Apr. 14 - Nepal's Maoists are heading for victory in the Himalayan nation's first election in nine years, latest tallies show.

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 the election, the centrepiece of Nepal's peace deal, has surprised many analysts who had predicted the former rebels would emerge as the third largest party.

Penny Tweedie reports.