Thousands Protest Nepal's King

More than 4,000 demonstrators swept into Katmandu's city center, waving banners, shouting slogans and calling for the punishment of soldiers who killed a demonstrator during the elections Wednesday.

"Hang the culprits! Down with autocracy! We will fight for democracy," the protesters chanted.

Security forces heavily deployed across Katmandu did not stop the protest, but police fired tear gas earlier to disperse some two dozen students protesting King Gyanendra's rule at a college near the royal palace.

No arrests or injuries were reported.

The elections were for the relatively powerless posts of mayors and local council members, and the dearth of voters at the polls was considered a serious blow to rule of Gyanendra, who seized absolute power a year ago.

Of the results announced for 15 cities and towns, candidates from the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party won 10 mayoral races while candidates from Nepal Sadbhawana, also a supporter of the government, won two. Three independent candidates were declared winners. The elections were held in 36 municipalities.

Six people were killed on election day, including the protester shot by soldiers. The United States called the elections "a hollow attempt" by Gyanendra to solidify power. An international election observer said the vote had "a number of flaws."

The polling drew candidates for less than half of the country's 4,000 mayoral and local council seats. Twenty-two of the country's municipalities held no voting because they either lacked candidates or had contenders running unopposed.

The royal government billed the vote as a step toward restoring democracy, but the country's seven main political parties boycotted it to protest the king's power grab. Gyanendra said his power seizure last February was needed to bring the country's Maoist insurgency under control. However, rebel attacks have intensified in recent weeks.

"We refuse to accept the results from these so-called elections," said Krishna Sitaula of the opposition Nepali Congress party.

Officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the results, but The Rising Nepal, a pro-king newspaper, quoted Home Minister Kamal Thapa as saying that Nepalis participated in the elections with "much enthusiasm."

Chief Election Commissioner Keshav Raj Rajbhandari said turnout was estimated at more than 20 percent, but that the final figure was still being tabulated.

Many voters said they were scared away by the rebels' call for a general strike and threat to kill anyone who took part, and a government warning that it would shoot anyone caught disrupting the elections.

In the southwestern town of Dang, the army said "soldiers were compelled to open fire" on some 150 protesters trying to interfere with the vote, killing one and injuring another.

Three insurgents, a policeman and a civilian were killed in two separate rebel attacks in eastern and western Nepal, the police and Defense Ministry said.

The royal government rounded up hundreds of politicians, activists and journalists in the weeks before the elections. On Wednesday morning, police arrested 30 politicians and activists who were trying to organize protests in an eastern border town.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the elections were a "hollow attempt" by the king to legitimize power, citing intimidation of voters and low turnout. "We call on the king to release all political detainees and initiate a dialogue with the political parties," he said.

A Western election observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his organization works with the government, said the vote had "a number of flaws," citing the rebel threats, government intimidation and the opposition boycott.

The decade-long Maoist fight for a communist state has cost 12,000 lives. Under Gyanendra's rule, the economy in the Himalayan nation of 27 million people has worsened, with per capita income less than $25 a month.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3646921.html