There is no system greater than democracy; former king; expresses sorrow over Tinkune incident

Kathmandu / April 13: Former King Gyanendra Shah has stated that there is no system greater than democracy when it comes to guaranteeing civil liberty. In his video message on the eve of Nepali New Year 2082, the former monarch also mentioned that in places where true democracy exists, there is a tradition and culture of listening to both praise and criticism from the public.

He has also spoken about the Tinkune incident of March 28. “We are deeply saddened to hear about the violence, arson, and vandalism during the recent public protests, which caused significant human and material losses,” the former King mentioned.

The prime minister and leaders of various political parties had been seeking Shah’s stance on the Tinkune incident. Some lawmakers even opined that Shah should be held accountable and summoned to a parliamentary committee for questioning. Shah had not made any statements following the incident until this message.

The video message was shared on Facebook by Fani Raj Pathak on behalf of Shah’s secretariat.

The protest in Tinkune on March 28 was called by Durga Prasai, designated as the ‘People’s Commander’ by the ‘United People’s Movement Committee’ advocating for restoration of the monarchy.

The protest turned violent, resulting in two deaths and several injuries.

Police have arrested Prasai in connection with the incident and are continuing their investigation.

Claiming that awareness has grown to free the country from existing complexities and build a peaceful, stable, and prosperous nation, Shah expressed confidence that results would be achieved in 2082. “The monarchy in Nepal has always contributed to liberating the common Nepali from unrest, anarchy, despair, and dissatisfaction,” he added. “Our belief has always been in nationalism and democracy, adhering to a multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy in line with public sentiment.”