Ex-King Gyanendra is not fit to become constitutional monarch, says Deuba

Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that former King Gyanendra Shah is not a suitable person to become a constitutional monarch.

Ex-PM Deuba’s remarks came at a time when the pro-monarchists are organizing rallies in Kathmandu and other parts of the country demanding reinstatement of monarchy.

Speaking at a program organized by the Nepali Congress Bagmati Province Training Department on Sunday, Deuba advised that the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the pro-monarchist party, should make him its chairman.

“Even if the RPP makes Gyanendra its chairman, it will regret it, eventually,” pointed out Deuba. “He had better establish a party and get involved in politics if is truly interested in it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the ruling Nepali Congress party has said that there is no need to change the present political system. “The present constitution that guarantees federal democratic republic system was framed through the Constituent Assembly, a directly elected body of the Nepalese people,” the party’s central work performance committee meeting said on Sunday. “Hence, the people’s aspiration of continuous progress and their needs can be addressed through protection, promotion and proper implementation the constitution freeing the country from corruption, social disorder and anarchy by adopting good governance,” pointed out Nepali Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat reading out the decisions of the Nepali Congress meeting.

Both the Socialist Front comprising four pro-republican parties including CPN-Maoist Centre and CPN-Unified Socialist, and pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party are planning for their strength shows in Kathmandu in favour and against the federal democratic republic system on March 28.

The pro-monarchist groups have intensified their demonstrations in Kathmandu and other parts of the country in the recent days demanding reinstatement of monarchy and Hindu state.

Nepal’s Parliament through a declaration in 2008 abolished 240 year old institution of monarchy and turned the country into a secular state two years after the successful conclusion of the People’s Movement of 2006.