Four weeks time to leave palace for Gyanendra

Kathmandu, April 17 (UNI) Maoist second-in-command Dr Baburam Bhattarai today issued an ultimatum of four weeks to the King to leave the Narayanhiti Royal Palace.

''A respectful living will be ensured for the king if Gyanendra became ready to live as a common citizen,'' Kantipur quoted Dr Bhattarai as saying in Kathmandu today.

The statement of the Maoists leader has come when the Maoists are leading in the April 10 Constituent Assembly (CA) polls vote counting.

''The end of the monarchy will be top priority of the Maoist,'' he said.

He said that restructuring of the state, writing a new constitution, and achieving a rapid economic development were among the major Maoist policies.

Declaration of republic ending the 240 year old monarchy was the main agenda of the Maoists insurgency. More than 14,000 people were killed during the ten-year-old conflict in the Himalayan nation.

Monarchy has been suspended since the seven parties, including the Maoists, came to power through a massive mass protest against the autocratic rule of King Gyanendra.

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