Thousands rally in support of Nepal’s former king and call for monarchy’s return
As hundreds of police officers tried to control fans crowded at the main entrance of Tribhuvan International Airport, Gyanendra Shah waved to the cheering crowd from the sunroof of his car.
The crowd chanted, “Bring back the king. We love our king more than ourselves. Restore the constitutional monarchy.”
More supporters lined the road from the airport to the former king’s private residence. The crowd was peaceful and no arrests were made.
The former king was returning from a trip to eastern Nepal.
Mass street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to abandon his authoritarian rule, and two years later parliament voted to abolish the monarchy as Gyanendra left the Royal Palace to live like an ordinary person.
An estimated 10,000 supporters attended a similar rally at the airport last year. Last year, another pro-royal rally turned violent, leaving two dead and several injured. Gyanendra has not commented on calls for the return of the monarchy. Despite growing support for the former king, Gyanendra’s chances of returning to power immediately are slim because support is not as significant as other political parties opposing the idea.
The show of support for the monarchy comes ahead of crucial parliamentary elections next month. Pro-Gyanendra groups, which won about 5% of the seats in the last election, are hoping to win seats.
