Nepal: Secretary-General welcomes extension of Constituent Assembly

(May 31, 2010) The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday 29^th of May, welcomed the extension of the Constituent Assembly in Nepal, which has been tasked with drafting the country's new constitution. According to media reports, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has announced he will step down after Maoists agreed to support his proposal to extend the Assembly's term, which expired Friday. The body was elected in May 2008, two years after the Government and the Maoists signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement ending a decade-long civil war that claimed some 13,000 lives in the South Asian nation. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said that he “commends all parties concerned, their leaders and the Prime Minister, for the compromise that preserved the country's peace process, and for their commitment to national unity.” He also called on all the parties to solve other pending issues in the spirit of consensus and cooperation, to carry the peace process forward. For her part, the Secretary-General's Representative, Karin Landgren, said that the extension of the Assembly “secures the continuation of the peace process and was made possible through intensive dialogue and readiness to compromise.” The UN Mission in Nepal established in 2007, has been assisting the country with the peace process.