Nepal, secular parties against King Gyanendra’s "religious" visit
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Parties and lay
supporters of the Hindu monarchy are colliding over a political tour masquerading
as religious pilgrimage that former Sha Gyanendra began yesterday in the
districts of Kanski, Myagdi and Parbat in the Western Region. Officials of the
Maoist parties and the Congress Party
and other formations fear a coup by supporters of the former monarch deposed in
2007, among which the Hindu extremist parties Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party ( RPP). They accuse the king of having a
parallel agenda to seek support in the western region, among the poorest in the
country and where in recent months there have been several demonstrations for
the restoration of the monarchy. Local sources said that these days, entire
cities and villages were festively decorated to celebrate the arrival of
Gyanendra.
The great popular census for the king is worrying the secular political
formations that rose to power in 2008, after the deposition of the monarchy. The
Maoist governor of the district of Parbat announced that block the visit of the
former monarch who will not be allowed to give public speeches. The authorities
of Myagdi have joined the boycott. Today, even the Maoist Prime Minister Baburam
Bhattarai, warned the former monarch not to hold public rallies, accusing him
of exploiting the climate of instability to confuse the Nepalese, who will have
to choose a new constituent assembly in a few months. Dilendra Prasad Badu,
spokesman for the Conservative Congress Party, said that "the authorities
can not tolerate a religious visit on the pretext of creating a monarchist
party to nominate for election."
Several analysts point to a growth of Hindu extremism and the emergence of new
political alliances between the parties during the civil war who fought on the
side of the monarchy and later were excluded from the formation of the new democratic
state. The RLL-N draws strength from the current climate of mistrust towards
the parties of the Constituent Assembly, divided among themselves, who have
failed to reach an agreement for writing the new constitution. The most
affected is the Maoist party considered chiefly responsible for the current
situation. Between 2009 and 2011, the party of former guerrillas organized
several mass strikes that have crippled the economy.
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26/05/2008
