King prepares to leave royal palace after abolition of monarchy

Описание: (11 Jun 2008) SHOTLIST
Narayanhiti Royal palace in Katmandu, 11 June 2008
1. Wide of a roundabout in front of the Narayanhiti Royal palace in Katmandu
2. Mid of entrance of the Narayanhiti Royal palace
3. Mid of Narayanhiti Royal palace
4. Mid of Security standing outside west gate of the palace
5. Low angle shot of palace gate.
6. Security inside the Narayanhiti Royal palace
Nagarjun summer Palace in Katmandu 9 June 2008
7. Wide of gate of the gate to Nagarjun summer Palace where the Ousted King Gyanendra is moving to
8. Close up shot of a stone with the name Nagarjun (in Nepali) written on it
9. Wide of the building where the king is going to live
10. Mid of the pond at Nagarjun summer palace
11. Wide shot of outside of the house
12. Pan down of umbrella stand inside the house (taken through the window)
13. Mid of interior of a bedroom
14. Close up of books on a shelf
15. Mid shot of a corridor inside the corridor.
16. Mid of cupboard
17. Wide of desk
18. Mid of furniture
19. Pan of exterior of house
STORYLINE:
Nepal's deposed king says he has no plans to leave the Himalayan country as he prepares to begin life as a civilian in the newly declared republic.
Former King Gyanendra says he wants to stay and "help in whatever capacity" he can to promote peace in the often violent country.
Gyanendra's comments Wednesday come ahead of his expected departure from Katmandu's royal palace.
They are his first public comments in the months since it became apparent that his throne would be abolished.
Gyanendra is moving to live in one of his former summer palaces on a forested hill on the outskirts of the capital.
There, he will be protected by police but will otherwise live as any other Nepali - albeit a wealthy one who some believe should still reign.
But the vast majority of Nepalis have made it clear they are pleased to see the king gone, and while his throne was formally abolished last month, Wednesday's move carries great symbolism in a nation that was ruled by Shah dynasty monarchs for 239 years.
Before leaving the Narayanhiti palace, Gyanendra is expected to hand over the Shah crown of peacock feathers, yak hair and jewels to government officials, who plan to turn the pink concrete 1970s palace into a museum.
Home Secretary Umesh Mainali told The Associated Press that security had been stepped up around the Narayanhiti palace to head off any protests by pro- or anti-royalists.
The Narayanhiti palace has been Gyanendra's home since becoming king in 2001 after a palace massacre in which a gunman, allegedly the crown prince, assassinated King Birendra and much of the royal family before killing himself.
After his brother's death, Gyanendra assumed the throne. But the killings helped pierce the mystique surrounding a line of kings who had once been revered as reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu, and Gyanendra's 2005 seizure of power from a civilian government made him deeply unpopular.
He said he needed total authority to crush a communist insurgency. But the rebellion intensified, and a year later massive protests forced Gyanendra to restore democracy, after which the rebels began peace talks.
The former rebels won the most seats in an April election for a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the constitution, and the assembly's first act when it convened last month was to abolish the monarchy.
But the king does not leave public life a pauper, even if his palaces have been nationalised and his US$3.1 million annual allowance cut.
Authorities on Wednesday said that a frail 94-year-old called Sarala Gorkhali could stay on at the Narayanhiti Royal palace.

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