Nepal's former king leaves palace (Roundup)

Jun 11, 2008, 15:46 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepal's deposed King Gyanendra left his palace in Kathmandu on Wednesday to begin his life as an ordinary citizen.

Gyanendra, accompanied by his wife, Komal, drove away from Narayanhiti Palace palace in a black Mercedes amid tight security.

Hundreds of journalists mobbed the former royal couple's car as it headed to a summer residence in Nargarjun hills, on the outskirts of the capital.

A few hundred pro-republican supporters danced on the streets in front of the palace, the seat of the monarchs for the past 100 years.

Gyanendra's departure came on the last day of the deadline set by the government to vacate the palace in line with a vote in the constituent assembly to abolish the monarchy on May 28.

Earlier Wednesday, the former king went on national television and radio to accept his fate and make an impassioned speech rejecting media accusations of amassing wealth.

'I have played a role to support the decisions of the constituent assembly in order to make its implementation easy,' Gyanendra said.

He made no reference to the political parties or the Maoists who together acted as a catalyst to end the monarchy after Gyanendra's government was toppled in a mass movement in April 2006.

Much of his speech was devoted to countering allegations in the media that he and his family had misused government money, sold off inherited properties and kept money in foreign banks along with the circumstances under which he became the king.

'All my properties or money is in Nepal and I have no foreign bank accounts nor have I transferred inherited properties into my personal name,' Gyanendra said.

He said he could do nothing but tolerate allegations and insinuations against him and his family over the shooting incident in the Narayanhiti Palace in 2001 which killed nine people, including the then king Birendra and his entire family.

'There was no way out nor was there anyone who could speak in our support,' Gyanendra said. 'There were concerted efforts by several media to discredit me and my family and take advantage of the situation.'

He said there had been strategies to bring a rift between the people and the royal family and at the same time made it clear he would not leave the country and go into exile.