NEWSLINKS US EDITION COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Ramesh Menon in New Delhi
Nepal Crown Prince Dipendra, who was on a life support system in a military hospital after the shootout in the royal palace on Friday night and reportedly 'brain dead', was named successor to his father, King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.
An announcement on Radio Nepal said the prince was not fit to execute his duties, therefore, Prince Gyanendra, the younger brother of the deceased king, would be the caretaker (rajya sahay).
Prince Dipendra killed his father, mother, brother, sister and aunts in a rage after Queen Aishwariya turned down his choice of bride.
An announcement on Radio Nepal at 1315 IST finally announced that King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and their younger son, Niranjan, were dead. This is the first time an announcement of the king's death was made.
Though Kathmandu was rife with rumours, no announcement was made on radio and television till 1315.
The delay was reportedly because the Raj Parishad meeting had yet to decide on the king's successor.
The Raj Parishad or state council standing committee, which acts as the royal advisory body, convened an emergency session on Saturday morning to assess the situation. The council, includes the prime minister, chief justice and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces among others, oversees the royalty.
It is empowered to decide 'whether His Majesty is mentally or physically incapacitated,' pass 'a resolution confirming such incapacity by a majority of two-thirds of its total membership,' and 'proclaim the crown prince to be the regent if he has attained the age of eighteen years,' and 'in other circumstances, it shall, subject to rules made by His Majesty, proclaim a Regent or Council of Regency.'
Dipendra, a martial arts expert, was dressed in military fatigues when he arrived at the royal dining room on Friday night with an automatic rifle. He was first noticed by the international media when he greeted Princess Diana on March 2, 1993, when she arrived in Kathmandu on a visit soon after her marriage broke up. He also hosted the dinner for the princess, instead of his parents.
In 1970, then crown prince Birendra married Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana, the daughter of Lt General Kendra Shamsher J B Rana. In a simultaneous ceremony, the bride's two sisters married the groom's younger brothers. One of the brothers was Prince Gyanendra.
Death of a Monarch: The Complete Coverage
EXTERNAL LINKS The Constitution of Nepal All about Nepal Laws of Nepal The Cabinet Information on Nepal The World Factbook: Nepal Nepal News The Nepal Media Nepal Home Page Government and Politics Directory Political History Embassy of India Embassy World New York Times: Royal Family of Nepal Are Killed in Palace Shooting
Tell us what you think of this report
