Editing Politics of Nepal (section)

===December 2007 to May 2008: abolition of the monarchy===
On 23 December 2007, an agreement was made for the monarchy to be abolished and the country to become a federal [[republic]] with the Prime Minister becoming [[head of state]].<ref name="Time 20071224">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1698161,00.html |title=Nepal to Abolish Monarchy |first=Binaj |last=Gurubacharya |magazine=Time |date=24 December 2007 |access-date=26 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225150425/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0%2C8599%2C1698161%2C00.html |archive-date=25 December 2007  }}</ref> The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became the largest party amidst a general atmosphere of fear and intimidation from all sides.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11057207&amp;fsrc=nwl|newspaper=The Economist|title=The Maoists triumph | date=17 April 2008}}</ref> A federal republic was established in May 2008, with only four members of the 601-seat Constituent Assembly voting against the change,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7424302.stm Nepal votes to abolish monarchy] BBC News, 28 May 2008</ref> which ended 240 years of royal rule in Nepal. The government announced a public holiday for three days, (28 – 30 May), to celebrate the country becoming a federal republic.