Leaders of 7 parties alliance rule out audience with the king

Kathmandu, Apr 19: Leaders of the Nepal's seven parties alliance, have ruled out any audience with King Gyanendra or the former Prime Ministers, media reports said here today.

''The stance of the seven parties is to revive the House of Representatives and the parties would sit for dialogue with the king only through Parliament,'' The Himalayan Times quoted Gopal Pahadi, leader of the Nepali Congress, as saying.

''Inviting former prime ministers for talks would hold no meaning,'' Mr Pahadi said.

Leader of the Democratic Congress Dr Narayan Khadka also said a talk with the current royal family would be meaningless.

The ongoing movement has been transferred to the hands of the people and has gained a new height and would soon turn out to be a decisive one, Bhim Bahadur Tamang of the Nepali Congress said.

''Holding a dialogue with former prime ministers or any other leader except those of the seven-party alliance would be meaningless,'' he said.

''The movement has gained such a height that people would not agree even to a constituent assembly now,'' Nilambar Acharya of the civil society opined.

The party leaders also criticised former Prime Minister and founder leader of the Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who met the king day before yesterday.

Mr Bhattarai, who is not active in politics any more had met the king toeing the lines of other former Prime Ministers.

The demonstrations across the country has been intensified and a warning issued to the leaders against making any compromise with the king.

''We want the end of autocratic monarchy and there should be no compromise with the king,'' veteran student leader Gagan Thapa said at a demonstration in Balaju, here.

Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have take to streets chanting anti-king slogans for the last two weeks, defying curfew and ban on such rallies.

UNI

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