Nepal SC endorses declaration to strip King's powers

Kathmandu, Apr 26 (UNI) The Supreme Court of Nepal upheld the two-year-old declaration of the House of Representatives to strip the king of all powers, bring the Nepal Army under the purview of parliament and declare the country a secular state.

''A three-member bench of justices issued the verdict on two separate petitions that had challenged the parliamentary declaration and quashed the petitions,'' The Himalayan Times quoted court official as saying today.

After its revival following the 19-day movement, the House had passed the declaration curbing the powers of the king and declared the supremacy of the parliament on May 18, 2006.

The declaration had stripped all the powers of the king and had overruled the then Constitution.

Stating that the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007 repealed the 1990 Constitution, the bench yesterday stated that there was no need to pass an order as demanded by the petitioners, it said.

Two advocates had filed separate writ petitions challenging the House declaration. They had claimed that the declaration was against the then Constitution.

The petitioners had claimed that any state organ couldn't declare itself a sovereign body and demanded SC intervention to scrap the declaration.

The monachry has been suspended in the interim constitution and prime minister G P Koirala was taking the responsibility of the head of the state.

The parliament has endorsed a proposal to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic country abolishing monarchy that would be endorsed by the first meeting of the constituent assembly (CA) to be held within a few weeks time.

Maoists has emerged as the largest party with 220 seats in the 601 CA polls held on April 10.

Nepal's present constitution states that the political parties should form a government either with consensus or with two third majority of the parliament.

UNI XC PD DS1416