- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4992508.stm Nepal votes to curb king's powers Nepal's king reinstated parliament after mass protests MPs in Nepal have unanimously approved a landmark plan to drastically curtail the powers of King Gyanendra, including stripping him of control of the army. Under the plans, the royal family will pay tax and parliament will control the army and name the heir to the throne. The proclamation has been described as a Nepalese Magna Carta, effectively making the king a ceremonial figure. The move follows mass street protests in April which led the king to recall parliament and end direct palace rule. The army will be from now on mobilised by the order of the prime minister and the government Senior Congress Party spokesman Minendra Rijal Cutting the king's powers is a key demand of the pro-democracy protesters and of Maoist rebels who have fought for a republic for 10 years. The interim government's proclamation overrides the 1990 constitution, which handed most power to parliament but kept the monarchy involved in politics. Mass protests MPs had been due to discuss the issue of the king's powers on Monday but the debate was put off while politicians fine-tuned their plans. King Gyanendra's successor will now be decided by parliament Correspondents said the proposals were sure to be adopted as governing parties account for more than 90% of MPs in the 205-member parliament. The plans include bringing 90,000 troops under the direct control of the parliament and bringing the royal family and its assets under the tax net. The move also scraps the royal advisory council, the Raj Parishad, that has the authority to name the heir to the throne - a power that will now be held by parliament. Parliament has already voted in favour of holding elections to a constituent assembly which could than draft a new constitution and determine the future role of the monarchy. King Gyanendra seized power in February 2005 accusing his government of not securing peace talks with Maoist rebels and failing to prepare for elections.