Akanshya Shah

In the midst of gloomy prospects facing all Nepalis, the countrymen are now seeing rays of hope in the monarch’s stated desire for “creative” participation in Nepal’s political process. If the most important need today is to restore peace and security, dismantling the eight year old Maoist insurgency, ideally it would be best if the King together with the political parties collectively formulated a strategy to restore normalcy in the country. However, this is clearly not happening at the moment, with parties clearly divided on the fundamental issues. To add, intra-party bickerings have weakened the parties to such an extent that the people are reluctant to place their trust and confidence in them.

At a function on February 8 in Nepalgunj, King Gyanendra addressed a huge crowd who had gathered to felicitate him on behalf of those in the mid-western development region, by far the ones hit the hardest by the insurgency. While reiterating his commitment to multi-party democracy and his desire to have the general elections held at the earliest, the King urged all leaders to rise above personal interests and those of their parties for the greater interest of the people. Given the “critical phase” of the country, he gave an indication of monarchy’s constructive role in the politics of Nepal. In a statement that invited wide criticisms from various political parties, the King acclaimed: “The days of the monarchy being seen but not heard, watching the people’s difficulties but not addressing them and being a silent spectator to their tear-stained faces are over.”

The King laid emphasis on ‘national welfare” and a “pro-public” governance. He repeatedly insisted on a corruption-free democratic polity wherein the people’s fundamental rights are not infringed upon. Maintaining that “tussle for power should not jeopardise national unity”, he called upon all the parties to work for “unity and peace.” Recognising Nepal’s sensitive geopolitics, a crucial message that came out was on the economic well-being. A pro-poor programme for the region, he said, called for according national priority to the backward region and utilise the border points with China and India in ensuring goods the region’s greater access in the markets of these emerging economic powers.

Clearly, the message has stressed on all those aspects of democratic governance which the leaders have arguably failed to deliver since the restoration of democracy in 1990. Under such circumstances, any concern shown by the Head of the State is welcome. The Constitution of Nepal 1990 has clearly defined executive role for the monarch. The constitution states that “His Majesty is the symbol of Nepalis nationality and the unity of the Nepalese people.” The monarch is to “preserve and protect” the supreme law of the land by keeping in view the best interests and welfare of the people of Nepal. This, however, in no way means that the King does not have the right or the freedom to express his opinion. As the Head of the State, the King not only commands respect, but has the moral authority to intervene in times of crisis. It would be better if all accepted the importance of monarchy, which has traditionally been carrying higher acceptance and prestige for centuries now. The parties, on their part, should come up with a clearly defined strategy for restoring peace in the country.