Bhairahawa, February 28:

Former PM Krishna Prasad Bhattarai today said that Nepal needs a constitutional monarchy and not a republican set-up. Talking to mediapersons here on his return from India, he said, “Monarchy in Nepal is essential. However, it should be constitutional.”

“The Nepali Congress has been in favour of a constitutional monarchy since 2007 BS. A republican set-up creates unrest in the nation; democracy should be established under a constitutional monarchy,” he said.

Saying that the nation faced unrest due to the king’s predilection for direct rule of the nation and earning money, Bhattarai said, “The king should be the head of the nation. He should not rule directly. In course of meeting the king, I urged him to give up the desire to rule the nation. The nation should be ruled by the people’s representatives, not the king.”