Nepal Votes To Curb King's Powers

BBC News

May 18, 2006

MPs in Nepal have unanimously approved a landmark plan to drastically curtail the powers of King Gyanendra, including stripping him of control of the army. Under the plans, the royal family will pay tax and parliament will control the army and name the heir to the throne.

The proclamation has been described as a Nepalese Magna Carta, effectively making the king a ceremonial figure.

The move follows mass street protests in April which led the king to recall parliament and end direct palace rule.

The army will be from now on mobilised by the order of the prime minister and the government
Senior Congress Party spokesman Minendra Rijal

Cutting the powers of the king, who seized direct powers in 2005, is a key demand of the pro-democracy protesters and of Maoist rebels who have fought for a republic for 10 years.

The interim government's proclamation overrides the 1990 constitution, which handed most power to parliament but kept the monarchy involved in politics.

The rebels want to get rid of the monarchy, but most of the governing coalition are non-committal on the issue.

Peace talks between the government and the rebels have been announced, but no date or venue has been set.

Mass protests

The far-reaching measures came within a proclamation which was tabled by the new prime minister, GP Koirala.

"This proclamation represents the feelings of all the people," he told parliament.

MPs had been due to discuss the issue of the king's powers on Monday but the debate was put off while politicians fine-tuned their plans.


Correspondents said the proposals were sure to be adopted as governing parties account for more than 90% of MPs in the 205-member parliament.

The plans include bringing 90,000 troops under the direct control of the parliament and bringing the royal family and its assets under the tax net.

The move also scraps the royal advisory council, the Raj Parishad, that has the authority to name the heir to the throne - a power that will now be held by parliament.

And the proclamation declares Nepal a secular country, after years as the world's only Hindu kingdom. Royal references will be removed from the titles of the army and government.

The proclamation says it will annul those articles of the current constitution which contradict it, although observers say this is likely to come under challenge in the courts at some point.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says all the measures appear to be provisional, pending the planned election of an assembly to write a completely new constitution.

He says the new government hopes the change will dampen the anger of people who have been demonstrating in the streets accusing politicians of moving too slowly towards change.

He says one move the street activists are unlikely to be happy with is the banning of demonstrations in parts of Kathmandu around the government buildings and the royal palace, just as the authorities of the previous royal government did.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/4992508.stm

Published: 2006/05/18 12:43:53 GMT

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