Maoists big winners in Nepal election

KHATHMANDU, Nepal, April 25 (UPI) -- The Maoists won 220 seats in the new Nepali parliament, winning more than any other party in both direct and proportional voting, officials said Friday.

The group took 100 of the 335 seats chosen by proportional representation and 120 of the 240 chosen by directing voting in the April 10 election, the Press Trust of India reported. Another 26 representatives in the 601-member parliament are to be named by the prime minister.

The Maoists fought a guerrilla war for 10 years against the monarchy. The group agreed to disarm and turn to the ballot box after King Gyanendra gave up absolute power in 2006.

The Nepali Congress led by Prime Minister G P Koirala came in second with a total of 110 seats, followed by the Marxist-Leninist Party with 103.

The Maoist election victory could mean the end of the Nepalese monarchy, since the party favors abolition.