06-29-2006, 06:18 AM
Thursday, June 29, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version
Nepalâs parliament sworn in as king sidelined
KATHMANDU: Nepalâs parliament and ministers were sworn in on Wednesday at a ceremony, which for the first time did not include the king but ill health forced the prime minister to skip the event.
Parliament slashed King Gyanendraâs powers after he ended 14 months of direct rule in April following weeks of pro-democracy protests by political parties and rebel Maoists.
âThe prime minister could not come for the oath ceremony due to health reasons and he will take the oath later in parliament,â Surya Kiran Gurung, parliament general secretary, told journalists. He did not elaborate.
The 84-year-old premier returned on Tuesday from a nine-day trip to Bangkok for prostate laser treatment. The ornately carved seat where the king formerly sat during parliamentary proceedings had been removed and replaced with a national flag as the speaker administered the oath of office to 19 of 21 ministers and around 200 parliamentarians.
The MPs and ministers read the oath out loud together and tapped the desks in front of them to signify approval when finished.
Ram Chandra Poudel, an MP and general secretary of the Nepali Congress party, said he felt âhappy and proud,â after the ceremony.
âThe process of institutionalising a new democratic Nepal has begun now. We have moved away from any kind of intervention from the monarchy,â he told AFP.
The assembled politicians pledged to âbe totally honest in performing the duty as approved by parliament that has been restored as per the peopleâs aspirationsâ in the ceremony in the house of representatives.
The swearing-in was held according to âthe proclamation by the house May 18 and the house regulation passed June 10,â Subash Nemwang, House of Representatives speaker, told AFP.
Before the new coalition government took over and ended King Gyanendraâs public political role and control of the army, the monarch swore in the premier and other lawmakers. But now oaths will be taken in parliament.
In future, âothers, including army (officials), police and civil servants, will be called to take the oath of office in the days to comeâ in parliament and not before the king, Nemwang said. AFP
Nepalâs parliament sworn in as king sidelined
KATHMANDU: Nepalâs parliament and ministers were sworn in on Wednesday at a ceremony, which for the first time did not include the king but ill health forced the prime minister to skip the event.
Parliament slashed King Gyanendraâs powers after he ended 14 months of direct rule in April following weeks of pro-democracy protests by political parties and rebel Maoists.
âThe prime minister could not come for the oath ceremony due to health reasons and he will take the oath later in parliament,â Surya Kiran Gurung, parliament general secretary, told journalists. He did not elaborate.
The 84-year-old premier returned on Tuesday from a nine-day trip to Bangkok for prostate laser treatment. The ornately carved seat where the king formerly sat during parliamentary proceedings had been removed and replaced with a national flag as the speaker administered the oath of office to 19 of 21 ministers and around 200 parliamentarians.
The MPs and ministers read the oath out loud together and tapped the desks in front of them to signify approval when finished.
Ram Chandra Poudel, an MP and general secretary of the Nepali Congress party, said he felt âhappy and proud,â after the ceremony.
âThe process of institutionalising a new democratic Nepal has begun now. We have moved away from any kind of intervention from the monarchy,â he told AFP.
The assembled politicians pledged to âbe totally honest in performing the duty as approved by parliament that has been restored as per the peopleâs aspirationsâ in the ceremony in the house of representatives.
The swearing-in was held according to âthe proclamation by the house May 18 and the house regulation passed June 10,â Subash Nemwang, House of Representatives speaker, told AFP.
Before the new coalition government took over and ended King Gyanendraâs public political role and control of the army, the monarch swore in the premier and other lawmakers. But now oaths will be taken in parliament.
In future, âothers, including army (officials), police and civil servants, will be called to take the oath of office in the days to comeâ in parliament and not before the king, Nemwang said. AFP