Kathmandu, October 12:

Former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran wound up his visit after having the warring parties concentrate on fixing a fresh date for election based on consensus on everything including the mode of election.

But parties like the Nepali Congress (NC), the CPN-UML and CPN-Maoists will still be “free

to fight and compete”

over electoral system and other issues. Talks among them have begun but they have not yet reached a consensus.

Saran had come to bail out the faltering peace process here. The visit also came close on the heels of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) expression of “disappointment” at the postponement-the second one-of the CA polls.

But it is too pat to assume that Saran persuaded the parties to give give up their respective stances.

What has become clear is that India is averse to the Maoist demand that the nation be declared a republic before the CA polls. But what is not ruled out is the possibility of parties other than the Maoist agreeing to an election based on all-out proportional representation.

The assurances which Saran got from Prachanda that his party will not violate the interim constitution while pursuing its political agenda demonstrate that the Maoists will keep their agitation peaceful.