Maoists welcome declaration, Friday declared public holiday

Kathmandu, May 19: The people of Nepal including the Maoists have welcomed the proclamation by the House of Representatives.

The declaration includes bringing the army under the control of parliament, change the name of His Majesty's Government of Nepal to Nepal government, Royal Nepalese Army to Nepali Army and scrapping the Raj Parishad, an advisory body of the King.

The declaration was adopted by the reinstated House yesterday and people from all walks of life including Maoists have welcomed the declaration calling it a "historic day for Nepal".

All the government offices, semi-government offices and Royal Nepalese embassies and consulates abroad will remain closed on Friday, a release from the Home Ministry. said.

Maoists chairman Prachand in a statement said his party welcomes the proclamation and supports the declaration as a victory of the 12-point understanding between Maoists and the seven parties.

''Declaring Nepal a secular state as demanded by Maoists has made my party proud,'' the statement said.

''Maoists party feels glorified that some of the demands raised by his party have been addressed but the declaration has attempted to address the people's desire of ending monarchy by politically limiting it as a ceremonial one,'' he said.

Leaders of major political parties and general public have welcomed the decision as "historic" in Nepal's democratic struggle.

''Through peaceful movement, we have been successful in returning sovereign power to the people and establish them as the sole source of state power,'' Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said while presenting the proclamation in the House.

''Each and every word in the proclamation has been written with the martyrs' blood,'' he added.

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said the declaration was an initiative towards giving a concrete shape to the people's desire for eliminating the country's feudal structures.

Former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said, ''I have been impressed by the proclamation, as we neither saw such a day before, nor can we imagine one in the future.''

UNI

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