UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday welcomed Nepal's election of Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, which ended months of a political impasse that prompted the UN to withdraw from the Himalayan nation, dpa reported. Ban congratulated the prime minister-elect and "reaffirmed the support of the UN to all efforts to complete the peace process and to adopt a new constitution by the stipulated date of May 28, 2011." Ban said the election and formation of a new government would provide a significant boost to efforts to fully implement a peace agreement with Maoist forces. The agreement included the integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants into society, democratization of the army and adoption of a new constitution. Failure to form a new government since the resignation of the previous prime minister in June had stalled the peace process. The UN mission was terminated on January 15 by the UN Security Council.
