Nepal to host grand celebration on Sunday to mark end of 239-year monarchy

Maoists, other political parties close to forming government

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The Narayanhiti Royal Palace, which was vacated by former king Gyanendra last Wednesday, will come under the formal control of the newly elected government on Sunday.

A grand ceremony, attended by all members of the Constituent Assembly, senior government officials, politicians, diplomats, journalists and other distinguished people, will be held on the palace grounds, during which interim Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will formally hoist Nepal's national flag and declare the palace open to the public as a museum.

Gyanendra, who has moved into his private residence called Nagarjun Palace where he lived before he assumed the throne in 2001, will not be attending the flag hoisting ceremony.

The former king, who is expected to look for a new residence soon as Nagarjun Palace will also come under the control of the government, have reportedly begun living a commoner's life. Sources close to the development said the former king, like everybody else, would have to now abide by the law and pay his own taxes and bills. Gyanendra also had to part with 600 domestic staff when they moved to their new smaller premises. "All former royal staff including palace secretaries, housemaids, gardeners, cooks and cleaners have become government employees," a home ministry spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the political parties, including the Maoists are close to end their bickering over power sharing and strike a deal on who should be getting the ministerial portfolios.

The Maoists have agreed to the post of a "ceremonial president," conceding their earlier demand of an "executive" or all-powerful president. However, they are not keen on making Koirala the president and have urged that the president be chosen not from any political party but from "the civil society or prominent citizens.''

The Maoists have also conceded to the demands of other political parties over the procedure of impeachment of the prime minister. To keep the Maoist-led government on a tight leash, other political parties want the present law to be changed so that the prime minister can be sacked by a simple majority vote. According to the present law, the premier can be sacked only if two-thirds of the lawmakers agree.

The Maoists, who earlier said Gyanendra was free to join a political party or float one, however, warned him to keep out of politics for the time being. "He should not disturb the development of the republic, and refrain from engaging in counter-revolutionary activities," Maoist second-in-command Baburam Bhattarai said. "We don't want him to be used as a weapon for counter-revolutionary forces in this transitional and sensitive period."

The Maoists have also urged a fresh investigation into the 2001 royal tragedy that involved the massacre of popular King Birendra and eight other royals who were shot dead by the drug-and-drink fuelled Crown Prince Dipendra, who later shot himself. Though it was never proved, many people believe that Gyanendra had engineered the assassinations.

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