Nepal: Returning Parliament Is Not Enough

Gyanendra, the autocratic king of Nepal, has proclaimed that he has allegedly reinstated the elected parliament which himself dissolved last year, imprisoning and banning its members. Now, when confronted with the fury of the people's movement, the king has winced and apparently retreated. But this is only a small tactic. Gyanendra has proven time and again that he is willing to kill to maintain his position and power. He must be removed from his throne, either through his abdication or his forcible overthrow. This is well within grasp of the people's movement. He is an albatross around the neck of the Nepal nation.

If Gyanendra will not step down, he must be held to account for the blood that has been spilled by the royalist security forces, at his orders. The convocation of a constituent assembly, that can forge a new basis for a Nepali state, is a basic, just, and minimum demand of the eight allied parties (seven parliamentary, plus Maoist party). The people should be given the decision as to whether or not they wish to maintain the rancid, feudal monarchy, or if they wish to embark upon a popular democratic path.