Nepali Maoists call for new national flag

Maoist lawmakers in Nepal have demanded the national flag be changed to reflect the country's new status as the world's youngest republic, a party spokesman said yesterday.
Nepal's last king left the throne in 2008 after the Maoists won landmark elections and voted to abolish the country's 240-year-old Hindu monarchy.
But the sun and moon that appear on the flag are associated with the Rana and Shah dynasties that once ruled Nepal, and the Maoists say it should be changed to reflect the country's new status.
"We and some other parties think it would be best to change the flag to reflect the spirit of the country," Maoist spokesman Dinanath Sharma told AFP.
"The current flag does not represent the aspirations of the people."
The debate over the national flag is part of negotiations to draft a new constitution in Nepal as required by the 2006 peace agreement that followed a 10-year civil conflict between the Maoists and the state.
Nepal's flag is unique in that it is made up of two triangles -- every other country in the world has a rectangular flag.
Its white crescent moon and sun are set against a red background to represent victory, with a blue border to represent peace.