Nepal sets key national elections for November 22

KATHMANDU, June 24 (Reuters) Nepal's interim government said today elections for a constituent assembly that will decide the fate of the monarchy and cap a peace process with former Maoist rebels will be held on November. 22.

Polls for the 497-member assembly, which will draft a new constitution, were due to take place this month but officials said they were unable to organise them at such short notice.

''The cabinet and government are confident the election will be held in November,'' Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The Maoists, who signed a peace deal last November ending a decade-long insurgency which killed more than 13,000 people, want Nepal to become a republic.

The former rebels have called for the immediate abolition of the monarchy, saying embattled King Gyanendra could sabotage the assembly vote.

But Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala says the issue must be settled at the first meeting of the new assembly as agreed in the peace deal.

''Koirala does not have a clear view about monarchy,'' Maoist chief Prachanda was quoted as saying in excerpts of an interview to be broadcast during Indian television channel CNN-IBN's Devil's Advocate programme later today.

''He always vacillates between the question of monarchy and republic.'' Last week, the interim parliament passed a key election law reserving seats in the new assembly for women and ethnic groups from traditionally marginalised parts of the impoverished Himalayan nation.

It hopes that will calm ethnic protests that killed more than 60 people this year.

On Friday, the United Nations human rights agency said the inability of police to restore law and order was a major impediment to creating conditions for free and fair elections.

Officials say 17.6 million of Nepal's 26 million people will be eligible to vote in the election, the first national polls in eight years.

REUTERS SBC PM1900