KATHMANDU, June 22 (Reuters) - Nepal's Maoist former rebels and other armed groups are hindering political activity in the countryside, the United Nations said on Friday, raising fears of disturbances ahead of this year's national elections. Nepal is due to vote for a constituent assembly (CA) by the end of the year to decide the fate of the monarchy, as part of a peace deal with the Maoists that ended a decade-long civil war which killed thousands. Several armed groups have attacked civilians and political activists since the signing of the peace deal in November, which saw the Maoists join the political mainstream after locking up their weapons under U.N. monitoring. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal said the Maoists were still preventing other political parties from functioning freely outside district capitals. Intimidation and violence by other armed groups had also led to obstacles to normal political activity, the U.N. said. In some places, the Maoists and other parties in the ruling alliance had labelled supporters of embattled King Gyanendra as "regressive forces" and disrupted their activities, it added. "This is a problem which, if not addressed, could worsen as political activities are intensified in the lead-up to the CA election," Lena Sundh, OHCHR chief in Nepal, told reporters. "It is essential that political parties at the central level renew commitments to promote political tolerance, respect pluralism and to conduct activities without intimidation and violence," Sundh said in a statement. "A mechanism is needed at the local level to ensure that the political actors cooperate together to fulfil these commitments." Insec, a local human rights watchdog, says at least 116 people were killed this year in protests by ethnic groups demanding more government jobs and seats in parliament and violence by other armed groups, overshadowing the peace deal with the Maoists.
