The crowd at last week's Democracy Day celebrations at Basantapur pelted stones and water bottles at Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel because he did not speak in favour of republicanism. In gatherings across Nepal, Poudel has said he is against the establishment of a republic through a referendum and elections to a constituent assembly.

Poudel is thought to be flip-flopping because he wants to hold onto both his positions, those of party president and minister. Sujata Koirala's camp in the party is said to have asked him to give one up. When it started to become clear just how power hungry he was, those in the party in favour of a ceremonial monarchy started to manipulate him.

Those close to him are not surprised that Poudel is so adamant, but they worry that his beliefs are giving the Nepali Congress a bad name, and the left parties an edge.

NC party workers throughout the nation have been pressuring the party to clarify its stance on the republic issue, saying that they cannot go to their constituents until they know this.

Since he became minister, Poudel has been diverting money from the budget of ministries allotted to the Maoists to his own. The Maoist ministers have realised what is happening and threatened to raise this issue at the next meeting of the council of ministers.