Former Nepal King to Leave Palace

Former Nepal king to leave palace


Nepal's former king Gyanendra has spent his last night in the palace compound in Kathmandu which has been home to the royal family for more than 100 years.

He is to move to a new residence in a forest outside the city, which the government says will be a temporary one until he can find a new private home.

The palace is to become a museum and Gyanendra's crown and royal sceptre are expected to become government property.

Last month, Nepal's Maoist-led assembly voted to abolish the monarchy.

Gyanendra Shah, now an ordinary citizen, will give a press conference before he and his wife Komal, the former queen, move to Nagarjun, in the north-western suburbs of Kathmandu, officials say.

Correspondents say that the residence at Nagarjun will barely be a comedown for the former king.

It's a very positive step that the king has peacefully accepted the decision to vacate the palace. We are thankful to him ....Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara

Away from the traffic noise of the main royal palace, it is situated in one of the huge forests which line the Kathmandu valley.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says that it is a large, comfortable but ordinary looking house, not a place warranting the description as a "palace".

The government says the former king is expected to hand over his precious, plumed crown and sceptre as he moves.

Gyanendra's departure, our correspondent says, will be a major symbolic moment in the fall of the Shah dynasty, which unified Nepal in the 1760s.


Bitter handover

The Maoists, who urged Gyanendra to bow out gracefully or be put on trial, have welcomed the news that he seems to be going quietly.

"It's a very positive step that the king has peacefully accepted the decision to vacate the palace. We are thankful to him," said Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara.

"It has started a new era for peaceful political transition, and we honour his decision to live as a common citizen."

But our correspondent says that overall the ending of the monarchy has been a bitter affair, engendered by the mysterious royal massacre of 2001, Gyanendra's attempts to be politically active in quelling the Maoist insurgency, and the Maoists' threats that if the republic was not guaranteed they would quit the political process they joined two years ago.

Gyanendra is reported to be reluctant to allow a committee to audit his saleable assets.

The former king has made clear that he will leave behind most of the furniture in the palace, along with gifts he received in his capacity as the country's head of state.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said that when Gyanendra leaves the palace, details of which possessions he keeps and which ones he leaves behind will be publicised.

Mr Sitaula and the information minister inspected Gyanendra's new home earlier this week.

Photos of their visit drew some criticism from people upset over the number of animal trophies and other wildlife artefacts on display. They argue that such items should be confiscated.

Our correspondent says that in due course the 1970s royal palace, which was built on the site of an older one and which dominates the city centre, is to be opened to the public as a museum.
But for now, Gyanendra's stepmother and his grandfather's mistress will live on in their homes in a fenced off area within the palace compound.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7447533.stm
Published:
2008/06/11
04:01:53 GMT
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