Nepal's Maoist leader has warned that the rebels will go back to war unless Nepal is made a republic following constituent assembly elections, local media reported yesterday. The new government and rebel Maoists have observed a ceasefire for over a month, after King Gyanendra was forced to end his total rule in April after weeks of anti-royal protests. "There is no political way out unless the country opts for a republican setup. If the parties are not ready to accept republicanism as per the aspirations of people...we are ready to wage the final war," Prachanda said at a meeting in Morang district in eastern Nepal, the Nepali language daily Samacharpatra reported. The new government has agreed to a key Maoist demand, for elections to a body that will rewrite the constitution, and both sides have agreed on a ceasefire code of conduct.
| So the Maoists have won, and now it remains to dispose of the bodies. |