Nepal's royalists demand restoration of monarchy dumped 17 years ago
FILE PHOTO: A Pro-monarchy supporter affiliated with Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) with a badge of former King of Nepal Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and former Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah takes part during a protest demanding the restoration of constitutional monarchy in Kathmandu, Nepal April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar/File Photo
KATHMANDU - Thousands of supporters of Nepal's former king rallied in the capital Kathmandu on Thursday, calling for the restoration of the constitutional monarchy that was abolished 17 years ago, amid rising unhappiness with successive elected governments.
Flag-waving protesters marched into the city centre from different directions shouting: 'Our king is dearer than lives ... king come back and save the country,' as riot police stood guard but did not intervene.
At a similar rally in March, two people were killed and several injured.
The 239-year-old monarchy was voted out in 2008 following weeks of bloody street protests. The last king of the Himalayan nation, 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived with his family in a private house in Kathmandu as a commoner since being toppled.
He has not commented on Thursday's demonstration but expressed sorrow at the violence that killed two people in March.
Demonstrators are also calling for the country of 30 million people, wedged between China and India, to become a Hindu state again, a status it lost with the monarchy.
'Governments formed in the last 17 years have failed to deliver on their promises of development, creation of jobs and improvement of the living conditions of people,' said 35-year-old street vendor Rajendra Tamang.
'Thousands of young people are forced to leave the country in search of work as they see no hope here,' he said.
Millions of young Nepalis are working in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia, mainly at construction sites, and the money they send home is a key source of income for Nepal.
Supporters of the government staged a separate but smaller rally nearby in support of the republican system that replaced the monarchy.
The three major political parties that jointly control nearly 200 of the 275 seats in parliament say the monarchy was consigned to history and cannot be restored.
All three jointly campaigned against the monarchy and voted it out in 2008 and say their faith in the republican system was unshakeable.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which is campaigning for the monarchy, holds only 13 seats in parliament.
A two-thirds majority or 184 lawmakers is needed to change the constitution, which was adopted in 2015, turning Nepal into a federal democratic republic.
The royalists say their protests will continue until the monarchy is restored. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
South Korea presidential hopefuls make final pitch to voters ahead of election
Former president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, shakes hands with his fan as he appeared in the public ahead of the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, cheer during an election campaign rally in Hanam, South Korea, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Former president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak waves his hand to greet people as he appeared in the public ahead of the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, arrives for his election campaign rally in Hanam, South Korea, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Supporters of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for South Korea's Democratic Party, reacts after an election campaign rally in Hanam, South Korea, June 2, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji SEOUL - South Korea's leading presidential hopefuls were crisscrossing the country on the final day of campaigning on Monday before converging on Seoul, vowing to revive an ailing economy and put months of turmoil over a failed martial law attempt behind them. Tuesday's election was triggered by the ouster of Yoon Suk Yeol who briefly imposed martial law in December, stunning South Koreans who had come to believe the days of using the military to intervene in the democratic process were long past. Liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung vowed to mend the social division that deepened in the aftermath of Yoon's martial law, but said his opponent and Yoon's People Power Party must be held accountable, branding them "insurrection sympathisers." "We are at a historic inflection point of whether we go on as a democratic republic or become a country of dictators," Lee told a campaign rally in the battleground capital. Later he said the top priority as president if elected would be to take urgent steps to address the economy, adding he would first turn his attention to the cost of living for middle- and low-income families and the struggles of small business owners. After sweeping through key swing vote regions and the stronghold of his main conservative opponent, Kim Moon-soo, Lee focused on the capital region home to the highest concentration of the country's 44.39 million voters. Kim started the final day on the southern island of Jeju before crossing the country north, calling Lee a "dangerous man" who would abuse the office of president and the parliament controlled by his Democratic Party in an unchecked manner. The conservative candidate once again apologised on Monday for Yoon's martial law and pledged to undertake political reform. The two leading candidates were scheduled to wrap up three weeks of official campaigning at midnight in Seoul, with polls set to open at 6 a.m. (2100 GMT on Monday) on Tuesday across the country. The winner, who will be certified on Wednesday, will have just a short few hours before taking office without the usual two-month transition as Yoon was removed by the Constitutional Court on April 4 for grave violation of his lawful duties. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
From badminton courts to wedding halls: Unique polling stations in South Korea catch voters' eyes
For the June 3 Korean presidential election, privately owned sports facilities have been designated as polling stations. PHOTO: AFP SEOUL - With just a day left before the 21st presidential election in South Korea , polling stations set up in unconventional locations – not the usual public schools and community centres – are drawing public interest. According to Article 147 of the Public Official Election Act, polling stations are to be primarily set up at schools, district offices and community centres for the convenience of voters. However, if publicly owned spaces are not available, they can be hosted by private facilities. During the parliamentary elections in April 2024, some polling stations were set up at unique locations, such as wedding halls, wrestling facilities, restaurants and cafes. For the June 3 presidential election, privately owned sports facilities, such as an indoor badminton court in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, and a wrestling facility in Busan have been designated as polling stations. Other unusual locations to cast a ballot include a cafe and a restaurant in Gangdong-gu, eastern Seoul, as well as a campground in Sunchang-gun, North Jeolla Province, and a wedding hall in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Once a polling station has been set up at a privately owned business, the venue is required to close two days before the election for the installation of voting booths and other necessary arrangements. These businesses may also choose to accept a small amount of compensation or a rental fee of several hundred thousand won from the National Election Commission. A manager at the wedding hall in Pohang, which has been used as a polling station for over 20 years, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying that they provide the venue for free on polling day 'for the convenience of nearby residents.' Voting in the 21st presidential election will take place on June 3, from 6am to 8pm, at 14,295 polling stations nationwide. Unlike in the early voting period from May 29 to 30, voters must cast their ballots at their designated polling stations. About 260,000 people have been designated as voting officers, responsible for counting votes and managing polling stations across the country. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, some 44.4 million South Korean voters, including 258,254 voters overseas, are eligible to vote in the upcoming election. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Philippines and EU to set up security and defence dialogue, minister says
Ms Kaja Kallas (left) and Philippines Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo shake hands for a photo opportunity in Metro Manila on June 2. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Philippines and EU to set up security and defence dialogue, minister says MANILA - The Philippines and the European Union have agreed to start a dialogue on security and defence in order to tackle emerging threats like cyber attacks and foreign interference, Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said on June 2. The announcement came during the visit to Manila of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas for meetings with Mr Manalo as well as a courtesy call with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. "We hope that through the security and defence dialogue we will remain proactive and united in addressing emerging security threats that transcend borders, cyber attacks and foreign interference and manipulation of information," Mr Manalo said in a joint briefing with Ms Kallas. Ms Kallas said the new dialogue will be a "dedicated platform" in which the regional bloc and the Philippines can deepen defence cooperation, share expertise on security matters and explore joint initiatives. The dialogue will be part of a partnership and cooperation agreement between the Philippines and the EU, which was established in 2012 and entered into force in 2018. Ms Kallas said the EU remains committed to upholding a rules-based order, promoting peace and addressing common concerns in the South China Sea and Russia's war against Ukraine. "We reject any unilateral changes to the status quo, including use of coercion," Ms Kallas said when asked what the EU's red lines are when it comes to China's activities in areas like Taiwan and the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over nearly all the South China Sea, including parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
