Nepal parliament opens way to abolish monarchy

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KATHMANDU, Jun 14 (AFP): Nepal's parliament has for the first time given itself powers to abolish the monarchy in a move that piles pressure on the already hobbled 238-year-old Shah dynasty, analysts said Thursday.
"The king has now been completely sidelined by parliament. It has now facilitated the parties' roadmap to take the country towards a republic," said Narayan Wagle, editor of Kantipur, one of Nepal's leading newspapers.
Legislators passed a constitutional amendment late Wednesday that allows for the abolition of the monarchy by a two-thirds majority vote if King Gyanendra interferes in crucial elections planned for November.
Nepal's monarch has already been stripped of most of his powers, including his roles as head of state and army chief, since mass protests forced an end to a 14-month period of his authoritarian rule in April 2006.
King Gyanenendra was once widely revered in his kingdom as a reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, but today he appears only rarely in public. His vehicle was stoned by protesters in March at a religious festival in the capital.
The monarch had often embarked on choreographed tours around the country and international trips, but now spends most of his time holed up in a massive palace that dominates Kathmandu.
The staging of an election for a body to rewrite the constitution and decide the monarchy's fate is a key part of the landmark peace deal struck late last year between former Maoist rebels and mainstream parties.