April 06, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

KATHMANDU, April 5: Nepal’s government began air patrols on Saturday and deployed thousands of police nationwide ahead of key polls planned for next week that will likely abolish the world’s last Hindu monarchy.

Violence has flared in the run-up to the election on Thursday to elect an assembly that will write a new constitution in the volatile country that saw Maoist rebels and political parties forge a peace agreement in 2006.

“We started aerial observation from today,” home ministry spokesman Modraj Dottel said, adding that six helicopters were on duty already.

“The helicopters will be used to patrol the security, transport security officials, transport those injured and casualties if there are any clashes and also to collect ballot boxes from remote areas,” he said.

Once bitter foes, Nepal’s mainstream parties and Maoists united against Nepal’s King Gyanendra, who used the insurgency to justify dismissing the Himalayan kingdom’s government in 2005, seizing control until mass protests forced him to cede power.—AFP