Nepal: Ban urges end to stalemate, days before deadline for new constitution

Cantonment in Surkhet, Nepal, provides temporary shelter for People's Liberation Army (Maoist combatants)

23 May 2011 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced concern that despite the fast-approaching deadline for Nepal’s Constituent Assembly to complete its work, there is still no agreement on the contentious issues of the integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants and the key elements of a new constitution. A constitution is supposed to be adopted by Nepal’s parliamentarians by 28 May as part of the peace process introduced after the civil war between Government forces and Maoists ended in 2007 and the monarchy was abolished.
Mr. Ban recently discussed the situation in Nepal with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, while the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, spoke by telephone with the leaders of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal–Maoist (UCPN-M) and the Nepali Congress (NC) to urge the Nepalese leaders to act effectively.
“The Secretary-General underlines that it is now more than ever incumbent upon the key political actors to show leadership and carry out the necessary compromises to preserve the peace process and complete the drafting of the new constitution,” said a statement issued by his spokesperson