Nepal Gov't Set to Curtail King's Power

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060514/ap_on_re_as/nepal



Nepal Gov't Set to Curtail King's Power
By NEELESH MISRA, Associated Press Writer

KATMANDU, Nepal - Nepal's new government is preparing to curtail King Gyanendra's powers and privileges, the finance minister said Saturday, further eroding the monarch's authority after mass demonstrations ended his authoritarian rule.

A parliamentary declaration having the effect of law is being prepared, Finance Minister Ram Saran Mahat told The Associated Press.

"The document will certainly curtail the king's power and privileges ... but what the specifics will be, we are discussing," Mahat said.

The minister also said Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries, was in a deep financial crisis and appealed for urgent international help.