent of Nepalese support the monarchy, according to an opinion poll in January, even through Gyanendra is unpopular after the autocratic rule he imposed in 2005.
``The reason is that it is woven into Nepali tradition and culture,'' said Sudhindra Sharma, director of Interdisciplinary Analysts, the Kathmandu-based independent research organization that carried out the poll. ``Support for the monarchy is a proxy for tradition. It is a part of national identity.''
Nepalese will choose a National Assembly in the first general elections since a peace accord in November 2006 ended a 10-year fight by rebels to replace the monarchy with a communist republic. The 601 lawmakers, who will draft a new constitution, will use their first meeting to ratify a pledge by the seven main parties to turn Nepal into a federal republic.
Fifty-nine percent of Nepalese preferred the country to remain a Hindu state, according to the January poll of 3,010 respondents chosen randomly in 30 of the nation's 75 districts. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
Many Nepalese believe Gyanendra's family are reincarnated Hindu gods, who created the landlocked Himalayan kingdom between India and China. About 80 percent of Nepal's 29 million citizens are Hindu.
Normal Citizen
The former rebel Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) wants the king to quit the palace and become a normal citizen. Other parties say the king's fate should be outlined in the constitution to be approved by lawmakers.
The CPN (Maoist) will accept the result of this week's election, Puspa Kamal Dahal, its leader, said in the capital, Kathmandu, yesterday.
``The Maoist party needs more credibility than anyone else in the elections,'' he said. ``Failing to win a majority does not mean there will be violence.''
About 18 million people are eligible to vote in the ballot, Election Commissioner Usha Nepal said.
The decision on the king's future ``must be taken only after the federal constitution is written,'' said Keshar Bahadur Bista, general-secretary of the royalist Rastriya Janshakti Party. ``In the meantime, there can be a public debate as to whether the king should stay or not.''
Martial Law
Gyanendra, 60, became king and began wearing the traditional crown made of yak hair and peacock feathers in June 2001, after his brother Birendra and close relatives were killed by Crown Prince Dipendra, who shot himself.
Gyanendra declared martial law in February 2005 and ruled the country himself, saying the government had failed to deal with the insurgency.
As many as 13,000 people died in the uprising that damaged Nepal's tourism-dependent economy. The country is home to Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak, which attracts climbers from around the globe.
Gyanendra was forced to return power to a civilian government in 2006 after nationwide strikes, as Maoist leaders declared a cease-fire and linked up with political parties in opposition to the king.
An interim administration in April 2006 stripped Gyanendra of his power, making him pay taxes and placing the army under civilian control. His image was removed from the 500-rupee banknote and replaced by Mount Everest.
``All his privileges have been removed,'' said Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat. Gyanendra and his family live on an annual salary of 30 million rupees ($467,654).
Symbol of Unity
The monarchy unified 24 regions into a single Nepal, Rabindranath Sharma, founder of the royalist Rastriya Prajantantra Party (Nepal), said in an interview.
``It symbolizes unity and sovereignty,'' he said. ``It is important for it to remain and not the king.''
The people dislike the king as a result of the circumstances under which he took the throne, analyst Sudhindra Sharma said.
``He eroded the sanctity'' of the monarchy, he said. ``There was suspicion all around.''
Nepal is among the world's poorest countries, the U.S. government said. One-third of its citizens live below the poverty line and per capita GDP is around $1,100.
``It is hard to believe the king will not rule anymore,'' said Jagdish Karki, an agricultural laborer on the outskirts of Kathmandu. ``If other parties can rule better, and that is the reality, then it is the king's fate.'' [bloomberg]
-- Nepal, the world's last remaining Hindu monarchy, votes this week in an election that may bring an end to almost 240 years of rule by the family of King Gyanendra.
The three top parties contesting the April 10 ballot are campaigning to scrap the monarchy or allow it only a ceremonial role. Forty-nine percent of Nepalese support the monarchy, according to an opinion poll in January, even through Gyanendra is unpopular after the autocratic rule he imposed in 2005.
``The reason is that it is woven into Nepali tradition and culture,'' said Sudhindra Sharma, director of Interdisciplinary Analysts, the Kathmandu-based independent research organization that carried out the poll. ``Support for the monarchy is a proxy for tradition. It is a part of national identity.''
Nepalese will choose a National Assembly in the first general elections since a peace accord in November 2006 ended a 10-year fight by rebels to replace the monarchy with a communist republic. The 601 lawmakers, who will draft a new constitution, will use their first meeting to ratify a pledge by the seven main parties to turn Nepal into a federal republic.
Fifty-nine percent of Nepalese preferred the country to remain a Hindu state, according to the January poll of 3,010 respondents chosen randomly in 30 of the nation's 75 districts. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
Many Nepalese believe Gyanendra's family are reincarnated Hindu gods, who created the landlocked Himalayan kingdom between India and China. About 80 percent of Nepal's 29 million citizens are Hindu.
Normal Citizen
The former rebel Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) wants the king to quit the palace and become a normal citizen. Other parties say the king's fate should be outlined in the constitution to be approved by lawmakers.
The CPN (Maoist) will accept the result of this week's election, Puspa Kamal Dahal, its leader, said in the capital, Kathmandu, yesterday.
``The Maoist party needs more credibility than anyone else in the elections,'' he said. ``Failing to win a majority does not mean there will be violence.''
About 18 million people are eligible to vote in the ballot, Election Commissioner Usha Nepal said.
The decision on the king's future ``must be taken only after the federal constitution is written,'' said Keshar Bahadur Bista, general-secretary of the royalist Rastriya Janshakti Party. ``In the meantime, there can be a public debate as to whether the king should stay or not.''
Martial Law
Gyanendra, 60, became king and began wearing the traditional crown made of yak hair and peacock feathers in June 2001, after his brother Birendra and close relatives were killed by Crown Prince Dipendra, who shot himself.
Gyanendra declared martial law in February 2005 and ruled the country himself, saying the government had failed to deal with the insurgency.
As many as 13,000 people died in the uprising that damaged Nepal's tourism-dependent economy. The country is home to Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak, which attracts climbers from around the globe.
Gyanendra was forced to return power to a civilian government in 2006 after nationwide strikes, as Maoist leaders declared a cease-fire and linked up with political parties in opposition to the king.
An interim administration in April 2006 stripped Gyanendra of his power, making him pay taxes and placing the army under civilian control. His image was removed from the 500-rupee banknote and replaced by Mount Everest.
``All his privileges have been removed,'' said Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat. Gyanendra and his family live on an annual salary of 30 million rupees ($467,654).
Symbol of Unity
The monarchy unified 24 regions into a single Nepal, Rabindranath Sharma, founder of the royalist Rastriya Prajantantra Party (Nepal), said in an interview.
``It symbolizes unity and sovereignty,'' he said. ``It is important for it to remain and not the king.''
The people dislike the king as a result of the circumstances under which he took the throne, analyst Sudhindra Sharma said.
``He eroded the sanctity'' of the monarchy, he said. ``There was suspicion all around.''
Nepal is among the world's poorest countries, the U.S. government said. One-third of its citizens live below the poverty line and per capita GDP is around $1,100.
``It is hard to believe the king will not rule anymore,'' said Jagdish Karki, an agricultural laborer on the outskirts of Kathmandu. ``If other parties can rule better, and that is the reality, then it is the king's fate.'' [bloomberg]
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