The Press Association
Nepal's government has agreed to abolish the monarchy in a deal to persuade former insurgents to join the government.
The agreement signals an end to a political crisis that postponed crucial elections.
No date has been set for the ex-rebels - a communist faction usually referred to as the Maoists - to rejoin the government.
They quit in September, demanding the immediate abolition of the royal family and changes to the election system.
An agreement for them to rejoin was signed yesterday, however, by leaders of the seven main political parties - including the Maoists - said Arjun Narsingh of the Nepali Congress, the Himalayan country's largest party.
The 23-point pact said the leaders also agreed that once a Constituent Assembly is elected by mid-April, its first meeting would declare Nepal a republic, ending its centuries-old monarchy. The change had been widely expected for months.
The Constituent Assembly will rewrite Nepal's constitution and hammer out the details of a new political structure for the country.
The parties agreed that voters will directly elect 240 members of the assembly, while 335 other candidates will get seats under a proportional representation system, with parties receiving seats in proportion to the number of votes they win.
When the Maoists quit the government three months ago, other parties in the coalition government refused to abolish the monarchy immediately, saying the assembly should be allowed to decide on the issue - as had been agreed in a peace agreement signed with the then-rebels last year.
The Maoists began their armed insurgency in 1996. It left at least 13,000 people dead in 10 years of fighting between the communist guerrillas and government troops.
The agreement signals an end to a political crisis that postponed crucial elections.
No date has been set for the ex-rebels - a communist faction usually referred to as the Maoists - to rejoin the government.
They quit in September, demanding the immediate abolition of the royal family and changes to the election system.
An agreement for them to rejoin was signed yesterday, however, by leaders of the seven main political parties - including the Maoists - said Arjun Narsingh of the Nepali Congress, the Himalayan country's largest party.
The 23-point pact said the leaders also agreed that once a Constituent Assembly is elected by mid-April, its first meeting would declare Nepal a republic, ending its centuries-old monarchy. The change had been widely expected for months.
The Constituent Assembly will rewrite Nepal's constitution and hammer out the details of a new political structure for the country.
The parties agreed that voters will directly elect 240 members of the assembly, while 335 other candidates will get seats under a proportional representation system, with parties receiving seats in proportion to the number of votes they win.
When the Maoists quit the government three months ago, other parties in the coalition government refused to abolish the monarchy immediately, saying the assembly should be allowed to decide on the issue - as had been agreed in a peace agreement signed with the then-rebels last year.
The Maoists began their armed insurgency in 1996. It left at least 13,000 people dead in 10 years of fighting between the communist guerrillas and government troops.
5 comments:
Same thing will happen to Cambodia.
soon.
Any King belong to political party deserve to be abolished and that is what exactly happening in Nepal!
This should be a warning to Cambodian King!
The Nepalese King is wipped out only because he was the only one to oppose the Maoist guerrilla. All the "so called" democratic parties have warmly welcomed the maoist... You Cambodians, don't you remember what happen to our country when the maoist were in power!
Destroying Monarchy is the first step to destroy the national identity. True democracy is only possible through Monarchy!
The only best thing that Khmer people know is "killing" and "killing." This is the nature of the beast. The beasts deserve to live in the uncivilized world.
Poor Khmer.
That OK we have fun! OK UNTAC, Paris Accord, UN you do a fucking of a job!!!
Post a Comment