09-07-2005, 03:17 AM
Pioneer
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Coup rumours make King skip UN trip </b>
Kanchan Gupta/ New Delhi
King Gyanendra of Nepal has cancelled his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session for which heads of state will gather next week. Â
Isolated at home by political parties and Maoists who have joined hands against the monarchy to supplant it with anarchy, King Gyanendra is believed to have cancelled his New York visit following reports of a possible attempt to overthrow the monarchy in his absence.
Kathmandu is awash with speculation that political parties, backed by Maoists, were planning to organise large-scale disturbances to undo the royal coup of February 1 when King Gyanendra dismissed Sher Bahadur Deuba's palace-appointed Government. There are persistent suggestions that a bid to dethrone King Gyanendra has the tacit blessings of New Delhi.
King Gyanendra was scheduled to leave for New York on September 9 for the UN General Assembly session that begins September 13. He was to have addressed the General Assembly on September 16. Nepal's delegation to the General Assembly is now likely to be headed by Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey.
While the palace has not offered any reason as to why the king has cancelled his visit, a top government official in Kathmandu has been quoted by Reuters as saying: "He is not going to go (to New York) now... This is taking into account the current situation in the country."
The decision to call of the king's visit to New York came 72 hours after the surprise three-month truce offered by Maoists who have been waging a bloody battle against the monarchy and government for a decade in which more than 12,500 people have died.
The so-called truce was announced last Saturday by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Comrade Prachanda, who heads the banned Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and is the commander of its armed wing, People's Liberation Army.
Prachanda is understood to have been in India prior to the truce declaration for consultations with senior officials of the UPA Government. Ever since February 1, the UPA Government has been urging a soft line towards Prachanda and his People's Liberation Army, apparently at the behest of the CPI(M).
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Last week, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) issued a joint declaration with Communist Party of India (Maoist) calling for revolutionary change in both countries.</span>
The Maoists, through Prachanda's "truce offer", have now sought an alliance with Nepal's seven main political parties, especially Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to strengthen the anti-monarchy forces. They want a republican Constitution to be drafted in which the monarchy will find no space.
The current government in Kathmandu has made it clear that there is no question of reviving Parliament and that it is sticking to the scheduled elections to be held by April 2006.
Meanwhile, responding to Prachanda's "truce offer", King Gyanendra's government has termed it "unreliable" and "no guarantee" for lasting peace. Minister for Information and Communications Tanka Dhakal issued statement Monday night, which said: "In view of the past experiences, when repeated announcement of the cessation of terrorist activities failed to pave the way for permanent peace, there is no reason to be assured yet."
The official response comes after a two-day extraordinary meeting, followed by a cabinet meeting Sunday chaired by King Gyanendra, to discuss the "truce offer".
Officials have also rejected the demand of political parties and human rights activists that the government should announce a ceasefire against the Maoists.
It may be recalled that in 2001 and 2003, Prachanda and his comrades had violated truce agreements and walked out of peace negotiations. Using the ceasefire to recuperate, regroup and re-arm, the Maoists had relaunched ferocious assaults against security forces and government installations
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Coup rumours make King skip UN trip </b>
Kanchan Gupta/ New Delhi
King Gyanendra of Nepal has cancelled his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly session for which heads of state will gather next week. Â
Isolated at home by political parties and Maoists who have joined hands against the monarchy to supplant it with anarchy, King Gyanendra is believed to have cancelled his New York visit following reports of a possible attempt to overthrow the monarchy in his absence.
Kathmandu is awash with speculation that political parties, backed by Maoists, were planning to organise large-scale disturbances to undo the royal coup of February 1 when King Gyanendra dismissed Sher Bahadur Deuba's palace-appointed Government. There are persistent suggestions that a bid to dethrone King Gyanendra has the tacit blessings of New Delhi.
King Gyanendra was scheduled to leave for New York on September 9 for the UN General Assembly session that begins September 13. He was to have addressed the General Assembly on September 16. Nepal's delegation to the General Assembly is now likely to be headed by Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey.
While the palace has not offered any reason as to why the king has cancelled his visit, a top government official in Kathmandu has been quoted by Reuters as saying: "He is not going to go (to New York) now... This is taking into account the current situation in the country."
The decision to call of the king's visit to New York came 72 hours after the surprise three-month truce offered by Maoists who have been waging a bloody battle against the monarchy and government for a decade in which more than 12,500 people have died.
The so-called truce was announced last Saturday by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Comrade Prachanda, who heads the banned Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and is the commander of its armed wing, People's Liberation Army.
Prachanda is understood to have been in India prior to the truce declaration for consultations with senior officials of the UPA Government. Ever since February 1, the UPA Government has been urging a soft line towards Prachanda and his People's Liberation Army, apparently at the behest of the CPI(M).
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Last week, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) issued a joint declaration with Communist Party of India (Maoist) calling for revolutionary change in both countries.</span>
The Maoists, through Prachanda's "truce offer", have now sought an alliance with Nepal's seven main political parties, especially Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to strengthen the anti-monarchy forces. They want a republican Constitution to be drafted in which the monarchy will find no space.
The current government in Kathmandu has made it clear that there is no question of reviving Parliament and that it is sticking to the scheduled elections to be held by April 2006.
Meanwhile, responding to Prachanda's "truce offer", King Gyanendra's government has termed it "unreliable" and "no guarantee" for lasting peace. Minister for Information and Communications Tanka Dhakal issued statement Monday night, which said: "In view of the past experiences, when repeated announcement of the cessation of terrorist activities failed to pave the way for permanent peace, there is no reason to be assured yet."
The official response comes after a two-day extraordinary meeting, followed by a cabinet meeting Sunday chaired by King Gyanendra, to discuss the "truce offer".
Officials have also rejected the demand of political parties and human rights activists that the government should announce a ceasefire against the Maoists.
It may be recalled that in 2001 and 2003, Prachanda and his comrades had violated truce agreements and walked out of peace negotiations. Using the ceasefire to recuperate, regroup and re-arm, the Maoists had relaunched ferocious assaults against security forces and government installations
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