Kathmandu: The army of Nepal, which has remained loyal to the king, has expressed some dissatisfaction about some of the contents of the proclamation passed on Thursday by the House of Representatives.

Army Chief of Staff Pyar Jung Thapa held a meeting with Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala before the proclamation was made.

An army general, on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu that the army was unhappy with the stripping of the king's title of Supreme Commander of the Army and the new provision about the heir to the throne. "We had received early assurance on these two," he said.

The General also told The Hindu that the army generals held a meeting at the army headquarters in Bhadrakali after Mr. Thapa's meeting with the Prime Minister. "Some generals had argued that the army should protest about the proclamation." The general, however, denied any possibility of revolt within the army.

Prime Minister Koirala and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, in their address to the House, warned that anyone who dared oppose the proclamation would face grave consequences.

Earlier meeting

A senior minister told The Hindu that the army top brass was taken into confidence. Mr. Koirala, accompanied by three senior ministers, held a meeting with Army Chief Pyar Jung Thapa and his second-in-command, Ruk Mangat Katuwal at his residence last Saturday. The minister said the army leadership had expressed its full confidence in the new civilian leadership of the country and said they would respect and obey the proclamation.

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