Nepal ready to abolish monarchy

By Charles Haviland
BBC News, kathmandu

Maoists are in the majority in the new assembly

A newly-elected assembly is set to meet in Nepal with the tasks of abolishing the monarchy and preparing a new national constitution.

Nepal is due to become a republic on Wednesday. As the assembly was being sworn in on Tuesday a bomb explosion in the capital injured two people.

The assembly is huge and the ceremony saw 575 men and women being sworn in, many in traditional clothing.

The ceremony was performed by an older member of the newly-elected body.

Huge change

Many used their mother tongues for the occasion in this ethnically mixed country.

Just 26 more members have yet to be nominated by the biggest parties.

Nepal stands on the brink of huge change.

King Gyanendra has given no sign he will step down willingly

The assembly has been given the initial task of rubber-stamping the abolition of the monarchy.

Reports said King Gyanendra and Queen Komal were seen driving out of the royal palace on Tueasday afternoon, but it was not clear where they were going or for how long they would be gone.

Senior politicians have urged the monarch to leave the palace peacefully, but some have said force might be used if that does not happen.

Exactly how a republic will be voted in is still not clear.

For the second day running, bombs were placed in the capital on Tuesday.

Two were left in a city centre park, but police said only one exploded, slightly injuring two people.

As before, pamphlets were found in the name of a little-known hardline Hindu group.

Some militant pro-Hindu and pro-royal factions are campaigning violently against Nepal's shedding of its royal - and its officially Hindu - status.