National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

Game of Compulsion

Despite his total isolation, King Gyanendra seems to be compelled to back prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa

By KESHAB POUDEL

From two third majority of Rastriya Prajatantra Party members to the opposition, every one is pressuring King Gyanendra to find a political settlement by replacing prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa’s government.

Whatever the pressure political parties put from the street chanting republic slogans, it apparently does not make any difference to prime minister Thapa and his government. Under his prime ministership and undermining the low-level stir of student unions, King Gyanendra is going on a nationwide tour to receive civil felicitation of local people.

PM Thapa : Unfazed by isolation

Although mainstream political parties might have popular support and base, it seems that only prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa can defend the institution of monarchy. “Every one has his limit. The government will not tolerate any more anti-constitutional monarchy and anti-multi party activities,” said prime minister Thapa, whose appointment in early days triggered wide controversy linking Nepal’s southern neighbor’s support for him.

“At a time when many of his relatives and well-wishers are pressuring to build the understanding with other political parties, King Gyanendra might have certain compulsions to continue alliance with prime minister Thapa,” said an analyst. “King knows that Pashupati Sumsher’s loyalty to the monarchy is much stronger but Thapa is more useful to deal with the political situation.”

Being a tradition-based institution, monarchy’s survival is not dependent upon the popularity of vote like that of modern political institutions. Unlike the leaders of political parties, who contest the elections periodically, a monarch is made under the basis of traditions and values. It is an institution of consent and it is guided by its own values and traditions.

Ignoring the pressures of political parties and Maoist violence, King Gyanendra is going to receive felicitation from the people of mid-western region in Nepalgunj – an area which falls under the recently declared (by the Maoists) Bheri-Karnali autonomous region. King is going to address a rally where Maoists had announced that they would not permit political activities of pro-constitutional monarchist political parties.

Interestingly, prime minister Thapa is taking King Gyanendra with him in Nepalgunj, a southern border town close to India. When King Gyanendra addressed similar rally in eastern border town of Biratnagar a year ago, prime minister Thapa was the only political leader to attend the meeting.

Despite general strike (bandh) called by the Maoists and boycotted by mainstream political parties, jam-packed crowd greeted King Gyanendra in Biratnagar. Organized in another border town of Dhangadhi, 500 miles far west of capital, the second felicitation also was well attended.

Despite all these events, then government led by Lokendra Bahadur Chand was replaced by Surya Bahadur Thapa following violent street protests by six agitating political parties. The circumstances and situation on which prime minister Thapa emerged show that there is no immediate replacement since King Gyanendra has already handed over his executive authority to the prime minister.

The situation shows that even the King perhaps will have to bear more difficult constitutional consequences by dismissing prime minister Thapa and his government on his own. Whatever the political pressure the parties will put on monarchy, the possibilities of change in the guard appear far-fetched at least for now.