Nepal's Cabinet agreed to extend by six months a U.N. mission overseeing the peace accord between the government and former Maoists, Nepalnews.com reported.

The mission's term was to end in January but the extension, which must be approved by Nepal's seven-party alliance, would allow the U.N. Mission in Nepal to continue its work for another six months after January as the Himalayan kingdom remains locked in a political crisis.

The U.N.-led peace accord last year helped end Nepal's decadelong Maoist insurgency in which some 13,000 people died. The rebels have since agreed to surrender their weapons to U.N. monitors and join an interim government.

The process, however, is threatening to come apart after the rebels resigned from the government in September to press demands for the abolition of the kingdom's 238-year-old monarchy and making Nepal a republic.

The Cabinet decision, however, didn't include expanding the UNMIN's mandate, Nepalnews.com reported. Nepalese Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan said such decisions can come only after approval from the alliance.

The former rebels' resignation forced an indefinite postponement of Constituent Assembly elections set for later this month. The assembly would draft a new constitution to decide Nepal's future.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International




Publication date: 15 November 2007   

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