Nepal to hold elections after two decades

Kathmandu: Nepal will hold their first elections in 20 years.

Deep political conflicts have prevented the Himalayan nation from forming a constitution after it emerged from a brutal civil war to form a secular state in 2006.

The members elected in 1997, held office till 2002 and their mandate was allowed to lapse.

After a late night discussion with the cabinet members,  Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said "The government has taken a historic decision.

The election will be held in a single phase across the country".

The local elections will be held on May 14, paving the way for national level elections later in the year.

However the minority Madhesis, who have been politically marginalised, demand that the constitution is amended in their favour and have pledged to protest against the polls.

"We will not take part in the local level election without our demands being addressed," Mahindra Yadav, the chairman of a Madhesi political party, told AFP on Tuesday.

The Madhesi community started a month-long protest along the India-Nepal border that led to a crisis of food supplies in Nepal.

"If the Madhesi go for protest it will be impossible to hold the polls" Nishchal Pandey, director of the Kathmandu-based Centre for South Asian Studies, said.

(With AFP inputs)