Nepal Maoists against 'interference' by foreign country

Failing to get a mandate from lawmakers four times to form a new government in Nepal, the Maoists leadership has warned against interference by any foreign country in the country's internal affairs, but made, an exception in case of Indian envoy Shyam Saran.

"We don't want any foreign country to interfere in our internal affairs," Narayankaji Shrestha 'Prakash', the vice-president of Unified CPN-Maoist, .

But he said his party does not see the visit of Saran to Kathmandu as "an interference in Nepalese affairs".

"We have not taken negatively the recent visit by the special envoy of a neighbouring country to Nepal," he said.

His comments yesterday came as Saran, while wrapping up his three-day visit here, underlined the need for consensus among the deadlocked political parties to resolve the standoff over Parliament's failure to elect a new prime minister for the fourth time in a month.

"I think that the current visit is not an interference of India in Nepalese affairs. What we want is to end the past bitterness in our relations with India," Shrestha said.

During his talks with top political leaders, Saran, a former Indian ambassador to Nepal, called for unity among democratic forces in the country.

Shrestha said the Maoists leadership was "hopeful that the visit would not bear any negative outcome".

"We are hopeful that the visit would not bear any negative outcome", he said, adding we have to wait and see what type of effect it will leave on the Nepalese people.

In the past, the Maoist leadership has been critical of India for "inferring" in Nepal and some of the key bilateral pacts. They have demanded the revision of the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty on the basis of "changed scenario" and resolving the border row over Kalapani and Susta.

Shrestha said that the Maoist leadership was for India to review its policies towards Nepal so that the bilateral ties reach a new height.

"We want India to review its policies towards Nepal so that the relations between Nepal and India and India and the Maoist party will improve and rise to a new height," he underlined, adding "We have also told this to Sharan during our talks".

So far as the role played by India is concerned "Nepalese people have not taken it positively," he pointed out. India has been interfering in our affairs in the past, he said, adding "now we hope that the attitude will be changed."

Saran met Maoist supremo and former prime minister Prachanda, Nepali Congress acting president Shushil Koirala and the party's vice president Ramchandra Poudyal, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and other leaders amid the deadlock among the political parties to resolve the standoff over Parliament's failure to elect the new prime minister.

Saran also made it clear that India has no favourites and it was for the political parties in Nepal to choose a new leader.