KATHMANDU, May 20 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Nepal's opposition Seven-Party Alliance have said that the King could remain a "respected citizen of the country" provided he was ready to "abdicate the throne" and cooperate with peaceful transition of the country towards a democratic republic, local press reported on Saturday.
"If the king is ready to abdicate the throne, he can happily live in the country as a respected citizen and he does not need to flee," Nepali Congress central working committee member Narahari Acharya said.
He made the remarks while addressing thousands of people gathered here on Friday to celebrate Thursday's declaration of the revived House of Representatives, The Himalayan Times reported.
Acharya was quoted by the English-language newspaper as saying that the declaration gave the king an opportunity that he may not have to flee the country if he was ready to cooperate with the people's desire of peaceful transition towards a democratic republic.
"The declaration is the first step towards achieving its goal of election to a Constituent Assembly (CA) and it has also severed ties with the old regime," Acharya said, adding that all should be alert and should remain active to create new Nepal through the CA election.
Addressing the same meeting, standing committee member of the Communist Party Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist Ishwor Pokharel said the monarchy will not be completely defeated unless the nation heads for the election to a CA, which will create a democratic polity without the monarchy.
"Beacon of the movement must keep on lighting until a new constitution is made through the CA," Pokharel said, adding that they will make public the misdeeds of the monarchy.
The Nepali Congress (Democratic) party leader Saud said the declaration had shown clear vision to the nation and it was "supreme" as it reflected the voice of the people.
Himlal Puri of the Janamorcha Nepal said the future of monarchy will be decided by the CA election.
On Thursday, the HoR unanimously endorsed the Proclamation tabled by Prime Minister Girija Rasa Koirala that declared the Parliament as the Supreme Authority of the state massively, cutting down the king's rights and taking a number of other momentum decisions. Enditem
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