Nepal’s civil society claims ‘conspiracy’ to restore monarchy ‘under military mediation’

A civil society alliance has alleged that a “conspiracy” is being staged “under military mediation” to restore monarchy in Nepal, even as political parleys for a transitional government continued following the fall of the K P Sharma Oli administration.

The Brihat Nagarik Andolan (BNA), representing people from diverse walks of life, in a statement on Thursday, voiced concern over the Nepal Army’s growing role in national affairs after it took charge of nationwide security operations from Tuesday.

The group alleged that “over the bodies of the martyrs of the Gen-Z movement, a grave reactionary conspiracy is being staged — under military mediation to restore the monarchy and to abolish secularism, federalism and the proportional inclusive system”, MyRepublica news portal reported.

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Such attempts are “completely unacceptable”, it said, adding that the anti-government movement was never intended to reverse republicanism and secularism or to expand what it described as the “unconstitutional activism of the military”.

Nepal abolished monarchy in 2008, but pro-monarchy demonstrations resurfaced this year amid economic distress and political instability.

The BNA statement underlined, “The need of the hour is to... chart the path of the Gen Z revolution’s success under the guardianship of the President as its constitutional protector.

The group said that any new civic government must be rooted firmly in the Constitution, committed to resisting corruption and disorder and ensure “there will be no place for counter-revolutionaries within it”.

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday’s protests over corruption and a social media ban. The ban on social media was lifted Monday night.

President Paudel has accepted Oli’s resignation but stated that the cabinet led by him will continue to run the government until a new Council of Ministers is formed.

According to the Ministry of Health, the number of people killed so far during the protests held on Monday and Tuesday has risen to 34.