NEPAL celebrated a new era as the world`s newest republic today after consigning its centuries-old monarchy to the history books and ordering god-king Gyanendra to quit his palace in two weeks.
In an historic vote capping a peace accord between Maoists and mainstream parties, a new constitutional assembly voted just before midnight yesterday to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy and establish a republic.
This morning, the flag of the Shah dynasty was taken down from the main palace in Kathmandu, which will now be turned into a national museum.
"The royal flag was replaced by Nepal`s national flag inside the palace," a palace source said. "The flag has been changed as part of the government decision to implement a republic."
Today and Friday have been declared national holidays in the new republic, where supporters sang and danced on Kathmandu`s streets after waiting all day for the vote.
Nepal`s army, long seen as a bastion of royal support, also said they would respect the verdict of the assembly.
"The decision has been taken by the constituent assembly and it must be abided by by all stakeholders," said army spokesman Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri.
The Maoists, clear winners of last month`s elections to the constitutional assembly, waged a decade of war to overthrow what they view as a backward, caste-ridden structure that kept most of Nepal`s 29 million people living in dire poverty.
They have repeatedly warned King Gyanendra he faces "strong punishment" if he refuses to bow out gracefully.
"The Nepalese people have been freed from centuries of feudal tradition and the doors have now opened for a radical social and economic transformation," Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said after the vote.
The country`s press hailed the republic.
"Turning Nepal into a republic is the biggest achievement of the people in the history of this country," wrote Kathmandu Post editor Prateek Pradhan.
Many ordinary Nepalese are delighted to see the back of the dour, unpopular king as well as his son and would-be heir, Crown Prince Paras - notorious for his playboy lifestyle.
Gyanendra ascended the throne amid grief and suspicion in 2001 after most of the members of the royal family were slain in a palace massacre by the then crown prince, Dipendra.
Dipendra, who had been forbidden from marrying the woman he loved, gunned down his parents, the king and queen, and seven other royals before apparently turning the gun on himself.
Gyanendra`s unpopularity only deepened when he sacked the government and embarked on a period of autocratic rule in early 2005. "There was no development under the monarchy," said Prakash Karki, 26, a Kathmandu businessman.
"There will be now that the people will run the country."
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon welcomed the vote, saying Nepalese "have clearly spoken for peace and change."
The vote in the 601-member assembly saw just four MPs oppose the radical change. But a leading Hindu group in Nepal threatened protests to prevent what they said would be a break-up of the country.
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