New Delhi: Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has asked King Gyanendra and Crown Prince Paras to step down voluntarily.
It is only then, that there may even be hope to appoint Gyanendra's six-year-old grandson Hridayendra Bir Bikram Shah as a future king, according to Koirala.
Elections are expected to be held in November this year to choose a Constituent Assembly to rewrite the country's constitution and decide on the fate of the monarchy.
Talking to reporters at his residence, Koirala said he had told the King, who was stripped off most of his powers after a popular uprising last year, that their stepping down could help save the institutional monarchy in Nepal, private Kantipur television reported.
The elections are expected to be held in November to choose a body to rewrite the country's Constitution and decide on the fate of the monarchy.
"Otherwise, there may not be any space for the monarchy after the polls," the Prime Minister said. Koirala indicated that Hridayendra may be declared as the new King if the two decide to abdicate.
"The king and crown prince have become unpopular and if they step down voluntarily, it will be for the betterment of the country," Koirala said. The king's 14-month direct rule was ended in April last year by a wave of protests organised by former Maoist rebels and sidelined political parties.
Last week, lawmakers gave themselves powers to abolish the monarchy with a majority vote in Parliament if the king interferes in the Assembly polls, which were a key part of the Maoist peace deal.
"The country is already heading towards a path of a republic, which is one of our major demands. We won't accept any form of monarchy," senior Maoist politician Dev Gurung said.
(With agency inputs)
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