Bara, October 17 :

CPN (UML) standing committee member Jhalanath Khanal has said that the king is obstacle in the peace process. Addressing a district-based party workers’ gathering under Peoples’ Campaign for Democratic Republic in Kalaiya today, Khanal accused the palace of playing an active role to create divisions in parties in the past.

The palace created factions in CPN (UML), Nepal Sadbhawana Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Nepali Congress to grasp power, Khanal said. Saying the property of the king should be nationalised, Khanal said the monarchy has been ousted from the parliament now.

The monarchy should be abolished either through constituent assembly or through a referendum, Khanal said, adding that the 1990 Constitution had considered the king as a symbol of national unity but the King’s actions showed that the king is a symbol of division.

Monarchy has cheated Nepali people many times and therefore it should be abolished, he said adding that the Maoists should stop collection of donation and issuing threats.