Parties reach consensus on creating Prez post in Nepal

Nepal's ruling alliance decided to create a post of President before declaring the country a Republic and abolishing monarchy.

Nepal’s ruling alliance decided to create a post of President ahead of declaring the country a Republic and abolishing 240-year-old monarchy in the first meeting of Maoists-dominated Constituent Assembly which was held up for several hours due to last-minute political wrangling.

The meeting of the newly-elected 601-strong Constituent Assembly, which was sworn-in yesterday, was postponed twice from 11 am to 3 pm and then again till 6 pm local time as the leaders of the seven-party alliance required more time to arrive at consensus on creating a post of President by amending the Constitution to fill the vacuum to be created by the abolition of monarchy.

However, there were still differences between the Maoists and other major parties over who should be the first President of the Himalayan nation, party sources said.

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The ruling alliance members met at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s residence at Baluwatar and agreed to create the post of President and defined his rights and duties in a new set-up, Nepali Congress General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said.

After the decision is endorsed by the Cabinet headed by Koirala, it would be tabled at the first meeting of the assembly to be held at the Birendra International Convention Centre amid tight security with the capital being turned into a fortress guarded by thousands of riot policemen.

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