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Josy Joseph in New Delhi
Political observers in New Delhi are wondering whether Nepal King Gyanendra's Friday night decision to take over the reigns of power from Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba marks a return to days of the all-powerful monarchy, as existed before 1990, and an end to the 12-year multiparty democracy.
But a senior Indian diplomat, making the official position clear, told rediff.com that India supports a multiparty democracy with a constitutional monarchy. "There is no question of it [Nepal] ever going back on its commitment to democracy."
He admitted, however, that India was not 'very happy' with Deuba's attempts to postpone general elections in Nepal and his failure to handle Maoist violence.
Deuba was dismissed as prime minister after he had approached King Gyanendra asking for postponement of general elections scheduled to start on November 13 in several phases.
"If the prime minister had gone ahead with the elections in time, then the King may not have intervened," said another diplomat. "Once Deuba approached the King, the King was forced to act," a long-time Indian observer of Nepal said.
Nepal entered the phase of multiparty democracy only in 1990 after political parties led by Nepali Congress agitated against the corrupt and closeted Panchayat autocracy, where the King dictated the terms.
King Birendra, who along with his entire family and several other royal members were killed last summer in a mysterious shootout officially blamed on his eldest son, had promulgated a new constitution in 1991 handing over power to the people.
The King had then become a constitutional figurehead like that of Britain.
But the crisis of leadership faced by political parties, deep-rooted corruption and lack of good governance has been chipping away at the credibility of multiparty democracy in the Himalayan kingdom.
Many long-time Nepal observers, however, said the King may not attempt to bring back absolute monarchy.
Former Indian ambassador to Nepal Deb Mukherji said, "I believe His Majesty has too much wisdom not to do anything which frankly would not work."
"The King would not be able to take history back. I am sure the King is genuinely committed to democracy," he added.
The King in his address to the country Friday night had repeated his commitment to multiparty democracy, though he has postponed the November elections.
He has asked all political parties to nominate individuals, who would not be participating in the general elections, for forming an interim government.
For Deuba, who has protested the King's action, his dismissal is only a rerun of ill-luck plaguing him for sometime.
Earlier this year, he was removed from his party, Nepali Congress, by a group led by former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala. Deuba had replaced Koirala as the prime minister through an internal political coup a few months earlier.
In fact, Koirala too had become the prime minister after replacing Krishna Prasad Bhattarai of his own party through yet another inner-party squabble a couple of years before.
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