Former communist rebels join govt, pledge to hold elections

(1 Apr 2007) 1. Wide of Parliament building 2. Nepal's army chief Rukmangad Katuwal walking outside the Parliament building 3. Nepalese Prime Minister, Girija Prasad Koirala getting out of car outside the Parliament 4. Top shot of Girija Prasad Koirala being greeted inside the Parliament assembly hall 5. Top shot inside the Parliament hall 6. SOUNDBITE: (Nepalese) Girija Prasad Koirala, Nepalese Prime Minister: "This is the beginning of a new chapter in Nepal's history. I urge all to leave behind all minor difference and move forward together to get to our goals." 7. Maoist leader Prachanda, seated centre, with his deputy Baburam Bhattarai, on right of picture. (Also seen wearing the hat is, Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal United Marxist-Leninist, a mainstream party not affiliated to the Maoists.) 8. Newly appointed ministers standing in line to take oath of office 9. Close-up of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala swearing in the new ministers 10. Low angle of newly appointed ministers standing in line to take oath of office 11. Journalists covering the ceremony 12. SOUNDBITE: (Nepalese) Prachanda, Maoist leader: "This day marks the beginning of a new Nepal. Our Priority for now is to hold the elections which will be free and fair. Our next goal is to provide some immediate relief to the people and then turn toward long-term development of the country." 13. Various of Koirala walking to the Prime minister's office, and being presented with garland STORYLINE: Former communist rebels joined an interim government in Nepal on Sunday as part of a landmark peace deal that ended a decade-long insurgency, pledging to ensure development in the Himalayan nation and to hold credible elections. Five former Maoists were appointed ministers, while a sixth was given a junior minister portfolio in the new government to be headed by Girija Prasad Koirala. The swearing-in ceremony was broadcast live on national television. The former insurgents were sworn in along with 16 other ministers and junior ministers by a visibly pleased Koirala, 84, whom Parliament re-elected as prime minister earlier on Sunday for a sixth time. Three more ministers have yet to be named while one junior minister was out of town and could not attend the swearing-in ceremony, according to the prime minister's office. "This is the beginning of a new chapter in Nepal's history. I urge all to leave behind all minor difference and move forward together to get to our goals," Koirala said. Maoist leader Prachanda said their main focus would be to conduct elections for a special assembly that will rewrite the constitution and decide whether Nepal will continue as a constitutional monarchy state. "This day marks the beginning of a new Nepal. Our priority for now is to hold the elections, which will be free and fair," said Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal. "Our next goal is to provide some immediate relief to the people and then turn toward long-term development of the country." The inclusion of the former rebels is part of a peace process that began last year when the Maoists agreed to give up their armed campaign to rid Nepal of its constitutional monarchy and join an interim government. The landmark agreement on the formation of a joint government was finalised late on Friday in a meeting involving Koirala, leaders of the seven ruling coalition parties, and Prachanda, the leader of the former rebels who goes by a single name. Koirala met with leaders of the seven parties and the former rebels on Sunday morning at his official residence to try to work out the differences. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/7de638b41f4567bbb78e2afcef54fe4b

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