Nominated member of the National Assembly Dipta Prakash Shah resigned Thursday, an announcement of the Royal Palace said.

King Gyanendra has accepted his resignation. The King’s nominee had completed only one year of a six-year term in the National Assembly, which is a permanent House.

Shah is a retired army officer and a lawyer. He had made a controversial statement reported in the press that Maoists should be included in an interim government. The Royal Palace has not given any reasons for the resignation.

According to the Constitution of Nepal 1990, the King nominates ten out of the 60 members to the National Assembly, the upper chamber of parliament from amongst persons of high reputation who have rendered prominent service in various fields of national life.