While the security forces clashed with demonstrators demanding King Gyanendra's ouster, who has been holding absolute power since February 2005, elsewhere in the country a deadly Maoist ambush has killed at lest 25 people.
Late on Thursday, Armed Maoists rebels laid an ambush on an army convoy on a key highway in western Nepal, near the town of Sunwal, about 250 km southwest of the Nepalese capital Katmandu.
The just concluded election, termed as a 'hollow'' and an 'eyewash', had witnessed remarkably low turn-out. It was the combination of the boycott and threats of Maoists violence forced the common people stay indoors and the poll witnessed a turnout plunge.
Issuing a joint statement immediately after the poll on 8 February rebel leader, the CPN-Maoist Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (also known as "Prachanda", the fiery one) and Baburam Bhattarai termed the countrywide shutdown a "historic success" that had completely "sabotaged" the municipal elections. They said that the strike had been called off "after successfully achieving its elections boycott goal and in view of the requests made by the seven political parties, different organizations and the people."
A coalition of the country's seven main political parties has rejected Wednesday's elections to protest King Gyanendra's seizure of absolute power a year ago.
As a result of which, candidates belonging to the pro-King Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RJP) headed by interior minister Kamal Thapa, won maximum municipalities. Other Royalist backed parties who also have won the election are Nepal Sadbhawana Party and Rastriya Janshakti party.
Nepalese King Gyanendra has dissolved the country's government on February 1 2005, by imposing a state of emergency in the country. The King has accused then Prime Minster Sher Bahadur Deuba of failing to protect democracy.
The monarch has been denying that his actions amounted to a coup d'etat.
The ongoing conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels has so far claimed more than 12,000 lives in this restive Kingdom.
International Criticism
However, King's latest attempt to infuse democratic elements in the strife torn kingdom drew International criticism. Its giant neighbor India, USA, Japan and European Union have vehemently questioned the credibility of the poll amid political boycott and indiscriminate suppression.
The criticisms of the election further undermined King's effort to bring some democratic legitimacy on his seizure of power. According to them, the elections were highly flawed.
Washington administration called it a "hollow attempt'' to legitimize the king's rule.
The United Kingdom has said in a statement that low turnout was a proof that the polls lacked public support.
A British embassy release citing Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said: "The UK does not believe that the municipal elections in Nepal on 8 February were a meaningful exercise in canvassing the political wishes of the people of Nepal.''
Japan strongly condemned suppression and killings of innocent civilians and said it regretted that the royal Nepal government arrested dissidents ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, reacting to the International criticisms, vice-chairman of the council of ministers Tulsi Giri termed the reaction on the municipal elections a "hollow show" of concern.
"I don't think it is right for the international community to give reactions on elections," Dr Giri said on Friday.
Talking to the local press, Mr Giri said polls were being conducted as per the road map of the king. "Parliamentary elections will also be held in similar manner on schedule," he further added in his comment, saying the "political parties were free to partake or boycott the elections."
However, he blamed the rebels of maintaining double standard, saying, "Sometimes they talk about constituent assembly and sometimes reiterate their earlier stand of turning Nepal into a republic."
Experts believe that King's promise and intention have gone waste and the low turnout has been seen as a success by the main political parties and Maoist rebels who had been campaigning for an election boycott."King failed miserably without people's participation even if the King has been trying to keep his vow to put all elected bodies in place from village administration to the parliament before April next year, " said New Delhi based Dr Nihar Nayak, an expert on left -wing extremism in the region.
Almost a Decade ago, in February 1996, the Maoist branch of the Communist Party of Nepal, or CPN (M), began its "people's war" with the aim of abolishing the monarchy.
The rebel demands include political, economic, social, and security sector reform; the establishment of a secular state; and nationalist demands such as warding off Hindu cultural influence in Nepal.
Although the Nepalese government many a times urged the Maoists to join peace talks, the rebels walked out of negotiations many time since past, ending cease-fires abruptly, often with violent consequence.
In Nepal, the problem erupted when the present King Gyanendra ascended to Nepal's throne in June 2001 when then crown prince Dipendra killed his father, then King Birendra, and other family members before shooting himself dead in the infamous "Palace massacre."
© 2003 - 2006 by Monsters and Critics.com, WotR Ltd. All Rights Reserved. All photos are copyright their respective owners and are used under license or with permission. * Note M&C cannot be held responsible for the content on other Web Sites.
Arts - Books - DVD - Forums - Home - Movies - Music - People & Celebrity - Science - Soundtracks - Sport - Tech - TV - World News
About Us - The Team - Advertise - Contact - Join the Team - Privacy - RSS Feeds - Site Map - Terms & Conditions - Webmasters
Servers supplied by Servint
