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# Tens of thousands crowd around Nepal king's palace

Tue Apr 25, 2006 5:15am ET

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By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people held a victory rally in Nepal's capital on Tuesday after King Gyanendra announced he was reinstating parliament, but tens of thousands crowded near the palace, demanding he leave the country.

Rows of riot police blocked the demonstrators less than 500 meters (550 yards) from Kathmandu's Narayanhity Palace, but there was no violence.

The crowds made no attempt to break through but tore down metal signboards carrying excerpts from the king's speeches and shouted "Gyanendra, thief, leave the country."

Maoist rebels, who control large swathes of the countryside, denounced the king's speech as a sham.

The seven parties which have led the almost three weeks of a crippling anti-monarchy campaign named former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, 84, as the new head of government and said the first job would be to ensure the Maoists, fighting a decade-long rebellion, joined the political mainstream.

But Maoist leader Prachanda said that the alliance had committed "another historic mistake" and encouraged the people to continue their protests until the parties declared elections for an assembly to write a new constitution.

"The proclamation is a sham and a conspiracy against the Nepali people," Prachanda said in a statement. "Our party firmly rejects this."

He also called for a blockade of the capital Kathmandu, a city of 1.5 million people, and district capitals. Continued...

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© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

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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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