Thousands of supporters of Nepal’s former king rallied in the capital Kathmandu on Thursday, calling for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy that was abolished 17 years ago, amid rising unhappiness with successive elected governments.
Flag-waving protesters marched into the city centre from different directions shouting: “Our king is dearer than lives … king come back and save the country,” as riot police stood guard but did not intervene.
At a similar rally in March, two people were killed and several injured.
The 239-year-old monarchy was voted out in 2008 following weeks of bloody street protests. The last king of the Himalayan nation, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu as a commoner since being toppled.
He has not commented on Thursday’s demonstration but expressed sorrow at the violence that killed two people in March.
Demonstrators are also calling for the country of 30 million people, wedged between China and India, to become a Hindu state again, a status it lost with the monarchy.
“Governments formed in the last 17 years have failed to deliver on their promises of development, creation of jobs and improvement of the living conditions of people,” said 35-year-old street vendor Rajendra Tamang.
“Thousands of young people are forced to leave the country in search of work as they see no hope here,” he said.
Millions of young Nepalis are working in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia, mainly at construction sites, and the money they send home is a key source of income for Nepal.
Supporters of the government staged a separate but smaller rally nearby in support of the republican system that replaced the monarchy.
The three major political parties that jointly control nearly 200 of the 275 seats in parliament say the monarchy was consigned to history and cannot be restored.
All three jointly campaigned against the monarchy and voted it out in 2008 and say their faith in the republican system was unshakeable.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which is campaigning for the monarchy, holds only 13 seats in parliament.
A two-thirds majority or 184 lawmakers is needed to change the constitution, which was adopted in 2015, turning Nepal into a federal democratic republic.
The royalists say their protests will continue until the monarchy is restored.
(Reuters)
