A three-member SC bench of justices Anup Raj Sharma, Ram Prasad Shrestha and Gauri Dhakal upheld the two-year-old declaration of the House of Representatives. The bench also sought to bring the Nepal Army under the purview of the legislature.

The SC also upheld a provision to declare Nepal a secular state. But the Court quashed two separate petitions that challenged the parliamentary declaration.

Petitioners void

Stating that the interim Constitution of Nepal 2007 repealed the 1990 Constitution, the Court said there was no need to pass an order as demanded by the petitioners.

Advocates Achyut Prasad Kharel and Amita Shrestha had said that the Court’s decision went against the law. The Maoists, who fought a decade-long civil war, have been demanding the monarchy to go after inking a peace deal in November 2006 with the king’s government.

Maoist chief Prachanda, who is expected to head a coalition government led by the CPN-Maoist, had expressed his desire to meet Gyanendra to persuade him to quit the royal palace.

He also said the king can do business and other activities, including politics, if the king desired so.  The Maoist leadership has said they have started consultations with various political parties and diplomatic missions about a “graceful exit” for the king to end the centuries old Shah dynasty.