by Prakash Dubey

Prime minister and Maoist rebel leader signed accord last night. Disarmament and cease-fire are to follow. Jubilant Nepalis take to the streets. Political leaders are happy with the outcome.

Kakadvitta (AsiaNews) – Nepal is celebrating the national peace accord signed late last night in Kathmandu by Prime Minister Koirala and Maoist rebel leader Prachanda. Jubilant Nepalis took the street and marked the end of the ten-year-old civil war by all night revelry.

The prime minister said that the nation would now move towards peace and prosperity through a reconciliation process without violence and terror. He added that "many used to warn me that my effort of bringing the Maoists into mainstream would be futile. But I always believed that it was the responsibility of a democrat like me to bring even the non democratic [elements] into the democratic system. And I am elated that we have been successful".

For rebel leader Prachanda the accord marks the ""end to the people's war against the autocracy". The people of the land of Buddha once again proved that they still had the capacity to send a message to the world about the ways of finding peace. "We have managed to come to this stage despite prejudices of some developed nations who always opposed the idea of parties signing up with us".

None the less, the rebel leader insisted that he would stop reactionary elements opposed to peace whilst his party "was open to working for a better and prosperous future".

The accord contains ten points. It institutes a permanent cease-fire, ends recruitment, confines regular troops and rebels to camps under United Nations control, demilitarises and includes the rebels in the multiparty political process.

For Norbert Rai, a Christian activist, this document "is a symbol of peace and democracy. If the parties abide by it Nepal will rise again".

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• peace
• accord
• koirala
• prachanda
• buddha