US has no hopes for democracy’s return in Nepal: Special Bush emissary

President George Bush’s special emissary to Nepal has said that the return of democracy in the kingdom does not seem imminent.Donald Ca...

President George Bush’s special emissary to Nepal has said that the return of democracy in the kingdom does not seem imminent.

Donald Camp, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (South Asia), sent to apprise King Gyanendra about the US-India concerns about Nepal exchanged during the Bush-Manmohan Singh meeting in Delhi recently, said, ‘‘I am hopeful, but have got no assurance to say that I am optimist about return of democracy in Nepal.’’

Camp rushed to Pokhara to meet King Gyanendra shortly after his arrival yesterday. But he made it clear that US was not going to resume supply of arms to the Royal Nepal Army until and unless the King reverted the country to a pre-February 1, 2005 position when the monarch exercised titular power.

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Camp had come with the formula that Maoists should give up violence and that the King must reach out to the political parties to restore democracy as that is the only way to defeat insurgency in Nepal. He met two former prime ministers G P Koirala and S B Deuba and Chief of the Army staff Gen Pyarjung Thapa.

It appears that the King reiterated to the American emissary that he had his own road-map for democracy—and conducting parliamentary elections as the best way forward. Camp, however, reiterated the US criticism of the recent polls when he said, ‘‘An election without participation of the political parties would be an hollow exercise.’’