क्रान्तीकारी नेपाल

By YUVRAJ ACHARYA
The Associated Press
Saturday, December 16, 2006; 12:34 AM
KATMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s ruling parties and communist rebels reached an agreement on an interim constitution Saturday, a crucial development in the country’s peace process.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, leaders of the seven ruling alliance and Maoist rebel leader Prachanda reached the agreement Saturday morning after meeting all night, said Arjun Narsingh of Koirala’s Nepali Congress.
The interim constitution would be in place until a permanent one is prepared by a special assembly to be elected next year. Besides creating a new constitution, the assembly would also decide how Nepal’s political system will operate.
Narsingh said the ruling parties and rebels agreed that all executive powers would remain with the prime minister, and that King Gyanendra, who was stripped of most of his powers and command of the army earlier this year, would have “absolutely no power.”
The king will remain without powers until the elected assembly decides if the Himalayan kingdom should continue to have a king or get rid of the monarchy.
The government and rebels last month signed a peace accord under which thousands of rebel fighters will be confined to U.N.-monitored camps without access to their weapons.
The rebels waged a 10-year insurgency for a communist state, leaving more than 13,000 people dead. In April, they declared a cease-fire and began peace talks with the government.
The ruling party and rebel leaders have been meeting this week to work out differences over the interim constitution. The main differences had been over the rebels’ wishes to include education, health care and employment as fundamental rights.