Nepal declared federal democratic republic

KATHMANDU: In a historic meeting of the Constituent Assembly on Wednesday, Nepal was proclaimed as a federal democratic republic, abolishing the 240-year-old monarchy. ( Watch )
Political leaders in Nepal had gathered in the first meeting of the constitutional assembly where voting was held to abolish the Himalayan nation's monarchy. Nepal's Maoists, who fought for 10 years to remove the king and create a republic, had emerged as surprise winners in Constituent Assembly elections last month, taking a third of the body's 601 seats.
The session is the culmination of a 2006 peace deal between the country's mainstream political parties and the rebels.
Earlier, Nepal's ruling alliance decided to create a post of President in the Assembly meeting which was held up for several hours due to last-minute political wrangling.
The meeting 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.
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 had said.
The ruling alliance had earlier agreed to give 15 days time to the King to leave the Narayanhiti palace, which will be converted into a museum.
Rallies were held across the capital Kathmandu and other major cities in Nepal ahead of the country's declaration as republic. People thronged the streets, singing and dancing and eagerly awaiting the assembly's decision.
Security has been tightened in Kathmandu with riot police deployed around the Royal palace, Singhdurbar secretariat, the venue of the CA meeting, as well as other important areas.