Nepal's intricate political theatre on Saturday turned more complex when Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala rejected Maoists' demand to announce the country as a republic from the parliament.
In a knee-jerk reaction to the Maoists' threat to launch a massive country-wide protest, Koirala rejected the Maoist demand for republic and said it was against the existing constitutional provisions in Nepal.
The Maoists have been demanding that Nepal be declared a republic before the Constituent Assembly election, and has also been asking for a fully proportional electoral system.
The Maoist leaders, including Chairman Prachanda, believed that a fully-proportional electoral system would brighten their prospects in the proposed Constituent Assembly election.