Nepal's capital was filled with jubilant crowds yesterday celebrating a dramatic victory against humbled King Gyanendra as opposition leaders urged Maoist rebels to declare a ceasefire. Tens of thousands took to the streets to celebrate the king's climbdown late Monday after weeks of violent protests as they waved party flags and chanted "Long live democracy" and "Clear the royal palace". Many, brandishing photographs of some of those killed during the 19 days of strikes and violent protests, massed at the home of three-time former premier Girija Prasad Koirala. Koirala, now in his 80s, was nominated by the opposition Tuesday to be the new prime minister in the parliament when it sits in Kathmandu for the first time in four years on Friday. But a united front against Gyanendra was shaken when Maoist rebels flatly rejected the monarch's offer to reinstate parliament and warned of new violence.
| The opposition is about to learn how they've been played ... |