Nepal's Maoist rebels declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire from today but again underlined their demand for a new constitution.
"Our People's Liberation Army will not carry out any offensive military action during this period and will remain defensive," rebel chief Prachanda said in a statement.
"Our party believes that this declaration will highly respect the aspiration for the constituent assembly, a democratic republic and peace that is seen on the street."
The Maoists have been fighting to overthrow Nepal's monarchy since 1996 and at least 13,000 people have been killed.
They have a loose alliance with mainstream political parties that are to form a new government after King Gyanendra reconvened the dissolved parliament earlier this week following almost 20 days of street protests and .
A senior political leader welcomed the Maoist announcement, and said the incoming government would likely join the truce.
"They [Maoists] have taken the initiative to take the credit of showing themselves as initiators of peace," said Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal, the second-largest in the main seven-party alliance.