Nepal rebels, parties to decide about arms

KATHMANDU, July 14 (Reuters) Nepal's Maoist rebels, who say they have about 36,000 fighters, and the interim government will decide next week what to do with the arms carried by the insurgents.

A meeting of top leaders of Nepal's seven main parties, who are now in power and the Maoists on July 21 would also clear the hurdles before the rebels join the interim cabinet, Madhav Kumar Nepal, head of the Communist Party of Nepal-UML, said today.

Nepal was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Maoist chief Prachanda, who has led a bloody war against Nepal's monarchy since 1996 in which more than 13,000 people have been killed.

The rebels joined hands with the seven-party alliance last year to wage a decisive fight against King Gyanendra who assumed absolute power in February 2005 after sacking the government, saying it had failed to curb the Maoists rebellion.

In April, the king bowed to weeks of street protests and reinstated parliament, handing over power to the parties. The Maoists have since been in talks with the interim government on the future of the restive nation.

Crucial in these negotiations is disarming the rebels, which they have firmly rejected.

The government has invited the United Nations to ''monitor'' the weapons of the army as well as the rebels. But Maoists say they want their fighters to be integrated with the Nepal Army.

The United States, a key donor providing 45 million dollars a year to the impoverished nation, has threatened to withdraw the aid if the rebels, listed by Washington as terrorists, joined the government without laying down arms.

REUTERS SI BST2059