Nepal’s king vows democracy, rebels kill 19 in raid

By Y.P. Rajesh and Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) – A year after he seized power, Nepal’s
King Gyanendra vowed on Wednesday to hold national elections by
2007, as Maoist rebels attacked a western town and killed at
least 19 soldiers and police.

The army said dozens of soldiers and government officials,
including the district administrator, were missing after the
overnight raid on the western town of Palpa, which targeted
army barracks, police posts and government buildings.

Hours after the attack, Gyanendra, who sacked the
government and seized power on February 1 last year promising
to bring peace and prosperity, reiterated his call to communist
guerillas to shun violence and join the mainstream.

“Representative bodies at all levels will be activated by
April next year,” a grim-looking king said in a televised
address to the nation, as political parties planned nationwide
protests on the anniversary of the palace power grab.

“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.”

Maoist guerillas fighting to topple the monarchy and
establish a single-party communist republic attacked Palpa late
on Tuesday and fighting continued through the night.

“Sixteen policemen, besides the three soldiers, have also
been killed,” the officer told Reuters. The army had said
earlier three soldiers had been killed and one wounded.

Soldiers were said to be searching for rebel fighters and
bodies.

The independent Kantipur radio station said prisoners from
a nearby jail had been freed by the guerillas. 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 stinging 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 number of fatalities 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 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.

In the capital, residents reported 20 armored personnel
carriers patrolling the capital, the first time such a large
number had been seen in the city.

Hundreds of activists were detained across the country
before 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,” said 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, sidelined in planning the polls,
have vowed to boycott a vote they see as another
confrontational move to sideline them, and have entered into a
loose alliance with the rebels.