For over two years King Gyanendra tried to be an activist monarch who wanted to be seen as well as heard. He felt the political parties with their infighting and corruption had taken the country to the brink, and he came to the rescue. He fired Sher Bahadur Deuba and took over, appointing two Panchayat era prime ministers from parties without numerical standing in the dissolved House. There were indications the royal palace wanted to play an active role in governance through rule by ordinance, say in appointments and budgetary exercises.

However, the ground reality had changed so much since 2002 that King Gyanendra last month had to bring back the man he sacked. He may have waited too long, tried to manipulate nominees, but it took statesmanship to swallow pride and bring Deuba back. It has taken the prime minister a month to convince the UML and others to join a multi-pronged interim government by dangling choice positions. This may not be an ideal set-up, and not a complete correction of October Fourth, but the nature and composition of the Deuba team is sufficiently different from his two predecessors for us to give it the benefit of doubt.

Let's not start wrecking its chances before the cabinet even begins work. The party stalwarts, we notice, are hedging their bets (and maybe their reputations) by sending their trusted pals to government. But hadn't we been saying all along that the elder statesmen should make way for the young turks? The only octogenarian who refuses let go and travels to Delhi to make momentous pronouncements is Girija Prasad Koirala. Being the wily politician he is, Koirala seems to be trying to buy insurance from the Maoists in case a government made up of two of his staunchest rivals actually starts organising local and national elections.

Indeed, while there are those who read the surfacial press and fret for the future of the Nepali monarchy, we are in no such misapprehension. The monarchy, as a historical institution, is here to stay provided it takes a lesson from the past 12 years that the Nepali people have learnt to speak, have a voice and will not give it up. Indeed, the king may already have realised the advantage of leaving politics to politicians. Kingship will be both comfortable and rewarding in a constitutional throne.

We wish King Gyanendra a happy birthday, and a long reign that brings prosperity to his people.