Pisces, I agree with you here (after all that disagreeing on China thread). Maybe the King will work towards strengthening the rule of law - a sine qua non for having a fully functional liberal democracy. I don't think there will be any big protest against this move. Just like Asoj 15's Nepali newspapers had messages of "Kritagyata" tomorrow's newspapers will have those. Its a classic case of people opting for extra constitutional means for crises. 1. People, no matter waht others here would like to believe, are still supportive of the King. 2. The Republican forces, except the Maoists, do not even count as of today, in Nepal's politics. 3. The Political Parties and their leaders have lost their mass appeal. 4. People are tired of this KichKIch of everyday. 5. More than voting rights, people want the living rights. This move can actually help strengthen democarcy in Nepal by institutionalizing the rule of law regime and by making a transition from rule of law, liberty to democarcy with voting rights. I, like many scholars on this field, find this gradual shift/phase-wise manner to be the most effective way of institutionalizing democracy in countries with no previous tradition of democracy. Also, I find it hard to believe that this move was a fully domestic move. This couldn't have been posisble without the support or go ahead signs from the US and India. Now, I am all ready to read those wonderful heart-warminbg labels from all the democractic forces of Sajha.