Thousands Protest in Kathmandu Calling for Restoration of Monarchy to Nepal

On Sunday, thousands of supporters took to the streets in Kathmandu calling for the restoration of monarchy in Nepal. The protesters gathered on the streets as ex-King Gyanendra Shah took a helicopter ride from Pokhara to Kathmandu, with plans to meet his supporters at Tribhuvan International Airport.

Over 10,000 monarchists waved and cheered in the streets to welcome the deposed king. Some followed behind his car to his residence, waving flags and brandishing banners calling for the restoration of the monarchy. Others even broke into the airport compound to surround the king as his car drove to Nirmal Niwas, his palace.

There was a build-up of tensions at Pokhara Airport as protesters chanted slogans against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. There was a minor clash between the security forces and the protesters, but it was controlled.

Prime Minister Oli condemned the former king’s move, saying it was an attempt to destabilize the nation. He accused royalist factions of sabotaging Nepal’s democratic process and said the nation didn’t need to be rescued.

Opposition party legislator Suresh Ale Magar also reacted, questioning government support for the monarchy. He believed that Nepal has already moved beyond the monarchy and was not able to revert to the monarchical system. Although he spoke of issues with the current republic, he believed that the republic could cure its ills.

The debate of republic versus monarchy goes on with the political and economic situation in Nepal remaining unstable.