The Hindu : Front Page : Nepal House passes bill on monarchy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
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Nepal House passes bill on monarchy

Ameet Dhakal

KATHMANDU: The interim Parliament of Nepal has passed a bill to amend the interim Constitution, paving the way to abolish the monarchy and establish a federal republic after the Constituent Assembly election. The amended Article 159 (a) of the Constitution reads: “Nepal will be a Federal Democratic Republic”.

The amendment also stipulates that the republic will be declared by the first meeting of the elected Constituent Assembly.

The amended Article also has a provision for abolition of the monarchy by a two-thirds majority of the interim Parliament if the King is found to be conspiring against the Constituency Assembly elections slated for mid-April.

The amendment has also changed the electoral system for the Constituent Assembly. The members will now be elected on the basis of the proportional system and through the first-past-the-post system. The Assembly will consist of 601 members, of whom 240 will be elected on the basis of the first-past-the-post system, and 335 will be nominated by political parties.

The Prime Minister will nominate the rest 26.

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