29 May 2008

Welcome, Nepal, to the world of democracy

Nepal fired their king yesterday. The country's newly-elected Assembly voted overwhelmingly to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic. Ex-king Gyanendra has been given 15 days to pack his bags and vacate the palace. That may seem like short notice but he wasn't paying rent, so he can't complain. Losing his $3.1-million annual allowance will probably hurt a lot more, to say nothing of seeing his face disappear from the national currency.

In any case, we don't have to worry about his ex-majesty's future. Apparently, he is quite wealthy with interests in a number of industries. I wish him a long, happy life, but much more importantly, I wish Nepal great success in its democratic adventure. The hard work starts now.

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