Monarchy out in Nepal peace deal

The Communists, who are known as the Maoists, ended their decade-long rebellion last year and later joined the country’s interim government. But they withdrew in September, demanding the monarchy be immediately abolished.

The move plunged Nepal into a political crisis and threatened its transition to democracy. On Monday, the former rebels were buoyant over the deal bringing them back into the fold. The deal stipulates the monarchy will be eliminated once a special assembly charged with rewriting the constitution is elected. The vote had been delayed indefinitely by the Maoists’ withdrawal from the government, and officials now say they want to hold it in the first half of 2008.

“Now there is nothing else that needs to be done,” Prachanda, the Maoist leader, who uses only one name, told reporters. “There is no monarchy left in the country.”

The current monarch, King Gyanendra, heads a dynasty that dates to 1769, when a regional ruler led an army down from the hills and conquered the ancient city of Katmandu. He established a line of kings that have been traditionally considered reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu, to be venerated by their subjects, over whom they once held nearly absolute sway.

In the centuries since Nepal was seen as a near-feudal wonderland for hash-smoking hippies and mountain climbers looking to scale Himalayan peaks, such as Mount Everest.

But Gyanendra, the 12th Shah dynasty monarch, has never enjoyed the popularity of his predecessors and Sunday’s deal to eliminate the throne was received largely with indifference in Kathmandu.