Authoritarianism with a new face

Nothing about Hridayendra suggests he is fit to rule, except the fact that he was born into a royal family.

Nepal’s monarchists know they cannot sell the past. Former King Gyanendra’s authoritarian rule is remembered for suspending the constitution, censoring the media, dismissing a government and arbitrary arrests of journalists. His son Paras, often seen as the embodiment of unchecked privilege, cannot be credibly marketed to the public. So the royalists are all-in on their new solution: Repackage the monarchy and the Hindu state with a fresh, new face.