KATHMANDU: Nepal's pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party on Saturday showed that it still has strength in the country, gathering its largest number of supporters together for a public meeting where they called for the return of the monarchy and the Hindu state. It comes on the heels of political leaders in the country being unable to draft a new constitution by last month's deadline, which has seen the country thrown into uncertainty as a result of the political impasse. Party President Kamal Thapa told the group of some 5,000 people in the capital, Kathmandu, that republicanism has failed in the country and the King should return to power. Calls for Nepal to be made a Hindu state was also made during the public meeting. This was the first time such a grand public meeting was organized by pro-King organizations at a time when the government led by the Maoists, who fought a decade-long war to abolish the monarchy, came to power only a few years ago. Thapa, who was the Home Minister in the erstwhile royal government, came down heavily against Maoist chief Prachanda for allowing a foreign diplomat in an all party meetings at his residence while making important decision. “How the Maoists, who raised high sounding anti-India slogans while launching a decade-long war, could bow down to the foreign master,” he said in a sarcastic remarks. “It is a matter of surprise that Prachanda, who projected his party as pro-nationalist, is now saying that peace and stability could not be established without the support from India,” Thapa said. Expressing concern over the “growing foreign influence” in the country, Thapa underlined the need to preserve national integrity. He also ruled out the possibility of reinstatement of the “dead” Constituent Assembly as proposed by some political leaders saying that fresh election should be held instead of reviving the Constituent Assembly. He also held big parties including UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML for the current political stalemate in the country. Still, most Nepalis do not appear to want to see a return to the monarchy, with a number of politicians telling Bikyamasr.com on condition of anonymity that a constitution will be drafted this year “without a doubt.” They said they were “close” to finishing the document in May, “but the issue of the number of states and ethnic divisions was a difficult sticking point,” one Maoist official said.
