Republic of Nepal celebrates abolition of monarchy
KATHMANDU: Nepal celebrated a new era as the world's youngest republic Thursday after consigning its centuries-old monarchy to the history books and giving god-king Gyanendra two weeks to quit his palace.
In an unprecedented vote that caps a peace accord between Maoist rebels and mainstream parties, a new constitutional assembly voted massively to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy and establish a republic in its place.
It marks a key victory for the Maoists, who battled security forces for a decade to overthrow what they view as a backward, caste-ridden structure that has kept most of Nepal's 29 million people living in dire poverty.
"The Nepalese people have been freed from centuries of feudal tradition and the doors have now opened for a radical social and economic transformation," Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told AFP after the vote.
Supporters sang, danced and whistled on Kathmandu's streets after waiting all day for the vote, which was delayed by last-minute jockeying for position in the new political landscape.
"I am overjoyed," said an ecstatic Rajesh Subedi, a 21-year-old student and Maoist supporter. "This is the most important day of my life."
Many ordinary Nepalese are delighted to see the back of the dour, unpopular king as well as his son and would-be heir, Crown Prince Paras -- notorious for his alleged playboy lifestyle in one of the world's poorest nations.
Eventhough Nepalist already abolist their monarchy, I do hope they still continue to preserve their fine culture so that it goes to the next generation just like Laos does.
