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Nepal elections agreement reached Nepal elections agreement reached
(about 3 hours later)
The government of Nepal and Maoist rebels have agreed to hold elections by the middle of June, and form a special assembly to write a new constitution. The government of Nepal and Maoist rebels have agreed on elections to a special assembly which will write a new constitution by the middle of June.
They say an election commission will be established for this purpose as soon as possible. The decision came on the second day of key peace talks. They say an election commission will be established for this purpose as soon as possible. The decision came at the end of a second day of key peace talks.
The talks are aimed at ending the Maoist's decade-long insurgency. The talks were aimed at ending the Maoist's decade-long insurgency.
The two sides will meet again on Thursday when they hope to reach a consensus on a whole range of issues.The two sides will meet again on Thursday when they hope to reach a consensus on a whole range of issues.
Those talks will include the Maoists' participation in an interim government. 'Serious and good'
A senior leader of the governing coalition, Bimlendra Nidhi, said that Tuesday's talks were held in a "cordial atmosphere". The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says that one of the main government negotiators, Pradip Gyanwali, sounded optimistic as he told the BBC the two sides had agreed on a date for constituent assembly elections.
The rebels have differed with the government over giving up arms
Our correspondent says that the two sides have long agreed such polls will take place, but there is now a timescale.
The will take place between mid-May and mid-June and an election commissioner is to be named shortly.
The Maoists hope the assembly will make Nepal into a republic.
Mr Gyanwali said the atmosphere at the talks had been "serious and good".
The country's 85-year-old prime minister, GP Koirala, said that this would be the last mission of his political career, and he wanted to secure Nepal's future.
The government and the Maoists will now work on a draft agreement aiming to secure consensus on all issues currently outstanding.
These will be presented at further top-level talks on Thursday.
Assurances
One of the most contentious questions is that of the Maoists' weapons.
The minister said the Maoist leader, Prachanda, had given several assurances that whatever is done about their arms, the rebels would not misuse them.
This question has so far blocked rebel participation in an interim government.
Many people prefer a constituent assembly to decide on the future of monarchyMany people prefer a constituent assembly to decide on the future of monarchy
He said that the two sides had agreed to appoint the election commissioners in a week's time who would make preparations for constituent assembly elections by June next year. Our correspondent says that the atmosphere outside the talks venue was heated.
Mr Nidhi said a final date for elections will only be decided after an interim administration is put in place. Scores of pro-Maoist demonstrators shouted slogans demanding that the monarchy should be abolished.
Tuesday's talks - the second round of negotiations since a ceasefire took effect in April - were between leaders of the governing seven-party alliance and the Maoists. But just around the corner victims of the Maoists from the villages displayed bloody pictures of people they said had been killed by the rebels.
The aim is to end the 10-year Maoist insurgency. A truce has been in place since April after a popular uprising forced king Gyanendra to end his direct rule and give way to a multi-party government.
The two sides differ over the key issue of disarming the rebels, the future of the monarchy and a proposed interim government.
The Maoists, who are demanding that the monarchy be abolished, have warned that if these talks fail, they will launch massive protests in Nepal's cities.
Disarmament
The 85-year-old prime minister, GP Koirala, has said Nepal should give a positive message to the world by settling its problems through dialogue.
In the earlier talks, both sides agreed to hold constituent assembly elections next year to draft a new constitution.
They also agreed to seek UN supervision of the arms management question, and confine their respective troops within designated camps and barracks.
The government wants the rebels to disarm ahead of inducting them into an interim administration to hold the assembly elections.
The rebels have refused. They insist that political issues should be settled ahead of the disarmament.
A truce has been in place since April after a popular uprising forced king Gyanendra to end his direct rule and give way to a multi-party government of the agitating parties.
The rebels, who backed the anti-king agitation, subsequently entered into peace talks to end the conflict that has left 13,000 people dead.The rebels, who backed the anti-king agitation, subsequently entered into peace talks to end the conflict that has left 13,000 people dead.
Although the monarch has recently been stripped of all executive power, the rebels want the immediate abolition of the monarchy.
Mr Koirala has ruled that out. He wants the fate of the monarchy to be decided by the constituent assembly elections next year.