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With Constituent Assembly extended, Ban calls on Nepal to advance peace process

Voter registration in Nepal.
IRIN/Naresh Newar
Voter registration in Nepal.

With Constituent Assembly extended, Ban calls on Nepal to advance peace process

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today noted the decision to extend Nepal’s Constituent Assembly, which is tasked with drafting the new constitution, and called on all parties to fulfil their commitments to take the peace process forward.

Nepal has been trying to work out the remaining aspects of the peace process that in 2007 ended the decade-long civil war between Government forces and Maoists that claimed 13,000 lives.

“The Secretary-General is encouraged by the growing consensus amongst the political parties in Nepal to take the peace process forward,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

“He notes the decision taken today to extend the Constituent Assembly by six more months and calls on all concerned to fulfil their commitments.”

Earlier this month Mr. Ban welcomed the agreement reached among Nepal’s political parties on resolving the outstanding issues related to the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants.

The South Asian nation has been plagued by political disputes since the conflict ended and the monarchy was abolished. Several deadlines to draft a new constitution have been missed.