May 28 2008
240-Year Monarchy ends in Nepal with Vote for Republic!
240- year-old monarchy in Nepal is ended today as the Himalayan country is declared a republic on Wednesday by the newly elected and Maoist-dominated constituent assembly that was sworn in yesterday.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has told King Gyanendra to quit the palace and become a “common citizen.”
The king will not be given any state benefits now and he has to live like any other common citizen paying taxes and bills.
King Gyanendra, who became unpopular with the 26.4 million people after he dissolved the elected parliament in February 2005 and seized full power over the country, has been given orders to vacate the royal palace in 15 days or face consequences.
While his image has been taken off currency notes, his name has also disappeared from the national anthem. Narayanhiti Royal Palace will also be turned into a museum, Ram Chandra Poudel, Peace and Reconstruction Minister, said.
“This is a golden day for Nepal and the Nepalese. It’s the end of an era and the start of a new era,” said Sagar, head of the Maoists’ Young Communist League which has mobilised thousands of supporters and who goes by one name.
Nepal’s three biggest parties, holding 433 seats in the new 601-member parliament, agreed to replace the monarchy with a ceremonial president, with most authority concentrated in the prime minister’s office,
The first session of the new constitutional assembly was expected to start with the prime minister proposing a republic, followed by a vote.
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