Nepal's home minister said yesterday that all illegal weapons in the country must be handed over to police within a week as part of a security plan for the first national polls in eight years this June.

"In order to improve the peace and security situation in the country ahead of constituent assembly elections the government has brought in new security measures," Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said in a statement.

Former rebel Maoists took five posts in a coalition government on Sunday to cement a peace deal that ended a decade of civil war and pave the way for June 20 polls to elect a body rewrite Nepal's constitution.

The home minister said that for the polls to be held peacefully "all

groups, organisations and political parties who possess unauthorised weapons and explosives to submit them to the local administration or police offices by April 8," or face prosecution.

In some parts of rural Nepal violence has been a feature of past elections, with criminal gangs working for political parties stealing ballot boxes and intimidating voters.

Sitaula also said patrols would be increased on Nepal's long and porous 1,700 kilometre (1,062 mile) border with India and "quick action teams" would be formed to maintain law and order.

The former rebels and government signed a landmark peace pact in November last year, that paved the way for the Maoist's entry into government for the first time on Sunday.