Nepal's isolated king comes out in support of peace
Nepal's King Gyanendra called for the success of a fragile peace process in the Himalayan nation on Monday, his first public comments since being forced to cede political power in April.
The king, who has been reduced to a figurehead and is faced with the strong possibility of the monarchy being abolished, invoked the Hindu goddess of power to guide Nepal through what he called a difficult period.
"May Goddess Nava Durga Bhavani inspire us all to move ahead on the strength of national unity and reconciliation at this difficult juncture in our history," the 59-year-old king said in his traditional message for Dasain, the biggest festival in the Hindu nation.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The message was circulated by the state-run RSS news agency and excerpts were read on state radio.
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