Lawyers condemn Nepal government

Lawyers say rule by decree has replaced the rule of law

Lawyers in Nepal have demanded the immediate dissolution of the country's government.

Nepal's Bar Association said the formation of the government by King Gyanendra when he assumed direct power in February was unconstitutional.

The king has said his takeover was necessary to combat Maoist insurgents and to tackle corruption.

The lawyers have already held protests demanding the return of civil rights suspended after the royal takeover.

Nepal's Bar Association, which represents about 10,000 law professionals, passed a resolution at the end of a two-day meeting saying that King Gyanendra's takeover was an extreme violation of the country's constitution.

The resolution also said that the royal-appointed government should be scrapped immediately.

Independent

The lawyers also attacked a series of measures taken by the authorities, including the formation of a powerful anti-corruption body, press restrictions and the arrest of political opponents.

The government spokesman was unavailable for comment on the lawyers' resolution.

Journalists want the ban on broadcasting news to be lifted

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the legal system in Nepal does retain independence - since February, the Supreme Court has challenged many of the royal authority's actions.

But he says many lawyers have been dismayed by the chief justice's open and firm support for the royal takeover.

In a related development, nearly 200 journalists held a rally in the capital, Kathmandu, demanding the lifting on the ban on FM radio stations to broadcast news.

Nearly 48 private FM stations in Nepal were forbidden to broadcast news after the royal takeover - a ban which remained even after the state of emergency was lifted.

Officials had blamed these stations for highlighting the violence by Maoist rebels.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) estimates that hundreds of radio journalists have lost their jobs because of the restriction.

The president of the federation, Bishnu Nisthuri, said the journalists would continue their protest until democratic rights of the people were restored.