Maoists asked to form government

The Maoists are under pressure to form an adninistration

Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav has invited former rebel Maoists to form the country's new government.

The Maoists - who won most seats but no majority in elections this spring - have been given a week to form an administration, a statement said.

Mr Yadav called on the party to forge a political consensus for the appointment of the prime minister and ministers.

The Maoists have yet to respond. They were angered after their presidential choice was rejected by other parties.

Political wrangling has left Nepal without a government since it became a republic in late May following the abolition of the monarchy.

'Consensus'

The Maoists say they do not want to lead a "shaky coalition".

They point out that Nepal has seen 16 governments in the past 18 years.

Ram Baran Yadav (left) has given the Maoists a one week deadline

Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara told the AFP news agency that talks with other parties were under way and the party hoped to "reach a consensus soon".

"We want to join hands with all the political forces. The political parties have asked for our programme and policy proposals... We're discussing those," Mr Mahara said.

He warned that if talks with other parties to resolve the crisis failed, it would be their fault.

"The monarchy has ended but the old mainstream parties are not ready for new economic and social reforms in the country."

The rebels were upset over the rejection by parliament of their choice for president - and announced they would refuse to lead the government.

It was the first major decision by the assembly since lawmakers decided to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy and declare a republic, part of a peace process that ended a decade-long civil war with Maoist insurgents.

But last week the former rebels said that they would consider reversing the decision - as long as certain conditions were met first.

One of those is that they have are given a minimum of two years in power to write a new constitution.

Correspondents say that the involvement of the former rebels within the government is crucial to the survival of the peace process which ended the country's civil war.