Highlights of the eight-point agreement

Eight-point agreement signed by the top leaders of the ruling Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the CPN (Maoist), after nearly seven-hour-long talks in Kathmandu, are given below:

1. To follow the 12-point understanding between the SPA and the CPN (Maoist) and the 25-point code of conduct signed by the Nepal government and the CPN (Maoist) with honesty and firmness.

2. By expressing commitment towards democratic norms and values including competitive multi-party system of governance, civil liberties, fundamental rights, press freedom and rule of law, launch activities in a peaceful manner.

3. To urge the United Nations to help in the management of arms and armed personnel of both the sides and to monitor it in order to conduct elections for the Constituent Assembly in a free and fair manner.

4. To form an interim constitution, constitute an interim government accordingly, to announce the date for elections of the Constituent Assembly (CA), to dissolve the House of Representatives on the basis of consensus and after making alternative arrangements, and dissolve the "people's governments" formed by the CPN (Maoist) on the basis of 12-point understanding between the SPA and the CPN (Maoist), the spirit of the preamble of the ceasefire code of conduct and by guaranteeing the people's rights acquired from the people's movement of 1990 and the recent historic people's movement.

5. To take decisions on the basis of consensus on the issues of national importance that may have far-reaching consequences.

6. To guarantee the fundamental right of the Nepali people to take part in the constitution making process and in the elections for the CA in an environment free of fear, intimidation and violence and invite international observers to monitor the CA elections as per the need.

7. To transform the ceasefire between the government of Nepal and the CPN (Maoist) in a permanent peace and to resolve the problems through negotiated settlement by forward-looking restructuring of the state so as to address the problems related to class, ethnicity, regionalism and gender and by placing the issue of democracy, peace, progress, forward-looking movement and independence, dignity and sovereignty of the nation in the center.

8. The government and Maoist negotiating teams have been directed to accomplish all the above-mentioned tasks immediately.