Ex-rebels agree to join government

Former insurgents have agreed to rejoin Nepal’s government, officials said, signaling an end to a political crisis that postponed elections. The agreement will also abolish Nepal’s monarchy in a change that had been widely expected for months.

No date has been set for the ex-rebels -- a communist faction usually referred to as the Maoists -- to rejoin the government. They quit in September, demanding immediate abolition of the monarchy and changes to the election system.

An agreement for them to rejoin was signed by leaders of the seven main political parties -- including the Maoists -- said Arjun Narsingh of the Nepali Congress, the Himalayan country’s largest party. Elections are expected by mid-April.