KATHMANDU, Nepal, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Elections for an assembly to write a new constitution for Nepal were postponed Friday.
The vote had been scheduled for Nov. 22.
Political disagreements between the Nepali government and Maoist rebels on issues like abolition of the monarchy led to the decision, The New York Times reported.
“What is important now is that the political parties maintain their alliance and go forward to agree on how to create the conditions for the Constituent Assembly election,” Ian Martin, head of the U.N. mission in Nepal, said Friday in a statement.
Sushil Koirala, president of the Nepal Congress, blamed the Maoists for making impossible demands. Prachanda, the leader of the Maoists, blamed the government.
Thousands of people died in a long guerrilla war. After King Gyanendra attempted to establish absolute rule, mass protests forced him to back down and in early 2006 the Maoists agreed to a truce.
