Maoist leaders Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Krishna Bahadur Mahara today discussed the current political situation here with India’s ambassador to Nepal Shiv Shankar Mukherjee at his office. Mahara and another Maoist leader, Suresh Ale Magar, also met Lena Sundh, ambassador of and advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, at her office and held discussions on issues relating to conflict prevention, management and peacekeeping.
Mahara said they shared views on conflict management. He said that they would try to meet all diplomatic missions stationed here. Asked if they were also planning to meet the US ambassador, Mahara said they would “try their best”, but he was not sure whether the US ambassador would be ready to meet them.
Confirming the meeting with Mukherjee, member of the Maoist talks team Dinanath Sharma told this daily that both sides discussed the current political situation in Nepal, issues of democratic republic and an election to a constituent assembly, which has already been promised by the revived House of Representatives.
Sharma said that Bhattarai, currently in the capital along with Maoist chairman Prachanda, requested the Indian ambassador to release all the Maoist leaders and cadres imprisoned in various Indian jails.
The Indian ambassador is learnt to have said that he would take an initiative to this effect. Sharma quoted Mukherjee as saying India would be “positive to institutionalise” the achievements gained through the people’s movement.
“This is the party’s first initiative to meet diplomatic missions in Nepal aimed at building confidence between the international community and us,” Sharma said.