The CPN Maoists are to stage a victory rally throughout the country in the wake of the historic agreement signed between the seven party alliance led government and the Maoists. In a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon in Kathmandu Chairman Prachanda announced that his party would stage the rally beginning Wednesday evening. Prachanda also declared that he would not be making his speech on the mass gathering on Friday in Kathmandu as announced earlier as they did not wish to create further problems for residents of the Valley. Thousands of Maoist cadres brought to the capital for Friday's mass meeting have been going around the Valley asking residents to provide food and shelter to at least 10 of their cadres. The Maoist office in Kupondol was guarded by Nepal Police personnel today after local residents protested against the Maoist demands for food and shelter.
The agreement reached late Tuesday night after weeks of negotiation states that a peace accord will be signed within 16 November, that the Peoples Liberation Army will be stationed in camps monitored by the UN by 22 November, and an interim legislature consisting of 330 members announced the same day. An interim constitution will be declared by 26 November and the current parliament dissolved. The interim legislature will consist of 209 members from the current Lower and Upper Houses, 73 from the Maoists and 48 representatives from various professions and the civil society. The Nepali Congress will have 75 representatives, CPN-UML and the Maoists will share 73 seats each, Nepali Congress Democratic 42, and the rest of the smaller parties will receive 19 seats. The United Left Front, which does not have a member in the current parliament will also be represented. The agreement has also decided the legal voting age as 18.