South Asia News

Key Nepal election scheduled for November

May 31, 2007, 10:59 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepal's ruling coalition members Thursday agreed to hold a key election in mid-November to decide the fate of the monarchy and write a new constitution.

The agreement to hold the constituent assembly election came after a series of talks between top leaders of the eight party coalition with the prime minister.

'After discussions, we have agreed to hold the constituent assembly elections in mid-November,' Maoist member Dinanath Sharma said.

The exact date however, will be decided by the ministerial cabinet by early next week. The constituent assembly election was originally scheduled for mid-June.

But it was postponed after Nepal's powerful election commission last month said it would be unable to hold the election, citing lack of time and inability of ruling parties to adopt necessary electoral laws.

The constituent assembly election will chose a panel of representatives who will write Nepal's new constitution and vote to decide whether Nepal remains a monarchy or becomes a republic.

Maoist leader Shrama added that his party was still pressing the government to vote on the issue of the monarchy in the interim legislature.

The Maoists have maintained that allowing the monarchy to remain could endanger the rescheduled polls.

But Nepal's largest party, the Nepali Congress, has stuck to its stand that as per the peace agreement in November 2006, the issue will be settled after the constituent assembly elections.