New Nepali Government Sits At Last
Monarchy is Abolished at First Meeting of Constituent Assembly
May 28th 2008 marked the first sitting of Nepal’s Constituent Assembly at the Birendra International Convention Centre in New Baneshwore, Kathmandu. After a decades-long wait, the successful holding of the Assembly and abolishment of the monarchy could be the first steps, many hope, towards reconstruction after the "people's war".
Monarchy Abolished
The first motion carried by the Assembly, elections to which were held on 10th April this year, was the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy. Of 564 members, 560 voted to amend the interim constitution and declare Nepal a federal democratic republic, reported nepalnews.
The April Elections
April’s election results deeply shocked some sections of Nepali society; the two biggest mainstream parties, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) were swept away by overwhelming support for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), a party which only joined the political process two years ago after ending its decade-long “people’s war”.
Post Election Shocks for Mainstream Parties
With the Maoists in such a strong position, and after a series of senior members of the Congress and UML had lost their seats, the parties had talked of withdrawing their support to the newly formed government, threats not tempered by the continuation of violent activities by the Maoists’ Youth Communist League.
However, things were patched up enough to allow today’s meeting to go ahead, although behind the scenes bickering meant it was ten hours behind schedule.
A two-day public holiday was declared by the government to celebrate the announcement, and celebrations are expected on the streets of Kathmandu where on the 28th May, rallies were held to pressure the Assembly to fulfil its promise and abolish the monarchy. King Gyanendra will now loose all royal rights and privileges, along with his Narayanhity Palace, which is expected to become a museum.
Gyanendra's Long Awaited Departure
The long-postponed removal of Nepal’s royal family will remove a stumbling block to the completion of the peace process, and is expected to meet little opposition from Nepal’s people. While it was a rallying cry of the Maoists and other communist parties, India had long remained strangely mute on the issue, and many in the world’s most populous Hindu nation, especially among the Bharatiya Janata Party, will mourn the demise of the last Hindu Himalayan kingdom (Bhutan, Nepal’s neighbour, is Buddhist). Indeed, there had been reports that Gyanendra would leave Nepal and settle in Rajasthan.
Choosing a President and Prime Minister
Along with the removal of the King, the parties agreed to choose a “ceremonial” president to act as the head of state, and an executive Prime Minister. It’s unknown who the candidates for the posts will be, but during election campaigning Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (“Prachanda”) had given signs he would step up for the job of president .
