Nepalese king sacks government
01 February, 2005
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| King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal's coalition government Tuesday led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and seized control of the country, which is bat |
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KATHMANDU, February 01 (Online): King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal's coalition government Tuesday led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and seized control of the country, which is battling a Maoist revolt. "I have exercised the rights given to the crown under the present constitution and dissolved the government in the larger interests of the people," the king said in an address on nationwide television. "All the democratic forces and political leaders should have united to protect the country's democracy," Gyanendra said in his half-hour address. "Innocent children were found massacred and the government could not achieve any important and effective results. The crown traditionally is held responsible for the protection of national sovereignty, democracy and people's right to live peacefully," he said. He said he would chair a new government himself. "For the larger interest of the Nepalese general public, the nation and democracy and people's fundamentals rights, we have decided to form a new government under my own chairmanship." Several key political leaders including those of the Nepal Communist Party United Marxist and Leninist, the main partners in the former coalition government, were under house arrest, party sources said. The king sacked Deuba in 2002 and branded him incompetent for failing to hold elections and fight the Maoist revolt. At the same time, he dismissed parliament. But Gyanendra recalled the veteran politician last year after countrywide protests and pro-democracy agitation and re-appointed Deuba as prime minister.
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