Kathmandu, Nepal – May 29, 2008. Nepal has become a Federal Democratic Republic from today after the Constituent Assembly overwhelmingly voted for abolition of the country’s 240-year-old monarchy. The historical first of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has endorsed a proposal to amend the interim constitution implementing the declaration of Nepal as a federal democratic republic.
The officiating chairman of CA, Kul Bahadur Gurung announced Federal Democratic Republican after a division vote late yesterday (May, 28) night. He said, “I declare that the proposal tabled by the government for implementation of a republic has been passed as 560 members out of 564 present today voted in favor of the proposal and 4 against.” The 4 against the decision was the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal.
Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula tabled the proposal for a republic at Wednesday’s CA meeting. The proposal said, “Nepal has turned into an independent, indivisible, secular, inclusive, federal democratic republic with sovereignty and state authority vested in the people.”
Further details:
- Former king and royal family members shall no longer enjoy any rights and privileges other than those of common Nepali citizens.
- Instructed the government to make sure that former king Gyanendra Shah and his family leave Narayahity Royal Palace within the next 15 days.
- Instructed the government to make necessary arrangements for the safety of all property inside the palace.
- Instructed the government to setup Narayahity Royal Palace as a historical museum.
- The proposal states that all constitutional provisions, laws, administrative rules and arrangements at variance with the proposal have been scrapped.
- A second sitting of the CA passed a separate bill to amend the Interim Constitution and make new arrangements for a president as head of state.
- The president will be supreme commander in chief of the army and will perform other duties as determined by the constitution. The president will mobilize the army upon the cabinet’s recommendation.
- Declared that Nepal will mark Jesth 15 (in the Nepali calendar) as Republic Day every year and extended tributes to the martyrs whose sacrifices have brought the country to the present stage.
Lastly, I would like to wish all Nepalese Citizen “Happy Republic Day”
Enjoy
– Sakin