Kathmandu, June 24: The Nepali Congress Party has called for curtailing the facilities and title enjoyed by the Nepalese royalty and publishing the assets of the monarch. This was part of resolution containing a ten point political agenda of the party submitted by general secretary Shushil Koirala.
The resolution calls for limiting the royal title to the reigning monarch, queen and crown prince, periodic publication of monarch's assets, setting up of Ministry of Royal Palace Affairs and barring monarch from enjoying discretionary powers, according to party spokesman Arjun Narsingh Singh. The party also wanted the adoption of a new national anthem representing the aspiration of the people, constitutional provision of national referendum on crucial national issues and empowering cabinet as sole authority to appoint the Chief of Army Staff.
The 1990 people's movement had ended the practice of appointing Prime Minister under the discretion of the king ignoring the recommendation of the political parties which represent 80 per cent seats in the dissolved House of Representatives, the party said. Such kind of practice is both unconstitutional and undemocratic, it added. The party has also claimed that their joint agitation with other major political parties against the royal takeover is slowly heading towards success.
Meanwhile, the five parties launched their fifth round of pro-democracy agitation today burning the effigies of regression in different parts of the kingdom including the capital.
Bureau Report