Senior Maoist comes out in public in Nepal

Lekha Nath Neupane, head of the Maoist students wing, began and ended his speech in the centre of the capital with a clenched fist salute to rapturous applause from thousands of people.

"Our hands are not only used for making a fist," he said in the Nepali language. "We are engaged in a revolution for peace but if necessary we can pick up guns and bombs again."

More than 13,000 people have died in the Maoist insurgency, but the guerrillas announced a three-month ceasefire on Thursday in hopes that the reconvened parliament will call elections to a special assembly, which will write a new constitution.

King Gyanendra gave up his absolute powers earlier this week after almost 20 days of crippling protests by hundreds of thousands of his people. He has now invited seven mainstream political parties to form a government and ordered a revival of the parliament he dissolved four years ago.

Neupane, a trim youthful man with unruly hair and glasses, is on police wanted lists and could have been arrested. "I am taking a risk," he told Reuters after his speech to the crowd.

But many in the audience had come to hear him, even if they were not Maoist supporters. "I want to hear what the Maoists have to say," said Debraj Gautam, a student.

"We want peace in the country, that's why I am here."

But anti-monarchy sentiment was high, and many parroted the Maoists' demand for a republic.

"He is a criminal, he is not fit to be king," another student, who did not give his name, said of Gyanendra. "There is no protection for him."

Neupane told Reuters the Maoists had two main demands -- that parliament, which was holding its first session less than 1 km away, call elections to a constituent assembly, and that Nepal become a democratic republic.

If these demands were not met, they would take up guns again.

"The reason for the three-month ceasefire is that we want to get on the road to achieve peace, prosperity and independence for the Nepali people," Neupane said. "If the road doesn't reach its destination, we will have no alternative."

He said that about 100,000 Maoists had taken part in the street protests to force the king to back down. "Many of our supporters were wounded by police. The 20-day campaign was built on the strength of our 10-year war against the monarch, this is the universal truth."