IANS
 
Kathmandu, Dec 29: Nepal's King Gyanendra, who ascended the throne twice against all odds, on Friday paid a heavy price for his attempt to revert to absolute reign as the parliament abolished the kingdom's two-century-old monarchy to make it a federal democratic republic.

Without waiting for the election to seal the fate of King Gyanendra, legislators finally took the matter in their own hands and voted overwhelmingly to oust the king, whose 14-month absolute regime stoked immense public anger.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who had been single-handedly opposing the Maoist demand to abolish monarchy immediately, finally capitulated, following months' wrangling and mounting pressure from the international community.

The octogenarian leader on Friday made a rare appearance in parliament to take part in the historic vote in which 270 of the 321 parliamentarians gave their nod to removing the king.

Only three MPs, including Pashupati Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, chief of the formerly royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and a kinsman of the king, opposed the proposal tabled by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Bikram Nembang on Monday.

After the twice-postponed constituent assembly election is held, the implementation of the proclamation starts. The king now has till mid-April unless another drastic change occurs.