Nepal border sealed ahead of poll

It will be the first election in Nepal since 1999

The border between India and Nepal has been sealed ahead of elections in Nepal on Thursday, Nepalese officials say.

They say the move to close the border is part of an earlier agreement between the two countries to ensure security ahead of the vote.

The election is the first since 1999, and follows the decision by communist rebels to quit their armed struggle against Nepal's government in 2006.

Meanwhile an election candidate has been shot dead, police said.

They said that Rishi Raj Sharma from the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) was killed by unknown gunmen near the south-eastern town of Nepalgunj.

The election is for an assembly which will re-write the constitution.

The new assembly is likely to abolish the monarchy.

'Final preparations'

Nepalese officials say that all main roads connecting India and Nepal will be sealed by armed guards until after the vote on Thursday. They say only "limited human movements" will be allowed.

NEPAL KEY FACTS Nepal has a population of 26.4 million It contains eight of the world's 14 highest mountains It was formerly the world's last Hindu kingdom Eighty percent of Nepalis are Hindus Nearly one third of Nepalese live on less than $1 a day More than 80% live on the land

The move is part of an increase in security across Nepal in advance of the vote.

Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokhrel told the Associated Press news agency that each area of the country has been categorised according to its local security situation.

"We are making final preparations," he said. "Our officials have reached all the 21,000 polling stations across the country and we have not had reports of any trouble."

Officials say they are ready to deal with any violence in the impoverished nation following several minor explosions across the country over the last three days.

The bombings "are a tactic to instil fear in people", Modraj Dottel, Nepal's home ministry spokesman, told the AFP news agency.

"We've deployed special teams including bomb disposal experts to sensitive areas where frequent bombings are taking place," he said. "We've enough security and we're prepared."

Security is tight ahead of the vote

Tens of thousands of police officers have been deployed across the country.

Former US president Jimmy Carter is in Nepal - as one of numerous foreign election observers - from his Atlanta-based Carter Center.

Around 17.6 million people are eligible to vote on Thursday and all the main parties have pledged to abolish the monarchy.

King Gyanendra seized absolute power in 2005 but was forced to give up his authoritarian rule the following year after weeks of pro-democracy protests. He has since lost all his powers and his command of the army.

Under the law, political parties should have stopped all campaigning, speeches and rallies on Monday night, but correspondents say it has been common in the past for parties to defy the rules.