KATHMANDU: A senior Nepalese Maoist said yesterday that the party would “accept the people’s mandate,” in an apparent retreat from its earlier rejection of last week’s general election results.
Many had hoped the vote would revive the peace process. But the former rebels alleged fraud and called for a halt to vote-counting after early results showed them trailing.
However Narayan Kaji Shrestha said the party would “accept the people’s mandate. We will be part of the process.” Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal was not available for comment yesterday. But Shrestha said the party would still push for an independent investigation into its charges of poll-rigging during the elections for a constituent assembly, tasked with writing a constitution and ending years of political instability. AFP
