Thursday, April 17, 2008



The end of Nepal's monarchy

Last week, Nepal went to the polls to elect a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. Results have been trickling in, but the trend is clear: the Maoists are well in the lead, with three times as many FPP seats as the next largest party (though looking at the vote counts on Wikipedia, this says more about the unfairness and distortions of FPP than the popularity of the CP (Maoist)). Some are tipping them to gain an absolute majority, but that doesn't seem to be reflected in the PR results. But one thing is clear: the monarchist parties have been absolutely devastated - and the Maoists are already telling the king to pack his bags:

"In the first meeting of the constituent assembly we will declare the country a republic, then we will notify the king to leave the palace," [CNP(MP Deputy Baburam Bhattarai] said.

"As an ordinary citizen, he will have to abide by the law."

After the massacre he perpetrated on his own people two years ago, that's letting him off rather lightly.

Partial election results can be viewed here and here.