PREVIEW: Nepal's monarchy faces vote to end dynasty

May 27, 2008, 10:00 GMT

Kathmandu - The countdown begins for Nepal's King Gyanendra as members of the newly-formed constituent assembly prepare to formally abolish Nepal's 240-year-old monarchy.

The meeting of the constituent assembly on Wednesday is expected to formally abolish the monarchy in the Himalayan Kingdom and convert the country into a republic.

'We will put forward the proposal to ratify the interim parliament's decision to abolish monarchy in the constituent assembly when it convenes on Wednesday,' said Prakash Man Singh, vice president of Nepali Congress. 'We expect the proposal to be adopted by an overwhelming majority.'

The measure is expected to be adopted by the 601-member assembly mainly on the strength of the Maoists, Nepali Congress and the moderate Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninists who together have two-thirds of the total number of members in the new assembly.

The proposal needs only a simple majority to be adopted.

'The king must accept the decision of the people,' Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa said. 'Gyanendra will be treated as a criminal if he does not leave the palace after the vote.'

But with less than a day before the first meeting of the assembly, it remains unclear if King Gyanendra is willing to accept the declaration of republic.

Politicians close to Gyanendra have called on the main parties to delay the vote until after a new constitution is drafted.

'If the politicians make the decision to declare republic in haste, the country is bound to face further trouble,' Kamal Thapa of pro-royalist party Rashtriya Prajatantra Party Nepal said.

On Monday, two crude bombs went off outside the venue of the constituent assembly meeting prompting the authorities to heighten security.

Nepal's government said it was stepping up security around the royal palace with hundreds of extra security forces likely to be deployed around the areas.

It also banned rallies and demonstrations around the palace, the private residence of King Gyanendra, as well as around the venue of the assembly meeting in central Kathmandu and the prime minister's official residence.

The Kathmandu district administration said the ban was to maintain peace and security.

The Maoists have threatened to call on their supporters to march to the royal palace if the assembly fails to abolish monarchy and declare the country a republic at its first sitting.

Other parties have called on their supporters to organise rallies across the country to mark May 28 as a republic day to celebrate the end of monarchy.

Despite scepticism among the political parties, many Nepalese in Kathmandu believe King Gyanendra will leave the palace once the assembly declared the country a republic.

'I think Gyanendra will leave the palace and abide by the decision of the politicians,' said Rajesh Shrestha, a shopowner in the busy commercial district of New Road in central Kathmandu.

'What choice does he have? People really don't care much for him and he doesn't have international backing.'

The vote to declare the country will bring to an end the 240-year-old Shah Dynasty in Nepal which rose from the small principality of Gorkha, 200 kilometres west of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Politicians close to the king have said Gyanendra and his family would not leave the country and go into exile. Pro-republican politicians say he could continue to live ibn Nepal as an ordinary citizen.

King Gyanendra ascended the throne under bizarre circumstances in June 2001 after the entire family of his brother, King Birendra was killed in a palace shoot out.

Although the official investigation into the shootout was blamed on Birendra's son Crown Prince Dipendra, many people still believe there was a cover up and Gyanendra was somehow involved.

King Gyanendra became unpopular after he seized full executive powers by dismissing the elected parliament in February 2005. Following mass opposition to his direct rule he was forced to return power to parliament in April 2006.

Since then the king's status had remained virtually suspended with the government removing all reference to him from offices and official documents as well as preventing him from attending religious functions.

The old national anthem has been replaced with a new one which was devoid of any reference to the king.