NEW DELHI, May 5 (UPI) -- Political change is in the offing in Nepal, and the massive reduction in King Gyanendra's powers has drawn the attention of global powers such as Britain.
In an interview with India's The Tribune newspaper Friday, British High Commissioner to India Sir Michael Arthur said that his country welcomed the progress in Nepal, and looked forward to greater empowerment of the Nepalese people.
"The recent developments in Nepal are encouraging and we welcome these. Resumption of political process and the forming of a constituent assembly is yet to start," he said. "Right now what has happened is that the immediate crisis has been averted. But this is not the end of the story."
The next step, Arthur said, was the formation of a constituent assembly.
"The constituent assembly is required to rewrite the constitution. I expect that the role of the king can change. I expect some significant changes," he said, adding that he saw it as only a matter of time before the king's powers are further reduced, empowering the people.
As a result of the changing Nepali political landscape, Arthur said, "my country is considering unfreezing the substantial British aid to Nepal."
