April 09, 2008	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 2, 1429

KATHMANDU, April 8: Former US president Jimmy Carter met the leaders of Nepal’s former Maoist rebels on Tuesday, even though the group remains classified by Washington as a foreign “terrorist” organisation.

Carter, whose democracy and human rights organisation is monitoring this Thursday’s landmark elections in the Himalayan nation, was given assurances by the Maoists that the polls would be peaceful.

“President Carter wanted to know about the election situation and expressed his concern over whether it will be free and fair,” Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoists’ second-in-command, told reporters after the meeting.

“We assured him that the elections will be held in a peaceful manner and we are committed to peaceful polls,” Bhattarai said after the meeting between himself, Carter and Maoist leader Prachanda.

The run-up to the polls has been marred by violence by all political parties, but particularly the Maoists, the United Nations has said.

The Maoists — who fought a decade-long guerrilla war aimed at toppling the monarchy — signed a peace deal in late 2006, but remain on a US list of terrorist organisations.—AFP