Sher Bahadur Deuba, ex-Nepal PM, Released From Prison

King Gyanendra has had little success thus far in winning the hearts and minds of the Nepalese people, or at least, those who care about the semblance of democracy they earlier enjoyed in the Himalayan Kingdom. Last year, he dismissed the government and assumed direct control over the government.

Reactions have not been favorable. The US State Department called for restoration of the democratically-elected government last week. The streets have erupted into protests numerous times. The Nepalese Maoist rebels banded with the mainstream political establishment as a matter of political expediency. The BBC interviewed Prachanda, the Nepali Maoist leader, recently, wherein he called for either 'exile or trial' of the king before the 'voice of the people' would be satisfied.

Nepal's top court ordered the release on Monday of the erstwhile prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, who had been imprisoned for alleged corruption by an anti-graft panel appointed by the king. The court ruled that the king had violated the constitution by forming the panel.

This may or may not have any far-reaching effects on the Nepali political landscape, as it is hard to tell how an autocrat views judicial decrees or their implications. Be that as it may, the Nepali people are proud and their patriotic fervor easily roused. The news will also further alienate international opinion against the kingdom's state of affairs.