Deposed king of Nepal prepares to vacate palace

Former King Gyanendra planned to move to one of his former summer palaces on a forested hill on the outskirts of Katmandu. There, he will be protected by police but will otherwise live as any other Nepali - albeit a wealthy one who some believe should still reign.Â

 

But the vast majority of Nepalis have made it clear they are pleased to see the king gone, and while his throne was formally abolished last month, Wednesdays move carries great symbolism in a nation that was ruled by Shah Dynasty monarchs for 239 years.

 

Before leaving the Narayanhiti palace, Gyanendra was expected to hand over the Shah crown of peacock feathers, yak hair and jewels to government officials, who plan to turn the pink concrete 1970s palace into a museum.

 

The king’s spokesman, Fanendra Pathak, said Gyanendra would make a rare statement to reporters at 5 p.m. (1115 GMT) before leaving the palace.

 

Home Secretary Umesh Mainali told The Associated Press that security had been stepped up around the Narayanhiti palace to head off any protests by pro- or anti- royalists.

 

The Narayanhiti palace has been Gyanendra’s home since becoming king in 2001 after a palace massacre in which a gunman, allegedly the crown prince, assassinated King Birendra and much of the royal family before killing himself.

 

After his brother’s death, Gyanendra assumed the throne. But the killings helped pierce the mystique surrounding a line of kings who had once been revered as reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu, and his 2005 seizure of power from a civilian government made him deeply unpopular.

 

He said he needed total authority to crush a communist insurgency. But the rebellion intensified, and a year later massive protests forced Gyanendra to restore democracy, after which the rebels began peace talks.

 

The former rebels won the most seats in an April election for a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the constitution, and the assembly’s first act when it convened last month was to abolish the monarchy.

 

But the king does not leave public life a pauper, even if his palaces have been nationalized and his US$3.1 million annual allowance cut.

 

Before assuming the throne, he was known as a tough businessman with interests in tourism, tea and tobacco. He also inherited much of his family’s wealth after the palace massacre.

 

The government is letting Gyanendra live in the summer palace - which was among the royal residences that were nationalized - because the former king’s son is living in the family’s private Katmandu residence.