Holiday in Nepal to mark Maoists' entry into Parliament

NEPAL: Nepal declared a national holiday Tuesday to celebrate the historic entry of former Maoist guerrillas into the political mainstream after a decade of bloody civil war.

The Maoists formally joined a new parliament late Monday after a new temporary constitution was approved that also strips the king of his status as head of state, including control of the army.

The king also lost a "major chunk" of royal assets after parliament's unanimous vote in favour of the constitution, the Kathmandu Post reported.

"Today the people have turned the tables on the monarchy: By proclaiming a constitution invoking their sovereign rights, the people have made the reigning monarch both poor and powerless overnight," the English language daily said.

Eighty-three Maoist members of parliament were sworn in late Monday to the 330-seat house nearly nine months after the Maoists and the government struck a ceasefire deal.

At least 12,500 people have been killed since the rebels launched their "people's war" in 1996 to install a communist republic, a conflict that also laid waste to the impoverished Himalayan nation's already fragile economy.

Nepal's previous parliament was dissolved late Monday, a body that King Gyanendra restored after weeks of bloody mass protests forced him to abandon direct rule in April 2006.

"Today is a day of reconciliation among all the political parties and the people," Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said in parliament.

The former rebels were equally upbeat about being given a quarter of the seats.

"This is a historic chance for us and other political parties to establish progress in Nepal," said Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara, leader of the newly sworn in MPs.

Maoist chief Prachanda and his second-in-command were present Monday night in parliament to see their comrades sworn in, but neither leader is planning to take a position in the new legislature.

In return for the seats, the former rebels have agreed to place their weapons and army under United Nations' supervision.

The Maoists were expected to begin registering weapons with UN monitors later this week.

Meanwhile, thousands of civil servants have fanned out across Nepal to issue citizenship papers to millions of Nepalis to allow them to vote in crucial elections due to be held before June, a minister told AFP.

"580 mobile teams of between seven to 10 people have been dispatched to certify and distribute citizenship identification," said Hridayesh Tripathi, minister for industry, commerce and supplies.

The interim constitution approved Monday in Kathmandu sets out a plan to hold elections to a constituent assembly that will rewrite Nepal's constitution permanently, and decide the fate of the monarchy, a key Maoist demand.

Kathmandu, Tuesday, AFP