Nepal Maoists accuse government of poll delay

KATHMANDU, Feb 1 (Reuters) Maoists in Nepal threatened today to launch street protests if the government delayed this year's assembly elections, putting fresh strains on a peace deal which ended a decade of bloodshed.

Under the November peace pact, elections are to be held for a constituent assembly in mid-June. The assembly would then be tasked to write a new constitution and decide the fate of Nepal's monarchy.

The vote was a key demand of the Maoists, who fought the monarchy in a conflict which killed more than 13,000 people.

But today, Maoist chief Prachanda accused the government of trying to delay the elections.

He pointed to delays in locking up rebel and army weapons -- a requirement of their peace deal under which all arms are to be locked under UN supervision before the elections -- as well foot-dragging in updating voter lists.

''This is an indication of the delay in forming an interim government and not holding the constituent assembly elections by mid-June,'' said Prachanda, criticising the government for the first time since the Maoists joined an interim parliament last month.

''If this is not rectified it will hit the peace process seriously. We will be forced to launch a peaceful protest movement,'' he told reporters. The government said the weapons handover was going smoothly and that it was committed to holding the elections as per schedule.

''If there are no new interruptions, we will hold the elections on time,'' Tourism Minister Pradip Gyanwali, who is also a government negotiator in talks with the rebels, told Reuters.

Analysts said the former rebels had used similar pressure tactics last year before striking the power-sharing deal, but had not carried out the threats.

MORE KILLINGS The Nepal peace process has been overshadowed in the past two weeks by protests by ethnic Madhesis of the southern plains, who say the pact had failed to give them better representation in the parliament and government.

Thirteen people have been killed, including two shot dead by police on Thursday, in protests by Madhesis demanding more places in the upcoming constituent assembly and in parliament.

Prachanda said demands of the Madhesi people were genuine but added ''reactionary'' forces and former royalists were fuelling the protests to delay the assembly elections.

Amnesty International said on Thursday it was ''gravely concerned'' by the latest outbreak of violence, urging Kathmandu to punish security forces if they are found guilty of rights violations.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala vowed to turn Nepal into a federal state and increase representation of ethnic groups, including Madhesis, in the assembly.

Reuters SP DB2117