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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.
source : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3740061.eceNepal's Maoists head for election victory
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