The dismissing of Sher Bahadur Deuba government, strictly speaking, has not come as a total surprise. In a way, something like this was expected sooner or later since political developments held no promise for a better future taking into consideration the evolving condition centreing the elections and the ever increasing unrest caused by a determined insurgency by the ultra-left Maoists. Nonetheless, the developments in Nepal at the moment do not augur well both for the Himalayan kingdom and causes of democracy.

Three important factors are now determining the course of events in the country with the monarchy definitely being at the supreme, followed by the political parties and the radical leftists. A popular monarch King Birendra had to loosen his grip on powers facing a pro-democracy movement when he conceded demands like democratic government in 1990. Political parties the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) and other smaller groups have not shown maturity in a new found parliamentary democracy as intra-party rivalries as well as squabbles within the main Nepali Congress kept all at bay about the fate of democracy even though people favour representative system of government. The murky political situation can be well judged by the fact that Nepal witnessed as many as thirteen premiers in fourteen years of introduction of democracy in 1990. Alleged corruption on part of the politicians in power also played a role in growing despondency among the people.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had to quit being embroiled in a serious controversy over leasing of a Royal Nepalese Airlines passenger aircraft. Later, his Nepali Congress was split over leadership and at one stage Sher Bahadur Deuba -- a challenger to Koirala -- was ousted from the organisation. Deuba was prime minister but sacked by King Gaynendra triggering a debate as his was an elected government but the same King reinstated him in June, last year, giving him the task of organising elections and settle the Maoist problem. When Deuba was sacked this time, the King cited the same reasons against -- "incompetence". Political parties, which seldom show any unity, had come together on the broad issue of "elected government" when dismissed premier Deuba was reinstated replacing the handpicked prime minister Surja Bahadur Thapa. But they could not hold on to the understanding, failing to agree on fresh elections and failure to make any headway to resolve the Maoist issue. The King was clearly annoyed and he hit, taking powers by himself and later appointing a ten-member cabinet much to the dismay of the democracy lovers.

The palace massacre in 2001 of mainstream royal family including King Birendra, his wife and several others convulsed the kingdom even though it was a constitutional monarchy. They were shot dead reportedly by crown prince Dipendra but the whole episode still remains shrouded in mystery. The development had come as a rude shock to the Nepalese, who admired the King and this brought his brother Gyanendra to power. The new King experimented the power structure by appointed persons as prime ministers of his choice while the parliament was dissolved. He finally, brought in the sacked elected prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in June last year but he was dismissed once again and this time an emergency was clamped. The biggest headache for the King is certainly the activities of the Maoists, who often engage themselves in fierce battles with the army and police causing big toll of lives on both sides. By this time they control a large area in the countryside. Efforts for a government-Maoists negotiation did not bear much fruit and consequently a stand-off situation exists as far as the fighting is concerned. The Maoists want dismantling of the monarchy and setting up of a Republic, and a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Needless to say, the King is not ready to accept these demands. Mediatory efforts by the moderate communists for a meaningful government-Maoists dialogue collapsed.

Ironically, a country like Nepal can ill afford to absorb two serious crises -- stemming from political instability and the long-drawn Maoist insurgency, which is growing in intensity even though no side is in a decisive stage. The nation is bleeding through internal mayhem and lack of political direction.

In the current situation, one may probably argue that the King had to take drastic decision as Deuba was not delivering -- providing a government that has semblance of functioning -- neither in organising the new elections nor in making any progress in talks or tackling the problems posed by the radicals. There may be some basis for this, but the bottom line is that in this age of democracy no nation can revert to undemocratic pattern of government. Several democratic countries including the powerful United States and Kathmandu's giant neighbour India felt that constitution is being trampled in Nepal as powers are being excessively used by the monarch. The concern is not against Gyanendra but evidently for democracy. Nepal is experiencing problems peculiar to its own conditions, particularly the ultra leftist insurgency. But the system of representative government that was so assiduously developed in the country should not be allowed to suffer for long and one can hope that the measures taken by the King are only stop-gap arrangements that will facilitate new elections and democratic pattern of governance in the country.

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury is a senior journalist.