Nepal peace deal to be signed on Nov 21

Chundevi (Nepal): The peace accord between the Nepal Government and Maoists is to be signed on November 21.

The Interim constitution is to be promulgated on the same day while other deadlines stand.

Therefore, the House will be dissolved on November 25 and the Interim Government will be sworn in on December 1.

Maoist leader Prachanda will be coming to Delhi on Friday as their differences have not been resolved yet.

Nepal's Maoists believe in the peaceful transformation of their nation but will not rule out a return to armed struggle, their leader Prachanda said on Thursday.

As the government and rebels hammered out the final details of a comprehensive peace deal, Prachanda, said it was still too early to declare an end to the decade-long insurgency.

But even if the road to a permanent peace remained ''tortuous'', he was confident the end was in sight.

''We have a political agreement to change the socio-economic conditions in a peaceful way - a peaceful transformation is possible now and armed conflict is going to be over,'' he said.

The Maoists have achieved their main aim - agreement to hold an election to a special assembly to draft a new constitution and, they hope, abolish the centuries-old monarchy.

Next month, they are due to join an interim government meant to conduct that election by June 2007.

''There are some difficulties. But the peace process will not break, it will not derail,'' he said.

Nevertheless, the rebellion would not end until his forces were integrated with the National army, a process he expected to be complete shortly after those elections.

In the meantime, the ''masses'' would be on alert for any signs of ''sabotage'' or violence from ''feudal lords'', the monarchy or the army.

''If the old army and the old state will make a repression of our masses, if they will resort to any kind of violence against our masses, the right of resistance of the masses will be there,'' Prachanda said.

''Until and unless the integration of the army and developing a new national army is reached, it will not be over,'' he added.