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# Tens of thousands crowd around Nepal king's palace

Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:15am ET

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Earlier, the seven parties called off their protest campaign.

"Today's planned protest has been converted into a victory rally. This will go down in history as a new example of how peaceful protests are held. This will determine the future of the country." said Krishna Prasad Sitaula, spokesman for the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the alliance.

BACK TO NORMAL

Much of the demonstrators' anger near the palace seemed to be aimed at Home (Interior) Minister Kamal Thapa, who they blamed for a harsh crackdown on the protest campaign.

"Hang Kamal Thapa, destroy the monarchy," they shouted. At least 12 people have been killed and thousands wounded in police action against protesters in the campaign.

Alongside the rallies, life returned to near normal in Kathmandu after almost three weeks of curfew, protests and closures. Shops were open and many buses and taxis were running for the first time since April 6. Mobile phone connections, cut at the height of the unrest on Saturday, were restored.

In a nod to the Maoists, with whom the seven parties have a loose alliance, Sitaula said work on an assembly to write a new constitution would be the first priority.

Minendra Rijal, another alliance leader, said: "We will be doing all we can to bring Maoists to the mainstream of peace and democracy. Now we have to create an environment for an interim government that will have Maoist participation."

The Maoists have been trying to end the monarchy and establish a communist republic and more than 13,000 people have died in the insurgency since 1996. Continued...

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##### Part victory, part protest on Nepal streets

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of Nepal's capital on Tuesday after King Gyanendra announced a deal to end weeks of unrest, but the rally was part victory celebration and part continued protest.

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