Nepal protesters stage huge rally

The rally - held in a crowded market in central Kathmandu - was the first since Nepal's main political parties launched an alliance earlier this month in a bid to force Gyanendra to hand back power to an elected government.

Gyanendra, a constitutional monarch, said he seized power to curb corruption and quell a festering Communist insurgency that has claimed more than 11,500 lives. But the political parties have demanded Gyanendra reinstate the dissolved parliament to allow a multiparty government to negotiate a political settlement with the insurgents.

The peaceful rally was attended by senior officials of Nepal's political parties. Waving red, white and blue party flags, more than 10,000 protesters chanted anti-king slogans.

Hundreds of police in riot gear were posted around the market, but did not intervene. Protesters said future rallies, including one planned for Friday, would be bigger to intensify the pressure on the king.

"We have agreed that the demonstrations and rallies will be peaceful," said Mahesh Acharya of the Nepali Congress.

The king banned protests when he fired the government and imposed a three-month emergency.

Some small rallies took place during that time, and the demonstrators were detained. The king lifted the emergency at the end of April and rallies are now allowed -but not near the royal palace and main government offices in the capital. Hundreds of politicians and activists were jailed during the emergency, and many remain in detention. Some civil rights, which were suspended after emergency was imposed, have yet to be restored.

l Nepal's royalist government told political parties that it would not tolerate public criticism of King Gyanendra during pro-democracy protests.

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