By Sushil Sharma BBC reporter in Kathmandu

Nepalese Maoist rebels have urged the government to clarify an offer of talks to end the country's long-running Maoist insurgency.

The comments came in response to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand's offer to hold peace talks.

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In a statement faxed to media organisations on Friday, the chairman of the Maoist communist party, Prachanda, reiterated that the party had always kept the doors of dialogue open.

But he said the new government's offer was confusing and misleading.

Sacrifices

He called for joint moves towards what he described as a progressive political solution, which he said should be based on the elections for a constituent assembly to frame a new constitution.

He said the king would have to make sacrifices for this but did not elaborate.

He warned the alternative to it would be a "decisive struggle."

It is not clear how the two-week-old government of Prime Minister Chand would react to the rebels' statement.

Waiting

Mr Chand, who was appointed prime minister after King Gyanendra assumed executive powers last month, had earlier said that the government was waiting for the rebels' response to its offer of resuming peace talks to resolve the insurgency.

Peace talks broke down last year after three inconclusive rounds.

A military offensive has been in effect since then.

An estimated 5,000 people have died since the Maoist rebels launched an armed struggle to replace the monarchy with a republican regime six years ago.