Seadie-ji's prophesy proved true. Deuba wants the king to remain Supreme commander-in-chief ! -
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=73776 Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, May 15 - The proclamation of the "momentous political proposal" earlier said to be done by the reinstated House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday has been deferred.
A meeting of the top leaders of the Seven-party Alliance (SPA) that took place at the Prime Minister's residence at Baluwatar decided to postpone the HoR proclamation until the expansion of the council of ministers.
Today's meeting also decided to expand the cabinet within the next couple of days. The House proclamation will first be approved by the full cabinet before it is presented at the HoR, the meeting decided.
In today's meeting the SPA leaders agreed to give full shape to the cabinet by Wednesday.
The announcement of the House proclamation was deferred as the SPA leaders were divided over some of its key points including the possession of the Supreme-Commander-in-Chief post of the Royal Nepalese Army, sources said.
Serious differences erupted among the SPA leaders after Nepali Congress-Democratic (NC-D) President Sher Bahadur Deuba told the meeting that the king should be the Supreme-Commander-in-Chief of the army even if he is not allowed to put on army uniform.
The sources also said that the expansion of the cabinet, too, got delayed after Deuba failed to name the ministerial candidates from his party.
"Deuba said that he would hold a central committee meeting of his party tomorrow and finalize the name list of the ministers," said Amik Serchan.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said that the cabinet could not be expanded due to NC-D's delay to submit the names of ministers.
According to Lilamani Pokhrel of Jana Morcha Nepal, Deuba put forth "controversial" issues regarding the control of the Army.
Deuba, however, refused to comment on this.
Sources said the cabinet, after its expansion "within a couple of days", would table the proclamation at the HoR.
Earlier it was expected that the HoR would endorse a momentous proposal to strip the king of all powers including that of deciding the heir to the throne, thereby proclaiming the House 'sovereign' Monday afternoon.
According to a copy of the draft 10-point proposal, the Rajparishad will be scrapped; all organs of the state - including royal institutions shall remain under HoR, which shall have the right to enact, amend and annul laws on deciding the heir to the throne. The HoR shall decide the royal expenditures and other facilities; king's income and private property, just like any other ordinary citizen's, shall be taxed; questions on any illegal action of the king can be raised in a court; "His Majesty's Government" will be changed to "Nepal Government".
Likewise, the post "Supreme Commander-in-chief" of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) held to date by the king shall be scrapped; "RNA" shall be renamed "Nepali Army"; the Chief of the Army Staff shall be appointed by the State Affairs Committee of HoR on the recommendation of the Prime Minister; and the Royal Household Service (that looks after palace employees and officials) shall be taken over by civil servants.
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