Govt, Maoists agree on peace, formation of interim government

Kathmandu, Nov 8 (UNI) Nepal's seven-party alliance Government and Maoist rebels have signed a historic agreement to form an interim government to end the ten-year-long insurgency in the Himalayan nation.

The two sides signed a 15-point agreement at the end of the 14-hour-long meeting held at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's residence Baluwatar last night attended by senior leaders of the seven parties and the Maoists.

According to the agreement, future of the monarchy will be decided by the first meeting of the constituent assembly, the interim government with Maoists will be formed by December 1, the present House of Representatives will be dissolved by November 26 and new interim constitution will be announced by the House.

The Maoist People's Liberation Army will be kept in 7 divisions and 21 brigades across the country by November 21 and will be monitored by the UN.

An interim legislature containing 330 members will be formed, including 75 representatives from the Nepali Congress, 73 each from the CPN-UML and Maoists and other will be from small parties represented in the parliament.

Peoples's government and courts run by the Maoists will also be announced to have been dissolved along with the announcement of the interim constitution and interim legislature.

The King will have no role in country's state affairs and late King Birendra and Ayesworya and their family members' property will be nationalised and converted into a trust, to be run by the government.

The leaders said the agreement was historic to end the conflict and start a new era in Nepal.

UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said, ''It was a historic agreement and the unity of the eight parties would remain intact.

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