Friday July 15, 2005 7:01 AM
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
Associated Press Writer
KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Nepal's king appointed a dozen loyalists to ministerial jobs on Friday in a setback for chances of reconciliation between the monarch who seized absolute power early this year and the country's political parties.
King Gyanendra had asked the country's main political parties to nominate candidates for the Cabinet. But the parties all refused because they oppose the king's direct control over the government and instead organized street protests to demand that he restore democracy. The 12 new ministers and junior ministers announced Friday are all known supporters of the king.
The appointments announced by the royal palace were the king's third shuffling of his ministers since he seized absolute power in February, ousting the previous government and imposing tight controls on dissent.
``This indicates the king is going to do what he pleases, and he will not try to reconcile with the political parties,'' said Arjun Narsingh, spokesman for the Nepali Congress party.
Among the new ministers are former Home Minister Niranjan Thapa, who played a key role in trying to put down a 1990 revolt. That uprising had forced the previous king to establish parliamentary democracy. He was named the new law and justice minister.
Prakash Koirala, who was expelled from Nepali Congress party for his open support for the king, was given the post of minister for environment, science and technology. Other party defectors were also rewarded with ministerial jobs.
Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal and country's five other major parties have formed an alliance to try force the king to roll back his takeover of the government in this Himalayan country. The king said he needed the expanded authority to fight the country's Maoist insurgency and control corruption among the politicians."
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Friday, July 15, 2005
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