Deposed King Gyanendra to vacate palace on Wednesday

Nepal’s Maoists-dominated Constituent Assembly had passed on May 28 a resolution to declare the country a republic by abolishing the centuries-old monarchy. It also set a 15-day deadline for Gyanendra to leave the palace, which expires on Thursday.

The former monarch will leave for the Nagarjun forest bungalow located seven kms west of the capital after vacating the palace, the minister said.

The people’s movement of 2006 that restored democracy and the resolution that ended monarchy peacefully would be recorded as important incidents in the world history, Sitaula said.

It was a rare occasion in the world’s history that monarchy was abolished through voting without any bloodshed, he said.

Sitaula said the government will not provide any allowance or cultural power to the former monarch and clarified that the Nagarjun forest bungalow has been provided to Gyanendra for temporary purpose only.

“After the deposed King asked the government for temporary accommodation for his early exit from the palace, we have decided to provide him the palace property which has already been nationalised,” he said.

The government, however, provided two buildings within the Narayanhity palace for Gyanendra’s stepmother Ratna and his grandmother Sarala for the time-being, the minister said, adding the palace will be converted into a museum after Gyanendra leaves it on Wednesday.