Kathmandu, Sept. 17 (Reuters): Nepali parties were making last-ditch efforts today to try and convince the former Maoist rebels not to quit the interim government and to withdraw their planned protests in a row over the monarchy.

The Maoists, who had been fighting the monarchy since 1996, ended their civil war last year under a landmark peace deal with the government, which agreed to hold elections for a special Assembly to decide the fate of the monarchy.

Those elections are set for November 22 but the Maoists are now saying that the Himalayan nation must be declared a republic ahead of the vote. They have threatened to pull out of the government and launch street protests to press the demand — a move the government says would endanger the peace deal.

The Maoists have planned a public rally tomorrow in Kathmandu to unveil details of their protests and announce their decision to quit the government.

“We have urged them to reconsider their decision,” peace and reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said. “If they leave the government it would create a very difficult situation ahead of the election and put the peace process in a trap,” he said.