Nepali Maoists won't tolerate monarchy

Krishna Bahadur Mahara said the Maoists did not want to return to violence after calling a temporary ceasefire in their decade-long insurgency, amid tentative peace moves with the newly-formed interim government.

But he repeatedly refused to say what the Maoists would do if Nepal's monarch were given even a ceremonial role in a planned new constitution due to be thrashed out at an unspecified date.

King Gyanendra ended 14 months of absolute rule in the face of mass anti-monarchy protests in April and was forced to recall parliament after a four-year break.

The legislature immediately demanded elections to a body to write a new constitution, which could abolish the 250-year-old monarchy or reduce it to a ceremonial role.

"We won't be giving up arms to the government before the constituent assembly elections," said Mahara in an interview with AFP at a secret location in Kathmandu. "We will keep our arms, otherwise it will demoralise our army."