Kathmandu, June 20: In a fresh salvo at the monarchy, Nepal's five main political parties, agitating for installation of a democratically elected government, have demanded that details of the property owned by the palace be made public. The parties, including Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, would launch a signature campaign on July 1 to build public opinion in favour of making public information relating to the royal property, a statement issued by the parties said.

"In a democratic system the institution of monarchy should run in a transparent way," CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal told reporters yesterday, while announcing the launch of the two-week agitation from June 24.

"The parties have demanded making public details of royal property to make the affairs of the institution transparent," he said and renewed the demand for setting up of an all-party government.

"The present political crises cannot be resolved till an all-party government is formed through consultations with the major parties," he said.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress president and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala said the agitation was against the "regressive" steps of the king.

"Reinstatement of the dissolved house of representatives is the only solution to the current political crises and the Maoist insurgency," Koirala said addressing a meeting of trade unions affiliated to his party yesterday.

The members of the dissolved house of representatives are planning to hold their second meeting on July 4.

Bureau Report