KATHMANDU (AFX) - Nepal's new government decided Sunday to scrap all royal appointments made by King Gyanendra since he claimed power for himself three and a half years ago, a cabinet minister said.
'The cabinet meeting Sunday decided to revoke all the appointments made by the king during his absolute rule since October 2002,' Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat told AFP.
'The cabinet has also decided to recall 12 ambassadors appointed by the king during his regime,' Mahat said.
Ambassadors recalled include those of the UK, China, France, India, Japan and the US.
All political appointments made by King Gyanendra in ministries and other government offices have also been invalidated, Mahat said.
King Gyanendra dismissed his prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, in October 2002 accusing his administration of corruption and failing to quell an ongoing Maoist rebellion.
He ended his absolute rule last month in the face of mass protests, which left at least 19 people dead, and recalled the parliament he dissolved in May 2002.
Once deadly foes, the political parties and the Maoists late last year entered a loose alliance against King Gyanendra, bringing hundreds of thousands on to the streets last month calling for an end to his absolute rule.
The government last week matched a Maoist ceasefire after a decade of unrest that has claimed more than 12,500 lives, pledging to release political prisoners and pursue talks with the rebels in an effort to restore democracy.
The politicians have backed plans to call elections to a body to rewrite the constitution and limit the powers of the king -- a key demand of the Maoists who began their 'people's war' in 1996 to overthrow the monarchy. newsdesk@afxnews.com afp/ak COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited