By Prensa Latina
Kathmandu : Nepal opened 20,000 polling stations where 17.6 million registered nationals will vote the Constituent Assembly members.
Electing 601 Assembly members challenge a huge wave of violence that already claimed the life of one candidate and six Communist Party members.
Nepal runs a mixed elections system: direct vote will confirm 240 seats, 335 will match the size of parties and the premier will appoint 26 among 4,021 candidates from 55 parties including pro-monarchic organizations.
The Constituent Assembly will hold its first session 21 days after the turn out is announced and will decide if Nepal remains a monarchy or becomes a republic.
The elections crown a peace process started November 2006 when the Communist Party signed a cease fire accord that ended a decade of armed struggle to join political life.
The Communists back a seven-party alliance led by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala whose agenda calls to trade the monarchy for a republic.
The CPN forced the Parliament last December to proclaim Nepal a Federal Republic, a status to be confirmed if it wins the elections.