Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 29:

Leaders of various political parties and intellectuals today denounced the King’s February 1move as “arbitrary” and said it was “aimed at curbing democracy, human rights and press freedom”. They added that the country was moving towards “regimentation” and that pillars of democracy were being dismantled systematically.

“There were many options before the King. But his February 1 move was planned to derail the democratic process,” said CPN-UML standing committee member Jhala Nath Khanal at an interaction held by the Nepal Centre for Contemporary Studies.

Khanal said there could be no reconciliation between the parties and the King until the latter agreed to fully remain a constitutional monarch. Khanal added the revival of House of Representatives (HoR) could pave the way for an election to a constituent assembly which would make a new constitution, pointing out, however, the alliance would not agree to a constituent assembly simply to appease the Maoists.

Former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana said the agitating parties’ main agenda should be the constituent assembly. He claimed that hidden motive of the HoR revival demand was a compromise with the King. The main issue, he said, was a new constitution that would include people of all communities.

Radheshyam Adhikari of Nepali Congress said there could be no correlation between the constitutional monarch and the monarch who is “heard and seen”. The February 1move was taken based on the principle that the monarch should have the right-to-direct-rule.

Denouncing the takeover, former minister Nilambar Achary said the King had failed to protect the constitution. “He has asked for three years’ time not to strengthen democracy, but to root it out,” he said.

Political scientist Krishna Khanal opined that the takeover was “totalitarian” and that the country was moving towards “regimentisation”.

Former justice of the Supreme Court Laxman Prasad Aryal said that political parties should float a “radical agenda” to muster people’s support for their movement.

Dilip Rai of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said it was time the alliance came out with concrete modalities of the proposed constituent assembly that they wanted to push for.

Royalists denounce 7-party front

Kathmandu: Former minister and president of Nepal Hariyali Party (NHP) Kuber Sharma said at the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Sunday that dialogue with Maoists could take place any time, given the media reports that claim they are on the run.

Stopping short of accusing the Maoists for their alleged Indian links, Sharma said, “I won’t saying where they are or what they are up to since much of it has appeared in the media.”

Sharma, who was earlier in the Nepali Congress (NC) before launching his own outfit, came down heavily on the alliance for not ensuring “intra-party democracy”.

Another former minister, Gore Bahadur Khapangi, also came down heavily on the alliance and said that it was only intent on disrupting the atmosphere building up against corruption in the country. — HNS