In Nepal, members of parliament and cabinet ministers have taken a fresh oath of office, this time in a ceremony that excluded the king and which was held in parliament instead of his palace.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, 84, had to skip the event due to ill health.
The speaker of the House of Representatives, Subhash Nemwang, administered the oath of office. He said the swearing-in was held in accordance with the proclamation by the house on May 18 that severely curtailed King Gyanendra's powers.
Before the proclamation, the monarch used to swear in the prime minister and lawmakers. Nemwang said that from now on the oaths will be taken in parliament.
Curtailing the king's powers was a key demand during pro-democracy protests earlier this year, which forced the monarch to give up total control of the government and to reinstate parliament.