Are Maoists in Nepal seeking financial help from China to bribe lawmakers to vote for their candidate in the deadlocked prime ministerial election?
Two telephone conversations allegedly between Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara and an unnamed Chinese person that have surfaced ahead of the sixth round of voting on Sunday seem to suggest such a possibility.
In tapes of the sting operation leaked to Nepali media on Friday evening, Mahara is heard asking for NRs 500 million from the Chinese person to bribe 50 lawmakers to vote for Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
While Mahara, who is heading the Maoist party's foreign cell, has termed the tapes as fake, The Himalayan Times quoted a Chinese Embassy official in Kathmandu who said the allegation is baseless.
The audio tapes of two conversations lasting over 12 minutes were reportedly recorded on August 31 and September 1. A voice sounding like Mahara speaks in halting English to a caller with noticeable Chinese accent.
In the conversation the Maoist leader says his party has already acquired support of 10-15 lawmakers from other parties, but need another 50 more to vote for Dahal for him to win.
Mahara says that each lawmakers needs to be paid NRs 10 million and both parties agree to meet in Hong Kong for transaction of the deal. In the tapes, Mahara claims that Dahal has knowledge of the move.
There is allusion to India in the conversation when Mahara says that some lawmakers are guided and controlled by the “south” and it is necessary to "neutralize" its influence.
Ahead of the fourth round of voting for the prime minister's post, India had sent former foreign secretary Shyam Saran as special envoy to talk to all parties and end the impasse.
While the details of his talks are still not clear, it is believed that Saran had persuaded the four party Madhesi front, which has 82 crucial members, not to vote in favour of Dahal.
{{/usCountry}}While the details of his talks are still not clear, it is believed that Saran had persuaded the four party Madhesi front, which has 82 crucial members, not to vote in favour of Dahal.
{{/usCountry}}Allegation was also made by a Madhes-based Maoist lawmaker that an official in the Indian Embassy had threatened him.
Nepal is in the process of electing its new prime minister after Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned in June.
But despite five rounds of voting, none of the two candidates—Dahal and Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel have managed to get the 300 votes needed for a win.
Maoists have 235 members in the Constituent Assembly while Nepali Congress has 114 representatives.