Nepal's parliament voted Friday by an overwhelming majority to officially initiate moves to turn the country into a federal republic abolishing more than 240 years of monarchy, according to dpa. The voting in Nepal's interim parliament came after agreement between the seven main political parties earlier this week to end political deadlock resulting from the Maoist demands for the immediate declaration of a republic. A total of 270 out of 371 MPs voted in favour with only three against to pass the proposal to amend the constitution. However, the amendment will only take effect once it has been ratified by a constituent assembly which has yet to be elected. Nepal's embattled King Gyanendra, who has been stripped of all powers, will remain the monarch until the amendment has been ratified. Voting on the amendment was a compromise between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress Party and the Maoists. The Maoists walked out of the government in September after coalition members rejected its demands for an immediate abolition of the monarchy. The Nepali Congress has staunchly opposed a parliamentary decision on the issue saying only an elected body can take a decision on the monarchy. Political analysts say despite the voting in parliament which guarantees formal moves towards a republic, the final settlement may be much more difficult. "The constituent assembly needs to be elected which will have the final say on the monarchy," political analyst Deepak Bhattarai said. "However, we are still uncertain if the elections will take place given the problems in southern Nepal and deteriorating law and order situation." The election to choose a constituent assembly is a key component of the peace process which ended a decade-long communist insurgency. The elections have already been postponed three times since June 2007. The peace agreement allowed the Maoists to enter the mainstream and join parliament and government.
