Nepal's new constitution is country's sixth statute

The new constitution finalised by Nepal's ruling parties and the Maoist rebels Saturday that makes the prime minister both the head of government and state will be the country's sixth statute.

The first statute was in 1948 by the then Rana prime minister Padma Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana to firm up total rule by his clan.

The last one was implemented in November 1990 by king Birendra, lifting the ban on political parties.

The interim constitution, agreed upon after 10 years' of armed struggle by the Maoist guerrillas and over four months of negotiations, will remain in place till an election next year when a special assembly will choose between monarchy and republic.

The new statute's most salient feature is the suspension of the monarchy. Recognised as a constitutional monarch by the 1990 constitution, the king, however, has been stripped of all position in the government.

Even the ceremonial position of head of state has been assigned to the elected prime minister, who will wield all the powers going with the post.

There will be a new constitutional council that will recommend appointments to constitutional bodies.

A six-member security council will now come into being to mobilise the Nepal Army, once regarded as being loyal to the palace. Earlier, the army chief used to be part of the council.

Now, however, besides the prime minister, defence minister and home minister, the remaining members will be chosen by the premier from his cabinet.

The new pact keeps the cow as the national animal of Nepal despite an earlier Maoist objection, apparently for its association with the Hindu religion.