Nepal frees itself from The King

Before Speaker Subhash Nembang read out a 3-page declaration, Prime Minister G P Koirala said: “This is a declaration written by the blood of martyrs in the course of the movement for democracy”.

The House dissolved the controversial Raj Parishad, the King’s advisory council which had acted as the political arm of the ambitious Gyanendra, and assumed all powers to make legislation on the issue of royal succession.

Royal household expenditure and other facilities will also be decided by Parliament while the Council of Ministers will now take responsibility of royal security. In other words, the existing military secretariat of the King will be defunct.

In fact, the word Royal is almost taboo for official purposes. His Majesty’s Government will henceforth be called Nepal Government while The Royal Nepal Army will be called the Nepali Sena, its chief appointed by the cabinet which will be the repository of all executive powers of the state.

Along with the army, the civil administration and police forces will also be accountable to Parliament. There will be a new National Security Council led by the Prime Minister to decide on issues like control, use and deployment of the Nepal army.

The legality of the declaration is, however, being questioned and members of Parliament are aware of it. “This happens in a revolution. You cannot move to another system, you cannot shed slavery without rebelling against existing laws,” said Narayamnman Bijukchhe, a senior parliamentarian. “Any provision of the Constitution or the law not conforming to the spirit of this declaration will be annulled,” the declaration said. Dispensing with existing parliamentary conventions, the session will now be called and adjourned by the Speaker on recommendation of the Prime Minister. The House of Representatives will decide the rules of procedure on the promised journey towards formation of a constituent assembly. The parliamentary declaration, while stripping the King of his privileges, is silent on his future. For now, the government has treated the royal family in the manner the British government has done by taxing the monarch’s private property and earning. But the government says the future of the royalty will be decided by the people during elections to the constituent assembly.

PM Koirala has publicly said he prefers a ceremonial monarchy as in the UK but he will go by what the people want. “Let the King remain like the one in Scandinavia—a civilian King—who commands people’s respect.” But Maoists are now appealing to political parties to turn Nepal into a republic.

The fall and fall of Gyanendra

• King loses control over army, title of supreme commander-in-chief

• “His Majesty’s Government” now just Nepal government

• Hindu nation becomes a secular state

• King to be taxed, actions to be challenged in court

• Raj Parishad (King’s advisory body) scrapped

• RNA renamed as Nepali Army, army chief to be appointed by cabinet

• Parliament to make laws on heir to throne, decide on perks, expenses of King