Gyanendra of Nepal
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Categories: Nepalese monarchs | Current national leaders | Reigning monarchs | Field Marshals | Hindu monarchs | Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George | 1947 births | Living people
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (Nepali: ज्ञानेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाहदेव; Jñānendra Vīra Vikrama Śāhadeva) (born July 7, 1947) has been the reigning King of Nepal since June 4, 2001. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of his nephew Dipendra, who was King for only three days while in a coma, following a massacre of the preceding king (Gyanendra's brother, Birendra) and other members of the royal family. In February 2005 King Gyanendra took complete control of the government, dismissing the elected parliament. Following opposition to his direct rule he was forced to return power to parliament in April 2006 who in turn reduced the king's status to that of a ceremonial monarch. Gyanendra is poised to be the last King of Nepal, as the interim parliament passed a bill that would turn Nepal into a republic, though this remains to be approved by the Constituent Assembly.[1]
Early lifeGyanendra was born in Kathmandu the second son of Crown Prince Mahendra and his wife Crown Princess Indra. After his birth his father was told by a court astrologer not to look at his new born son because it would bring him bad luck so Gyanendra was sent to live with his grandmother.[2] In November 1950 both his father and his grandfather King Tribhuvan along with other royals fled to India leaving the young Gyanendra as the only male member of the Royal Family in Nepal. He was brought back to the capital Kathmandu by the Prime Minister Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana who had him declared king on 7 November, 1950.[2] After opposition to the hereditary rule of the Rana Prime Ministers from India a deal was reached in January 1951 and his grandfather King Tribhuvan returned to Nepal and resumed the throne.[3] The actions of Rana regime to depose his grandfather and place him on the throne was not internationally recognised.[4] He studied with his brother King Birendra in St. Joseph's College, Darjeeling, India and in 1969 graduated from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.[5] King Gyanendra served as chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Coronation of his brother Birendra in 1975. He is also a keen conservationist and served as Chairman of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation from 1982 until his ascension of the throne in 2001.[6] Gyanendra married Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah on May 1 1970 in Kathmandu and they have two children
SuccessionThe events surrounding the Royal Massacre on June 1, 2001 have proved very controversial in the country. A section of people still believe that King Gyanendra is the mastermind behind the royal massacre because all other royal family members were killed during the incident whilst none of his family members were.[7] This theory is held among some sections of the population, mainly due to the fact that Gyanendra succeeded the massacred Royals to the throne. A two man investigation team made up Keshav Prasad Upadhaya the then Supreme Court Chief Justice and Taranath Ranabhat the then speaker of the house of representative carried out the week long investigation into the massacre.[8] The investigation concluded after interviewing more than 100 people including eyewitnesses and palace officials, guards and staff that Dipendra had carried out the massacre.[9] As his nephew lay in a coma Gyanendra was named regent but following Dipendra's death on June 4, 2001 Gyanendra ascended the throne.[10] Early reign
Image:Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.png
Sketch portrait of King Gyanendra in military uniform
During his early years on the throne, Gyanendra sought to exercise full control over the government. In May 2002 he supported the popularly elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba when he dismissed the parliament elected in 1999. In October 2002 he dismissed Deuba and consolidated his power for the first time. During the years 2002 to 2005 he chose and subsequently dismissed three prime ministers, finally dismissing Deuba for the second time and taking over as absolute ruler on 1 February 2005.[5] His brother King Birendra had negotiated a constitutional monarchy during his rule in a delicate manner in which he, as King, played a minor role in government. So King Gyanendra's confrontational approach with the established political parties met with widespread censure. When King Gyanendra took complete control for the second time on 1 February 2005, he accused prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government of failing to make arrangements for parliamentary elections and of being unable to restore peace in the country, then in the midst of a civil war led by Maoist insurgents.[11] King Gyanendra promised that "peace and effective democracy" would be restored within three years,[12] but the period of direct rule was accompanied by repression of dissent.[13] International organizations expressed grave concerns about the safety of journalists, following the king's decision to restrict civil liberties, including freedom of the press, the constitutional protection against censorship and the right against preventive detention[14] Gyanendra countered, saying that "democracy and progress contradict one another" as a necessary step in restoring peace to the country. In April 2006 constitutionalists staged protests and strikes in Kathmandu against King Gyanendra's direct rule. The royal government responded by declaring a curfew, which was enforced with live firearms and tear gas. The government's response drew condemnation from other countries including India and the United States. On 21 April 2006 King Gyanendra announced that he would yield executive authority to a new prime minister chosen by the political parties to oversee the return of democracy. Several party leaders rejected the offer and again demanded that the king call a council to determine the monarchy's future role in politics. On 24 April 2006 King Gyanendra reinstated the previous parliament in a televised address to the nation. End of direct ruleOn 10 June 2006, the parliament scrapped the major powers of the king, including his right to veto laws. This ended the idea of a "King in Parliament," and now he remains powerless. According to Article 167 of the constitution, all executive powers as well as those enjoyed by the king in the previous Constitution now vest upon the prime minister. All powers of the 238-year-old monarchy have been stripped, making King Gyanendra a civilian king under the interim constitution. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who previously supported the continuation of the monarchy, said in March, 2007 that he thinks the king should step down.[15] In June, Koirala repeated his call for King Gyanendra to abdicate in favour of his grandson Prince Hridayendra.[16] On August 23, 2007 Nepal's transitional government nationalised all the properties King Gyanendra inherited from his brother including the Narayanhity Royal Palace. The move did not affect the properties he owned before his ascension to throne.[17] Abolition of the monarchyIt was announced on December 24, 2007, that the monarchy might be abolished in 2008, following the approval, as part of a peace deal with former Maoist rebels, of the Nepalese Parliament in favour of a bill that would see the constitution amended so as to make Nepal a republic.[1][18] Titles and honours
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External links
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