King Gyanendra a failure: US

Kathmandu, Apr 11(UNI) The US has alleged that Nepal King Gyanendra's failure to bring the parties back into a process to restore democracy has compounded the problem in the Himalayan kingdom.

The US statement has come at a time when thousands of people have come to the streets defying curfew demanding an end to King Gyanendra's autocratic rule and the reestablishment of democracy in the mountainous nation.

The Spokesman for the US Department of State, Sean McCormack, said, ''As a friend of Nepal, we must state that King Gyanendra's decision fourteen months ago to impose direct palace rule in Nepal has failed in every regard. The demonstrations, deaths, arrests, and Maoist attacks in the past few days have shown there is more insecurity, not less''.

Calling upon the King to restore democracy immediately and to begin a dialogue with Nepal's constitutional political parties, the US said, ''It is time the King recognises that this is the best way to deal with the Maoist insurgency and to return peace and prosperity to Nepal''.

The United States said the international community would ensure support to political parties for the purpose.

''There are many things we can do to support political parties during this difficult period and to discourage the king through withdrawal of some of the support that we've put in that direction'', US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard A Boucher told CNN during an interview.

About the plan of royal government he said, ''They laid out a course, which is basically the continuation of the present course, more elections without real participation, more efforts by the king to manipulate the political situation''.

The US official added that the royal course was just not working.

''It's not going to work. It's not the right thing, and it's not working. Really, the only thing is to restore political parties and democracy.'' Mr Boucher accused the king of taking Nepal in the wrong direction.

''The steps the king took a year ago to eliminate democracy and to try to run the country, not working, and they're not going to work. The steps he's taking now to arrest people, they're not working.'' When asked what his specific message to the king was, Mr Boucher said, ''My message is to restore democracy''.

Asked about the future government in Nepal, he said,''We're not going to decide the future government of Nepal. We want it to be chosen democratically. The parties that are violent should abandon violence and stop the horrors, and then move into the political mainstream. They can contest power in a political way. If they win, they win. If they don't, they don't.'' The influential US official said his government would work with India and others towards the goal of restoring democracy in Nepal.

''We've got to work together with India, neither one of us can do this alone. There are other countries that have a lot of influence.

I think the first step is for the international community to work together''.

''The message is very clear. We all need to deliver it, and the king needs to listen,'' Mr Boucher added.

Mr Boucher also asked Maoists to abandon violence, accusing them of doing horrible things. ''They're doing horrible things. They're killing people, they're going into villages, and they're bombing people.'' UNI XC SY KP1515