Newly crowned Miss Nepal Sitasma Chand (C), first runner up Badna Sharma (L) and second runner up Shweta Shah (R) press their palms together in greeting following the contest in Kathmandu in 2007. — Photo from AFP/File.

KATHMANDU The organisers of Miss Nepal said Thursday they would relaunch the controversial beauty pageant after the fall of the Maoist-led government, which branded the event 'anti-women.'

Applications for the 2009 contest have already been received after last year's event was cancelled at the last moment due to the Maoists' objections.

'Last year we called off the programme for security reasons. We are hopeful that this year we won't have any disturbances,' said Girendra Man Rajbanshi, managing director of event organiser Hidden Treasure.

'We are welcoming applications from young Nepalese girls all over the country to take part in this year's Miss Nepal.' The Maoists formed a government last year after winning landmark elections, and lawmakers from the party later said they would not allow the Miss Nepal event to take place.

'We don't need such a thing in the new federal democratic republic of Nepal where women are treated as objects of entertainment,' Maoist lawmaker Amrita Thapa told AFP at the time.

But Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal — who goes by the name Prachanda — resigned as prime minister in May after just eight months in the job following a row with the president over the head of the army.

'We don't understand why only our programme was targeted when dozens of beauty pageants took place in the country the same year,' said Rajbanshi, who denied the event was exploitative.

Organisers said the pageant would be held in September and the winner would represent Nepal at the annual Miss World contest. — AFP