Nepal 'painted red' as Maoists surge in vote count

KATHMANDU (AFP) - Nepal's Maoists have extended their stunning surge to victory in historic polls on the Himalayan nation's political future, election officials said Monday as the count passed the one-third mark.

A senior official of the former rebels told AFP that the impoverished country was on the brink of sweeping change. This is expected to include the sacking of unpopular King Gyanendra and the abolition of a 240-year-old monarchy.

Of the 601 seats in a new assembly that will rewrite Nepal's constitution, 203 have been decided or were close to being allocated -- with the ultra-republican Maoists taking 75 seats and leading in 34 others.

source: http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/newsmlmmd.f38a719fc453c9925b0425315eddc2a4.741.html

Nepal's Maoists take surprise election lead

Nepal's former Maoist rebels have taken a surprise early lead in vote-counting after an historic election last week, the country's first in nine years, that is now almost certain to lead to the abolition of the world's last Hindu monarchy.

As counting continued last night, the Maoists looked set to win the largest number of seats, if not an outright majority, in the 601-seat constituent assembly, raising hopes for a radical shake-up of the dysfunctional Nepalese political elite.

The prospect also raises some international concerns, because the Maoists are still listed as terrorists by the United States and have threatened to tear up treaties with India and to abolish Britain's Gurkha Brigade.

The Maoists, who ended a bloody decade-long insurgency in 2006, had won 44 of the 81 seats declared so far and were winning by a similar proportion in many other constituencies, according to election officials.

Nepal's Maoists head for election victory

By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
Monday, 14 April 2008

Less than two years after they ended their armed struggle and entered mainstream politics, Nepal's Maoists are heading towards a shock victory in the country's election.

Results from last week's vote for a national assembly give the former rebels 61 of the 108 seats counted so far. A total of 601 seats are being fought, with complete results not expected for at least another week.

The Maoists were expected to be beaten into third place by their two main rivals, the Communist UML and the Nepali Congress, but these parties have so far secured only 16 seats each.

"This victory is a command by the Nepali people to establish lasting peace," Prachanda, the Maoists' leader, said after securing his constituency seat over the weekend. "We are fully committed to the peace process and multiparty democracy and to rebuild this country."

Nepalis were voting on Thursday for representatives for an assembly that will draw up a new constitution – drawing a line under the a 10-year war that claimed 13,000 deaths. All the major parties say they are committed to abolishing Nepal's 239-year-old monarchy and declaring the country a republic.

The current king, Gyanendra, assumed the throne after the 2001 palace massacre in which eight members of the royal family were murdered by the crown prince, who then turned one of his weapons on himself.

Markedly less popular than his murdered predecessor and brother Birendra, King Gyanendra plunged the monarchy's popularity to a new low in 2005 when he imposed absolute rule for two years.

source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/nepals-maoists-head-for-election-victory-808646.html

Nepal's Maoists Heading to Victory In Election

Nepal's Maoists extend poll lead

Nepal's Maoist party has taken a commanding lead in a landmark election to form an assembly tasked with writing a new constitution.

The Maoists are reported to have about half of the 160 seats declared so far, well ahead of other parties and far more than many analysts had expected.

The party now has a good chance of securing an absolute majority.

The polls are the first to test the Maoists at the ballot box after their 10-year insurgency.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says this is an extraordinary vote of confidence in the Maoists.

The next largest party, the Nepali Congress, is trailing far behind with just 21 seats.

All the top Maoist leaders have won their constituencies, mostly with large majorities.

he party has not just done well in the countryside, it has also won seven of the 15 seats in the Kathmandu valley.

Our correspondent says the establishment parties have better democratic credentials but people regard them as stale.

Several senior politicians have lost, including the nephew and daughter of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the leader of the traditional second party, the Communist UML, as well as a veteran royalist and former prime minister, Surya Bahadur Thapa, who came third in his seat.

There were many accounts of Maoist intimidation in the campaign period, our correspondent says, and some unconfirmed reports of the same on election day but people have given them a huge mandate in any case.

The Maoist leaders have promised to continue cooperating with other parties and say they want good relations with Nepal's powerful neighbours, India and China.

'Committed'

The new assembly is expected to confirm an agreement made in December between the ruling government alliance and former rebels to abolish the 240-year-old monarchy.

The Maoists' leader, known by his nom-de-guerre, Prachanda, called the results a "victory" as he celebrated his win on Saturday in the capital, Kathmandu.

"We are fully committed to the peace process and multiparty democracy and to rebuild this country," he said.

Maoist supporters have been holding victory processions, with red vermillion powder smeared on their faces and red hammer-and-sickle flags in their hands.

The election for the 601-seat assembly is a key element in the peace deal that ended the Maoists' decade-long insurgency.

Although the Maoists have not yet renounced violence, they will almost certainly now have to adjust from being a party of revolt to being a party at the heart of government, our correspondent says.

Results for the 240 constituencies chosen by the first-past-the-post system are expected over the next 10 days, although another 335 seats to be elected by proportional representation are not expected to be decided for several weeks.

The interim government is to appoint the remaining 26 seats.

Nepal held its first polls since 1999 following the Maoists' decision to end their armed struggle in 2006.

King Gyanendra seized absolute power in 2005 but was forced to give up his authoritarian rule the following year after weeks of pro-democracy protests.

He has since lost all his powers and his command of the army.

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7344983.stm