Nepal's army chief swears allegiance to parliament

The chief of Nepal's 90,000-strong army, once loyal to King Gyanendra, has taken an oath of allegiance to parliament which was reinstated after the monarch was stripped of his political power.

"The chief of army staff and 14 other senior government officials took the oath of office in front of the speaker at the parliamentary secretariat Thursday afternoon," said Mukunda Sharma, parliament's spokesman.

Army chief Pyar Jung Thapa said soon after the royal back down in April, that the military was prepared to work under parliament.

The king lost control over the army and was stripped of his political powers after weeks of pro-democracy protests forced him to end 14 months direct rule.

In the wake of the royal turnabout, the new government sacked dozens of officials including the head of the police, but spared Thapa as head of the army.

The force's name, however, was changed by parliamentary decree from the Royal Nepal Army to the Nepal Army.

- RADIO AUSTRALIA