Kathmandu, May 17:

Leaders today said the proclamation, to be tabled tomorrow, will be like an interim constitution of the country.

Speaking at Reporters’ Club, NC leader Narahari Acharya said the document will enable the King to hand over power and make the people truly sovereign.

Acharya also called for the declaration of an interim constitution before the House is dismissed. CPN-UML central committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari said the proclamation would be “part of the constitution” and the main portions would be incorporated in a constitution drafted by a constituent assembly.

“The proclamation will destroy outdated values to make a way for the new constitution,” he said, adding that the House of Representative had the people’s mandate to make the country a republic.

The proclamation will pave the way for curtailing the King’s power, bring the army under Parliament’s heel and blaze the trail to work for a monarchy-less democracy.

Adhikari urged that the constituent assembly should include all ethnic, linguistic and religious communities as well as women, Dalits and Madheshis. “Let the constituent assembly be a true mirror of the true Nepal,” he said.

Janamorcha Nepal vice-chairman Lilamani Pokharel said that the proclamation would in general abandon the old concept of “King-in-Cabinet” and “King-in-Parliament”, making these two institutions fully independent.

“The proclamation will bring the executive body fully under the parliament and the parliament will appoint the chief of army staff, His Majesty’s government will be renamed Nepal Government and the Raj Parishad will be dissolved. The validity of having a crown prince will be reconsidered. Besides, Nepal will be declared a secular state, and so forth,” he said.

NC-D leader Dr Narayan Khadka said that he would appreciate a proclamation that would make the King an “assistant” of the parliament.