(For a related story, see NEPAL-ELECTION or click on [nSP277260]) April 8 (Reuters) - Nepal goes to polls on Thursday to elect a constituent assembly, the centrepiece of a 2006 peace deal between the government and the former Maoist rebels, who ended their civil war and joined electoral politics. The following is a chronology of how the Maoist war began and the march towards peace: 1994 - The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is founded by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known by his nom de guerre Prachanda. Feb 1996 - Maoists, who oppose the Himalayan country's constitutional monarchy, launch a "people's war" to establish a single-party communist republic. Feb 2005 - King Gyanendra takes absolute power vowing to crush the Maoists. Sept 2005 - Maoist rebels announce unilateral ceasefire but royalist government rejects it. Nov 2005 - Maoists join a loose alliance with the seven main political parties to end royal rule. Jan 2006 - Rebels end ceasefire. April 2006 - King Gyanendra gives up absolute power after widespread protests. Veteran politician Girija Prasad Koirala, sworn in as prime minister, invites rebels for talks. June 2006 - New government agrees with Maoists to dissolve parliament and form interim administration that includes rebels. Nov 2006 - Prime Minister Koirala and rebel chief Prachanda sign a peace deal, ending a civil war which killed more than 13,000 people. Jan 2007 - Parliament scraps old constitution and adopts new interim constitution. Maoists control 84 seats in the 329-member interim legislature. Dec 2007 - The ruling alliance and the Maoists agree to abolish the monarchy after the elections. Feb 2008 - Ethnic Madheshi groups call a strike demanding autonomy which brings much of the economy to a standstill. Feb 2008 - The government seals a deal with most Madheshi groups to end the protests. (Compiled by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Valerie Lee)
