Who’ll Blink First?

Two decades after Gyanendra’s 1 February 2005 coup that was the beginning of the end of the monarchy in Nepal, royalists want to reinstate a Hindu monarchy. A pro-monarchy protest last week in Kathmandu turned violent as rioters resorted to arson and looting, leading to the death of a journalist and another civilian. 

Meanwhile, a collective of leftist opposition parties led by the Maoists gathered across town on the same day in a peaceful demonstration against the reestablishment of the monarchy. 

Let's look back 20 years ago this week to our main story from issue #241 1-7 April 2005: 

Two months after King Gyanendra seized power on 1 February everyone is in a fix:

King Gyanendra gave the international community and his subjects a choice: me or the Maoists. He needs to show foreign powers that the Maoists are a real threat to the state, while simultaneously proving to the people that things are returning to normal after he took over.

Political parties still believe in a constitutional monarchy, they want to give the king a face-saving way out, but they aren't in a position to be of any help.

The Maoists are in a fix, too. A serious rift in the ranks threatens to undermine the revolution, a soft landing is out of the question and there is no immediate prospect of gaining the upper hand militarily.

The Nepali people are confused. The security forces were supposed to be chasing Maoists, but if there have been any major victories the army is not boasting about them. In fact, security forces had their hands full in the past two months putting down pro-democracy rallies, keeping politicians in detention, enforcing censorship and intimidating the media. The people may want to give the king a chance, but the longer this drags on the more they will see February First for what it really was.

For archived material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: nepalitimes.com