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Nepal king declares son heir apparent

Nepal's King Gyanendra declared his only son Paras successor to the tiny Himalayan kingdom by conferring the title of crown prince on him on Friday.

This is one of the most important steps Gyanendra has taken after taking over as king following the June one royal palace tragedy in which his brother, King Birendra, and his family were wiped out.

Nepal was rocked by violence following the massacre of the royal family.

Some observers say the announcement about the crown prince was delayed when Gyanendra became king in June as Paras was unpopular with the nearly 26 million population.

"Although the announcement of crown prince came as a surprise, it is up to the king to chose on whom he wants to confer the title," an expert told IANS.

"The new crown prince did not have a very sober personality in the past. When the king delineated all his powers to Queen Komal in September, people appreciated the move because it signified he wanted Prince Paras to become more mature."

Paras has a notorious reputation for his alleged rowdiness. He has also been linked to the murder of a Nepalese musician in a drunken stupor.

In June last year, renowned musician Prabin Gurung was allegedly hit and killed by a vehicle driven by Paras. Newspapers were flooded with articles demanding the government to rein in Paras, who then was not immune from prosecution.

A junior army officer was held responsible for the accident and a clean chit was given to Paras.

But many admit that Paras has tempered his behaviour since the June massacre.

On Friday, Gyanendra also conferred titles on other royal family members, including Paras' newly born daughter. Official radio and television aired the announcement in prime time news bulletins.

Analysts in Kathmandu find Gyanendra's move interesting as the practice of conferring titles on babies was widely practiced during the autocratic Rana regime that came to an end in the 1950s after 104 years.

In his message to the nation on Dashin, the 10th day of the Durga puja celebrations on Friday, Gyanendra said: "All political parties, politicians, intellectuals and all citizens should be sensitive towards seeking solutions to all the problems in the framework of present constitution.

"We must remain united," he said, in what some experts say could be an oblique reference to the Maoist demand for a republic in Nepal. The six-year-old Maoist insurgency has claimed more than 2,000 lives.

Indo-Asian News Service

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