Analysts said they have taken his remarks as politically meaningful, given the timing the former king chose to make the remarks.[break]
They said Gyanendra made public his views on monarchy close on the heels of the death of Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala who was like a guardian of the nearly two-year-old republic. Second, they add that the former monarch spoke for monarchy at a time when the country is undergoing through a state of political flux and amidst uncertainty over the completion of constitution writing.
"The monarchy is politically eliminated but the cultural remains of the institution still exist. So, his views on monarchy reflect half truth and half untruth," said analyst CK Lal, commenting on Gyanendra´s interview to Avenues television. "He has released a trial balloon."
He further said that the former monarch seems to have tried to revive the lost faith on monarchy.
Other analysts said that they see political meaning in Shah´s interview.
"The monarchy in Nepal is history. This is the former king playing politics of an extreme nature which can only embolden the germinating far rights. It also indicates once more his well-known ability to absolutely misread the times," said senior journalist Kanak Mani Dixit.
Civil society leader Dr Devendra Raj Panday said that he has taken Shah´s take on monarchy as an insult to citizens who participated in the anti-monarchy movement in April 2006.
"This interview has come soon after the sad demise of Girija Prasad Koirala and it is an insult to his memory and affronts all the citizens who participated in the movement led by him [Koirala] and all other parties," said Panday, who was on the front line to lead a civil society movement against monarchy after the royal takeover in February 2005.
Saying that monarchy is no more in the country, Panday asked the political parties, including those in the government, do the needful to reassure the Nepali people that the ongoing constitution and political development of the country will proceed as per the mandate of Jana Andolan and relevant resolution of the Constituent Assembly.
Meanwhile, government spokesperson Shankar Pokharel said it was just a daydream to think that the CA will retract its decision.
"The remarks of former king Gyanendra could have come out with the intention of taking advantage of differences among the political parties. People will not support this," he added.
Similarly, Maoist Vice Chair Dr Baburam Bhattarai said the Maoists have demanded that the government take action against Shah for "speaking against the verdict of the people". "We pardoned him so that he would stay as a citizen. But if he defies his role as a citizen, he should be brought to book. We should mount formal accusation against him," he said.
NC Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel said Shah´s remarks were an attempt to devalue the April 2006 movement. "Nepali people are not in favor of turning back. They want to move ahead," he said. He also asked the former king not to daydream about reviving monarchy.
Poudel said that Shah´s remarks could have come in light of possible delay in promulgating the new constitution. "This is an opportunistic tendency to take advantage of the situation."
CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said Nepali people have already uprooted monarchy. "This verdict can´t be reversed," he said.
Khanal said the former king might have been encouraged by some challenges that the parties have faced during the ongoing transitional phase.
Rastriya Janasakti Party Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa said the remarks should be taken as natural expression. "Everyone has freedom of expression," he said.
Asked if the remarks had any political meaning, Thapa said, "It depends on how you perceive it," he added.
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