A Government Majority For Nepal’s Maoists
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
KATMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s former communist rebels were declared the biggest party in a new governing assembly yesterday. While the Maoists won’t have a majority, they are expected to usher in sweeping changes for the poor Himalayan nation.
First up: getting rid of the royal dynasty that has ruled Nepal for 239 years.
“The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly will end the monarchy and establish a republic, there will be no compromise,” the Maoists’ leader, Prachanda, told reporters yesterday.
While there is still support for the monarchy, few Nepalis will mourn the exit of King Gyanendra, who seized absolute power in 2005 only to be forced into restoring democracy a year later by widespread protests.
