Nepal's king sacks government

Back to Monarchy!! Our king has decided that he should be the one to control the nation "Nepal". Wonder what will happen next.... Nepal's king sacks government Tuesday, February 1, 2005 Posted: 12:41 AM EST (0541 GMT) story.nepal.monarchafp.jpg King Gyanendra, seated, takes part in a holy water ceremony at the start of the year. KATMANDU, Nepal -- King Gyanendra says he has dissolved the government of Nepal and will take control of the Himalayan kingdom. In a national broadcast on Tuesday, the king accused the government of failing to conduct parliamentary elections and restoring peace in the country. It is the second time in three years the monarch has taken such a drastic move. The king acceded to the throne in 2001 after his brother King Birendra was killed in a massacre at the royal palace. The monarch, who is also the supreme commander of the 78,000-strong Royal Nepalese Army, said security forces would be given more power to maintain law and order. But he insisted human rights would be respected, according to AP reports. Even before the announcement, commentators said the king was unhappy with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for continually deferring elections -- a mandate given to him by the king when he appointed him the post in June. Deuba found himself in a deep political bind -- caught between the king and other political forces. He was fired in October 2002, sparking massive street protests, and was reinstated with the task of holding elections. His major coalition partner, the communist party, is deeply divided over the election call. In addition, Maoist rebels have stated in no uncertain terms that there will be a massive bloodbath if Deuba announces elections. Inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, the rebels want to replace Nepal's monarchy with a Communist state. Over an eight-year period, the insurgency has claimed more than 11,000 lives.