'Nepal Monarchy must be abolished before election'

Kathmandu, May 6: Clearing the air around the future of monarchy in the Himalayan kingdom, Minister for Information and Communications, Krishna Bahadur Mahara has said monarchy must be abolished before holding constituent assembly elections even in November.

"It will not be possible to hold polls even in coming October or November if monarchy is not rooted out," Mahara was quoted by local media as saying.

"The country's history has taught us a lesson that monarchy will never allow us to conduct the election, which was promised but aborted in 1957," he said.

He stressed the need for political polarisation between the republican forces and those who support the status quo.

"The new basis of the eight-party unity is to declare the country a republic before the assembly polls," the minister said adding the assembly poll could be deferred for a year or more once monarchy is abolished.

UNI