Nepal's Maoists were heading for victory in the Himalayan nation's first election in nine years, latest tallies showed today.
The Maoists, who ended an insurgency two years ago and entered electoral politics, won 61 of 108 seats declared so far and were also leading by a similar proportion in constituencies where counting was continuing, election officials said.
The outcome of Thursday's election, the centrepiece of the peace deal, has surprised many analysts who had predicted the former rebels would emerge as the third largest party.
"It has come as a bang," said Lok Raj Baral of Nepal Centre for Strategic Studies, a private think-tank. "It is possible that they will win a majority."
Baral said the results were a mandate for a change from the ineffective old political order. The 601-member assembly Nepal was voting for is meant to write a new constitution, formally end a 240-year-old monarchy, and make laws.
The Maoists, once considered close to Peru's Shining Path guerrillas, have abandoned the language of Marx and Mao. They have not called for nationalisation and say foreign investment is welcome in some sectors of the impoverished nation's economy.
They also favour land reform and social efforts to eradicate poverty.
Two other parties - the Communist UML and the Nepali Congress earlier thought to be favourites - have so far won only 16 seats each. The UML conceded defeat and Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned as party secretary-general.