April 10, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1429

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s King Gyanendra urged his “beloved countrymen” on Wednesday to vote in a historic election almost certain to lead to the abolition of the monarchy.

“It has always been our desire ... to build a prosperous and peaceful nation through a democratic polity in keeping with the verdict of the sovereign people,” he said in a statement.

“We call upon all adult citizens to exercise their democratic right in a free and fair environment.”

The irony is that when this dirt-poor Himalayan nation stages its first election in nine years on Thursday, hardly anyone will be sticking up for the king. Nor are Nepalis being given much of a chance to do so.

Maoist guerillas fought a decade-long civil war to end the 240-year-old monarchy, but had promised a popular vote to elect an assembly that would decide the monarchy’s future.

However, in the end the decision to abolish it was taken behind closed doors last year by the country’s main political parties. The elected assembly will now just rubber stamp that decision.

In a recent interview with Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper, Gyanendra said that decision did not reflect the majority view, and Nepalis had the right to decide on the monarchy’s future.

“This isn’t democracy,” he was reported as saying.

Just how free and fair the poll will be is also open to question.

SPECTACULAR FALL FROM GRACE: Although Gyanendra, who seized absolute power in 2005 and relinquished it the following year, is often described as the most unpopular man in Nepal, it is far from clear the monarchy would have lost if a referendum had been held on its future.

An opinion poll published in February found half the respondents supported the idea of at least a symbolic monarchy, but few supported the king himself.

“People want the monarchy, but they don’t want this king and they don’t want his son,” said Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times. “How do you reconcile that? For most people, including monarchists, it’s not worth the trouble.”

The monarchy’s fall from grace has been as spectacular as it was sudden.

In 2001, Gyanendra took the throne after his elder brother was murdered by Nepal’s crown prince, who also shot eight other royals before turning the gun on himself.—Reuters