KATHMANDU, May 20 - At a time when the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) widely expected to declare the country a republic nears, Chairman of Rastriya Prajantatra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) Kamal Thapa Tuesday expressed confidence that the monarchy will remain in the country.

Speaking at a programme oragnised in the capital to felicitate the CA members of RPP-N elected through the proportional representation system, Chairman Thapa said that the monarchy will remain in the country even after the first CA sitting.

Thapa said that the major parties with enough CA members to implement the republic should not rush into any decision that may affect the fate of the King as it might upset the nation’s integrity.

He also claimed that the implementation of a republic in haste might result in a big accident in the nation as other major issues including drafting a new constitution, army integration and federalism will have to be dealt with before deciding the fate of the monarchy.