Nepal's Maoists to allow police posts to reopen

KATHMANDU, Jan 3 (Reuters) Nepali police posts closed by Maoist threats during a decade-old revolt will be allowed to reopen to ensure timely polls for an assembly to map the nation's political future, the rebel chief said today.

Nepal's multiparty government and the Maoists signed a landmark peace deal in November declaring an end to the conflict in which more than 13,000 people have died.

Under the deal, the Maoists are to join an interim government to oversee elections for a constituent assembly with the task of drawing up a new constitution for the Himalayan nation and deciding the future of its monarchy, which they want abolished.

This week, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said the rebels were refusing to allow the government to reopen police posts, saying this could delay the elections planned by mid-June.

Maoist chief Prachanda responded today. ''We direct our party workers to provide necessary support to the government to immediately open the police posts in the Terai,'' he said in a statement, referring to the southern plains.

Prachanda said police posts in the hill regions should be reopened gradually in consultation with the rebels.

The government says hundreds of police posts closed due to threats from Maoist rebels in the past should be reopened immediately to ensure peaceful elections.

But Maoists were so far insisting that the facilities be reopened only after they joined the interim administration.

''Our party is prepared for any sacrifice and to take any initiative to ensure that the election for the constituent assembly is held on schedule,'' Prachanda said.

The vote was a long-running rebel demand.

REUTERS BDP VV1919