Nepal’s king vows democracy, rebels raid town

By Y.P. Rajesh and Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) – A year after he seized power, Nepal’s
king vowed on Wednesday to hold national elections by 2007, as
Maoist rebels raided a western town killing three soldiers and
leaving dozens missing.

King Gyanendra, who sacked the government and took control
of the poor Himalayan kingdom on February 1 last year promising
to bring peace and prosperity, reiterated his call to the
communist guerillas to shun violence and join the mainstream.

“Representative bodies at all levels will be activated by
April next year,” the king, looking grim, said in an address to
the nation on state radio and TV as political parties planned
nationwide protests to mark the anniversary.

“Let us unite to establish a meaningful democracy by
burying bitter differences of the past,” he said, speaking in
Nepali. “All Nepalis want lasting peace and … this is
possible only through peaceful and constructive efforts.”

Hours before his speech, Maoist guerillas fighting to
topple the monarchy and establish communist rule, raided Palpa
town, targeting army barracks, police posts and government
buildings, an army officer said.

At least three soldiers were killed and one wounded in the
fighting that lasted all night in the hill town located about
190 miles west of Kathmandu, he said.

Authorities also said that a few dozen soldiers and
government officials were missing after the raid.

The independent Kantipur radio station said prisoners from
a nearby jail had been freed by the guerillas while
communication links to the region were cut off.

King Gyanendra threw Nepal into turmoil on February 1 last
year when he fired the government, jailed politicians and
suspended civil liberties, triggering widespread protests at
home and drawing strong international criticism.

The king justified his takeover saying it was needed to
crush the Maoist insurgency that has left more than 13,000
people dead since 1996.

NATIONWIDE PROTESTS PLANNED

The monarch, who wore a black formal jacket and a
traditional Nepali cap during his 20-minute speech, did not
directly refer to a campaign for democracy by political parties
or mention any possibility of negotiating with them.

Although he said rebel violence had fallen and was limited
to scattered incidents under his rule, official figures this
week showed more people had been killed in 2005 than the
average annual deaths in previous years.

Nepal’s seven mainstream political parties, citizens’
groups and professional organizations have planned nationwide
rallies to mark Wednesday as “black day.”

Political parties also plan to hoist black flags and burn
effigies and there are fears of violence if activists try to
defy a ban on rallies in the heart of Kathmandu.

Hundreds of activists were detained across the country on
the eve of the anniversary in an apparent bid to thwart
demonstrations, politicians said.

“The people’s movement will intensify. Though it will be a
hard battle, the outcome will be rewarding,” Bam Dev Gautam, a
leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).

Although some of the king’s tough curbs have been eased,
analysts say he is nowhere close to fulfilling his promises to
crush the Maoists, bring peace and good governance, and then
restore democracy within three years.

The king has called municipal elections for February 8 in
what his ministers say is a first step toward restoring
democracy.

But the political parties, who were not consulted about the
plan and will boycott the vote, see the elections as another
confrontational gesture designed to sideline them and have
formed a loose alliance with the rebels against the king.