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| India-Pakistan |
| Koirala to end monarchy, proclaim Nepal a republic |
| 2007-12-23 |
| KATHMANDU: The nearly three-month long paralysis gripping Nepal's peace process could now be coming to an end with PM Girija Prasad Koirala on Saturday giving in to the MaoistsÂ’ demand to axe the monarchy and proclaim the Himalayan kingdom a republic. After interminable negotiations between the ruling parties and the guerrillas, a tripartite meeting on Saturday resulted in an agreement, a senior politician said. Koirala, who also heads the Nepali Congress, the biggest party in parliament, on Saturday held prolonged parleys with Maoist supremo Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal, chief of the second largest ruling party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML). The three have reached an agreement to amend Nepal's interim constitution - which has left the kingdom's two-century-old monarchy in suspension - so that the country becomes a federal republic, UML leader Jhalanath Khanal told the media at the end of the meeting. However, the Maoists, who began waging a war on the Shah dynasty of kings from 1996 and working for a communist republic, would still have to wait for the actual end of monarchy. According to the tripartite agreement, the implementation will start after the twice-deferred constituent assembly election is held. If the elected assembly endorses a republic by a simple majority, only then will the king be stripped of his crown and become a commoner. Koirala, who had also been opposing the Maoist demand for a fully proportional electoral system, has now reached a compromise with the rebels to hold the polls employing a mixed system in which 60% of the seats will be chosen proportionally and the remaining 40 through straight contests. Saturday's agreement will be tabled before a meeting of the six ruling parties and the Maoists Sunday. If endorsed by them, the government will finally make a move in parliament to amend the constitution. It has already started taking over some of the properties King Gyanendra inherited from his slain brother Birendra to put them to public use. These properties are mainly 16 royal palaces, including the one in Kathmandu where the king and Queen Komal stay, as well as their winter resort. Everything now hinges on the critical election. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #7 [Aris Katsaris has been pooplisted.] |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2007-12-23 22:25 |
| #6 I smell a rat...er...I mean a Chicom...They kinda smell the same, you know. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque6305 2007-12-23 15:33 |
| #5 You have to admit that the Nepal monarchy isn't much to rally around. After the royal massacre on July 1, 2001, I'd be disgusted with them to, all politics aside. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2007-12-23 09:58 |
| #4 (5) People's Republic of Nepal created You mean: Democratic Peoples Republic of Nepal. |
| Posted by: Gluting Oppressor of the Heathen Rus6638 2007-12-23 09:51 |
| #3 Yup. Have to get rid of the one institution that average people could rally around when the Maoists take charge. Hence the chip-chip-chip against the King and the monarchy. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2007-12-23 09:17 |
| #2 All part of the plan. (1) Abolition of Monarchy (2) Elections. Weak government rules for year (3) Maoist takeover to save nation (4) Mass executions of class-enemies (5) People's Republic of Nepal created It has happened before and will happen again... |
| Posted by: john frum 2007-12-23 07:00 |
| #1 It would be a tragedy to abolish the Monarchy in Nepal. The country would go downhill just like Pakistan or Afghanistan. It is hardly democratic not to ask the people what they think. A fair referendum would be a minimum requirement for such a far reaching decision. |
| Posted by: Vortigern Omons7504 2007-12-23 06:11 |