China asks Nepal's Maoists to accept poll outcome

A top Chinese leader has asked the Maoists in Nepal to accept the election results and join the constitution-writing process to ensure progress and peace in the country.

Ai Ping, the vice-minister of the International Department of Communist Party of China (CPC), held separate meetings with UCPN-Maoist chief Prachanda and CPN-Maoist leader Mohan Baidya and said that the message from China was loud and clear: get involved in the constitution-writing process, the Himalayan Times reported.

The UCPN-Maoist, which received an unexpected drubbing in recent polls, is hesitant to join the Constituent Assembly while its breakaway faction CPN-Maoist is calling for an outright boycott of the assembly.

Ping also asked Prachanda to accept the election results. "Our observation is that the people of Nepal have given the mandate that parties should move ahead by forging consensus," Prachanda's aide Chudamani Khadka quoted the Chinese leader as saying.

The UCPN-M chairman told the Chinese vice-minister that his party "will play a constructive role in the new CA to achieve the task of writing the constitution and concluding the peace process".

Claiming that the votes were rigged, the UCPN-M had taken a tough stance to not become a part of the 601-member CA until an independent probe commission was set up, putting the process of drafting the countries constitution at risk.

"We apprised the envoy and the vice-minister of the post-election developments, our party's commitment to write the constitution and our stance on election results," UCPN-M leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara said.

Ping also wanted to know what role the CPN-M could play in the coming days and said that it would be better to incorporate all the factions in the constitution-drafting process, the report said.

"It's up to the CPN-M how it joins the process. But it is critical for the party to take part in this process and play a positive role to help put the country on the path to peaceful, stable and prosperous future. It's up to you whether you do this through the new assembly or from outside it," a CPN-M leader quoted Ping as saying.

Ping arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday, leading a 14-member delegation. He is the senior-most CPC official to visit Nepal since the November 19 elections.

He also meet Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal today, whose parties emerged as the top two in the elections.