By IANS,
New Delhi : The Maoist leader Prachanda, whose party has scored a commanding lead in the recent polls in Nepal, has set a one-month deadline for the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy in the Himalayan state.
“I think within one month all things should be clear. We will organise the first meeting of the assembly and the first meeting should abolish the monarchy,” Prachanda told NDTV in an interview.
“It has already been agreed in the meeting of the interim constitution by seven political parties,” he said.
“All the parties have agreed. Therefore, I propose that we abolish the monarchy in the first meeting. Everything will be clear in a month,” he stressed.
“No I don’t think so. I don’t think that from with in the constituent assembly, there will be any kind of opposition, because all parties have taken their position against monarchy and in favour of a republic,” he replied when asked whether he expected any opposition to the Maoist proposal for abolishing the centuries-old monarchy.
“There is already a consensus, I don’t think there will be a problem, but the monarch himself may try to resist the verdict of the masses if he tries to resist the verdict, he will be punished,” he said.
With the Nepal’s Maoists getting a commanding lead in results of last week’s historic elections, the abolition of the nation’s monarchy is now a matter of procedure and details. The Maoists have managed to win 114 seats out of 208 which have been declared.
Although most mainstream parties in Nepal had come round to backing the Maoists’ demand for sacking the unpopular King Gyanendra, there are still some politicians who are in favour of retaining some form of ceremonial monarchy.
The landslide victory of the former rebels has caught the international community and India by surprise.
Indian ambassador to Nepal Shivshankar Mukherjee met Prachanda in Kathmandu and discussed the evolving situation in Nepal Monday. “The meeting was cordial and held in a friendly atmosphere,” official sources said.