The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election held on 10 April 2008, and formed a coalition government with some smaller parties. The Maoists had insisted on the abolition of the monarchy and the removal of Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev as King with Nepal becoming a federal democratic state with an elected head of state. The newly-elected Assembly met in Katmandu on May 28, 2008 and abolished the monarchy that had reigned for 240 years. There was polling of constituent Assembly members and out of a total of 564 Assembly members, 560 voted to end Nepal's monarchical rule. The proposal declared that Nepal had become an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular and an inclusive democratic republic.
Nepal's government has announced a public holiday for three days, from May 28 to May 30, to celebrate the country becoming a republic. Nepal's king Gyanendra has been given 15 days to vacate his palace in Katmandu after the country's new Constituent Assembly abolished the monarchy and declared Nepal a republic. The republican declaration states Nepal will be "an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular and an inclusive democratic republic".
Nepal has turned into a democratic republic, all the existing laws and administrative functions that contradicts this idea will be invalidated from today.
All the privileges enjoyed by the king and royal family will automatically come to an end," the declaration says, noting that May 29 will from now on be celebrated as "Republic Day".
Near the convention centre in the capital where the assembly met, thousands of demonstrators gathered, some chanting "Long live the republic”. While the celebrations were largely joyous and peaceful, police at one point used tear gas to disperse a crowd that gathered too close to the building
International response, Ban Ki-moon, United Nations chief, welcomed the vote, saying the Nepalese "have clearly spoken for peace and change."
The United States, which continues to list the former rebels as a foreign "terrorist" organization, urged "forward political developments" in Nepal, Tom Casey, US State Department spokesman said in Washington.
"The international community, including India, has had no choice but to accept the verdict of the people of Nepal which gives the Maoists - not the majority - [but] 37 per cent in the constituent assembly house of 601 members."
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election held on 10 April 2008, and formed a coalition government with some smaller parties. The Maoists had insisted on the abolition of the monarchy and the removal of Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev as King with Nepal becoming a federal democratic state with an elected head of state. The newly-elected Assembly met in Katmandu on May 28, 2008 and abolished the monarchy that had reigned for 240 years. There was polling of constituent Assembly members and out of a total of 564 Assembly members, 560 voted to end Nepal's monarchical rule. The proposal declared that Nepal had become an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular and an inclusive democratic republic.
