Final results declared in Nepal

Prachanda says he wants to be the president

Nepal's election commission has published its final results for elections to a new constituent assembly held on 10 April.

The former rebel Maoists have won 220 of the 601 seats, giving them the chance to form a minority government.

The Nepali Congress party has come second with 110 seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) has won 103 seats.

The Maoists insist on the abolition of the monarchy.

The Maoist leader Prachanda has said he wants to be the president.

"But since there is no provision in the present constitution, we will have to reach some agreement with the other political parties," he said this week.

Monarchy's end

The elections were held on 10 April and as the results began coming in, it became clear that Maoists would emerge as the number one party.

Last Saturday, Prachanda claimed victory and said he would head a new government.

The two other big parties have been badly beaten but the Maoists want to include them in a coalition government.

Nearly 30 seats will be appointed when the next government is in place.

Many of the traditional politicians of the defeated parties have so far been reluctant to enter into a coalition with the former rebels.

The Maoists have said that King Gyanendra would be accorded economic, social and cultural respect as a citizen of Nepal if he co-operated with the abolition of the monarchy, which is due soon.

Earlier, Prachanda said he wanted to meet the monarch to persuade him to step aside and move out of the royal palace rather than being forced to do so.

All of Nepal's main political parties had agreed before the election that King Gyanendra would be removed from his throne, ending centuries of monarchy in the Himalayan nation.